Demand for tech jobs is strong, but salaries remain flat, according to an annual survey just released by technology career website Dice.com.
U.S. technology professionals saw their wages rise roughly 1 percent in 2010 – to $79,384 from $78,845 – about the same increase reported in 2009, according to the survey.
Sacramento's tech workers earned about $82,000 on average in 2010, said Tom Silver, a Dice senior vice president.
The region's counterparts in Silicon Valley – the survey's top area for tech salaries – took home about $99,000 on average last year. The Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area was second with an average salary of $89,149.
Other top-earning cities for tech jobs in 2010 were New York ($87,298) and Los Angeles ($84,551), though average wages for Los Angeles workers fell 4 percent from 2009, according to the survey.
Dice.com conducted the online survey of nearly 20,000 employed tech professionals between Aug. 31 and Nov. 15.
Though it marks the second straight year of relatively flat wages in the sector, nearly half of those surveyed said they received a bump in pay in 2010, compared with only 36 percent who took home raises in 2009.
Job satisfaction was also improved: Half of surveyed tech workers also said they were satisfied, up from 46 percent in 2009.
But local recruiters warn that, with the slow growth in wages and increased demand for skilled staffers, some tech workers may start seeking greener pastures.
There's a need for skilled employees. "Tech is one of the stronger sectors. Companies are looking at ways to work faster, stronger and better," said Kimberly Stiener-Murphy, Sacramento branch manager of employment firm Robert Half International.
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