Is it possible to make 50k or 70k doing help desk/desktop support?

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  • Success101Success101 Member Posts: 132
    A long time ago when I was on the "desk" I was making around $50k in Florida which is actually pretty good. It was a call center type job where you're basically sitting all day taking calls. There were about 15 of us, these guys are way overpaid for the work/responsibility. It required a security clearance which is why the salary was so high IMO.

    I can totally see high salaries of desktop guys in certain companies. Obviously location will have the biggest factor. If you're making over $50k in FL, you're doing pretty good for yourself. I can't speak on other states. I'd expect them to be excellent multi-taskers.
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  • BradleyHUBradleyHU Member Posts: 918 ■■■■□□□□□□
    datacomboss wrote: »
    90K in New York is a LOT less than 84K in D-FW, Houston or Austin. You can buy a really nice house for $250K. That'll get you in the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York and LA.

    see this is so overexaggerated, its not even funny!

    But you can live comfortably on $90K in NYC(and the tri-state area) if you got your finances in order, and budget properly...but that can be said for anywhere...
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  • pinkydapimppinkydapimp Member Posts: 732 ■■■■■□□□□□
    BradleyHU wrote: »
    see this is so overexaggerated, its not even funny!

    But you can live comfortably on $90K in NYC(and the tri-state area) if you got your finances in order, and budget properly...but that can be said for anywhere...
    This is so true. LOL. I lived fine off 65k in the NYC area.
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  • VinnyCiscoVinnyCisco Member Posts: 176
    datacomboss wrote: »
    90K in New York is a LOT less than 84K in D-FW, Houston or Austin. You can buy a really nice house for $250K. That'll get you in the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York and LA.

    Rediculous comment.

    I save most my money. And I live in a safe neighborhood and pay less than 1100 a month rent. So maybe you watch too much news.
    "Failure is the prerequisite of Success" - V. G.
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  • VinnyCiscoVinnyCisco Member Posts: 176
    BradleyHU wrote: »
    see this is so overexaggerated, its not even funny!

    But you can live comfortably on $90K in NYC(and the tri-state area) if you got your finances in order, and budget properly...but that can be said for anywhere...

    I live quite comfortabley with over 90K salary. As long as you don't live in the actual city paying 3200 a month, you can save alot and have fun.
    "Failure is the prerequisite of Success" - V. G.
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  • networker050184networker050184 Mod Posts: 11,962 Mod
    Rent isn't the only factor though. Everything is expensive in NYC compared to most places so it's a cumulative effect. $90k is certainly enough to survive comfortably even in Manhattan or Brooklyn.
    An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made.
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  • VinnyCiscoVinnyCisco Member Posts: 176
    It gets expensive if you eat out all the time in NY. So I cook. :)
    "Failure is the prerequisite of Success" - V. G.
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  • BradleyHUBradleyHU Member Posts: 918 ■■■■□□□□□□
    VinnyCisco wrote: »
    It gets expensive if you eat out all the time in NY. So I cook. :)

    basically! like if you're going to all these restaurants every day, then yes, it will be expensive...but if you go to Pathmark, Costco's, Stop & Shop, KeyFood, or wherever and buy groceries & cook, you'll save money in the long run..
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  • IIIMasterIIIMaster Member Posts: 238 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Yeah you can but typically you will be supporting servers and network infrastructure to get that kind of pay. Your the guy they call when stuff hits the fan.
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  • Shoe BoxShoe Box Banned Posts: 118
    I have had Desktop Support jobs for 3 years, and nowadays in Pittsburgh the going rate is right around $20 an hour, give or take a dollar or two. I lived in Los Angeles for a year, and had 2 contract assignments for desktop support while I was there. One paid 19 an hour and the other was supposed to pay 17, but when I got my first paycheck I noticed that either they changed the rate and forgot to tell me, or someone made a mistake, I was getting $25.33 an hour! I kept my mouth shut on that one and collected a nice check for a few months! :)
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  • GessGess Member Posts: 144 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Civil Service desktop jobs start in the mid-$50K range (GS-9) dependent upon location. You can ride it to over $100K if you stick around long enough, but I can't hack it for 20 or 30 years so I sought and received a transfer to InfoSec which has a better trajectory in the back end of the career. Desktop is fun for a while but gets repetitive, to me.
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  • Dakinggamer87Dakinggamer87 Member Posts: 4,016 ■■■■■■■■□□
    It's definitely possible but as mentioned by others it comes down to the area and the company. ;)
    *Associate's of Applied Sciences degree in Information Technology-Network Systems Administration
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    Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
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  • SteveLordSteveLord Member Posts: 1,717
    We have state workers who have raped the system for years, making $70-$90k by being on helpdesk. I think maybe a few were re-classified in the last year. That's great money for Iowa! Ridiculous. icon_rolleyes.gif
    WGU B.S.IT - 9/1/2015 >>> ???
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  • goobacksgoobacks Member Posts: 8 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Man I wish I made this kind of money, currently around 35k, but then again I've only been here for 3 months haha
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  • Skynet9Skynet9 Member Posts: 83 ■■□□□□□□□□
    VinnyCisco wrote: »
    Doing Desktop Support - I am making 92K at the moment in NYC. Alot involved though. Not for the faint of heart.


    I am assuming that's with 10+ years of experience..?!?
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  • MooseboostMooseboost Member Posts: 778 ■■■■□□□□□□
    As long as you perform well at my company help desk (residential) caps right at 50K a year after 5 years. This is in NC.
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  • BradleyHUBradleyHU Member Posts: 918 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Skynet9 wrote: »
    I am assuming that's with 10+ years of experience..?!?

    No, you don't need 10+ years to make $90K+...it depends on the firm & industry as well. I'm in the 80s, and I've only been doing desktop for 6 years
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  • YesOffenseYesOffense Member Posts: 83 ■■■□□□□□□□
    BradleyHU wrote: »
    No, you don't need 10+ years to make $90K+...it depends on the firm & industry as well. I'm in the 80s, and I've only been doing desktop for 6 years
    Which region do you work if you dont mind m asking?
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  • pinkydapimppinkydapimp Member Posts: 732 ■■■■■□□□□□
    YesOffense wrote: »
    Which region do you work if you dont mind m asking?

    Based on his profile i would say NYC.
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  • Skynet9Skynet9 Member Posts: 83 ■■□□□□□□□□
    BradleyHU wrote: »
    No, you don't need 10+ years to make $90K+...it depends on the firm & industry as well. I'm in the 80s, and I've only been doing desktop for 6 years

    you are lucky..I am from NYC as well and i just got my first job at 40k. I took it because they will get me secret security clearance. Any tips for me where/how should i look for these types of jobs after some experience there?
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  • pinkydapimppinkydapimp Member Posts: 732 ■■■■■□□□□□
    Skynet9 wrote: »
    you are lucky..I am from NYC as well and i just got my first job at 40k. I took it because they will get me secret security clearance. Any tips for me where/how should i look for these types of jobs after some experience there?
    Keep building your certs education and experience and you should be able to find stuff in that range with no problem. Especially with a security clearance. And once you have all that, DC would probably be even better of a market.
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  • mackenzaemackenzae Member Posts: 77 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I have a feeling those who say they are making 70 to 80k in Desktop are approaching a glass ceiling for those kinds of positions though. Maybe in NY you can go higher but there is a glass ceiling for any position. I may be wrong but I would say 80k for Desktop is in the top 5% of pay for that kind of position.
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  • Skynet9Skynet9 Member Posts: 83 ■■□□□□□□□□
    pinkydapimp wrote: »
    Keep building your certs education and experience and you should be able to find stuff in that range with no problem. Especially with a security clearance. And once you have all that, DC would probably be even better of a market.

    Thanks...i don't plan on moving out of nyc anytime soon, but lets see. Working on sec+ and mcsa 2012 for now.
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  • NovaHaxNovaHax Member Posts: 502 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Success101 wrote: »
    You guys making over $50k doing helpdesk/desktop suport are super lucky. I know Engineers barely making over $60k.

    Sounds like you know some really unlucky engineers icon_wink.gif
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  • mackenzaemackenzae Member Posts: 77 ■□□□□□□□□□
    NovaHax wrote: »
    Sounds like you know some really unlucky engineers icon_wink.gif

    Especially if they are in NYC.. :O
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  • BradleyHUBradleyHU Member Posts: 918 ■■■■□□□□□□
    yesoffense wrote: »
    which region do you work if you dont mind m asking?

    nyc & jc...
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  • Mr. MeeseeksMr. Meeseeks Member Posts: 98 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Robert Half - 2015 Technology Salary Guide

    Take the pay range, if you are just starting as a true Desktop Analyst... $49,750 seems reasonable. Take that number and multiply it by the local variance. So in Youngstown, OH a reasonable salary for someone with up to 2 DT experience seems to be $37,810.

    All depends on:
    • Location
    • Where you are at in your career and how much knowledge you have
    • Finding someone that likes you enough to pay you what you want
    .
    I am mid-career and considered tier 2-3 at my current employer. With my location variance, I should be making $54,825. I currently make a tiny bit over that and merit increases are coming soon :)
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  • manyagagmanyagag Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    this is funny and i like it yoh icon_cheers.gif
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  • manyagagmanyagag Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    VinnyCisco wrote: »
    It gets expensive if you eat out all the time in NY. So I cook. :)


    i really like this yoh :::icon_lol.gif
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  • datacombossdatacomboss Member Posts: 304 ■■■□□□□□□□
    @VinnyCisco

    Learn to spell before attacking.

    Not something I saw on TV as I'm frequently in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens for business and pleasure.

    Further, I am talking about BUYING A HOUSE.

    What exactly does that $1100 per month get you? Where? How big??

    What neighborhood in Manhattan, Queens or Brooklyn can you BUY a good house in a good neighborhood with a $1100/month mortgage?
    "If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life."

    Arthur Ashe

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