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New Salary Guides Reveal Hiring Trends and Hot Skills for More Than 500 Professional Occupations

TORONTO, Aug. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Newly released 2017 Salary Guides from Robert Half show that national average starting salaries for Canadian professional occupations are expected to increase 3.1 per cent next year. The technology field leads with a projected 3.2 per cent increase in pay, followed by salaries for finance and accounting roles, which are expected to rise by 3.1 per cent. Workers in both the legal and creative fields can also anticipate average compensation increases of 3.1 per cent, while administrative professionals can expect average starting pay gains of 3 per cent in 2017.

"Companies continue to seek employees with increasingly specialized skills, most notably in finance and technology, and this demand is driving salary growth," said Greg Scileppi, Canadian president of Robert Half, International Staffing Operations. "Professionals with expertise in tax, accounting, compliance, big data and network security, are in particularly short supply. Building and establishing a team with strength in these areas requires a hiring strategy of attractive, flexible compensation packages, and a nimble approach that ensures candidates don't lose interest during a lengthy hiring process."

Following is a summary of findings from the 2017 Salary Guides from Robert Half:

Technology
IT professionals can anticipate average starting salaries to rise 3.2 per cent next year. Upgrades and implementations, as well as big data, mobile and security initiatives, are top of mind for many organizations, and these business priorities are reflected in their hiring decisions. With a shortage of qualified technology candidates, in-demand positions, like data scientists, big data engineers and network security engineers, are projected to see even greater salary gains in the coming year.

Accounting and Finance
Accounting and finance professionals' starting salaries are expected to increase 3.1 per cent in 2017. Positions in demand include tax managers, controllers, financial analysts and business analysts. Employers seek job candidates who are proficient in, and possess strong nontechnical skills and professional certifications.

Legal
In the legal field, starting salaries are expected to increase 3.1 per cent in 2017. Litigation support, real estate lawyers, and compliance managers are likely to see some of the largest starting salary increases. In addition, contract managers, lease assistants and litigation law-clerks are in high demand.  

Creative and Marketing
Average starting salaries for positions in the creative and marketing fields are expected to increase 3.1 per cent in 2017. As companies invest more in online initiatives, positions requiring digital expertise, such as user experience and mobile designers, are seeing the biggest pay gains. Creative professionals with diverse skills that complement each other, like web designers who are comfortable with front-end coding and copywriters who are proficient in search engine optimization, are in especially strong demand.

*Note: Creative and marketing results are reflective of Ontario salary and trend data only.

Administrative and Office Support
Starting salaries for administrative professionals are predicted to rise 3 per cent next year. Hiring for skilled support staff is becoming more competitive as companies capitalize on new opportunities. Document control and reception specialties are particularly strong areas for hiring, and businesses also seek executive and administrative assistants, as well as those in senior or management roles.

The full 2017 Salary Guides can be accessed at roberthalf.ca/salary-guides.

Robert Half has reported on salaries yearly since 1950. The company gathers data from its specialized recruiters throughout its Canadian offices to compile the Salary Guides. Information in the guides is based on the thousands of job searches, negotiations and placements managed by Robert Half's staffing and recruiting managers, along with the company's ongoing surveys of executives. Continuing or ongoing salaries are not reported because many external factors – such as seniority, work ethic, job performance and training – impact the salaries of full-time professionals as work histories develop.

About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company has more than 325 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search and management tools at roberthalf.ca. For career and management advice, follow our blog at roberthalf.ca/blog. Follow Robert Half Canada on Twitter at @RobertHalf_CAN for additional workplace advice and hiring trends.

Contact: Naz Araghian
416.865.2140
naz.araghian@roberthalf.com

SOURCE Robert Half Canada

Image with caption: "Where are salaries headed in 2017? (CNW Group/Robert Half Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160830_C7266_PHOTO_EN_761661.jpg