Despite the slow economy, there are still areas of job growth in the Bay Area, according to global staffing firm Robert Half International, which has several offices locally.

“Networking (IT), administrative, collections and customer service are hot areas,” says Christina Campoy, Metro Market Manager for Robert Half’s branch in Fremont.

Campoy says that the tax services area is also hiring due to the many changes in tax laws.

“We’re also seeing a very health change in the manufacturing sector in the Bay Area,” she adds.

Though companies are hiring for administrative work, little change in compensation is projected for office support positions, according to Robert Half’s 2011 Salary Guide:

• Executive assistants can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent, to the range of $35,750 to $49,000.
• Base compensation for administrative assistants will increase 2.5 percent, to $26,500 to $35,500 annually.
• Starting salaries for receptionists will decrease 0.5 percent, to the range of $21,000 to $28,500 per year.
• Human resources assistants will see an average base compensation of $26,750 to $36,500, a 0.8 percent increase over this year.  
• Office clerks can expect starting salaries in the range of $20,250 to $26,500, a decrease of 1.1 percent.
• Base compensation for customer service managers will be between $35,750 and $49,500, a 2.1 percent increase.
• Starting salaries for medical executive assistants will be in the range of $35,000 to $47,250, an increase of 2.5 percent.

According to the salary guide, the financial sector will see significant pay increases:

• Projected base pay for tax accounting managers at midsize companies ($25 million to $250 million in sales) is $69,500 to $92,500, up 4.9 percent.
• Senior compliance analysts at small companies (up to $25 million in sales) are anticipated to receive starting salary offers between $58,750 and $75,250, a 4.1 percent increase.
• Average starting salaries for tax services senior managers and directors as well as senior tax accountants at midsize public accounting firms ($25 million to $250 million in sales) are expected to climb 3.9 percent in the year ahead.

Having language skills in both English and Spanish continues to be a competitive advantage for job seekers. “Employers are being cautious but for bilingual workers we are seeing hiring in accounting, finance, tax, and customer service,” says Campoy.

“They are hiring bilingual people who know to read and write in both languages, make sales calls or collection calls,” she adds.

In a competitive job market, specialized skills and training are a necessity. “Companies are looking for certifications,” says Campoy. “To be a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or to be Cisco or Microsoft-certified is an absolute plus.”