Wages for technology professionals held steady in the second quarter, according to the Yoh index of technology wages released today by technology staffing firm Yoh.

The tech wage index rose 0.9% year-over-year in the last week of the second quarter to an index level of 112.40. The index is based on a January 2001 level of 100.

Yoh's tech wage index had edged down in the first quarter.

"Demand at the higher end of the market is still strong," said Jim Lanzalotto, VP of strategy and marketing for Yoh. Those areas of demand include people with skills in ERP, SAP/Oracle, wireless and security.

The index was down 1.2% year-over-year at the start of the quarter, but ended up 0.9%. Lanzalotto said it's too early to tell how the rest of the year will shape up, but he's cautiously optimistic. There are indications for some growth.

The index is based on data compiled by Yoh's 75 U.S. field offices.