Salaries for technology professionals working in Cleveland rose by double percentage points over last year, according to the 2013-2012 Dice Salary Survey from Dice, a career site for technology and engineer professionals.

Salaries for tech and engineering jobs rose 11 percent in the city, compared to the national average of just 5.3 percent. The average salary in 2012 was $75,773, compared to $68,519 in 2011 and $65,045 in 2007, according to the report.

“It’s really good to see, from a career perspective, salaries going up,” says NEOSA director Brad Nellis. “We like to see more students go into IT after high school because the pipeline is not full enough. The salaries drive more interest among students to go into IT.”

Nellis reports that 82 percent of NEOSA companies had job openings last year, and 73 percent expected to add staff this year. Given Cleveland’s cost of living, the salary increase gives the area an advantage, especially when the 11 percent growth ranked Cleveland fifth out of the seven cities that saw double digit tech salary growth.

While some of the smaller and startup tech companies in the region may struggle a bit to offer the higher salaries, JumpStart recruiter Kara Hornikel says these companies are also eager to attract the best employees. “Our startups want to attract and retain top talent,” she says, adding that one third of the 50 to 70 open jobs at JumpStart companies are in IT.

There are advantages to working at a startup tech firm too. “It’s a lot more exciting for a developer to work in a startup environment,” says Hornikel. “They get a lot more say from start to finish and they get to stretch their creative skills.”

The increase gives technology companies in Cleveland the ability to attract and retain talented employees from both within and outside the region. “Northeast Ohio is starting to recognize how important attraction and retention is,” says Sean Turner, senior recruiter at JumpStart. “We’re trying to be more competitive about attracting talent here. With the salary increases compared to the national average and the cost of doing business here, you get more bang for your buck.”

Sources: Brad Nellis, Kara Hornikel, Sean Turner
Writer: Karin Connelly