Wanted: More Techies

Has the two-year federal pay freeze left you looking for other job opportunities? The annual salary survey released by Dice.com last week indicated that 40 percent of federal and private sector technology workers believe they can make more money if they change employers in 2011. And Fortune magazine just released its list showing which of its "25 Best Companies to Work For" are hiring.

NetApp, which ranks fifth on Fortune's list, has 350 positions open for software engineers, while Cisco, which ranks at number 20, has 407 jobs available for software engineers as well as other jobs in IT. Intel also has 250 positions available for software engineers, and Deloitte is looking to hire 30 enterprise data managers in the next 30 days. Other open positions include computer scientists at Adobe Systems, software developers at Microsoft, and IT and cybersecurity specialists at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Meanwhile, Google announced this week that it plans to hire more than 6,200 new workers this year, with a strong emphasis on recruiting for computer engineering, computing, telecommunications and media positions.

With such strong demand for tech workers, the federal government may face an uphill battle in recruiting, hiring and retaining this critical skill set in the coming years, particularly in light of pay and hiring freezes and the potential for other cuts.

Are your prospects better in a private sector IT job? What influence does that have on your career plans this year?