2012 tech salaries rise nationally, but fall in Silicon Valley

Tech professionals may be enjoying more spending cash this year.

Last year the national average tech salary jumped 5.3% to $85,619, according to research from Dice.com, a career site for technology and engineering professionals.

In Los Angeles techies did even better -- their year-over-year salary jumped 6.1% to an average of $92,498.

PHOTOS: Top 10 tech products of 2012

(Nice work fellow Angelenos! I’d love to celebrate with dinner on you.)

Tech professionals also have a very rosy outlook on career opportunities. The Dice.com survey found that 64% of tech workers are confident they could find a favorable new position in 2013.

Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings Inc., said the unemployment rate among tech workers was only 3.8%.

“Nobody wants to lose talent,” he said in a statement.

One not super bright spot in the report: Tech salaries in Silicon Valley bucked the national upward trend by declining 2.8% from 2011 to 2012. Still, tech workers in the valley were the highest paid group by region.

Here’s a list of the top 10 metropolitan areas based on average salary level, as compiled by Dice.com:

Silicon Valley: $101,278

Baltimore/Washington, D.C.: $97,895

San Diego: $97,328

Boston: $94,742

Seattle: $94,335

Houston: $94,186

Los Angeles: $92,498

Denver: $90,430

Sacramento: $90,127

Austin, Texas: $89,680

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