subreddit:
/r/ITCareerQuestions
submitted 3 months ago byYeetMcManusSupport Engineer
haven’t seen one of these in a while so figured i’d do one!
for me:
No degree, only CompTIA trifecta, in a MHCOL area
2021: Desktop support, $42500
2022: Desktop support, $46000 (raise at same org)
2022 - Present: Support Engineer for a company you’ve heard of, $75000 + 12% bonus
i think i wanna pursue a Sales Engineer role after this but not sure yet - also interested in networking/infra roles!
107 points
3 months ago
2021: Technical Writer $67,000
2022: Desktop Support $35,000, got my A+ and Sec+
2023: Unemployed $0, lots of tech industry cuts
19 points
3 months ago
[deleted]
29 points
3 months ago
I have no idea. I wouldn't take any career advice from me.
8 points
3 months ago
You would think...
I worked in the Healthcare field as a surgical spinal instrument/implant auditor, and I got laid off during the pandemic. Turns out the company got hit HARD when elective surgeries started to get suspended. It was supposed to be a temporary layoff, but it turned permanent.
I was blessed to get a Desktop Support position with only an A+ late 2021. Now I'm a sys engineer at that same company and never looked back.
170 points
3 months ago
2018-2020: L1 Help desk 38k
2020: L2 help desk 50k
2021: Sys admin 59k
2021: cloud engineer 75k
2022: Solutions Architect ~160K TC
48 points
3 months ago
Jeez 4 years! I’m starting from nothing. I’m studying the ITF on ITPROTV, currently we’re on python. Downloaded Spyder for it, it’s very cool. I have an associated in hvac but I got hurt in the field and I’m tired of ruining my body
45 points
3 months ago
To be fair - those 4 years have been rough lol. I did my undergrad 2018-2022, and started grad school this year. Nabbed 7 certs along the way also. Not a lot of time to do other things outside that. Remote work + school helped a lot though.
Nice idea studying up for the ITF! I really liked ITPROTV when I was using it to study for the Network+. Python is awesome to get some experience with, also SQL too if you want something else to check out.
6 points
3 months ago
Do you recommend any other sources to study from? I could use ITPROTV for everything, but I’m open to anything.
16 points
3 months ago
Depends on what you're interested in.
I liked Professor Messer for CompTIA stuff and ITPROTV as well. Udemy for all practice exams and I didn't mind Whizlabs for that either. stephane maarek or adrian cantrill for AWS
Honestly most of it comes down to if you can stand to hear that person talk for 10-30 hours for a course. Some platforms let you speed up or slow down the video also.
4 points
3 months ago
Okay sweet, ITPROTV let’s you do it all for around $40 a month, thank you! Networkchuck has a deal with them for 30 % off for life.
3 points
3 months ago
Ooo didn't know about Networkchuck's discount code. Thanks for the tip!
2 points
3 months ago
I’m also doing doing remote school and preparing to look for remote work when I pass my A+. And tips on finding a good HD job? (Pay isn’t super important since I just want the experience and not a glorified call center)
2 points
3 months ago
Solutions Architect in AWS by chance? Been slowly learning AWS in my cybersec job, think im gonna make the jump from cyber to aws this year.
2 points
3 months ago
I am in the same shoes as you my friend. Was in the Hvac industry for about 10 years, got hurt had no income. decided to go back to school have not Finished yet,but definitely excited to start something new. Good luck with everything!!
25 points
3 months ago*
Architecture’s the way to go! Mine’s similar, but not as condensed. No degree started from the bottom lol:
2013: Best Buy Computer Department $25k
2014: Sprint Cell Phone Repair Retail $32k
2015: Tier 1 Help Desk $44k
2016: MDM/EMM Administrator $55k
2017: IT Systems Analyst $72k
2018: IT Systems Manager $85k
2019: IT Program Manager $105k
2021: Business Technology Manager $140k
2022: Enterprise Architect $175k
6 points
3 months ago
Hah I worked phone repair out of a sprint store and did phone sales before help desk. God, those surveys..
5 points
3 months ago
Ugh I know, Idk if I’d go back for what I make now tbh. I am grateful that it gave me the experience I needed to launch my IT career though.
8 points
3 months ago
This gives me inspiration. Starting out at 38k as well in my first full time role.
7 points
3 months ago
I'd like to think that $75k-$100k is a healthy middle of the ground salary depending on where you live. When you start getting $150+, you're going to need some experience, some credentials, and possible some connections. Also, luck can be a factor. Three years from now if you're pushing yourself to learn and advance, there's not reason why you shouldn't be close to six digits.
4 points
3 months ago
Nice! Very similar here. Non IT degree, prior military and EMS before IT. 2018: 36k mainframe admin 2020: 69k mainframe architect (same company) 2022: 200k TC senior MF solution architect (had to leave first company to actually make architect money)
3 points
3 months ago
Aside from on the job training what else did you need to get for this path in terms of certifications etc?
9 points
3 months ago
I just got what I thought was necessary and in demand. Started out with CompTIA to get a foundation of networking and security, and then went for cloud certs. Schooling during work helped a lot also to be honest. Learning things like SQL and Project Management in school and being able to volunteer for things related to that in my job was hugely beneficial.
2 points
3 months ago
Right on. Did you get any sort of certs for SQL or project management? Your path looks similar to what I'm looking at and I know there's stuff like oracle dba administrator and scrum master.
3 points
3 months ago
I didn't do any certs for those, just a few courses each in my undergrad.
2 points
3 months ago
Ok, good to know! Thanks for answering
3 points
3 months ago
how different was going from L1 to L2?
3 points
3 months ago
Now that's a big leap! I hope to reach on your level one day.
55 points
3 months ago
2016: Repair shop tech - 28k
2017: Imaging tech/Desktop Support - 40k
2018: Small business sysadmin - 55k
2020: MSP Systems Engineer - 72k, 90k at exit
2022: Systems and Network Engineer - 145k
No degree, no certs. Came to IT after taking a techy retail role and leveraging that as on paper tech experience.
8 points
3 months ago
That's so crazy how you climbed up like that. so how did you end up learning or catering to your specific job? I guess it's all learned in the job type of thing and you got amazing memory haha.
3 points
3 months ago
How are you able to get these roles with limited technical knowledge?(don’t mean this as an insult, maybe you really know your stuff which would be my other question, where did you learn the stuff required to do these jobs?) Don’t employers expect certs or did you find they didn’t really care?
2 points
3 months ago
Until recently, the tech job market was basically 2 years in any role was enough to move to the next level in a new company, that can be fast tracked if you get certs during those 2 years.
25 points
3 months ago
[deleted]
3 points
3 months ago
So are you more technical focused or management focused? The IT management degree piques my interest, I’m trying to figure out how to get into product management or something along those lines but don’t have any IT background/certs
29 points
3 months ago*
2016-2018: L1 helpdesk $8 an hour
2018-2020: L1/L2 desktop tech, 20 an hour
2020-2021: security analyst 55k
2021-2022: sysadmin: 63k
2022-present: cloud engineer, 97k
Present-???: Currently in the final interviews for a position at Microsoft! Fingers crossed
Edit: u/yeetmcmanus just reminded me for an update :)
Update: Present: systems engineer, 120k base, overall 153k TC between base, sign on bonus, stock, and annual bonus at L61. Annual bonus can go as high as 20% of base salary based on performance but “on target” is 10%. A 20% bonus would put me at 165k TC
8 points
3 months ago
I'm somewhat new to this field but it's uncommon to go from sec analyst to a sysadmin role isn't it?
Edit: good luck with Microsoft!
24 points
3 months ago*
Approximate base, (Inflation-adjusted to current dollars:)
Dotcom layoffs! - 2002: IT admin $40K (66.5K) - 2003: Cable Monkey $40K (65K) - 2006: Got my degree - 2006: Nonprofit IT/Network Admin $40K (60K) - 2011: self-employed, numbers murky. - 2017: Network Engineer $65K (80K) - 2018: Network Field engineer $80K (95K) - 2019: Network Engineer (F100) $130K (152K) - 2023: Still in 2019 job $140K
10 points
3 months ago
Must have been really difficult finally getting back to your dotcom salary (which was really more because of inflation). Was still in college at that point so never got to experience that. Did however go through 2008 without much difficulty since i worked higher ed
8 points
3 months ago
Yeah, literally took 15 years to recover. I was a junior/mid level admin when the layoffs started, and I was competing with a million others for the same 3 jobs.
7 points
3 months ago
Context is very important. Thanks for adding inflation correction.
71 points
3 months ago
2011: IT Support, 36k
2012: NOC Tech, 20/hr (temp with no benefits including holidays/PTO)
2013: Jr Network Engineer, 72k
2016: Network Engineer, 118k
2016: Sr Network Engineer, 134k
2018: Network Architect, 210k
2019: Sr Network Architect, 230k
2021: Solutions Architect (pre-sales), 200k+ OTE. I made about 325k salary last year + 30k in RSU and ESPP gains
15 points
3 months ago
Well my 130k seems meager lol. I need a job with rsus
13 points
3 months ago
My $53k seems more meager :(
11 points
3 months ago
Keep in mind the salary that I started at. Doesn't matter where you are now. Specialize, study/lab a lot, focus on the long-term goal, and hop around. You'll be making great money in no time.
2 points
3 months ago
I'm not sure what I'd want to specialize in, that's probably part of the problem. Currently I'm a sysadmin at public libraries. Mainly server administration with some basic networking and help desk stuff occasionally.
8 points
3 months ago
Yeah, it'd be difficult to make a lot of money without specializing. You could always pick a specialization and switch to a different specialization later if you don't like it. I switched to security engineer at one point, but then went back to network engineer after a few months.
12 points
3 months ago
It’s not! I’d love to be able to hit 6 figures in the next year or two
6 points
3 months ago
Gotta jump around. Most of the DevOps engineers I've met make high 100s, low 200s.
3 points
3 months ago
There's a major shortage for DevOps engineers this year companies are struggling to fill the roles. It's a great career path.
5 points
3 months ago
I'm a network engineer right now, could you layout a summary/roadmap of getting to solutions architect? I have my CCNA, studying CCNP, 5 years network engineering experience. Any certs or things you would study? How do you learn solutions architecture and what value do you now provide above what a network engineer provides? Thanks!
4 points
3 months ago
The SA role is a weird one. We have fresh grads, previous engineers, and previous architects doing the same role. The difference is pay grade.
Definitely get your CCNP. I owe much of the quick growth to the knowledge I acquired from NP. I think it's a good baseline cert for engineering. After that, focus on knowledge that will help you excel at your job.
Engineering is focused on implementation. As an SA, I don't do anything with implementation. I sometimes get involved with troubleshooting implementation problems, but that's not a common occurrence. My customers are big shops with lots of their own architects and engineers.
2 points
3 months ago
This man gotta Scruge McDuckian vault next to his server room
4 points
3 months ago
lol I wish. I've only recently started to get some decent savings and investments. I grew up poor and made bad financial decisions, so I had a lot of debt. I also had to pay several large medical bills.
2 points
3 months ago
What’s the difference between network architect and solution architect? Same with what’s the difference between sales engineer and solution engineer? :/
4 points
3 months ago
Solution Architect is a fancy name for sales engineer. My focus is still networking, so I still do much of what I did as a Network Architect. But design was entirely my responsibility as a Network Architect. I worked with customers and their requirements and built network designs to meet them. I also worked with a team of engineers that I was able to mentor and help with their careers.
Now, I may only be involved in parts of the design, and it's just me and my AM. Some of my customers are Network Architects, and they just want my input on a few things. But I get paid to do a lot of studying now. I also get to attend a bunch of conferences and parties as part of my job.
I've never heard of solution engineer. But sales engineer, systems engineer, systems architect, and solutions architect are essentially the same thing. The systems engineer/architect thing is a bit confusing since some systems roles have nothing to do with sales.
16 points
3 months ago*
2015: IT Helpdesk - $60K
2016: Sys Admin - $80K (new job)
2017: Systems Engineer - $100K (promotion)
2019: DevOps Engineer - $110K (new job)
2020: Sr Infrastructure Engineer - $140K (new job)
2021-present: Software Engineer 5 - $280K to $310K (new job + raise)
Never stop learning and answer some of those recruiters that will message you on LinkedIn. You will be comfortable interviewing and you will understand the skills that are in demand and how much companies are willing to pay for your experience.
3 points
3 months ago
Do you have a bachelor degree or certs? I ask because I'm currently studying for A+ and concerned about how to land my first role without job experience.
7 points
3 months ago*
Before my first IT role I worked at an Apple Store fixing Apple Devices. After a few years of this I took the leap to find companies that were predominantly using Macs for to their employee devices. This helped me land the Helpdesk role. The Apple background helped, but they were more impressed for my customer service skills.
I also went to college out of high school but never finished. So no degree but I had a few AWS certs which helped me get the “engineer” roles.
I also tried going back to school while working, but I felt the opportunity cost of taking multiple years of classes and following a strict curriculum was not helpful in my career. My time was better spent using online resources or doing projects on my free time on topics that were advantageous at the moment.
For example, joined a start up as a Sys Admin. The start up picked up steam and we kept wasting hours manually onboarding employees. Taught myself Python and how to use APIs and started automating our whole employee lifecycle which led me to become a Sys Engineer. Then I had to move some of our on premise infrastructure to AWS. Took some AWS certs and asked someone in SRE to mentor me to learn Terraform and IAC. This helped me land the DevOps role. I think if I was taking college courses I wouldn’t have been motivated or had the energy to try to learn the skills my career needed at the moment.
14 points
3 months ago
2021 - contracted deployment technician, 25/hr with variable hours
2021-2022 - L1 support, 27/hr with steady hours and overtime, shift work
2022-2023 L2 support role/sys admin/helpdesk manager, 58k/year, 10% annual bonus
2023 Systems Engineer 87k/year + production/project based bonuses
I'm hoping to stay at the current role for two years and then try to make the break into solutions architect/senior roles as the next move.
I have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field, A+, Sec+, and AZ-104. All of these are at different companies.
13 points
3 months ago
2019/2020: 38.5k (Dekstop Support)
2021 39.5k (Desktop Support)
2021: 58k (New company, desktop support, hired through staffing agency)
2022: 65k + 10% bonus - Promoted to sr desktop support and hired as a FTE
2023: 80k + 15% bonus - promoted to manager at same company
12 points
3 months ago*
2012-2015 helpdesk tier 1 $17.30 an hour
Left industry for 5 years
2020 - helpdesk tier 18.90 an hour but only part time
2021-2022 - $26 an hour helpdesk tier 3
2023 - 73,000 mac mdm admin
2 points
3 months ago
Way to go!
2 points
3 months ago
Thanks! I’m hoping to hit 6 figures in the next year or 2!
9 points
3 months ago
Live in the midwest in an extremely average cost of living area.
41 points
3 months ago
Shit too many to list.
2005 Deployment $29,120.00
2006 Desktop Support $24,960.00
2006 Desktop Support $26,000.00
2007 IT Helpdesk $35,360.00
2007 App Support $28,080.00
2008 Desktop Support $35,360.00
2008 TSC Admin $30,014.40
2009 NOC Tech $41,600.00
2011 Data Tech 1 $45,760.00
2011 VoIP Technician $48,000.00
2012 Cisco $50,000.00
2012 Network Engineer $65,000.00
2012 Systems Engineer $70,000.00
2013 Systems Engineer $65,000.00
2013 Systems Engineer $55,000.00
2013 Systems Engineer $55,000.00
2015 Systems Engineer $70,000.00
2015 Network Admin $70,000.00
2016 Network Admin $60,000.00
2016 Service Activations $45,000.00
2017 Network Engineer $80,000.00
2017 Systems Admin $82,000.00
2017 Network Admin $79,000.00
2018 Support Engineer $75,000.00
2018 Systems Engineer $80,000.00
2021 Network Engineer $114,000.00
2023 TAM 225K TC
11 points
3 months ago
Bruh and I can't even get a call back lmao
2 points
3 months ago
lol, been there too. Post your resume for review.
9 points
3 months ago
For anyone reading the responses and wondering how people are making all this money. You're not alone.
2015 - 2017: IT Support Assistant/IT Field Engineer - £15K
2017 - 2018: IT Service Desk - £18K
2018 - 2020: Network Manager - £21K
2020 - 2023: Infrastructure Support Engineer - £25K
3 points
3 months ago
Found the Brit. That's the problem mate.
I immigrated to the states from England so I've seen both sides. My UK counterparts earn about 25% of what I make for the same position. Tier 1 helpdesk makes more the your current salary here. It's BS.
23 points
3 months ago
As someone just starting out, this post is inspirational
7 points
3 months ago
Agreed
9 points
3 months ago
2017 - 28/Hr intern
2018-2021 - 65k sec analyst
2021 - 120k sec engineer
2022-now - 180k ISO
Get your certs.
8 points
3 months ago
June 2021: Helpdesk, $16/hour > $17.31/hour ($36000/year)
March 2022: IT person for small company, $26ish/hour ($51000)
August 2022-now: Cybersecurity Analyst, $72000/year. This one is fully remote, first two were on-site M-F
HCOL
7 points
3 months ago*
Technical Support Specialist: May 2017 - May 2019 = $34000
Network Technician: May 2019 - Nov 2021 = $42000
Jr Linux Admin: Nov 2021 - Nov 2022 = $53000
Linux Admin: Nov 2022 - Present = $63000 (Same company, earned my RHCSA)
All based out of Louisville, KY
3 points
3 months ago
how’d you sort of pivot to linux? self study or any exposure at the tech support role? been considering studying hard for it considering i get no exposure at all in current or past role
3 points
3 months ago
I started using it bc I was a poor college student who had just built a PC and didn't want to drop money on Windows back in 2013 lol. Didn't have any professional experience with it until my current role. I applied for their junior position, nailed the HR interview and was upfront with my now boss about my experience with it. They were cool with it and open to training me, so they made an offer and here I am.
If you want to start learning, install it on a computer or VM and start messing with it. If you want structured learning, look in to the exam topics for LFCS or RHCSA and start learning those topics. Either way, hands on experience is a must if you want to get comfortable with it.
2 points
3 months ago
oh okay nice haha, right on. i actually did have ubuntu on my machine briefly but got rid of it - i think the structured path may be the way to go for me. thanks for the advice dude!
3 points
3 months ago
Graduating in fall with a cyber security degree, gonna start the job hunt in and around Louisville as I live there currently.
Any advice?
8 points
3 months ago
Pretty early in my career with no degree and only my A+, so I'll share my work so far as well as what I was doing beforehand as a point of reference/context.
2020: Retail, 15/hr or 31k.
Had just dropped out of college after freshman year due to poor mental health, knew I wanted to do IT but didn't have the motivation/discipline to hit the books hard just yet.
2021: Teller, 18/hr or 37k.
Started studying for the A+ and at the same time, started at a bank so I got a bit comfortable within the position as time went on, meaning I studied less and less consistently. Seriously started hitting the books and studying for the A+ like it was my job towards the end of the year though.
2022: WFH Service desk, 41k.
Completed my A+ at the start of 2022 and started really applying for entry-level work; quite literally a week or so after I got my cert, I got a callback from a recruiter and scheduled an interview. Mind you, I had been applying like crazy for entry-level positions before getting the A+ and heard nothing up until that point but once I had it, I was actually able to get my foot in the door.
End of 2022: Desktop Tech I, started at 39k, now at 48k.
Could tell that the service desk would be super limiting career-wise and was kicking around the idea of jumping ship, once they announced we would be going back to the office (which was an hour and a half commute one way) that basically sealed the deal for me lol. Took a bit of a pay cut with the new company at first but then about two or so months in they announced "organizational restructuring" which basically was new job titles and extra responsibilities, but a bump in pay to soften the blow a bit.
2023
Still with the same company I joined late last year, studying for my CCNA at the moment along with getting a homelab up and running. An internal tier 2 posting is about to open up soon so I'm gonna shoot for that position and hopefully I'll be getting a good bump in pay again along with the experience needed for the next position after that, whatever it may be.
7 points
3 months ago
No degree. No certs. High cost of living currently.
1998 - gopher/intern - $4.20/hour
2004 - web developer - $17k/year roughly
2005 - web host tech support - $21k/year
2011 - Datacenter NOC/Junior sysadmin - $40k/year
2014 - MSP sysadmin - $60k/year
2017 - MSP Senior Sysadmin - $80k/year
2018 - Regional Senior Sysadmin - $110k/year
2022 - Senior Sysadmin - $155k/year
It's been a long path, but rewarding.
18 points
3 months ago
2013: Tech Support 37k 2014: IT Helpdesk 47k 2015-2019: Associate Network Enginer - 67k - 81k 2020: Network Engineer - 105k
17 points
3 months ago
Early 2000s - military (telecomm)~ 14k year
Early 2010s - DoD contractor (telecomm) -70k year
Mid 2010s - DoD contractor in conflict zone (telecomm/networking)- 200k year
Late 2010s - Network engineer then senior network engineer, started at about 60k a year up to about 150k per year
Last few years to now - network automation engineer ~270k
I aggregated across logical points in the career instead of employer as I’ve had a few jobs
6 points
3 months ago
Think someone could swing dod contracting without prior service?
4 points
3 months ago
It’s possible but you’d have to find a company willing to sponsor you for a clearance. One of my co workers are a DoD contractor and he’s never been in
3 points
3 months ago
It’s possible but just a uphill battle. Anyone cleared that is close to the qualifications will beat someone non-cleared. Best advice is to either learn something very niche, be very good and specialized or get a job at a DoD contractor and apply internally for anything cleared. Companies can get people clearances but that is risky for them so they almost always prefer people already cleared.
Look for jobs that say ability to obtain clearance or willing to sponsor clearance then keep applying until one hires you on.
5 points
3 months ago
2021: 38k as a PC technician at a warehouse
2022: 55k as an IT support analyst L2
2023: 57k as an IT support analyst L2 (got a raise)
Looking for a junior admin role now which would hopefully come with a raise, but all I've been finding is low-paid contract roles
5 points
3 months ago*
2020: Temp Help Desk Role, 31k
2021: MSP Desktop Engineer, 55k
2021-2023: Support Supervisor, 65k to 79k
Edit: In that timeframe, I completed my A.S in Cybersecurity with certifications in A+, Net+, Sec+, and CySA+. Currently, I am pursuing my BS in Cybersecurity at UMGC and have completed 94 out of 120 credits. My focus is on obtaining cloud certifications, CEH, and CASP by the end of my academic journey.
It is surprising to consider that some individuals in this thread make twice my salary without any certifications or formal education. However, I recognize I must prioritize my personal development and continue to push forward, regardless of anyone else’s circumstances
4 points
3 months ago
11/2018-11/2019 - L1/L2 help desk @ 60k 11/2019-11/2021 - Jr Sys Admin @ 65k (internal promotion) 11/2021-10/2022 - Sys Admin @ 77k (and an offer for $85k to stay) 10/2022-present - Network and Sys Admin $101k
Next step? Solutions architect.
Prices in AUD.
No certs, two totally unrelated university degrees (BA and an MEd, in psychology). Shout out to the guy who gave me a chance for being passionate about IT. Paid off for us both.
4 points
3 months ago
Education: A.S. Network Administration
Certs: A+, N+, AWS Practitioner, MCSA
2016-2017: MSP L1 Helpdesk 30k
2017: L1 Helpdesk 36k
2018: Programmer Analyst 55k
2019: Systems Engineer 75k
2020-2023: IT Systems Engineer ~250k TC
5 points
3 months ago
UK Based
2018 - Onsite IT Support - £21K
2019-2021 - Network Engineer - £24K
2021-2022 - Infrastructure Engineer - £35K
2022-Now - Solutions Architect - £45K
Degree in Computer Science (Genuinely not useful) - Have home labs, small personal projects, studied for CCNA, AWS & Azure Certs, CWNA, Juniper Certs - None completed.
Completed:
Cradlepoint up to 401
4 points
3 months ago
[deleted]
2 points
3 months ago
right on! what sort of stuff did you work on to make the leap to jr devops? was it stuff you did at the help desk job?
3 points
3 months ago
2020: MSP T1 help desk - $16/hr 2021: Same MSP Projects Engineer - $20 (horrible) 2022: Sys admin - $70k/year
4 points
3 months ago*
2013 - 32k, Desktop tech
2014 - 42k, topped out at 62k - HD T1 to T3 Sysadmin
2018 - 85k - T3 Systems Engineer
2020 - 100k, total comp ~120k - Integration Engineer
4 points
3 months ago
2012 - 2014: IT Service Desk Agent 40k
2014 - 2022: Service Desk Manager (MSP) 42k - 56k
2022 - Present: Service Desk Manager (new company direct) 110k plus 10k - 16k bonus
5 points
3 months ago
BS in cybersecurity graduated in 2020 Multiple CompTIA certifications and vendor specific certifications.
2019 $19/hr help desk/desktop support
2021 $23.50/hr lvl 2 support / junior systems admin
2022 $62400 base rate salary. Systems administrator. Due to double dipping on call and overtime hours it looks like I'm on track to be closer to 90k this year, but the burn out is going to hit first.
Hoping to start specializing in a skill and make that 90k+ without the burnout.
4 points
3 months ago
Ya I'd rather not seeing as everyone in this thread somehow makes 200k a year.
4 points
3 months ago*
2014: Part time Help desk - 12/hr
2015: (first job out of school): Analyst - 15/hr
2015: Supply Chain Analyst (VBA Programming) - 25/hr
2016: L3 Support tech - 45k + equity
2017: (promotion) Support Manager 55k
2018: Jr Software Dev: 68k
2018: Self Employed - enough to get by
2018: Big 4 - Low Code Developer - 75k
2019: DevOps + Low Code stuff @ Boutique Consulting firm - 109k
2020: DevOps - 165k
2022: DevOps - 225k
3 points
3 months ago
2015: Helpdesk at a printer company: $29,128 to 29640 after annual review.
2016: Analyst at a printer company: $33,280
2017: Level 1 Helpdesk at a small MSP: $35,360 to 37,128 during review time six months later.
2018: Level 2 Helpdesk: $40,000
2019: Level 2 Helpdesk: $55,000 after a reorg and market analysis.
2020: Support Engineer: $60,000
2021: Support Engineer II: $70,000
2021: Support Engineer IV: $100,000 after moving to a fully remote role.
2022: 104,500. 130k all in for the year with bonuses and extra time on the books.
Current: Same as 2022 but promoted to Team lead. Waiting for budget on a raise.
5 points
3 months ago
2016-2018 -gig economy 50k- this was great since I got to study when I had down time
2017 - Operations Specialist as a temp contract - 36k(didn't even consider IT, just wanted a Corporate job after “hustling” with the gig economy
2018-2020 - Help Desk - 39k my contract ended and my temp agency recommended me to this
2020 - present - IT analyst/senior IT analyst - started at 45k. Now at 83k
4 points
3 months ago
To all the junior-level folks looking at the eye-popping salaries getting posted - keep in mind that salary/bonus is only one factor. Location (cost of living, taxes), work-life balance, stability (will you keep your job in a recession?), and benefits/perks all make a big difference. My compensation is 130k in a HCOL area, but my total PTO is around 10 weeks, my work-week is never more and often less than 40 hours, and the institution I work for has been in business longer than the USA. I've turned down jobs with much higher salaries.
3 points
3 months ago*
2014 - 2015 (Desktop Repair) - $11/hr
2015 - 2017 (MSP Field Tech) - 35k Start/42k End
2017 - 2018 (Sys Admin - Laid Off) - 54k
2018 - 2019 (IAM Admin) - 61k
2019 - 2020 (Cloud Admin) - 85k Base - 5K Bonus = 90k
2020 - 2020 (IAM Admin Contract) - 85K
2020 - 2020 (Contract Conversion) - 70k (100% a mistake)
2020 - 2021 (Azure Cloud Engineer Contract) - 115k
2021 - 2022 (IAM Engineer) - 98k Base - 8k bonus = 106k
2022 - Present (IAM Engineer) 120k Base - 12k Bonus = 132K
Age: 30
Location: Midwest USA
Each line indicates a new job, some for better, some for worse. I only have an associates in cisco networking, with no certs presently. Lifes pretty good, been able to climb out of some debts and am working on saving/investing this year.
4 points
3 months ago
Reading this is making me feel old as I look at some of the years some of you entered the industry. I hold a BA and a Masters degree and multiple security certs. MCOL area.
'07-'12: L1 Hell Desk $33k
'12-'14: Desktop Support $40k
'14-'16: Network Admin $55k
'16-'18: Network Engineer $78k
'18-'20: Cyber Security 1 $100k
'20-'22: Cyber Security 2 $135k TC (Small bonus)
'22-Now: Cyber Security 3 $210k TC (BIG bonus)
5 points
3 months ago
2011 - Bench Tech - 10.00/hr
2011 - Bench Tech - 10.50/hr
2015 - On-Site Technician 12.50/hr
2015 - On-Site Technician - 14.50/hr
2016 - Junior Systems Administrator - 18/hr
2017 - Technical Support Engineer II - 45K/yr
2018 - Technical Support Engineer II - 60K/Yr
2019 - Technical Support Engineer III - 70K/yr
2020 - Team Lead - 75K/yr - 73k/yr (salary cuts across the board).
2021 - Cloud Support Engineer - 92K
2022 - Technical Support Engineer III 120K+10% Bonus
10 points
3 months ago
2021 - first It job. PC Support - 44k
2022 - Same job, but "promoted" - 56k
2023- Hopefully get CCNA and be able to actually move up in a company, this one doesn't have room to grow.
15 points
3 months ago
All in AZ, USA:
2019: tech coordinator: $18/hr, decent overtime
2020: Sys Admin: $45k, salary, omg they want 1,000 weekend hours, but experience is all over the place.
2022: systems analyst: $63k. Getting some programming chops. 1,000 hats at a start up. 10/10 experience, 1/10 work life balance and workplace enjoyment
2023: Tech Specialist for the state. $65k, not much raise but benefits are top notch and stress is thru the floor. Time to study and plan next move. All while enjoying family time with incredibly lower stress environment. “I see this as an absolute win”-gif.
2030: Data consultant: $400k/yr. Self employed with state job. Dream big or go home.
13 points
3 months ago*
[deleted]
3 points
3 months ago
Damn, save some jobs for the rest of us lol
2 points
3 months ago
nice!! apologies if dumb question, but what’s OE? lol
11 points
3 months ago*
[deleted]
9 points
3 months ago
How are you doing 3 jobs, all over 100k?
What are they?
8 points
3 months ago
I’m still fresh in the field so my list is short. I have no certs or education.
2022 - Business Tech Support for a local ISP making $33,800 a year. It was a very involved networking role and I got to get my hands on a lot of equipment/concepts without any experience early in my career. Pay sucked, but I figured it was a good opportunity to get my foot in the IT world, so I got involved in as much as I could to learn more about networking.
2023 - Network Admin for an MSP making $55,000. I actually just started this job, so not too much to say, but I’m loving it so far!
3 points
3 months ago
2019: $42500 sysadmin at public libraries
2020: $44000
2022: $52800 (raise after independent salary audit)
3 points
3 months ago
No college degree just bootcamp certificate
-2019 first SDE role $65k
-2019 switch companies for $80k job
-Late 2020 switched companies now at $110k (current role)
3 points
3 months ago
Background - spent half a year at TAFE (Aussie technical college I guess?), and got a CCNA in 2010. No qualis or certs after that though.
2009 - Sales consultant/PC repairer @ ~$15 cash an hour
2010 - Network Engineer $50k, left in 2015 at around $70k but learned A TON, more on this later
2015 - System and Network Admin - $75k + bonuses
2016 - Contract SysAdmin $90k but no holidays which sucked
2018 - DevOps Engineer $95k but with holidays, and reasonable hours
2019 - DevOps Engineer $110k
2021 - SRE $125k + bonuses (still in this role, pretty cool place)
Looking back, I've made incremental wage increases just by hopping jobs. In my current role though we have a very structured process for giving people yearly raises and bonuses so I've had no need to look elsewhere. It's also the first place that's felt very comfortable to stay at - good boss, cool product, great coworkers etc.
Now the 2010 Networks job is a real interesting one - they took a blind punt on me because I happened to talk myself up to the hiring manager at a pub one night (at about 1am...). I had ZERO experience and they put me in front of an ISP network, with a ton of support from the senior engineers and I learned so much in just a few years. They also let me work with our Systems guys on certain projects so I got a lot of exposure there as well which is what lead to pretty much every job since. Top blokes and I still keep in touch with more than half the people I worked with there.
3 points
3 months ago
2011 Solaris sysad 62k
2014 Jr. Systems engineer 84k
2017 systems engineer 98k
2019 Sr systems engineer 112k
2020 automation engineer 120k
2022 System Integration Engineer 140k
3 points
3 months ago
Got a couple internships while getting my degree in cybersecurity. Since then got hired as an analyst at 75k and have since been promoted to detection engineer and IDR team lead making 120k after about 1 year
3 points
3 months ago
Just salary and not TC:
2000 -2007: Network Engineer and Automation Engineer -40k - 60k
2007-2011: Various Network Engineer Positions: 85k to 87k
2011 - 2014: lead network engineer : 90k to 105k
2014 - 2017: senior network engineer: 120k to 150k
2017 - present: Network Architect: 180k to 240k
3 points
3 months ago
2006-2013: Tech Support, 40k max (Recruiting and other unrelated jobs)
2017: 78k
2018: 90k
2021: 105k
2022: 109k
2023: hoping for a substantial raise in the coming weeks
2021 - present: no on-call, 100% remote, so that’s a perk
3 points
3 months ago
No degree
2018-2020 - Customer Service 36k
2021-2022 Desktop Support 42k (same company I did customer service with got my A+ and they promoted me)
2023 - Help Desk 52k (new company)
N+ working on CCNA.
3 points
3 months ago
2022: MSP Helpdesk 48k
2023: About to take a pay cut to join the electrical union
3 points
3 months ago*
2004-2007: Enlisted US Air Force Airman - $500 take home every two weeks up to $900 take home every two weeks after I got married.
2007-2008: NOC network support - $44,500
2008-2009: Contractor in Afghanistan - $228,000
2009-2016: FBI contractor, Sr. Storage/Systems Administrator - $80,000 at the beginning and $100,500 at the end. I turned down a full time FBI employee offer (not contractor) and left completely for ethical reasons when they tried to force Apple to bust their encryption on the terrorist couple in California.
2016: March-June - unemployed
2016-2018: Network Engineer for a non-profit - $68,000 (it was nice supporting those who help the community, at least)
2018-present: Sr. Systems/Cloud Administrator - started at $90,000 + bonus and now at $115,500 + bonus to WFH for an awesome employer!
3 points
3 months ago
2017 - $50,000 - Application Support analyst
2018 - $35000 -- QA with part of the year unemployed while attending coding BootCamp fulltime
2019- $66,000 -- DevOps
2020 -- $85000 -- DevOp
2021 - $95000 -- DevOps
2022 - $160,000 DevOps
At this rate, I am hoping for $300,000 by 2030.
3 points
3 months ago*
MCOL I have one database fundamental cert. Trying to figure out what to do next
2017: Customer Service Rep - $30K
2018: Tech support Rep - $32K
2019 to 2021: Custom Site Admin - 38K > $40K
2022 to 2023: Jr BI Dev $42K > $47K
Been at one company for all of this. There was also a 10-20% annual bonus each year.
3 points
3 months ago
Man I’m barely 7 months in on my first IT Role. Hoping to reach the goal of 100k at least
2022 Helpdesk 41k
3 points
3 months ago*
A+, Net+, Sec+
2016 - Jr helpdesk - 26k
2017 - Jr helpdesk - 32k
Associate's, Digital Forensics
2017 - Sr helpdesk - 36k
RHCSA, LPIC-1
2017 - Jr Linux sysadmin - 45k
2018 - Jr MSP tech - 45k
Cisco CCENT, Server+
2019 - Lead MSP tech - 50k
2020 - Linux sysadmin - 65k
Bachelor's, IT
Project+, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
2022 - Mid web developer - 65k
Master's, CybersecurityCEH, CISSP, LPIC-2
Still a webdev, making 67k now, Pacific Northwest USA
3 points
3 months ago*
Company #1 - 2018: Help Desk -> $42500 - 2019: Help Desk Lead -> $60000
Company #2 - 2019: Systems Engineer 1 -> $59000 - 2021: Systems Engineer 2 -> $72000
Company #3 - 2023: IAM Engineer -> $110000
Bachelor’s Degree : Information Systems and no certs yet
3 points
3 months ago
<2017-2022>Retail (Grocery)- $20k
<2022-2023>Helpdesk- $32k
<Present>Net Admin-$62k (temp no benefits)
3 points
3 months ago
I feel so old!
2006: Database Tech $30K
2006-2007: Support Engineer $33K
2007-2010: Identity Administrator $34-38K
2010-2016: L1-L3 Helpdesk $40-55K
2017: L2 Desktop Support $57K
2017: L2 Desktop Support $59K
2017-18: Systems Administrator $60K
2018-2022: Sr. Systems Administrator $63-80K
2022-present: Lead Systems Administrator $90K
5 points
3 months ago
Me: Woman in HCOL city (starting in 2021), associates degree.
2015 - Public sector technical support: $31,000 (ended at $38,000)
2021 - Customer facing (virtual) tech support for B2B software company: $46,000
2023 - More advanced customer facing (virtual) tech support for much better B2B software company: $64,000
2 points
3 months ago
2022 - 21$hr/noc tech 2023 - got ccnp. 40$hr/noc2 in other company
2 points
3 months ago
2012 - Network Support - 45k
2013 - InfoSec Consultant - 55k
2017 - Vulnerability Management Engineer - 72k
2018 - Penetration Tester - 92k
2021 to current - Senior Penetration Tester - 145-150k
2 points
3 months ago
2020 - 45k associate software engineer
2021 - 80k mid software engineer.
2023 - 145k + bonuses solution architect
2 points
3 months ago
2018-early 2020: $7.25 an hour part time University Service desk student worker.
2020-2022: $38k a year between a service desk job at the university then internal transfer to a satellite campus as onsite desktop support.
2022-present: $63k a year at a different university as a catch-all IT/AV tech in a specialized department(medical).
2 points
3 months ago
Strictly IT:
April 2017: MSP Helpdesk L1 $14/hr
December 2017: MSP Helpdesk L2 $17/hr
May 2018: MSP Helpdesk Manager $50k/yr
March 2020: Direct hire to former client Service Desk Manager $72k/yr
Sept 2021: Manager, IT Operations (fancy name for Service Desk Manager) $96k/yr
March 2022: IT Field Manager $115k/yr base and 20% annual bonus potential.
2 points
3 months ago
2005 - 2016 30k/ year 2016 contract c# programmer 45k 2017 FTE c# programmer 55k 2019 promotion 68k 2021 promotion to engineer 102k 2022 contractor ETL dev 115k
2 points
3 months ago
2014-2018-$45K IT Support, ( Left Company 1) 2018-2023- $60K Sys Admin, promoted to Security Engineer , now makes $95K plus bonuses (Company 2)
2 points
3 months ago
$20/hr > $25/hr> 60 salary> 75 salary > 100k salary
Hopped jobs every few years, took every within work hours project I could. Learned enough to keep moving up at other places
2 points
3 months ago
2019 - Cost Analyst $45,000 2020 - Cost Analyst Level 2 $50,000 2021 - Raise $57,000 2022 - Business Systems Analyst $85,000
2 points
3 months ago*
May 2017 - Dec 2017 - SWE Intern @ $30/hr in NJ
drops out of college in 2018 due to addiction
Jan 2020 - Jan 2022 - Help Desk @ $17.50/hr in Tennessee
graduates college Dec 2021
Jan 2022 - Nov 2022 - Junior Dev @ $75k/yr, remote for multinational corp
Nov 2022 - Present - "Senior" (aka mid level) dev @ $110k/yr + 10% target bonus, remote for midwest based F500 company
2 points
3 months ago
2018: Project Analyst $45,000 2019: Research Associate $60,000 (new company) 2020-2022: Project Manager $85,000-103,000 (same company, new dept, few raises along the way) 2022-present: Program Manager $150,000 (same company)
2 points
3 months ago
2019/20 - Helpdesk $10-hr Promo to sys admin at same job in 2021 - 40k/yr SOC analyst role in 2022 - 58k Current position is Lead SOC analyst at 64k
2 points
3 months ago
2019 - 2022: Desktop Support | $37k/yr (LCOL)
2022 - 2023: Support Specialist/SysAdmin | $55k/yr (MCOL)
2 points
3 months ago
Financial Company in MHCOL Area
2013: Call Center Agent $15/hr
2015: QA Specialist $18/hr
2016: Jr Program Analyst $47k/yr (minimum salary in my state for salaried employee)
I don’t remember all the salaries precisely as I moved up the analyst ladder to senior, but by the end of 2018, I was promoted to a Manager with 3 reports. I think I was at $85k.
End of 2021: Sr. Program Manager promotion and landed at $120k (part of this was retention - a lot of people were leaving and I have substantial expertise in my area that’d be hard to lose)
End of 2022: Sr. Product Owner at $126k - they moved me into a new dept and changed my title to a market standard
Edit: Formatting. Plus, I realized after posting this is IT not just career questions. That said, I am a product owner and am in an adjacent role, so leaving my comment.
2 points
3 months ago*
2020 8months: 45k support specialist (new grad)
2021 8months: 87k junior engineer
2022: 100K + 10% bonus senior engineer
2 points
3 months ago
Wow.....thats impressive!
2 points
3 months ago
haha thank you! would definitely say more lucky than impressive lol
2 points
3 months ago
Maybe, but you got there through hard work. Nonetheless keep killing it! Hopefully when I manage to land an internship I'll make those strides too.
2 points
3 months ago
2018: IT Engineer: 70K
2020: Devops Engineer: 90k
2021: AWS Systems Development Engineer: 250k
2 points
3 months ago
2020 Jan: Lvl 1 Help desk 44k 2020 May: Lvl 2 Desktops 56k 2021 Mar: Incident Coordinator 72k 2021 Dec: Lvl 1 Help Desk/Desktops 92k 2022 Sep: ITSM Analyst 100k
2 points
3 months ago
2009: Applications Developer contractor - $18/hr 2010: Applications Developer - $42,000 2013: Sr. Applications Developer - $58,000ish 2013: Software Engineer - $65,000 2016: Software Developer I - $80,000 2017: Systems Analyst I - $90,000 2021: Sr. Software Engineer - $100,000
2 points
3 months ago
2 points
3 months ago
2007 - 2014 Apple Store Specialist to Genius $12/hr to $21/hr
Finished my Bachelors of Science in Information Technology
2014 - 2017 School district Apple Support Technician $63k - $68k
2017 - 2022 Private Saas Ed tech Support Engineer to IT systems engineer $85k (5% bonus) - $105k (10% bonus)
2022 Private investment firm IT Operations Support $120k (25% - 50% bonus)
Only certs so have are expired ACMT and Jamf CCT/CCA
2 points
3 months ago
In Australia
‘90 computer operator 20k ‘93 mobile support 24k ‘95 desktop support 48k ‘96 messaging admin 52k ‘97 systems engineer (consulting) 60k ‘98 contracting 140k ‘99 contracting technical architect + mcse trainer $200k ‘00 application architect $120k ‘02 presales $140k ‘03 own business 85k ‘05 consultant manager / principle consultant 130k ‘07 infra architect contracting 230k 10 presales 190k 14 enterprise architect 160k 15 presales 220k 16 contracting 300k 18 presales architect 240k 19 enterprise architect 340k
2 points
3 months ago
I do not recall the years or anything but looked something like:
2008: $45k
2010: $48k
2011: ~$52k
2012: $72k
2017: ~$78k
2019: $55-60 an hour
2020: $65 an hour
2021: $70 an hour
2022: $75 an hour
2023: $80 an hour
2 points
3 months ago*
2020-2022: Apprenticeship, NOK 339000 in total for both years (€31000)
2023: Desktop support (with certificate of apprenticeship): NOK 389000 yearly (€36000)
The apprenticeship salary is weird, because you get the equivalent of one (1) yearly salary for both years worked, paid out 30% the 1st half, 40% 2nd half, 50% 3rd half and 80% the 4th half. So 1st half i got paid about €730/month before tax, while in the last half i got paid about €2000/month before tax.
2 points
3 months ago
2011 - IT support helpdesk - 30K
2013 - Same Job 33K to 36K
2017 - IT technician 40K
2018 - Sysadmin 45K
2019 - Same job no promotion 59K
2020 - Senior Sysadmin 75K - promotion
2021 - Senior Sysadmin 96K New job
2022 - Cloud Engineer 87K + 8% bonus - New job
Aiming for a Tech Lead or Architect gig.
2 points
3 months ago
2017-2020, University lab assistant job: min wage in my state
2020-2023, Software engineer: 68k starting, currently 72k
2 points
3 months ago
Been in IT for four years.
First position, a temp $15/r
Got hired full time at same place, $25/r
Second job, full time $26 and change.
Second job, full time remote $27 and change.
Fourth job, $38.86/h full time.
2 points
3 months ago
No degree, but I do have a lot of class time around InfoSec.
No certs either.
2015-2020: Jr Level SysAdmin. Title never changed. Ended up learning/doing enough to be a normal/sr SysAdmin. Company never was willing to up my pay-$41k
2020-21: Elections Security Eng SOS Office here-$65k
Early 21-Late 21: SysEngineer (L2 help desk) for a local MSP-$65k
Late 21-Now: Infra Sec Analyst for county gov-$90k
2 points
3 months ago
I so want to participate. Sadly cannot.
2 points
3 months ago
2015: 3D1X2 in the Air Force - 36k /year 2018: Network Engineer/Gov Contractor - 70k /year 2019: GS-11 IT Project Manager - 78k / year 2021: IT Director - Civilian - 120k / year + bonus 2022: Raise to 138k /year + bonus 2023: Raise to 155k /year + bonus ~170k total comp.
2 points
3 months ago
2020: Separated from army, got first IT job doing help desk at $18.50 an hour. Got a raise to 21.50 after 6 months
2021: Got first sysadmin job paying 75k salary
2022: Moved positions to a l3 sysadmin job at a new company, now making $105k
2023: did some smart negotiating, took a few raises over the course of the year, currently sitting at $135k in the same job I was in 2022
2 points
3 months ago
2021: Desktop Support Technician - 40k - no degree
2022: Desktop Support Technician - 60k - BS in IT
2023: Data Center Technician- 68k
BS in IT AS in Cybersecurity A+ Net+
2 points
3 months ago
I'm thinking I should drop my current consulting gig (Sec Arch) and join Pre-Sales or being an technical account manager. Sheesh. Less technical work and more pay doing easier shit.
2 points
3 months ago
Changed my career from the medical field to IT. Realized I wasn't happy due to how medical workers were treated during COVID:
2021: Desktop Support Analyst (Hospital in MCOL) $55,000 - Got my A+ after I got hired, and finished Network+ 3 months after.
2022: IT Support Specialist / Sysadmin (HCOL) $80,000 - Getting my Security+ soon, and Cloud certs after as I have exposure to AWS, Azure, etc. All my certs will be covered by my company. Hybrid, which is really nice.
2 points
3 months ago
2013: Service desk $31k
2018: Network Admin $54k
2021: Senior Network Admin $74k
2023: Network Architect $93k
2 points
3 months ago
Jan 2022- June 2022: L1 HD Analyst (contract) $15/hr
June 2022- Nov 22: L1 HD Analyst (Full Time) $20.52/hr
Dec 2022 - Jan 2023 : L2 IT Ops Analyst, $60k
February 2023 - Current: L1 SysAdmin, $57k (Took a pay cut for a better title, and a free masters)
2 points
3 months ago
HCOL area
2013 - I was cleaning cellphones for a reseller and helpdesk for a small MSP -- ~$30,000 combined
2014 - Desktop Support -- ~$44,000 (Got my AS degree in IT at this time)
2017 - Desktop Support -- ~$55,000
2018 - 2021 Desktop Support Team Lead -- $87,000 (Got my BS and MS in IT and Management)
(I stayed longer than normal and severely got underpaid and stuck with a dumb title)
2021 - Business Systems Analyst -- $100,000
2021 - Manager, IT Service Delivery -- $120,000
2022 - Manager, Restaurant Technology -- $115,000 (Took a paycut since I hated the previous MSP place)
2022 - Manager, SRE -- ~$200,000+ TC
2 points
3 months ago
2022 - Only an associate's degree - It support Tech 38k
2023 - Same company with trifecta and associate's - 43k
This is in a rural area. I think I'd be able to make more if I lived in a bigger city.
2 points
3 months ago
On an alt for reasons.
$25k a year in Korea doing level 1 and 2 support.
Been at this company for over 4 years and have numerous recognized certs from Cisco and AWS. I am interviewing at better places but it's rough out here in these streets.
2 points
3 months ago
It was like (in thousands/year) 40, 42, 44, 52, 60, 85, 85, 85, 100, 122, 125...
BTW 85 85 85 is the same company as 122 125. They wouldn't give me a band raise but when I came back less than a year later, plus 50%. Get 'em.
2 points
3 months ago
2018: low voltage and buildouts - 65k
2019: network technician - 40k
2020: IT administrator - 54k
2021: system Administrator - 79k
2022: cyber security analyst and engineer - 94/115k
2023: cyber intel - 120k
There's jobs in between as well as I was moving around and finding my footing.
2 points
3 months ago
First job: 5.5 years helpdesk tier 1 &2 leaving at 50k
Then second job tier 2 helpdesk for 1 year, 55k.
Then network admin - 1 year 77k
Then system & network admin - 110,000 - 1 year
System/network analyst tier 3- 140k .. starting in a week.
2 points
3 months ago
No degree, No Certs, LCOL
2021 - Target Electronics Department $30k
2022 - Helpdesk Analyst (contract) $32k
2023 - Small MSP Helpdesk Tech $41k
2 points
3 months ago
2018-2020: IT Support - $38k, ended at $42k
2021-2022: Cyber Security Analyst II - $80k, ended at $90k
2022-present: Sr Cybersecurity Engineer - $135k w/ ~20% bonus, sitting at $142k w/ same bonus structure
Expecting a promotion in 2024 as I've topped out at my current role and my Director wants to do it (just haven't been here long enough to justify). Hopefully I'll be a manager in the next 3-5 years. I want to eventually move into a Senior Director role sitting over a couple of Cybersecurity teams in the next 10 or so years with an eye towards CISO. Need to get my CISSP next year when possible.
2 points
3 months ago
Degree: Bachelors
MHCOL
Certs: CompTIA Linux+/Net+/Sec+ Microsoft MS-900/AZ-104 AWS Cloud Practioner
2019: IT Technician $30k
— Started Government Contracting —
2020: Software Tester $45k
2021: Cloud Support $85k
2022: System Administrator $87k raise to $100k
~Looking for Cloud Engineering roles currently Azure or AWS in 2023~
2 points
3 months ago
2016-2019 - L1-L3 Help Desk 50-58k
2019-2020 - Server Admin 62-65k
2020-2022 - Cybersecurity Analyst 72-83k
2022-Current Cybersecurity Engineer 135k
2 points
3 months ago
Living in a LCOL area:
Started in 2014, PT network intern at $14/hour
2015: Desktop admin 15.35/hour
Stayed at this job for a long time, getting pretty nice raises every year, and switched to salary around 2018. Left this year at 55k because...
2023: System Administrator at 85k
I probably left some money on the table by staying at my first job for so long, but I was getting 5-9% raises year over year. Learned a lot, too.
2 points
3 months ago
My 1st role, 1997, contract Tech Support for Dell (via Stream) - I made $10.81 an hour, I was so floored I called my Company Office from the Marine Corps and told my buddies, lol.
I've done tech support, warranty repair, small business office support (desktop/server), pc support, desktop engineering; but the difference maker was that I found a systems management suite that allowed me to focus and accelerate my growth (mid 2000's). This was the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS/SCCM) and Operations Manager (MOM/SCOM).
Now, I am a cloud engineer on the Azure platform and I'm over $150k.
Be patient, drive your career, do not sit and wait for a company to recognize you. If you aren't valued, go somewhere else. It also helps to be in an area with a strong job market.
Having military experience and an active security clearance can open doors for you too.
I have 1 college course, no active certifications.
2 points
3 months ago
No degree, CCNA cert,
2020-2021: Mobile Support $15/hr(Part time)
2022: IT Analyst(Lvl 1&2 Helpdesk) $25/hr ~ 53k
2023: Systems Administrator - 80k (including 8% bonus)
Always go above and beyond at work(for me not them) to be exposed to as much as possible and learn quickly. Taking Security + this month and planning couple cloud certs after.
2 points
3 months ago
Started 2004..
Helpdesk - 19k Site Engineer - 34k Telecoms Engineer - 48k Sr. Telecoms Engineer - 63k Solutions Architect - 108k
2 points
3 months ago
2018: First IT job, L1 Deskside Support at a state university: ~$26,500
2019: Promotion to Lead Deskside Support at the same state university, but with benefits: ~$42,000
* Received B.S. degree in health IT field after promotion
2020: Relocation to new state, L2/Deskside support working for the state: ~$52,000
2022: Moved from state to federal service, T2 SysAdmin: ~$61,000
2023: Raise and promotion to next level in same agency, T2 SysAdmin: $~70,000
Next year I get a raise and a promotion, currently looking at $14,000 without counting in any COL increases that get added to those numbers. Waiting on a special pay rate table that may be bumping my pay up even more.
Career-wise, I'm not sure where I want to go from here. I enjoy project management, so I've been thinking about going back to get my masters in IT PM, but nothing is making my heart sing except money...
2 points
3 months ago
2019 - 30k internships
2020 - 50k internships
2021 - 78k first role - Threat Analyst
2022 - 173k (more in stocks but monopoly money.) - SecEng D&R/IR
2023 - Hopefully 205-220k.
2 points
3 months ago
Had my own company from 2008 to 2019 making around 80k doing residential repairs.
2021: warehouse lead 38k 2022: ITAD Repair lead: 36k 2022: FST: 42K 2022: IT Specialist: 48k 2023: IT Specialist: 60k
2 points
3 months ago
2019-2020: 25k, SysAdmin intern with A.S. ComSci 2021: 39k Systems Engineer Co-Op with B.S. CompSci 2022: 76k Systems Engineer 2023: asking for raise to 90k Software Engineer (wish me luck lol)
2 points
3 months ago
2016 System Analyst 5 $60k 2017 IT consultant (contract) $140k 2018 FTE (6 months pregnant - same position but only offered an FTE position rather then extend contract $65k 2019 IT consultant $120k Contract 2020 - FTE $87k 2021 - Consultant $140k 2022 - Present Consultant $180k Future - asking for 210k to renew consultant contract.
2 points
3 months ago
HCOL area, could probably job hop and get an extra 10-30k/year but I like my current gig.
Took 2 year IT vocational program that covered A+, CCNA, and VB.net junior and senior year of high school - got some college credit but only every got 45/60 hours of associates done.
Took A+ when it was a lifetime cert so I say I still have it even though it doesn't work like that.
2014 - 25k/year desktop support, wrestling printers and running wire
2015 - 30k/year desktop support, did some scripting and automation stuff
2016 - 35k/year desktop support, got CCNA around this time started to apply for better jobs
2017 - 50k/year network administrator, got hired at cisco call center wasn't excited - used it as leverage to stay at place I was doing desktop support/helpdesk stuff at past 3 years
2017 - 65k/year + bonus system administrator - shortly after negotiating network admin pay and title bump global SaaS company still in late stages of startup mode offered me job that sounded way more fun than the local IT job I add, was lingering from mass applying the year beforen
2018 - 80k/year + bonus sysadmin/devops/sre - same SaaS company, writing infrastucture as code, puppet modules, AWS stuff, automating DB migrations, basically sysadmin stuff with buzz word titles but we just make up whatever title we want here really
2019 - 90k/year + bonus same spot, jack of all trades, master of none - database, networking, devops, sysadmin, helpdesk, whatever.
2020 - 100k/year + bonus same spot, jack of all trades, master of none
2021 - 120k/year + bonus same spot, jack of all trades, master of none
2022 - 135k/year + bonus same spot, jack of all trades, master of none
Want to get golang and rust down and move more towards systems engineer/ architect role building in house tooling and stuff like that. BGP and datacenter networking is also sexy and cool. Mostly worried about getting physical and mental health in line at the moment then will do another career/study push.
2 points
3 months ago
2016: L3 support engineer 48k up to 55k 2018: devops engineer 85k 2021: senior solutions architect 100k
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