Information technology (IT) professionals don’t always get the best rap. Employees grumble about the help desk, how IT workers think they’re so smart – heck, “IT nerd” is even a searchable phrase on the Internet.

Cut these folks some slack. Pause for a second to imagine the number of phone calls and e-mails IT probably gets per day – whining that this isn’t working and neither is that. Consider their responsibility for keeping databases, phone lines, computers and security programs for entire companies up and running. And you really want to nag them for being smart?

Suit yourself – but the next time you poke fun at the techies, consider that IT workers can expect starting salaries to increase an average of 5.3 percent in 2008, according to the “2008 Robert Half Technology Salary Guide.” Base compensations in high-demand positions are also expected to rise as high as 7.6 percent.

“Business expansion and the increased reliance on technology within all sectors has resulted in a competitive environment for skilled IT professionals,” says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Many companies are raising base compensation for new hires and offering additional perks, including signing bonuses and equity incentives, to recruit and retain top candidates.”

Thinking twice about a career in technology? Here are the top 10 jobs in IT, based on increases in salary offers, according to the salary guide.