Finally hit six figures

Well I was hoping to be to six figures by the time I hit 35 but was able to hit that goal a few years early. I have been with the same company now for 5 1/2 years and started here as a Windows Admin making $45k and am now a Sr. Systems Engineer making $105k with a possibility of bonuses on top of that. Being able to more than double my salary without leaving my current company has been very nice. I really enjoy where I work and hope to continue on with them for the foreseeable future.

For those out there hoping to make it into the six figure range some day just work your butt off, lab, and show a genuine interest in systems within the company.

I went from creating Windows 7 images for workstations to managing our entire Hyper-V, VMWare, Citrix, MSSQL, and NetApp infrastructure. Now go out there and start busting your butt.

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Comments

coffeeluvr

Congratulations!! You prove that hard works pays off!!!

NetworkNewb

Congratz! very nice achievement!!

markulous

Congrats. That's a big accomplishment.

I hope to do the same by 35, but if I fall a little short I'm not going to sweat it too much if everything else is good.

nascar_paul

Congratulations! Your success sounds very well deserved! What do you think was the most important thing in accelerated your success?

networker050184

Congrats! You know what they say, mo money mo problems! Don't spend it all in one place.

cyberguypr

Congrats!

jamesleecoleman

Thats great news!

I'm trying to do the same thing but I got a slow start.

Chevel

Congrats on the milestone! Well deserved!

chrisone

kriscamaro68 wrote: »

Well I was hoping to be to six figures by the time I hit 35 but was able to hit that goal a few years early. I have been with the same company now for 5 1/2 years and started here as a Windows Admin making $45k and am now a Sr. Systems Engineer making $105k with a possibility of bonuses on top of that. Being able to more than double my salary without leaving my current company has been very nice. I really enjoy where I work and hope to continue on with them for the foreseeable future.

Great stuff! Mega Congrats! I was at my past employer for 6 years making mid 80's being the unofficial senior network engineer. I had to leave in order to get over 100k. I am 35 now so I am proud of my mark, I should have been there earlier say 2 years ago but I value the lesson I learned from that experience. I have another goal set and if they are not met I do not mind moving on to better pastures

mzx380

Congratulations, you provide inspiration to all of us. Keep up the great work

aftereffector

Congratulations! I think you hit the nail on the head - busting your butt is what it takes to attain success. Everything else helps, but you've got to put in the work - and you definitely have!

gespenstern

Congrats! But head for more!

kriscamaro68

Thanks guys.

nascar_paul wrote: »

Congratulations! Your success sounds very well deserved! What do you think was the most important thing in accelerated your success?

As for what I feel was the most important thing in my success? Showing that I was willing to put in the time and asked for new challenges. My Boss as well as the other engineers knew I would spend my time at home labbing or studying for certs. My boss also knew I wanted more responsibility and more systems to be over. I voiced many a times that I wanted VMWare, NetApp, MSSQL and so forth. When the time came that the person over those left or did not want them anymore I got them and within 6 months of taking each one on it usually came with $$$$ once I showed I could handle it.

ITBot

Awesome job and credit to your company actually paying you more for positive results!

paddywack

Congratulations!!!

pinkydapimp

Congrats. And dont stop there. Keep pushing and in 5-10 years that could be 200k.

clouder

Congrats! Feels good, doesn't it? I didn't have a timeline myself, but hit that mark when I was 33. It allowed my wife to quit her job and stay home with the kids, so we're quite pleased.

JoJoCal19

Congrats!!! That's great you were able to stay at the same company you were happy at and get that kind of income increase, that's the exception not the norm it seems. I too hit that mark earlier this year while still 33 so I'm glad to have that goal out of the way and being able to focus on other goals now.

DatabaseHead

Kris great job, way to go. Patience does pay off. I'm in the same boat, used to hop right and left and stalled, finally locked down a position and continued to move up and started making real money.

Bjcheung77

kriscamaro68 wrote: »

Well I was hoping to be to six figures by the time I hit 35 but was able to hit that goal a few years early. I have been with the same company now for 5 1/2 years and started here as a Windows Admin making $45k and am now a Sr. Systems Engineer making $105k with a possibility of bonuses on top of that. Being able to more than double my salary without leaving my current company has been very nice. I really enjoy where I work and hope to continue on with them for the foreseeable future.

For those out there hoping to make it into the six figure range some day just work your butt off, lab, and show a genuine interest in systems within the company.

I went from creating Windows 7 images for workstations to managing our entire Hyper-V, VMWare, Citrix, MSSQL, and NetApp infrastructure. Now go out there and start busting your butt.

Would you mind me asking how you got your foot in the door? Did you have any certs when you first got hired?
I just hit the big 40 but am changing careers from Help Desk Analyst, and want to move onto something different.
I only have an AS Biology, and NO certs, just looking to see how I can move up... BSIT or Certs first?

kriscamaro68

I had some certs when I started working here, however this was not my first I.T. job. I works everything from dsl tech support to in-home support to help desk, then from there was able to move into a helpdesk/admin type role that got me experience with SCCM. It just so happened that the person over SCCM left the University I was working at. Prior to that time I expressed interest in wanting to be over SCCM. When they got word of that they let me take a crack at it and I was able to handle it. Once I got experience with it, it helped me land a position at the company I am currently at.

The BSIT will always be beneficial in the long run but the certs could help in the short term. I would look at maybe getting a cert or two and trying to land a job a little higher up. In the meantime you could also look into WGU. This will allow you to get both certs and a degree. If you find that WGU suites you then I would start looking at getting some of the certs in the course path you like the most.

There is always the option if not already tried to talk to your company and express interest in the areas you want to know more about. Study those areas and then go have conversations with those who can maybe help get your foot in that department.

Bjcheung77 wrote: »

Would you mind me asking how you got your foot in the door? Did you have any certs when you first got hired?
I just hit the big 40 but am changing careers from Help Desk Analyst, and want to move onto something different.
I only have an AS Biology, and NO certs, just looking to see how I can move up... BSIT or Certs first?

gncsmith

Congrats!

noob88

Wow. Congrats!! great to hear that hard work really paid off.

If you don't mind, could I ask you for a couple of pointers? I sound just like you when you started. Desktop technician, making Windows 7 images... around the 40k mark. I made some errors though...coasted through my mid-20's, got a BS degree (but not in IT), and landed here, not quite 30 yrs old yet but getting closer, but I really like working here, I'm just late to the game.

I want to advance but I just don't know where to start. I look at peers just 5 or so years older than me and their knowledge in the field is so much broader than mine. They're virtualization, SQL, server admin, networking, security, Web experts so it seems. I barely know how to use WAIK to make an image! Feel like I am never gonna catch up, so I get discouraged. But I know I need to just get out and work at something.

Each time I try to study for a cert though, I go in strong then eventually give up because I get discouraged. How did you reach the next step? What cert did you get first? Did you ever reach any of these learning hurdles when you first started off and how did you break past that? Did you have a lot of experience/education before your desktop job? Boss said if I get a server cert, I'd be in the running for a new position...which is awesome... but even the first MCSA Win Server 2012 cert seems way over my head.

Again, congratulations!

Dakinggamer87

Congrats!! Way to go

bettsy584

nice mate must be a grafter (hard worked if you don't know UK slang)

Caiyenne

Love to hear the success stories! Congrats!

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!