In the past few years, Fortune 1000 companies have been buying a lot of upgrades and enhancements to their "enterprise resource planning" (ERP) systems, and one of the biggest manufacturers of those systems is SAP, which provides application servers, programming language and related software.
That's why both the companies and the consulting firms to which they may outsource some of their technology work are on the hunt for SAP managing consultants, business analysts, partners, workflow experts and technical writers. "Supply and demand is way out of sync," said Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm KleinHersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
From finance to human resources to shipping and receiving, "SAP touches all parts of a business," Hersh said.
Those who consult on the more technical aspects of SAP systems typically earn between $100,000 to $125,000, Hersh said. Those who manage SAP projects can earn between $125,000 and $150,000, while project managers who serve as liaisons between project teams and clients can earn $150,000 and up.
Jobs available at the consulting firms require a lot of travel. But among in-house positions, the need for SAP experts is strongest in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states based on listings at TheLadders.com.