Network Admin salaries... want to know what to shoot for.

[mlchris2]

I started with a fast-growing company about 6 months ago as their Tech Support lead. I was only supposed to troubleshoot pc's and minor software requests. The second day there, I was configuring routers and a PTP T1 between offices, before I knew it I became the Network Administrator for this company. I've achieved great success so far and have proven myself time and time again (letters from manager and president to prove it)

I have quartly reviews and my last review I just made mention that I was performing Network Admin work at Tech Support pay and if they would consider a competitive salary increase my next revie(December)

My first question is what is the ACTUAL AVERAGE salary for Network Administrators supporting a Medium sized company (50-100 employees and profit margins of 6 million a year? I looked at Salary.com and found averages for my area and they seem pretty good.

Anybody feel like sharing information?

I dont want to short myself, which I feel I've done in the past. The other reason I would ask is I have a offer to work for D.O.E. in another state and starting salary is 20% more than what I'm making now and this is a tech support 9-5 position, with room for advancement, just not sure at what speed... I'm debating on taking the D.O.E. job, but want to use it as ammunition.

would that be a smart move to use a job offer as ammunition? I guess the worst thing they could tell me is I'm outta there and just take the offer.

look forward to your insights.

Mark C.
Network Admin - Digital Draw Network

 

[benlinkknilneb]

My company sounds about like that; I'm sort of a nerd-of-all-trades (we only have a department of 2 of us). I get $42k at entry-level (I finished my bachelor's in 2004).

Monster.com has a salary analysis thing too, that you might want to check out to get a good idea of what happens in your area.

As far as the other offer... if you've already been offered it, (as in, the ball is in your court), play the card. See if they really want to keep you... ONLY if you're willing to take the other job. If it's just an offer, and you don't know whether you'd want it, you might want to water it down... "I've heard that other companies pay $xxxxx for this position, and I feel I've been doing this work really well..."

It would help to have documentation of what work you've been doing, in writing, unless your reviewer is intimate with your daily schedule.

Ben
The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't. - Douglas Adams

 

[mlchris2]

Thank Ben... What part of the country are you in?

I've use Monster's job tools as well. They are all great and provide good information, I just dont know how accurate it is.

I've had my degree since 2001. I've been doing TechSupport since 98 and Network Administration since 2001. I have been part of some layoffs, so there was a 6 month period where I had to resort back to tech support until I'v found something else.

The offer is 100%. I just have to play the Gov't game of hiring process, which takes months.

I am tired of working for what they offer. Its time for me to buck up and make the money I'm worth.

thanks for the workds of encouragment. It helps

Mark C.
Network Admin - Digital Draw Network

 

[kHz]

Too many people think they deserve a large paycheck because they look on salary.com and arbitrarily determine they are <fill in title> which has a min/mean/max salary of $50/70/90k per year.

These surveys lack relevant information, such as, how long you have been working, how long you have been working in IT, how long you have been doing the <fill in title> position, what is the highest level of education attained, etc.

Another area not addressed in the surveys are the amount of work done. How many routers, how many subnets, how many servers, how many devices, are firewalls in your area or elsewhere, etc. Maybe somebody is managing two servers and they see on salary.com that a Unix admin is making $75k and they are only earning $40k in the same region, therefore they determine they need a $35k pay increase. Well, it is probable the $75k admin has 200 servers and is maintaining backups, does DR testing at a hot site twice per year, is managing storage, too.

Working for the gov't has more security than working for the private sector and the benefits are usually better. Private industry pays more with less benefits. So you have to determine the offset.

There is no "gov't game of hiring" as you mention. I don't know what you mean by the assertion the job is 100% and then you have the "game of hiring." You either have a job or you don't. Do you have to receive a security clearance and are waiting for the approval of the application? Usually they will hire you and wait for the clearance but not allow you to work the area the requires the clearance. If you had a clearance in the past then you will get a provisional clearance allowing you to work until it is approved. Clearances are taking months and years these days.

What makes you think you are worth the money? What can you do that somebody else cannot do for less money?

 

[mlchris2]

kHz,

thats what I want to find out... how Salary.com gathers these min/mean/max ranges.

I do agree that a person suppoting 2 Unix routers should be paid $75k that a person who supports a dozen +.

I agree that gov't work is more stable and offers more benefits than the private sector. The only thing is I could easliy advance here and achieve the $$ I am looking at, but I have more options available to me in the gov't sector, it's just going to take more time to get there.

What I meant by "gov't game of hiring" is the process their HR dept has to go through to not only accept applications, get them to the hiring manager, schedule interviews, process interview information, obtain information from interviewing manager, run background checks, determing salary, contact candidate. You see where I'm getting at. I applied for the position in August... had my interview in Oct and they will fill the position in December... The position doesnt require me to get a security clearance. I did contract work for them and had to get a Q clearance and yes it took 6 months to obtain. I know the process, it effective, just slow.

I've been doing Admin work for 5 years now and have crafted several skill. When I came to this place, they had nothing. No server/network redundancy and I provided them with recommendations, I implemented them, maintain them and proven myself in that aspect. Similar issues arose with their workstations. I setup documention for the entire network, set standards for server rollouts, upgrades, maintence plans, etc. I dont have to be asked to work late, I know what needs to be done and what timeframe it needs to be done it.

The person they had before got paid twice as much as I did and basically did nothing but pc tech support and assisted end-users with issues. He did nothing network related.

My main objective was to get advice on what I should do in my situation and the amount of money others are making in my area in the same line of work.


Mark C.
Network Admin - Digital Draw Network

 

[dennisbbb]

With 5 years of experience and being a sole Administrator, you deserve anywhere between 70K-91K. That's about the range in Salary.com.

Judge your position by asking yourself, can they survive without me? Can they hire a guy for $50K to do my job? If the honest answer is yes, they you'll get only $50K. But if the answer is no, no because you're a favorite to all mangement, no because the owner loves you, no because the president's wife send you a nice expensive gift on Christmas.. then I think you got something - you are part of the family. And being family, you deserve the highest they can afford.

 

[jsteph]

If the companie's *profits* are 6 Mil per year, for < 100 employees, that's a pretty good company.

However at < 100 employees, this goes to what khz asked--how many routers, etc? I doubt very much that there are very many routers in this company, unless it's an extremely tech-related company, where the actual computers, routers, etc are the core part of the business (such as in ISP or something) as opposed to just peripheral tools as they are in most companies.

Also, as someone mentioned, region is important. In general, though, you'd be doing well if you get any more than $60K.
--Jim

 

[mlchris2]

alright, thanks for the great info.

Mark C.
Network Admin - Digital Draw Network