Who's hiring IT pros?

Good news if you are an IT professional and know your way around mobile technologies, data access, social media and cybersecurity. A new report says those fields are currently fueling IT hiring – and pushing starting salaries higher, in the private sector anyway.

The recently released Salary Guide from Robert Half Technology shows that access to increasing amounts of data and growing online collaboration in business are also areas with a spiked demand for professionals with the technical knowhow.

Mid- and senior-level IT professionals are repordedly most in demand, particularly those who are able to discuss business strategy as they are working with complex systems and software, according to the report. Areas that are currently experiening the most active hiring of IT professionals include healthcare, professional services, high tech, solar and nonprofit.

The report also found that starting salaries have increased in several IT-related areas:

• Mobile media: Increased use of smart phones and tablets is creating a bigger demand for those who know how to create content for the small screen. As a result, starting salaries for mobile applications developers are expected to go up 9.1 percent over 2010 levels to a range of $85,000 to $122,500.

• Data deluge: Now that there is more data than ever, businesses are looking for those who can gather and organize all the information. Some of the most in-demand positions are business intelligence analysts, who will see a 6.3 percent increase in average starting salaries to a range of $87,750 to $123,500.

• IT threats: The fast-evolving threat landscape has created a need for digital defenders of data and networks, especially in the banking and healthcare sectors. Starting salaries for cybersecurity analysts are expected to increase 6 percent to a range of $89,000 to $121,500.

• Online collaboration: With more companies turning to internal social media to foster collaboration and online learning comes a greater need for software developers. The base compensation for software developers is expected to rise 6.5 percent next year to a range of $70,000 to $111,000.

"The demand for professionals who can help companies take advantage of new technologies, such as mobile media or popular collaboration tools, is outpacing the supply in some cases," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "This has resulted in higher starting salaries within certain specialty areas."

These figures all pertain to private industry, while the federal workforce is facing freezes and cuts. Are you seeing demand in agencies for certain skill sets even so? Or are agencies just trying to cope with the resources they have? Share your observations in the comments.