However, the rise is only evident in certain job categories, such as systems integration and data mining. The lower-paid grunt workers who labor at help desks, Web design, and general IT aren't earning nearly as much and aren't seeing a similar rise. (If you find yourself in those categories, or in a similarly worrisome position, you might want to check out the How-To IT Career Guide: 7 Critical Strategies, From Getting Started To Semiretiring.)
But if there are any May Day protests happening among technophiles, it's unlikely to concern stagnant salaries or low job morale. Instead, they're probably rallying around issues such as the Internet Radio Equality Act, a bill that has just been introduced in the House of Representatives to offset the recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board to raise the royalty rates for Internet radio sites. The decision, according to representatives of these sites, could force many Webcasters such as AccuRadio and Pandora out of business, and is set to go into effect May 15.