Some 55 per cent of the 200 people polled expect the salary rise to be no more than 10 per cent, while 31 per cent predict that temporary/contract rates will rise by the end of the year.

In its latest snapshot of the financial sector jobs market for January, the firm found that job opportunities increased by 142 per cent following a drop in December. Compared to January last year, the number of jobs increased by 28 per cent a year later, it said.

While the survey does not break down the financial services sector along lines such as wealth management, the data is indicative of how the sector may be faring. Anecdotal evidence suggests job recruitment has strengthened in the past 12 months.

On the salary survey, some 37 per cent of respondents said that competitors poaching employees is the main personnel concern their businesses will face in 2011.  For the 12 per cent who feel that salaries might decrease, the main reason cited was a focus on cost management.

Ahead of the 2010/11 bonus round, 27 per cent of respondents expected that bonus payouts would be higher than the 2009/10 bonus round, with 38 per cent anticipating that they would be at a similar level.