Wages Keep Rising Along With Demand For Technology Jobs

How can you boost your bottom line in 2015? A new report indicates the answer for some could be changing careers and entering the field of technology. Starting salaries for tech jobs are projected to rise almost six percent, according to the report from human resources consulting firm Robert Half International. Senior executive director, Paul McDonald, says it also predicts growth in traditional fields like accounting and marketing, where technology is involved. “Technology truly is running its course through all functional roles today,” McDonald says. “You need technology as a foundational, functional understanding, in order to be successful in any one of these specialty areas.” According to the report, among the top positions to watch are mobile applications developer, data architect and chief security officer. All three have starting salaries that top $100,000 a year. McDonald points out many careers in the technology sector don’t necessarily require four-year degrees, and can be secured with additional training that could be done at night or online. “If you find yourself unemployed, it’s really a good investment to go back and go to a trade school, go to a junior college to retrain yourself, to make yourself marketable in these very hot areas,” he says. Companies are making employee retention a high priority, McDonald adds, since turnover is particularly challenging for high-tech positions. He says many businesses are offering flexible work hours to accommodate a work-life balance for skilled workers who are the right fit.