What the top 5 metro areas pay for hot IT jobs

The war for IT talent in 2017 is becoming even more competitive - and even more expensive. The demand for talent certainly isn't slowing down, and companies are offering hefty compensation packages to try and fill open roles.

Tech jobs in big data, IT security and software development, for example, are paying big bucks for both entry and senior-level positions, especially if you live in one of the five largest metro areas in the U.S., according to Randstad's 2017 Salary Guide.

"The biggest takeaway here is that salary is still the number-one factor candidates consider when looking at new opportunities. The recent Gallup State of the American Workforce survey showed that about 37 percent of people would leave their job for a salary increase of 20 percent or less - it doesn't take much, but candidates today know their worth and they can name their price. It's a candidate's market," says Jennifer Selden, regional recruiting director for Randstad Technologies.

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And those prices can be pretty steep, especially for technologists with particularly high-demand skills in and around the five biggest metro areas in the U.S: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.

Here, according to Randstad's 2017 Salary Guide data, are three of the hottest IT jobs - cybersecurity engineer, Java developer and big data software development architect - and what candidates can expect to make at both entry and senior level in the five largest U.S. metro areas.

Cybersecurity engineer

1. New York
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $106,648
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience):$143,381

2. Los Angeles
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $102,188
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $137,175

3. Chicago
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $97,305
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $128,161

4. Houston
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $98,928
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $134,095

5. Philadelphia
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $98,436
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $131,407

[ Related story: 15 Unfilled tech jobs that cost the U.S. billions ]

Java developer

1. New York
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $99,395
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $160,680

2. Los Angeles
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $66,950
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $133,900

3. Chicago
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $74,160
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $133,900

4. Houston
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $72,100
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $113,300

5. Philadelphia
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $87,550
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $128,750

[ Related story: Why happy developers equal happy customers ]

Big data software development architect

1. New York
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $101,852
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $144,164

2. Los Angeles
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $97,626
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $137,918

3. Chicago
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $100,000
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $140,000

4. Houston
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $94,374
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $134,829

5. Philadelphia
Entry-level pay (0-3 years experience): $94,122
Senior-level pay (8+ years experience): $132,113

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