| October 2006 |
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| The insurance industry is only a starting point for IT job seekers |
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| Over the course of his 20-year IT career, Tom Ingram has watched Hartford evolve from industry backwater into a region at ease with its place in the world between Boston and New York City.
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“I've seen very significant changes in the workforce and in the job market over 20 years,” said Ingram, a technical writer. “My job experience is not unique, but as the Hartford market has progressed, my skills are in more and more demand, especially as an independent agent.”
That independent spirit has given rise to a growing demand for IT contractors in the region’s most established industries, said Bill Donegan, Hartford’s branch manager with IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies. “There aren’t tons of tech companies here,” said Donegan. “But a big change we’ve seen has been in the demand for IT consultants to fill needs in other industries. And the pay rates have definitely been going up.”
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| "There are many IT positions across numerous sectors in Hartford that need to be filled" |
| - Bill Donegan, Hartford's branch manager with IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies |
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Donegan says the big players hiring significant numbers of IT talent will likely always remain centered on the insurance industry, but the growth of the region’s pharmaceutical industry has created significant demand for quality talent. Opportunities abound throughout the area, in places like Simsbury, Glastonbury and Groton, where large companies have relocated their headquarters.
A strong state economy and comparatively reasonable home prices help draw employees away from more expensive metro areas in and around New York and Boston, said Donegan. “There are many different IT positions across numerous sectors in Hartford that need to be filled,” he said. “It can be hard to compete with New York and Boston, but we don’t try to do that.” Donegan said 75% of the talent they recruit comes from within the region. “The market demand is very strong,” he said.
The IT job market in Hartford has seen steady growth throughout the year. Listings on Dice have climbed since January, up an impressive 39% to 640 by the end of September.
IT staffing firm Robert Half Technology also sees Hartford as a steady growth region. Its fourth-quarter IT Hiring Index finds that a net 7% of Hartford CIOs plan to make new hires this quarter.
“Hartford’s IT market is carving its own niche in a region where you’d expect IT talent to migrate to bigger cities,” said Scot Melland, CEO of Dice. “But because of the solid insurance industry and growing pharmaceutical business, tech professionals are finding opportunities.”
Donegan says the demand for skills has also helped push salaries up slightly. Hartford IT professionals reported earning an average yearly income of $72,600, according to a salary survey by Dice. The national average tech salary is $70,300. “It may not be a ‘hot spot,’ but there are a lot of nice things going on in Hartford’s IT market,” said Dice’s Melland.
If you would like to be interviewed for the next Dice market report, or if you have comments about this article, please contact us at feedback@dice.com.
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| Dice job postings in Hartford are up 39% since Jan. |
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