Programming, Development Skills in Demand

Job opportunities for technology professionals are fluctuating in the United States, but programming and development skills are hot across the country--especially in Java/J2EE. In New York City, IT managers and networking analysts have also seen a sharp increase in demand.

If you can code, you can get work.

Demand for C#, Java/J2EE, .Net, Oracle, Sharepoint and SAP skills are very high, according to a July report from IT job board Dice, which surveyed recruiters and human resource professionals.

"Not only is demand strong for these professionals, but these positions as a group pay on average $10,000 more than the average national paycheck for tech professionals," said Tom Silver, senior vice president of Dice, in a statement. "And confirming their coveted in-demand status, these IT pros are receiving double the pay raise this year, as compared to technology professionals as a whole."

The No. 1 programming and development skill in demand is Java/J2EE with more than 14,000 open job positions nationally, according to Dice.

"Java/J2EE professionals are tough to recruit with one respondent noting there are just not enough developers on the market and too many openings," said Silver. "For .Net programmers experience is key, as hiring managers are looking for IT professionals who've demonstrated their prowess in this framework. And for those with C# know-how, the average paycheck is $89,400 and there are open positions in 48 states including Alabama, Texas, New York and California."

Other skills in demand include security analysts of all flavors and those with federal security clearances and database administrators. The single largest metropolitan area in the United States with IT job demand is New York City with more than 8,200 openings. In second place, Washington, D.C., with 7,400 which is followed by Silicon Valley at 4,400; Chicago and Los Angeles have more than 2,800 each; Atlanta, Seattle and Dallas have more than 2,000 each; And, lastly, Philadelphia has more than 1,600 openings.

In New York City, job openings have climbed mightily for IT management and network communication analysts, which have grown by more than 60 percent, according to government figures analyzed by Pace University, which published its quarterly Pace/Skillproof IT Index report in July.

From the report:

"The Pace/SkillPROOF IT Index (PSII), an indicator of employment activity in the IT industry in Manhattan, showed remarkable strength during the second quarter. The index surged from 74 to 110, a 47 percent increase which was the largest quarterly gain since the data were first gathered in 2004. The increase is particularly reassuring because it follows three consecutive quarters of an improving job market, indicating an enduring recovery for Manhattan IT professionals."

Other skills seeing an increase include database administrators and network administrators who both saw increases around 15 percent in the second quarter, according to the Pace report.