Bay area survey indicates base salaries likely to increase.

• Position: Extreme makeover

Bay Area financial executives say they wilt crease hiring over the coming year, according to an annual hiring and compensation survey conducted by Armanino McKenna LLP.

Of those surveyed, 60 percent said they expect to hire new employees in the next 12 months--a significant increase over 2010 when less than 37 percent of decision makers said they would hire. Further, 45 percent have increased hiring in the first half of the year and 60 percent expect to hire more people by year-end. The survey findings also indicate increased optimism among Bay Area job seekers. For example, 56.5 percent of job seekers feel the hiring market is...