New Research Shows Starting Salaries Higher for Tech than Finance

According to the newly released 2013 Salary Guides from Robert Half International, starting salaries for technology positions in the coming year will show the largest increases among all fields researched -- an average of 5.3 percent. Administrative and office support professionals are expected to see base compensation rise by 3.5 percent, on average, and accounting and finance professionals can anticipate a boost of 3.3 percent.

"A supply and demand imbalance exists for specialized talent within many professional occupations, including information technology and accounting," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "To attract the best employees, companies must stay up-to-date on compensation levels, including trends affecting their regions and industries. Our Salary Guides provide data that can help businesses plan for the coming year."

Here's an overview of hiring trends identified in the 2013 Salary Guides:

Accounting and Finance

Starting salaries are expected to rise an average of 3.3 percent for accounting and finance positions in the coming year, with a particular need for financial analysts and business analysts who can support growth opportunities, as well as staff and senior accountants. In financial services, an improved lending environment should lead to above-average salary increases for mortgage underwriters and processors.

Technology

Base compensation for information technology professionals is expected to increase an average of 5.3 percent in the coming year. Mobile applications developers will see the highest increases (average of 9.0 percent), as companies look for people to help them build business using mobile media. Network engineers (especially wireless), data modelers and portal administrators also are in demand.

Administrative and Office Support

Salaries for administrative professionals are anticipated to rise an average of 3.5 percent in 2013. Employers are refilling some roles and creating new ones to ready themselves for future growth. Positions in demand include executive and administrative assistants and customer service and call center managers. Above-average salary increases also are projected for select administrative positions in the healthcare industry and in human resources.