Which certs should I continue on and get?

p00ned4dis

Hello, I am currently 19 years old. I have my A+ and Network+ certs.

I am going to have my CCNA Cert later on this year.

Now, I am wondering what pay I should expect once I have obtained my CCNA Cert. Per hour or Per year please.

And I am also wondering what other Certs I should obtain. My goal is to live comfortable, so 80K or more a year would be best.

Any advice is welcome, and anyone who knows what Pay I should expect please do reply.


TLDR;
What pay should I expect with A+ and Network+ certs that I currently have?

What pay should I expect once I get my CCNA cert?

What should come next to make 80K+/year?

lsud00d

certs != $$$

Experience + certs ~= $$$

p00ned4dis

Understood, But again I am only 19. I am just trying to find out what I should expect with my current certs going into a job so I don't find myself getting ripped.

And, When I continue, What should I expect.

Essendon

Your best bet would be to search the job boards local to your area to give you an idea of what to expect salary-wise. Without you telling us your location, no one can tell you how much you could make. Certs alone will not get you the dollars, like lsud00d said - certs + experience is the best combo.

Too many people expect to be paid like $100k a year, only to find out they'll have to start at $40k a year and work their way up. Thing is, no one's going to give the reins to their network (which translates to lots of money) if you dont have the experience. Would you let a novice paraglider fly you on your trans-Atlantic flight?

p00ned4dis

Thank you for your input.

I currently live in Land O'Lakes, Florida.

And I understand this, I don't mind working my way up at all. 40K/year is actually a lot to me. That, to me, is enough to pay rent every month and still live a fun life while I can.

Essendon

As long as you understand this mate, you'll do fine. From what I've read on the forums, Florida is where people go to retire so there aint too many jobs there and they dont pay too well either. I'll let your fellow Yanks chime in with a more informative post . Good luck with what you do, looks like you've got a decent head on your shoulders!

Cisco Inferno

You're gonna need a degree to get interviews for higher level roles in Server/Network administration unless you already have lots of solid experience.
Expect to start out around $12 if you have no experienced but are focused. Thats how it is in New York City, which is probably the most expensive place to live and where I am from. I dont know too much about Florida, but I just recently moved to Miami temporarily so my job search expectations aren't high at all. I'm about to start looking as well this week.

Let me know if you have any questions as a beginner. Ill be free to answer.

Mishra

Here you go. All the salary data you could want.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/56869-how-much-your-starting-i-t-salery.html

Get a job for any pay for experience. The smaller the company the better. I started at 7.15.

Study for certs to gain knowledge but get a job before obtaining past the CCNA.