So, how do I make $100K in this business???

[94jedi]

Hey all...so the wife and I were having one of "those talks" the other day. We just had a baby and she's a stay at home mom (mutual decision). She used to own a bridal boutique but she sold it to stay home w/ the baby. Not that she made a ton of money but without her business paying most of our bills, my paycheck just isn't cutting it. We're dipping into savings every month. We've tightened our belts a bit but when you own a house, there's always random things coming up that cost you an arm and a leg.

Anywho----

So, my question is how the heck do I make $100k in this business? I know its not an overnight thing. I'm in about 10 years in so far. I don't have a degree but I do have a couple of certs and I'm working more constantly. Obviously a degree would help me get into upper management more but I don't know if that's for me. I like getting my hands dirty. I don't think I'll be satisfied w/ just sitting behind a desk and giving out orders.

I guess this boils down to career advice mostly. I'm just attaching a benchmark ($100k) to it.

Should I specialize in 1 niche area more? I'm currently a Network admin, a sort of jack of all trades type. I do SQL, exchange, Web sense/surfcontrol, ms server maintenance etc. I pretty much do everything. My IT dept is a 2 man operation, I take care of just about everything while the IT director does alot of policy/paper work/politics etc. I don't think have much upward mobility where I am now but I want to raise my "net worth" to where I can make about $100k...


So any suggestions, thoughts, questions, and most importantly - career advice?

[Ahriakin]

Specialize but in something relatively common, which also means you need to aim for an area where you can really prove yourself - and finding a match for those 2 is not easy. Look around the job boards and see what positions are in the $100k + range for your area.
Server administration is more common but harder to break 6 figures on (it can be done but not on pure admin. alone).
Network engineering is probably a better bet (if you get your CCIE in whatever track you like you will break 6 figures very easily - as long as you have the experience to back it up).

[dynamik]

Also, consider where you're living too. $100k in LA isn't the same as $100k in Minneapolis.

[skrpune]

This is kinda out of left field, but what about if your wife did occasional bridal consulting for some extra cash?? If she had a boutique then she's obviously got some experience and some connections from being in the biz, and she can be a bridal consultant and charge out the yin-yang. It's not exactly the answer to the question you were asking, but it's an alternative that has a flexible schedule and could be a nice little side business. Heck, she can even take along the baby on some appointments...we chicks do love to coo over cute little babies.

[Claymoore]

Some quick options:

1. Search engine optimization for pr0n sites
2. Herbal supplement spam
3. Keylogging identity theft

But if you want to take the more challenging route of working hard in a legitimate profession there are still options:

Take a job where IT is a profit center not a cost center
If you still like getting your hands dirty and want the opportunity to make six figures, you will probably have to work for a consulting firm. Not many companies can afford (or need) to keep a CCIE on staff. Go to work for a vendor partner who values your skills and needs your certs to meet partner obligations. You will get the opportunity to work with your chosen tech more often and with greater depth. For example, when I worked internal IT, I would get the opportunity to deploy a new Exchange version once every 5 years. Now I get to work maybe 3 large deployments a year. Greater skills = higher bill rates = larger salary.

Specialize
A jack-of-all-trades is useful in internal IT and can be a valuable addition to a consulting project team as well, but you'll be a utility player and not a starting all star. Find a tech or product that you like - you'll be working with it every day so make sure you like it - and work to become one of the best at that product. Whether it's a CCIE Voice, Exchange Master, Oracle DB God or SAP Overlord, just try to be the best you can.

Move
Move to a larger city with more tech jobs if you can. If you already live in a city, either move close to downtown or the airport. There aren't many high-paying tech jobs in the sticks or the suburbs.

Travel
Travelling all the time for projects sucks and people don't like doing it. However, if you are willing to travel you can be compensated well in different ways. I travelled when I was younger and single and I got the opportunity to work on projects and gain skills that I wouldn't have had without travelling. This past summer I turned down an opportunity at a large consulting firm because it was 80% travel. If you had the skills and were willing to travel that job could have been yours, and it probably paid close to six figures.

[brad-]

I dont know about where you live, but in the south, a $100k job is rare. The people that do make that kind of bread here in the IT world are consultants.

[bertieb]

Originally Posted by Claymoore

Some quick options:

1. Search engine optimization for pr0n sites
2. Herbal supplement spam
3. Keylogging identity theft

D'oh, Claymoore has busted my 'plan A' Back to the study then....

[Turgon]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

Hey all...so the wife and I were having one of "those talks" the other day. We just had a baby and she's a stay at home mom (mutual decision). She used to own a bridal boutique but she sold it to stay home w/ the baby. Not that she made a ton of money but without her business paying most of our bills, my paycheck just isn't cutting it. We're dipping into savings every month. We've tightened our belts a bit but when you own a house, there's always random things coming up that cost you an arm and a leg.

Anywho----

So, my question is how the heck do I make $100k in this business? I know its not an overnight thing. I'm in about 10 years in so far. I don't have a degree but I do have a couple of certs and I'm working more constantly. Obviously a degree would help me get into upper management more but I don't know if that's for me. I like getting my hands dirty. I don't think I'll be satisfied w/ just sitting behind a desk and giving out orders.

I guess this boils down to career advice mostly. I'm just attaching a benchmark ($100k) to it.

Should I specialize in 1 niche area more? I'm currently a Network admin, a sort of jack of all trades type. I do SQL, exchange, Web sense/surfcontrol, ms server maintenance etc. I pretty much do everything. My IT dept is a 2 man operation, I take care of just about everything while the IT director does alot of policy/paper work/politics etc. I don't think have much upward mobility where I am now but I want to raise my "net worth" to where I can make about $100k...


So any suggestions, thoughts, questions, and most importantly - career advice?

Everything is a generalization. There are exceptions but if you want 100K+ you need to move away from the support sphere into senior management, design, architecture, or consulting. Even low level designers earn less these days. The money has been collapsing to the centre for years now away from the techies. Architects, senior management, auditors earn the loot.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by skrpune

This is kinda out of left field, but what about if your wife did occasional bridal consulting for some extra cash?? If she had a boutique then she's obviously got some experience and some connections from being in the biz, and she can be a bridal consultant and charge out the yin-yang. It's not exactly the answer to the question you were asking, but it's an alternative that has a flexible schedule and could be a nice little side business. Heck, she can even take along the baby on some appointments...we chicks do love to coo over cute little babies.

Yes, she thought about that but unfortunately, in 4 years she burned herself out with dealing with bride-zillas and mom-zillas lol. It's a good suggestion though. Thanks for that!!

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by dynamik

Also, consider where you're living too. $100k in LA isn't the same as $100k in Minneapolis.

That's very true, where I live now, $100 is like $130k in the Washington DC/Metro area where I used to live.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by Turgon

Everything is a generalization. There are exceptions but if you want 100K+ you need to move away from the support sphere into senior management, design, architecture, or consulting. Even low level designers earn less these days. The money has been collapsing to the centre for years now away from the techies. Architects, senior management, auditors earn the loot.

You're right. that seems to be the direction things have taken.

[Plantwiz]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

...

Anywho----

So, my question is how the heck do I make $100k in this business? ....?

I haven't seen anyone paying that sort of money for General IT support in our region...ever. You may (as already mentioned) be able to specialize and maybe get some custom programming work and such, but generally not a flat out salary for that amount of money.

How close are you currently to that goal? (without being too specific). If you are at $40K (which seems about normal), then another full-time job or a couple part-time additional jobs may bring you closer to $80K...but the time away from your family...just doesn't make it worth it for the long term. IMHO


The bridal consulting gig as someone mentioned is a great opportunity IF your wife WANTS to do this, as there will be very little overhead and she likely needs her old contacts and she'll be up and running.

More education is ALWAYS good (right up until you price yourself out of the market ). But if you went out on your own, you could control your income level better then you do working for someone else...it just isnt' as 'easy' as working for someone else.

$100K is a lot of money (unless you live in LA or NYC), so it really just depends on where you live and if you have truly done a written budget to see where your money is going. Average income is around $44K for most households...and frankly, that is a decent living....doesn't mean the desire to work harder to have more is bad, but there is a $60K spread between 'average' and your goal. Likely there is some room to play in the middle, correct?


Three budget forms listed here to get you started:
Financial Peace University - Tools



Otherwise,
- more school
- extra jobs
- maybe wife consults on the side (while you are home).

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by Claymoore

Some quick options:

1. Search engine optimization for pr0n sites
2. Herbal supplement spam
3. Keylogging identity theft

But if you want to take the more challenging route of working hard in a legitimate profession there are still options:

Take a job where IT is a profit center not a cost center
If you still like getting your hands dirty and want the opportunity to make six figures, you will probably have to work for a consulting firm. Not many companies can afford (or need) to keep a CCIE on staff. Go to work for a vendor partner who values your skills and needs your certs to meet partner obligations. You will get the opportunity to work with your chosen tech more often and with greater depth. For example, when I worked internal IT, I would get the opportunity to deploy a new Exchange version once every 5 years. Now I get to work maybe 3 large deployments a year. Greater skills = higher bill rates = larger salary.

Specialize
A jack-of-all-trades is useful in internal IT and can be a valuable addition to a consulting project team as well, but you'll be a utility player and not a starting all star. Find a tech or product that you like - you'll be working with it every day so make sure you like it - and work to become one of the best at that product. Whether it's a CCIE Voice, Exchange Master, Oracle DB God or SAP Overlord, just try to be the best you can.

Move
Move to a larger city with more tech jobs if you can. If you already live in a city, either move close to downtown or the airport. There aren't many high-paying tech jobs in the sticks or the suburbs.

Travel
Travelling all the time for projects sucks and people don't like doing it. However, if you are willing to travel you can be compensated well in different ways. I travelled when I was younger and single and I got the opportunity to work on projects and gain skills that I wouldn't have had without travelling. This past summer I turned down an opportunity at a large consulting firm because it was 80% travel. If you had the skills and were willing to travel that job could have been yours, and it probably paid close to six figures.

All very good points. At my current employer, IT is a "cost center". We're viewed as an "overhead" expense and thus, we're not valued as much as we should be.

I've considered traveling and I'm willing to do so but I'm going to take it up a notch and say that I'd like to work remotely from home as much as possible. Is that asking too much? lol. Ok, maybe not.

I don't think a move is going to be possible although who knows...stranger things have happened. I certainly see that $100k in my area is going to be very hard to come by.

I definitely see the need to specialize. I do many things at my current job but as someone mentioned, I don't deal with those things enough to really increase my skill level.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by Plantwiz

I haven't seen anyone paying that sort of money for General IT support in our region...ever. You may (as already mentioned) be able to specialize and maybe get some custom programming work and such, but generally not a flat out salary for that amount of money.

How close are you currently to that goal? (without being too specific). If you are at $40K (which seems about normal), then another full-time job or a couple part-time additional jobs may bring you closer to $80K...but the time away from your family...just doesn't make it worth it for the long term. IMHO


The bridal consulting gig as someone mentioned is a great opportunity IF your wife WANTS to do this, as there will be very little overhead and she likely needs her old contacts and she'll be up and running.

More education is ALWAYS good (right up until you price yourself out of the market ). But if you went out on your own, you could control your income level better then you do working for someone else...it just isnt' as 'easy' as working for someone else.

$100K is a lot of money (unless you live in LA or NYC), so it really just depends on where you live and if you have truly done a written budget to see where your money is going. Average income is around $44K for most households...and frankly, that is a decent living....doesn't mean the desire to work harder to have more is bad, but there is a $60K spread between 'average' and your goal. Likely there is some room to play in the middle, correct?


Three budget forms listed here to get you started:
Financial Peace University - Tools



Otherwise,
- more school
- extra jobs
- maybe wife consults on the side (while you are home).

I haven't seen anyone make that amount in my area either. I make about $55k right now although w/ benefits and profit sharing and insurance, my company claims my "total compensation" is in the area of $71k. Obviously, I don't see the latter amount on my paychecks, or even the first amount for that matter.

I do realize that $55k is a decent salary for my area although I can't help but feel under-valued. This is an internal struggle that I think most people deal with. I should be happy to even be employed at this time, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be ambitious.

I don't think going out on my own is really a viable option at this point. I have a good friend that is a partial owner in the largest IT Consulting firm in my area so I wouldn't want to burn that bridge if you know what I mean. That is a potential option as well.

I'll have to talk to the wife about bridal consulting but I doubt she'll go for it. I dont' mind continuing my education if that's what it takes. I've been extremely complacent about it in the past but obviously I need to turn it up a bit.

[LarryDaMan]

Originally Posted by dynamik

Also, consider where you're living too. $100k in LA isn't the same as $100k in Minneapolis.

So true. I have relatives in more rural locations who think my wife and I should be rich with our combined family income. However, we don't live in Hickville or Podunk. Besides, most people who make a lot of money also spend a lot of money. Your lifestyle tends to change with your income.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by LarryDaMan

So true. I have relatives in more rural locations who think my wife and I should be rich with our combined family income. However, we don't live in Hickville or Podunk. Besides, most people who make a lot of money also spend a lot of money. Your lifestyle tends to change with your income.

That's one thing the wife and I really try to work on. The way we live right now suits us just fine. I'd like to keep it this way while increasing my income.

[joey74055]

[QUOTE=94jedi;327186]I don't think going out on my own is really a viable option at this point. I have a good friend that is a partial owner in the largest IT Consulting firm in my area so I wouldn't want to burn that bridge if you know what I mean. That is a potential option as well.
QUOTE]

I understand not wanting to burn any bridges with any friends but getting hired on as a consultant at your friends company may be your best bet. You don't have to be a partner or owner just an employee, a consultant at one of the largest IT consulting firms in your area. This could really open your door with the kind of exposure that only a IT consultant gets, which in the long run could help you acheive your goal.

[rsutton]

Originally Posted by dynamik

Also, consider where you're living too. $100k in LA isn't the same as $100k in Minneapolis.

This is what I was thinking too. $100k here in the Bay Area is nothing.

[94jedi]

[QUOTE=joey74055;327198]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

I don't think going out on my own is really a viable option at this point. I have a good friend that is a partial owner in the largest IT Consulting firm in my area so I wouldn't want to burn that bridge if you know what I mean. That is a potential option as well.
QUOTE]

I understand not wanting to burn any bridges with any friends but getting hired on as a consultant at your friends company may be your best bet. You don't have to be a partner or owner just an employee, a consultant at one of the largest IT consulting firms in your area. This could really open your door with the kind of exposure that only a IT consultant gets, which in the long run could help you acheive your goal.

The more I think about it the more it really comes down to this. I think you're right. I'll talk to him about the possibility of this. My current employer actually uses his firms consulting services. Whenever I have a project that is out of my scope of knowledge, I call him up. Luckily, I've been able to pick up a lot of knowledge from him.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by rsutton

This is what I was thinking too. $100k here in the Bay Area is nothing.

In the DC Metro area (where I'm from originally) $100k isn't all that much either.

[ColbyG]

Get into Storage, Security, high level Voice or Networking. Those pay the big bucks. Get a CCIE.

[Claymoore]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

All very good points. At my current employer, IT is a "cost center". We're viewed as an "overhead" expense and thus, we're not valued as much as we should be.

I would hope that you and the work you do are valued, but that work is still only worth so much. None of us expect a six figure salary for working first level help desk. It's not that the effort of that first level technician isn't valued - in fact it's necessary - but it is still only worth first level pay. A $20/hr person may do a slightly better job, but a $15/hr person does a good enough job.

This is why I said most companies don't need a CCIE on staff even if they could afford one. Unless their network is so large and complicated that they need CCIEs at their beck and call (like at a large ISP or a telco), there is no reason to pay that annual salary. They staff what they need for day-to-day operations and rely on partners and support contracts for the rest.

[Aldur]

My advice would be similar to many other's in this thread. You need to specialize in something that would be valuable enough to an employer to pay over 100k for. Consider pursuing IE level certifications, when I got my JNCIE-M it opened an unreal amount of doors for me and even though I was very low on experience I was able to get a salary that I would have never thought I could get.

Also if you're willing to travel then you are likely to make a higher wage, very few ppl want to do 100% travel for their work. I have a friend who works for a training company, they fly him all over the world and he makes over 100$/hr. Keep in mind though that his work is 100% travel and it kinda drags on him from time to time. Although, if I was single I would definitely go that route without thinking twice about it, see the world on the company dime and make tons of cash in the process, not a bad idea if you have nothing tying you down

[eMeS]

100k doesn't really seem like that much anymore, and as others have said it's all about where you live and your lifestyle.

There's a saying I heard once about the California gold rush. It goes something like this: "The people that made all of the money were the ones selling the shovels to those digging for gold".

I think there's some truth in statements such as that one. Steer your career more towards equipping and enabling others to do the actual low-level work. For example, a manger of a help desk would primarily ensure that his staff has the tools and capabilities to get their work done, but he might do very little of the actual work. Generally, this person will command a higher salary too.

IMO, it always pays better to sell the shovels than to do the digging. Even better is if you can sell someone the plans to make the shovels, and so on....

This can be done at many levels, and it fits nicely with advice you've already received in this thread.

If you intend to continue to work for others, then one of the fastest ways that I've seen people get their salaries up is by changing jobs every 18 months or so. Loyalty doesn't seem to be valued as much in some companies, and this might be a strategy that works for you. Job hopping can be a double-edged sword, but with a strategy like this it's almost always a #'s game...in other words, out of all of the employers out there someone will hire you, if you knock on enough doors.

Another way to make money is to go independent. There are several on this board doing this very thing. The big question is always where and how to start. There are about a million answers to this question.

Something you might do in the interim is set yourself up to do some side work in your spare hours. There are always people out there that don't know how to configure this or that, or need general pc work done. I don't know if that's your thing, but if you have a skill, then there is likely some market for it.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by eMeS

100k doesn't really seem like that much anymore, and as others have said it's all about where you live and your lifestyle.

There's a saying I heard once about the California gold rush. It goes something like this: "The people that made all of the money were the ones selling the shovels to those digging for gold".

I think there's some truth in statements such as that one. Steer your career more towards equipping and enabling others to do the actual low-level work. For example, a manger of a help desk would primarily ensure that his staff has the tools and capabilities to get their work done, but he might do very little of the actual work. Generally, this person will command a higher salary too.

IMO, it always pays better to sell the shovels than to do the digging. Even better is if you can sell someone the plans to make the shovels, and so on....

This can be done at many levels, and it fits nicely with advice you've already received in this thread.

If you intend to continue to work for others, then one of the fastest ways that I've seen people get their salaries up is by changing jobs every 18 months or so. Loyalty doesn't seem to be valued as much in some companies, and this might be a strategy that works for you. Job hopping can be a double-edged sword, but with a strategy like this it's almost always a #'s game...in other words, out of all of the employers out there someone will hire you, if you knock on enough doors.

Another way to make money is to go independent. There are several on this board doing this very thing. The big question is always where and how to start. There are about a million answers to this question.

Something you might do in the interim is set yourself up to do some side work in your spare hours. There are always people out there that don't know how to configure this or that, or need general pc work done. I don't know if that's your thing, but if you have a skill, then there is likely some market for it.

That's an interesting perspective. Obviously, even though I like to get my hands dirty, I don't want to be doing low-level work forever. I guess specializing in a specific technology will help w/ that.

I've definitely done some side-work in the past and it's a nice way to make a few extra bucks but it can get very time consuming. I also worry about the IRS and how much I actually need to claim. The thing that bothers me about side work is that it's typically, for a one man operation, very basic low-level stuff.

You're right though. I do have a skill and I should use it to make extra cash on the side. I've done some of that in the past but I can certainly do more.