Last December 29th, the Denver Post asked: "Can Colorado's economy maintain its precarious grip on growth in the face of a lingering credit crisis and conflicting national indicators?" Its answer: "Yes, according to many analysts. Technology, telecommunications, energy, aerospace, retail and tourism show signs of life, helping offset the prospect of problems in housing and airlines and rising healthcare costs."

Another year-end article suggested that in addition to telecom and finance, two Denver industries with long histories of providing good IT jobs, biotech may be ready for a surge. Governor Bill Ritter is working with the Colorado BioScience Association to create legislation to devote $3.5 million annually to technology transfer efforts and biotech commercialization.Like so many other locales across the country, Denver and Colorado are looking to life sciences to create new jobs.

For now, however, hiring in Denver is proceeding at a rate that doesn't rise above average. The quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, which covers all industries, found that in January through March 2008, 27 percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, a steady pace, according to Manpower Spokesperson Sunny Ackerman. Meanwhile, recruiter Robert Half Technology's IT Hiring Index indicates that 14 percent of Denver-area CIOs plan to hire new staff during the first quarter.

On Dice, the number of available Denver-based jobs dropped 10 percent in 2007's fourth quarter, to a total of 1,535. Salaries held steady: The Dice salary survey shows the average Denver IT job is paying $77,846, up 0.68 percent on the year and about $3,000 ahead of the national average.

John Deets, branch manager of IT recruiter Sapphire Technologies' Denver office, describes Denver's IT job market as "so-so" and says he's "optimistic, with a side of pessimism." He adds, "Things have slowed down a little bit in Q4, but our indications are showing that clients are optimistic for a good start to '08."

Job skills in demand include Java, .NET, Unix administration, project management, and quality assurance.

The telecom industry saw a healthy demand for IT professionals in 2007, Deets notes. "The recent mergers that have taken place in this market are driving the need for tech talent to support system integration and to ensure compatibility. This has created a large supply of openings, particularly in the Colorado Springs region."

Deets also keeps a close eye on the financial sector. "We have clients who have indicated plans to hire IT staff in Arizona and Colorado in 2008 instead of in San Francisco as the cost of doing business in San Franciso is too expensive," he says. "To control overhead expenditures, they are opting to hire in more cost-sensitive markets, which will benefit our market. This is good news for IT pros in the Denver area."

Down in the trenches, Dice forum member "nweddle" suggests that anyone job hunting in Denver should subscribe to the Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group Yahoo Group. He also provides a list of big Denver employers to check out: Qwest, Oppenheimer Funds, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable, Corporate Express, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Agilent.

Our take: In 2008, finding the right IT job in Denver, at the right salary, is going to require some significant legwork.