Annual review in 30 minutes..

I'm classified as a "IT Operations Support Technician". I've been here right at two years. The IT department consists of myself and my boss, the CTO. We've got around 100 in house users and are adding external users at member banks by at least a few per week. Since I've come on board, I've implemented group policies to lock down workstations and mandate the use of the corporate wallpaper. I've implemented WSUS to put control over Windows updates in our hands (not Redmond's). And at a time when one of our larger banks demanded "VPN-less" access to our terminal servers, I did a pilot with Windows Server 2008 set up as a Terminal Services Gateway. Tested it with one of their users and it worked great. I had him order a new server (I was using a spare workstation as my test box), and I had that bank online in less than a week and helped him save face.

My thought is that I'm doing more and more system administrator work, and I feel that I should be getting system administrator pay. The average pay for sys admins in my area is around $32,000. I'm making around $27,000 at the moment. Do I sound like I'm asking for too much?

Edit: I should note that I'm also getting Spiceworks setup to hopefully get it to a point where he can bring someone in to handle the everyday tech stuff while I handle most of the server work.

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Comments

undomiel

I'd recommend putting together a good case for a raise, with items like you mentioned before, and a focus on what the positive business impact are. If you can name dollar amounts in what you've saved the business those will go a long way as well. I wouldn't recommend demanding a specific number but quoting what people with similar duties in similar sized companies in the area are making could help your case. Then wait for them to come back with a number and counter with asking for more, preferably without you naming a figure. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Ashenwelt

I don't think you are looking to high, actually I would say too low. But you should know your company best.

homerj742

1) Congrats on accomplishing so much.

2) We've all been where you are, if you really feel you deserve more pay, perhaps it's something to bring up at your annual review. If you're still not satisfied, spice up your resume with these new skills and find a more high paying situation (perhaps at a larger place).

darkerosxx

I paid for salary research, Arwes. I don't have the info on me, but the avg sysadmin pay for the nation was upper 50's. Adjusted for cost of living, it's high 40's in Monroe.

I wouldn't bring up numbers, but I would imply that you're wanting to move into the server sysadmin role and would like your pay to adjust with that. Ask for a gradual payraise as your skills/value to the company increase. See if you can work out a timeline that both of you agree with.

arwes

Thanks guys! I really had hoped to have the 70-291 out of the way by now, but too much life stuff got in the way of that. I will however remind him that with one more exam I'll be a MCSA so hopefully that'll help at least a little bit.

joey74055

homerj742 wrote: »

1) Congrats on accomplishing so much.

2) We've all been where you are, if you really feel you deserve more pay, perhaps it's something to bring up at your annual review. If you're still not satisfied, spice up your resume with these new skills and find a more high paying situation (perhaps at a larger place).

I agree 100%. I am in a very similar situation, basically a one person show not being paid the average doing pretty much all the helpdesk and server and network stuff. I brought all of this up at my last review along with a document that detailed everything I had done for the company in the last year. I asked for at least a part time helpdesk tech, which we used to have who quit and we never replaced or at least more money since I am doing everything under the average salary. Anyway that was in November and its now July and neither was met. Timing wasn't the best with the economy but shame on me for not moving on, I do have that choice. Anyway, don't be disapointed if you don't get want you want and be happy if you do. At least let it be known of your accomplishments, folks tend to forget about that server crash you fixed 10 months ago.

GAngel

I've found in my own case the only way to really move up was to move on.

arwes

Heh we still haven't met yet. He's arguing with a vendor over what their sales people told him versus what he actually got, and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why the Backup Exec services crashed yesterday evening!

GAngel, that's the way it's been with me too. Unfortunately, more advanced opportunities are extremely limited in this area. So if the meeting doesn't go my way, I'm going to start setting aside enough cash to get by for about 6 months or so and see about moving elsewhere.

darkerosxx

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Daniel333

Remember when asking for a raise it's important that you dont just ask for cash along with your justification. His only motivation to give you that is, so that you don't quit.

Ask for other things as well.

5% raise, $2,000 in training and 2 extra paid days off would allow him more negociation/flexability.

arwes

Well crap. Got that over with, ended up with a 4% raise because it was already in the IT budget and "written in stone" (you may have won this round IT budget, but I'll be back next year). We did agree that I'm doing more and more server work and I should be transitioned out of this position into an admin position over the next year. So I'm going to work on getting the help desk to a point where we can pretty much get someone off the street to help with the everyday things and I'll handle the escalated stuff.

So I'll give them a year and see if they make good with the promise of getting me off the help desk. I've already got a new task of implementing the Exclaimer software to handle email signatures for our users and the bank users. But in the mean time I'm not going to turn a blind eye to any potential openings I might see.

dynamik

You've about kept up with the average annual cost-of-living increase. Congrats!

I kid, but that's better than I've been doing lately...

snokerpoker

Congrats on your raise. Sounds like your going in the right direction with your career.

loxleynew

Everyone else seems to be sugar coating this. Not sure why. You are an extremely patient person and underpaid. That's just what I think. Another year <30k doing what you're doing? hmmmm that's all I can think of.

Oh well a raise is a raise. In before people say the market is bad for jobs.

arwes

Thanks guys! Dynamik, there's got to be something out there for you. You've got a Urahara Kisuke avatar, and that speaks volumes to me.

Though it'd be better if it was a Zaraki Kenpachi one. And at least it's not the frost midget guy.

dynamik

arwes wrote: »

Thanks guys! Dynamik, there's got to be something out there for you. You've got a Urahara Kisuke avatar, and that speaks volumes to me. Though it'd be better if it was a Zaraki Kenpachi one. And at least it's not the frost midget guy.

What's the deal with people ragging on my avatar!?

Oh well, I guess it could be worse...

Just kidding, girdavid178, Hitsugaya's cool too!

darkerosxx

loxleynew wrote: »

Everyone else seems to be sugar coating this. Not sure why. You are an extremely patient person and underpaid. That's just what I think. Another year <30k doing what you're doing? hmmmm that's all I can think of.

Oh well a raise is a raise. In before people say the market is bad for jobs.

I totally agree with you. However, in our market there are 10 guys waiting to take his job for the pay he was making before he got his raise today. It's definitely a "sticky situation" that could go really bad or really well for the people that speak up for what they think they deserve.