Fifty-three percent of U.S. employers plan to hire recent college graduates in 2013, on par with 54 percent in 2012 and up significantly from 46 percent in 2011 and 44 percent in 2010, according to a new study from CareerBuilder.com and CareerRookie.com.

Information technology employers led all industries with 65 percent of hiring managers and human resources professionals planning to hire recent graduates. Financial services and healthcare employers followed at 63 percent and 56 percent respectively. The survey found that employers in IT and financial services are the most likely to recruit workers for hard-to-fill jobs — 37 percent, each — prior to graduation.

“New college graduates are facing a better employment situation this year, but the number of employers planning to recruit them are still trailing pre-recession estimates by more than 20 percentage points,” said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. “The market remains highly competitive. Those graduating with niche or technical skill sets will be in a better position to find more opportunities in higher-paying jobs.”

Of employers who plan to hire recent college graduates, 27 percent expect to offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2012. Planned starting salaries include:

• Less than $30,000: 25 percent
• $30,000 to less than $40,000: 29 percent
• $40,000 to less than $50,000: 20 percent
• $50,000 and higher: 25 percent

Recruiters will be primarily looking for recent college graduates to fill two types of jobs: front-line customer and client facing roles such as customer service and sales and roles that require specific technical knowledge or hard skills, such as IT, finance or health care.

• IT: 26 percent (employers recruiting for jobs in this role)
• Customer service: 19 percent
• Finance/accounting: 16 percent
• Sales: 16 percent
• Business development: 15 percent
• Health care: 12 percent

The study was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,184 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide between Feb. 11 and March 6, 2013.