Tech Pros Demand Higher Starting Salaries

Technology professionals know how valuable their skills are in the marketplace, so much that more are rejecting job offers and/or requesting higher salaries.

That’s according to the semi-annual hiring study by tech jobs website Dice.com, which found 32 percent of the 737 tech-focused hiring managers surveyed said more tech candidates are snubbing job offers, as compared to the beginning of 2014. Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) said candidates are asking for more money, as compared to six months ago.

That level of competition often means tech positions are going unfilled, as 59 percent of respondents said they left a position vacant based on salary guidelines for the job.

The good news for organizations is that fewer tech professionals are exiting their current positions. While one-third of respondents said more tech professionals were leaving their current jobs this year, that’s down from 42 percent who cited increased turnover in 2013, Dice found.

Still, the potential for rejected job offers and/or payment of higher salaries is not stopping organizations from hiring more IT pros. Dice found 70 percent of hiring managers intend to recruit more tech professionals in the next six months, as compared to the first six months of 2014. That’s down from 73 percent who anticipated hiring in the first half of the year.

The majority of respondents said they are looking for job candidates with six to 10 years’ experience (71 percent), followed by two to five years (59 percent) and 10-plus years (37 percent). Just 20 percent said they are seeking entry-level candidates, though Dice cautioned entry-level tech pros not to be deterred, as that marks the highest percentage since November 2011.

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