Big data salaries set to rise in 2017

Starting salaries for big data pros will continue to rise in 2017 as companies jockey to hire skilled data professionals.

Recruiting and staffing specialist Robert Half Technology studied more than 75 tech positions for its annual guide to U.S. tech salaries, including 13 jobs in the data/data administration field.

In the big picture, starting salaries for newly hired IT workers are forecast to climb 3.8 percent next year. (See also: 14 hot network jobs/skills for 2017)

In the data world, the highest paying title is big data engineer; these specialists can expect starting salaries ranging from $135,000 to $196,000. The biggest raise is projected for data scientists, who can expect a 6.4 percent boost in 2017.