Wes Hicks

Wes Hicks, regional manager for RHI Consulting in North Carolina, says starting salaries for IT professionals in the Triad will be impacted by the same factors that led to the conclusion in the 2002 Salary Guide.

"These factors include the demise of the dot-coms and the weakening economy," Hicks says."During the past several years, IT professionals were reaping the rewards of record-low unemployment as competition for qualified talent translated into sharp increases in starting salaries.Now, pay structures are more normal and stabilizing after tremendous growth."

Hicks says another trend he has noticed is in the placement of more traditional positions such as "help desk" and desktop support.That appears to be pushing salaries upward for more experienced people in those fields.Based on RHI's salary guide, salaries for senior help desk personnel nationally are projected to increase by 4.9 percent this year in RHI's guide, one of the higher increases anticipated.

"In this uncertain economic environment, employers are focusing more on the core roles needed to support their existing business processes," Hicks says.