Good News, Job Seekers: Starting Salaries Are Getting a Boost
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Good News, Job Seekers: Starting Salaries Are Getting a Boost

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With skilled professionals in high demand and short supply, more employers are willing to negotiate compensation with potential hires," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half, in a statement.

The biggest salary increases will come from the technology sector, where IT professionals can expect their salaries to grow 3.8 percent in 2017. Data scientists, data engineers and network security engineers likely will see bigger salary gains as companies prioritize big data, mobile and security efforts and tech upgrades.

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Legal and creative/marketing professionals are expected to see a 3.6 percent rise in starting salaries next year. User experience and mobile designers in marketing fields stand to get the biggest salary bumps, according to Robert Half.

Source: Robert Half

In the legal world, the largest salary increases will go to litigation directors, first-year associates at large firms and experienced lawyers and compliance managers.

Administrative and office support professionals are getting a slightly smaller increase in their salaries next year compared to the average. Salaries in that field are expected to rise 3.5 percent in 2017. The biggest opportunities for salary boosts are administrative health care and customer service or call center representatives.

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