Can I make upwards of 100k in the IT industry? 10

[sab4you]

I have many friends who are doing great in the pharacutical realm...

But me, being a computer geek I was curious what my real opportunities are for making over 100k doing this type of stuff?

I can honestly look around and seems 80k is a reasonable salary max out for being a network/system administrator.

Do you guys think the opportunity is out there to make 100k, 120k, 150k??? If so, what kind of computer jobs would do this?

I am using pay range for a good technical city, so this may seem super high for other cities.

 

[algernonsidney]

If you stick around for 20 years, maybe.

Chris

 

[AIXSPadmin]

It would require working for a very large company and would require 10, 15, or 20 years or more working in a field that is specialized. Take for example, AIX, there may be many AIX administrators, but when you add in SP2 administration there are fewer of them around because system cost hundreds of thousands or millions so only very large companies have them. But the pay is much higher than just AIX (though AIX is involved), but PSSP and the switch, etc., require much more knowledge. As for DBA's, senior Oracle or DB2 admins may make $100k, but you will have to put in the years.

Of course you can make more in a larger city such as Chicago, but the $100k is like $50k in Kansas City, so even though you make $100k your buying power isn't that much, and I assume you want buying power.

Contractors or consultants can earn more than full-time employees, but you go from job to job and have to keep looking, though you are specialized so the money is higher. But, with contractors/consultants they have years of experience behind them, so a company expects them to know what they are doing.

As for programmers, one who just writes code, your chances of making that are not real. As a software engieer you have a better chance, but need years of experience. An architect may make $100k or more, but again they have years of experience in many areas.

Generalists right now, I have read have the best hiring potential, but they are not experts in any one area, and the pay is usually quite a bit lower for this area.

Security is big right now and probably will be for a few more years and the pay is in the high 5 figures, but you need experience again, and they like the CISSP (which requires years on the job to qualify for.)

Again, years of experience and working for a large company and being specialized are what is going to get the highest dollars.

 

[carp]

It CAN be done, depending on (1) your skill set,
(2) your experience,
(3) where you live,
(4) who you know.

You can also make $25K, based on the same criteria.

 

[mmorancbt]

Okay, I have made more than the requisite $100k in I.T. since 1995. Only recently have I made less (this year) because I am doing far less work and concentrating on writing/speaking/training.

Here is the "truth" about the $100k barrier.

You don't get that being an I.T. commodity;
Staff technologists doing Network Admin, application development, help desk, etc. are really commodities. Value will be in your ability to tangibly solve business challenges or create opportunities with technology as your tool. There is a difference in focus and in what it is worth.

Rarely do non-contractors/staff personnel make that type of income:
More than likely, a specialized talent and/or great project management will lead to contracts where the $100k barrier can be exceeded. But remember, you are trading time for dollars and must have the ability to market yourself to sustain the projects and income.

Your best bet is to develop multiple skillsets - in technology and in some other sector (healthcare, marketing, manufacturing, management, HR, etc.). The two sector approach will let your love for technology (assuming you have that love) produce a much higher income than a tech-only approach.

I hope that helps. Matthew Moran
The I.T. Career Builder's Toolkit

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

 

[KornGeek]

Do what you love, and find a way to make your lifestyle fit the money.

Rather than worrying about exactly how much you will make, ask yourself if you can get by doing something you enjoy doing. No matter how good the money is, life will be miserable if you hate going to work each day. If the money is barely enough to scrape by, but you love going to work, life will seem much better. I've been in both situations, and I would rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

 

[sab4you]

KornGeek you are so right...I definately want a job I enjoy as I know I spend most my life there

But, I am relatively new to the field and still working on knowledge.

I figure if I am gonna do something I like, might as well follow the path that pays.

With some insight as to what is in demand/better pay, that can prepare me earlier to know the steps to get there.

 

[mmorancbt]

I also agree. I left a career as a "very highly compensated" (not pro athlete or actor level, but pretty good) executive to pursue writing and some independent consulting.

I do, however, also believe you should look to join your passion and something that pays as well as possible. This is just good pragmatic sense so that you can meet your obglications and at some point, retire and focus on your passions without any worry about compensation.

That's the ideal anyway. Matthew Moran
The I.T. Career Builder's Toolkit

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

 

[chebbie427]

Korngeek said it right. True, you may have friends in pharmaceuticals that are doing well but if that is not your interest, will it really matter how much you make?

Compensation comes in many ways other than money. If you truly love the work, the work in itself is compensation in the form of learning and improvement. Something else to consider is time. If you don't have time for yourself, wife, kids, hobbies, what kind of life is that at all?

That said, it is possible to make 100k or more, it's not as hard a figure to reach when 6 figures meant something special. To truly make a lot of money however, I would think that pure IT skills will not take you there. A good understanding of business and IT and how they work together is key. An MBA would be a good start.

 

[junglejimv]

I have had the good fortune to exceed the $100k per year threshold 3 out of the past four years. I made just under $120k in 2002. In 2001 I grossed $80k while being unemployed for almost three months.

I should point out that I have over 25 years experience working in the IBM Mid-range world (AS/400...it ain't dead yet guys!!)

The 25 years sort of breaks down as almost 16 years as either an independent consultant, software company owner, consultant working for a consulting company.

I have an area of expertise (EDI) that is now in demand. When I learned it 7-8 years ago it was a skill that was nice to know but not valuable.

I currently leverage the increased marketplace demand for that skill and 12 years of AS/400 experience to be fully employed as an independent consultant. All of my clients (3 that I see every week, plus a couple occasionnal ones) are totally mine.

Word of mouth is a wonderful thing. Always give whatever the client asks and present them with options and possibile futures and they will not want to let you go.

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Nice to see a fellow iSeries developer. Have you embraced XML yet? Sounds like I might be getting into that here soon.

Would like like to make 6 figures? Of course who wouldn't. But I wouldn't worry about trying to reach it. If God gives you the opportunity and you want it, take it. I am satisfied with my 36k job. iSeriesCodePoet
IBM iSeries (AS/400) Programmer

Want to have all your bookmarks in one spot?

http://www.koldark.net/bookmark4u/

 

[junglejimv]

iSeriesCodePoet - sort of suprised to hear of the 36k job as the Vail group publishes an annual salary survey that I thought said average for mid-range programmers was in the low 50's. I know from having lived in Montana that salaries in remote locations can be much less. In Montana they show you the mountains and say that is your first 25k. I am sure that you are aware of the iseriesnetwork.com site as a resource for anything you can think of doing related to the AS/400 oop's iSeries. V5Rx looks to provide us with many new tools to wow our users. I have dabbles around XML for a few years using it in conjunction with TrustedLink EDI. You are correct in seeking to learn additional toolsets for the future as apparently employers want skills beyond the basic RPG, SQL ones of the past. Where abouts do you live?

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Well... I only have a little over 2 years of expirience and I am not in a major city (city of 40,000 or so). iSeriesCodePoet
IBM iSeries (AS/400) Programmer

Want to have all your bookmarks in one spot?

http://www.koldark.net/bookmark4u/