Salary for IT professionals - Microsoft Certification 1

[rmoyes02]

I was wanting to start a thread that will give me some Idea's of how much everyone is making. I have used salary.com to see the average, but I hear that is not accurate. So I wanted to see for myself, what people make.

I currently make just a tad under $20,000 a year.
1.5 years experience, MCP, CNE, A+, AAS degree.

 

[Craig0201]

What people make?

Not enough/Too Much/Just Right....Delete as appropriate....

I make not enough (from my POV), my boss says it's too much, my bank says it's just right to pay the bills!

Craig

 

[AmishHockeyGuy]

I have:

Six + years of technical experience
Five + years of management experience

A Masters degree in Management of Information Systems

A Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing

MCSE, MCSA, I-Net+
I am working on my Oracle, Cisco, MCDBA, and CIWMA among other certs

I am planning to return to school this fall to work on a degree in biotechnology

I hold a position of Sr. Systems Admin & Webmaster

My salary is about 65K with benefits.

 

[jonscott8]

There is an older thread here were several members were disclosing their salaries. Feel free to thumb thru looking for it.

I'd recommend you view

http://www.mcpmag.com/salarysurveys/

instead of attempting to poll your own survey.

IMHO, Salary.com is NOT a good IT salary calculator, as it's strictly based off titles and not individual qualifications (experience,duties,etc...). Most individuals are not "peg-holed" into a specific title, as they perform functions of several titles. Jon Hawkins

 

[randysmid]

Hi,
Take a look at

http://www.dice.com.

In addition to the salary survey information, they also have about 30,000 high tech job listings for the U.S.
To see the salary survey results, scroll down until you see "Dice Salary Survey" on the right side. Then, select "Click here to query the results". After you decide which category to select (such as Full Time Employee Salaries), you can then pick from a number of options, including telephone area code. After you click on the Show Salary Information button, you will be given a graph, along with a set of statistics for the years of experience.
HTH,
Randy Smith
California Teachers Association

 

[algernonsidney]

And about a year ago, Dice claimed the job market was "bouncing back."

five years of experience
MCSE NT 4.0, passed 7 tests total
A+
$31,000 per year

The MCSE is a joke.

Chris

 

[CharlieJax]

The job market is coming back... its just not bubbling like it did 4 years ago.

There are more jobs now than there were 2 years ago but far fewer than 4 years ago.

Dice was correct. CJ

Don't drink and post, save that for driving home!

 

[algernonsidney]

CharlieJax,

I have heard that things are bouncing back. I plan on moving next summer and hope things are even better then.

Chris

 

[mdowd]

I have 4 years tech experience and my CCNA cert. Salary at this time is $51,000 plus benefits. I am very thankful for the pay and job considering the market. My position is a Level 2 Desktop Support tech.

 

[sab4you]

3 years of technical support - no certifications but working on MCSE and did learn 1/2 CCNA

making 40k

 

[jfrost10]

I had only 1 year experience coding and I was making $37.5
(but thats in Canadian, so it works out to .02 US )

Just to add to Chris' comment about MCSE:

I think that its not so much taht MCSE is ajoke, but just that the market is so saturated with them! Back in teh day, if you were MCSE you were part of a small, elite group. Nowadays, there are tonnes of them out there (not that it means MCSE is easy to get, but just that more people are getting them).

So with that in mind, some certifications are good, but they're worth and relevence is dependant on time more than anything else. I.E. Someone getting their MCAD (.NET development certification) right now weould be regarded in a higher light. In a few years, once .NET has become more widespread, it might not be.

Just my thoughts anyway

D'Arcy

 

[randysmid]

Hello all,
23+ years of software development.

Primary languages: basic (1980ish), COBOL, Powerhouse, PowerBuilder, Access 97 (and 2000), Visual Basic (6.0).

Applications: Accounting (payroll, AP, AR, Fixed Assets), job costing, time sheet (non-payroll), budget analysis, GIS (geographic information system), direct mail, finance, membership processing.

Personal attitude: ALWAYS be the best. If taking classes, do extra homework. Be committed. If you are learning new things, invest a minimum of 20 additional hours a week for: a) experimentation, b) reading posts on Tek-Tips, c) finding reference books (library or purchase), d) take classes at local community college (and make connections with others who share the same interest), e) attend or start a users group on the topic.

Thoughts: it seems like every business has their own style, and canned programs (like QuickBooks, PeachTree, etc.) just doesn't work for them. There is a huge world wide potential for custom software development for specific vertical markets, such as lumber yards, or pool supplies/service, etc., etc.

Think about this: Microsoft made their billions by creating a core set of programs that gives each user the capability of customizing their own set up (Excel, Access, Word, etc.) without becoming software developers.

No certs (yet!!)
110k (San Francisco)
HTH,
Randy Smith
California Teachers Association

 

[millerk]

BSCS then
2 yrs as app developer.
No certs yet. I'm planning on doing MCAD this year and maybe MCSD for .Net. My company will pay for some training classes and the test fees so I can't pass that up.

What I have been doing, from highest to lowest percentage of my time:
VB6, T-SQL, ASP.Net, VB.Net, Access.
I started as a contract employee making $16/hr three months before getting my CS degree. After 1 year, I went to $23/hr. I was hired as a permanent employee June, 2002 at 50K/yr. I'll be getting a raise in May but dont' know how much. My company's range for my position is 49K - 73K.
I'm in Southern Oregon.

 

[YokyDoky]

Location is everything. If I was making 50K in NYC, I'd be living in a ghetto apartment eating rice and beans everyday. 50 grand in the poor southern states is pretty good money, but I don't know any Microsoft geeks making 50 grand in the poor southern state in which I dwell. I used to get $35 - $50/hour to consult, four years ago. Now they want to pay me $12/hour, no kidding. The headhunter oufit that placed me in the good money 4 years ago has called once in 2 years, and all they had was $12/hour WITH NO PER DIEM at FEDEX in Memphis and they claimed they has a long list of candidates. I told them to go **** themselves and now they don't call anymore :-|. I have a stack of Microsoft certs and 17 years in the business. I keep the documents in the bathroom as reserve t.p. and wish I was 25 years younger so I could start over again with a wiser career choice. 16 year old kids in Pakistan know more than I do and are willing to work for rice and beans. For the first time in my life I'm looking forward to turning 67. Y. Doky - "Manager" of Systems

"Works well under constant supervision or when trapped like a rat in a pipe."

 

[jtb]

Yoky is optimistic about what $50K can do in NYC... ;-)

However, it's not all that bad... In Texas, there are thousands of unemployed--yet some people get hired for good money every day!

Read "Don't Send A Resume" by Jeffrey C. Fox and follow his plan...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-8036529-6265463?v=glance&s=books

(audio tape available for less than $5 at "75% off Books" in Dallas area)

I agree that $12/hr is ludicrous... We need to "dollarize our contribution to sales and show how we can cut costs by knowing correct procedures (i.e., "Best Practices&quot and market ourselves to senior leaders in our target clients... Prove your worth and you'll get the chance to work for what you want...

Don't wait outside the side door, hat in hand... If you're certified, you know enough IT... now learn your client's business and sell them your expertise... That's where you can take charge and write your own future...

If a target declines, well... aim elsewhere... there's always their competition!

A good rule of thumb is that each employee should create 5 times their cost (salary plus benefits plus overhead). So, figure out how much you can add to their sales; add in the amount of cost reduction your new-and-improved processes will generate; finally divide by 5 and then by about 1.33 and you'll have what salary you're worth.

If it's not enough, study harder to find new things to offer to them. Good hunting!!

BTW, Salary-wise, I'm in the low $80Ks... by the grace of God... JTB
Solutions Architect
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSA, MCSE-W2K, MCIWA, SCSA, SCNA in progress)

 

[setnaffa]

jtb makes some points; but it's a lot of work following the advice in "don't send a resume"...

some of us just don't have the time away from work and family...

of course I make more than $12/hr... Setnaffa is an MCP-W2K (working on W2K) with a few other certs, too...

 

[jtb]

The advice I offer requires a lot of work, 'tis true...

But if you don't want to be making $10/hour or have your position outsourced to someone from India (average salary = $18,000/year) or Pakistan (average salary = $6,000/year), you better find a way to make yourself indispensible...

Note: I'm not picking on Southern Asia because I think they're less capable; if they were, we wouldn't need to worry!!!!

Now get out there and show us what you're made of!!!! JTB
Solutions Architect
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSA, MCSE-W2K, MCIWA, SCSA, SCNA in progress)

 

[DTSMAN]

I went to computer school for a 2 year associates. Via the job placement services these guys offer I ended up in the POS industry (cash register systems). Its ok. I am A+ and was studing for Net+ when I realized it doesn't matter to my current employer. They sent me to a win 2000 networking class to help the department out. 8 years now. I started at 8 dollars an hour bench teching to 16 an hour field service and setup. Hopefully I can double my money again in another 8 years. Keeping my eye on the new certs coming out and i am not sure what I want to move on to yet. If a school is promising a certain salary after achieving a cert they are usually way off.

 

[butchrecon]

With only a year and a half experience, even having several certs and a degree, I would say you are doing ok. the more experience you get the more pay you will eventually recieve. Maybe not via your current employer, but it will happen. Keep plugging along and things will look up. James Collins
Hardware Engineer
A+ Certified Professional
Network+ Certified Professional
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft Certified System Administrator
(What does all that jargon below my name mean? I dont know I am still trying to figure it out!)

 

[tdebrabandere]

Are all these amounts gross or net ?
Here in Belgium, taxes, medical insurance and retirement pension cost the half of the salary, what about USA ?