NEW YORK CITY-Things must be getting better. More than 900 executives across the country are reporting that, having taken on more work in 2012, they're finally expecting fatter paychecks in 2013.

That's the upshot of locally based SelectLeaders' annual Hiring Trends Survey. In 2012, only 42% of respondents saw their salaries increase (and for 36%, it remained the same, with the remainder actually absorbing a decrease).

By contrast, for the year we just entered, base salaries and bonuses are expected to go up for 56% of the respondents, while 28% expect it to be flat and 16% will get a decrease.

The hiring picture in 2012 was a mixed bag, with a nearly equal number of companies hiring (35%) and putting a freeze on new hires (37%). Some 28% of responding firms saw a decrease in staff.

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In terms of 2013, the hiring picture is expected to stay the same for 44% of respondents. Some 38% believe it will increase and 18% expect to see it drop.

"Overall, our industry believes the slow and steady progress that we saw in 2011 and 2012 of approximately a 30% increase year over year will continue," says CEO Susan Phillips. "While 44% of the respondents expect hiring to remain the same in 2013, which is not bad, 38% believe it will increase, and that's what SelectLeaders is projecting, an increase in hiring in 2013."

In comments on hiring projections, the respondents said such things as:

• “Continuing to feel optimistic but remaining cautious with respect to increasing head count levels. Most of my hiring will be driven by the desire to upgrade the talent versus adding incremental positions.”

• “We are hiring two entry level analysts, and are finding well-qualified students eager to accept positions paying salaries between $42,000 and $55,000 depending upon education.”

• “While business is growing, our hiring will not due to cost increases associated with the health care mandates.”

Of course one's outlook is easily skewed by one's recent past, so an opinion about how 2013 will shape up is largely dependent on what kind of 2012 you had.

Or as one respondent put it: “Having taken a 25% cut in compensation, I'm very skittish about the new year. I simply want to be able to provide for my family, and it's getting harder every day.”

The problem clearly doesn't reside at the entry-level position, with 70.9% of respondents claiming they had no trouble hiring at that level. Only 24.44% did.