Post Military job Prospects

rob2011

I hope this is the correct location to start a thread like this. It appears I am going to be exiting the military on short notice long before I had planned. I am starting to look at jobs which are currently posted in the Kansas City area.

My main question is what kind of salary range do you all feel I could get in the civilian sector? I have a family of 4 to support and I am getting paid decently in the military as a Signal Warrant Officer (75K).

Certs:
CISSP, CCNP, CCNA, CCNA-S, MCSA (1 test from MCSE which I will take it before I exit), Sec+, Net+, A+.

Degrees:
B.S. in Computer Network Security
Currently 1/3 of the way done with a M.S. in Cybersecurity

Experience:
8 years in networking, network security, server administration, and information assurance for the Department of the Army.

Currently a Signal Warrant Officer working as the Senior Server Administrator/Information Assurance Officer for my brigade of about 4k people.

My linkedin profile is listed on my profile here. I know this is not a ton of information but I am hoping to get some insight from those in the civilian sector. I am very well spoken and would perform very well in an interview environment. Thinking a Senior Server Administrator job or anything in cybersecurity would be positions I am qualified for.

Opinions on potential salaries I could get in the KC area?

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Comments

devilbones

Do you still have your clearance? Are you looking for a gov, gov contractor job or private sector?

networker050184

I don't know what the job market is like in KC but you can certainly get in the six figures in most areas with those qualifications and experience. Assuming you know your stuff.

EnderWiggin

CISSP, CCNP, MCSE, Master's in progress, a clearance (assuming), and eight year's of work experience? You're gonna have jobs lining up with offers. I can't speak to KC specifically, but if six figures is definitely a reasonable possibility. You'll be fine.

rob2011

I do still have a top secret security clearance with polygraph.

I would prefer to transition to the private sector but I would consider any opportunities I would be able to have a chance at.

Lexluethar

I live in KC and can tell you first hand the job market is very competitive. I heard somewhere that the IT unemployment rate in KC is less than 1% (I don't have an article to back that up just something i heard today at a conference). The reason being is the cost of living is pretty cheap here, so a lot of companies are moving here (a few top 50 law firms and a few other large companies) because they can get office space cheap and can pay less for wages compared to California or New York and a few other big markets. We also have a pretty decent infrastructure which is why Google Fiber came to town - you now see a few tech companies moving out here simply to be a player in that market. I've been here for 8 years, all in IT and have never had issues finding a job. In fact i've never reached out to companies for employment but i'm contacted every few weeks regarding a job.

With your experience and certifications i would venture to say in this market you could pull in about 90k, maybe 100k if it's the right company that can afford that payroll (Cisco, IBM, Cerner, DST, Honeywell).

Feel free to PM me and i can at least point you in the right direction and get you in contact with some people as well as at least point you towards some local companies that are always hiring quality people.

rob2011

Lexluethar wrote: »

I live in KC and can tell you first hand the job market is very competitive. I heard somewhere that the IT unemployment rate in KC is less than 1% (I don't have an article to back that up just something i heard today at a conference). The reason being is the cost of living is pretty cheap here, so a lot of companies are moving here (a few top 50 law firms and a few other large companies) because they can get office space cheap and can pay less for wages compared to California or New York and a few other big markets. We also have a pretty decent infrastructure which is why Google Fiber came to town - you now see a few tech companies moving out here simply to be a player in that market. I've been here for 8 years, all in IT and have never had issues finding a job. In fact i've never reached out to companies for employment but i'm contacted every few weeks regarding a job.

With your experience and certifications i would venture to say in this market you could pull in about 90k, maybe 100k if it's the right company that can afford that payroll (Cisco, IBM, Cerner, DST, Honeywell).

Feel free to PM me and i can at least point you in the right direction and get you in contact with some people as well as at least point you towards some local companies that are always hiring quality people.

Thank you very much for your insight. I really appreciate it. I have officially been referred for a medical evaluation board so it appears most likely I will be separating from the military. Once I have a time frame I will reach out to you and see if you have any contacts or information to help. Thank you again.