Careers Slideshow: 11 IT Skills That Command A Payday Premium

Even in a bad economy, there is a rising premium value being placed on IT talent. Certified systems administrators/engineers, security professionals, and applications developers are getting higher-than-average increases in pay premiums for certain in-demand skills. While many of these quarter-on-quarter increases in market value are by no means astronomical, anything better than flat is worth noting these days. Even non-certified systems/networking workers and applications developers are seeing salary increases for certain skills, according to Foote Partners' latest quarterly edition of its long-running IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index (ITSCPI). The index measures market values for 449 certified and noncertified IT skills. Some 2,000 U.S. and Canada employers participate in the research, covering 99,400 IT professionals. All figures reflect 2Q 2010, which ended on June 30.