Main image of article New York City: Mobile Development Rules

What's New This Quarter

Even after its $1.1 billion acquisition of NYC-based Tumblr, Yahoo may still be shopping, with a $50 million offer out for mobile app developer Qwiki. Another big deal: the sale of 3D-printing pioneer MakerBot to Stratasys for more than $600 million. Expect hiring at chic online design shop Fab.com, which recently picked up $150 million in funding (which values the company at a cool $1 billion) and is looking to expand internationally. New York CityWhen Mayor Michael Bloomberg told Stanford's graduating class, that he believed more and more of them would forgo Silicon Valley for Silicon Alley, he wasn’t kidding. For the first time in four years, tech hiring demand is higher in New York than it is in Stanford’s home ground, according to data from Wanted Analytics. Also, 11.4 percent of U.S. venture capital deals happen in New York -- second only to the Valley. Some of that money undoubtedly ends up in Brooklyn. Responding to the growth of tech companies there, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle -- a joint effort of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the Dumbo Business Improvement District and the Brooklyn Navy Yard -- is working on a master plan to create or repurpose space to entice even more of them.

Skills in Demand

Elizabeth Enderle Tubridy, Staffing Manager at WinterWyman Contract Staffing, says mobile development has never been hotter. She sees high demand for HTML5, iOS and Android developers, as well as experts in Java, JavaScript, newer JavaScript frameworks, Google apps and all kinds of UI design. Responsive Web design and making websites and their mobile counterparts work together are two areas of increasing attention, she says. Large organizations are looking for talent in MySQL, HBase, Cognos, Informatica, Eloqua, Marketo, Salesforce and .NET development. They also need expertise in database management, business intelligence and security management, specifically those with at least 10 years of security experience.

Salary Trends

Recruiting firm Mondo says that security analysts, systems analysts and data analysts have the fastest growing paychecks, while experts in Amazon’s EC2 cloud-based infrastructure are also doing well. Meantime, recruiter Robert Half Technology reports that 13 percent of New York-area technology experts plan to expand their IT teams in the third quarter. Tech workers in the city earned an average salary of $98,500, according to TechAmerica. That may not be as great as it sounds, given the area’s high cost of living. Still, it’s 51 percent higher than the city’s average private sector wage.

Leading Industries

  • Financial Services
  • Advertising
  • Media
  • Insurance
  • Telecom (specifically in New Jersey)

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