IDG News Service — A new survey by the Philadelphia IT outsourcing firm Yoh finds that U.S. tech wages remained fairly steady during the first quarter of this year, indicating some level of stability in hiring patterns even as the global economic recession continues.

On average, hourly tech wages peaked at US$32.81 during the early weeks of the quarter, a 1.62 percent rise from the previous year. At another point in the first quarter, wages dropped to $31.05 and ended the period at $31.46.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, average hourly tech wages hovered in a similar range, finishing up the year at $31.33, according to Yoh's previous study.

Companies appear to be taking a "wait and see" approach to hiring and pay, Yoh President and CEO Bill Yoh said in a statement.

Yoh's tech wage index uses data collected from more than 1,000 engineering, aviation, IT, manufacturing, scientific, telecommunications and utility businesses, according to its Web site. However, it is not meant to be an "exhaustive survey of employment activity," the site adds.

The index also identifies which job titles are in the most demand. The latest survey found .NET developers, Java developers, SAP consultants, quality assurance personnel and Oracle specialists in top spots.