Jr. CND analyst salary requirement

So this is my first post... I've been a sys admin for about 6 yrs now. I have a top secret clearance with poly and I'm jumping from a sys admin role to a CND position. Mostly because I think there is a lot more opportunity to move up in the IA realm. I am currently making around 50k and they are telling me that my salary is going to stay the same. Should I make a fuss about this? I interviewed with a separate company a couple weeks ago and they said 80k until they found out I didn't have my ceh yet. I'm at least going to stick it out and get 1 yr experience and my ceh paid for and then I could go somewhere else. I live in the DC area FYI any fellow IT guidance would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments

USNvet

Any thoughts please!!??!!

ivx502

Go short to go long, or side step to move forward. Try it and if you don't like it stick it out for two years. It reflects bad on your resume if you leave a job after a year. I am faced with a similar problem except I just had a promotion forced on me, and the person that holds my old position is not me.

USNvet

So I should just settle for the same salary you think? I will start shift differential pay due to it being a panama schedule in a noc environment. I just felt like 30k short is a big deal even though the ojt will be great.

the_Grinch

Depends on how badly you want the job. Do you have a degree along with the six years of experience? I could see with having no IA experience and not currently fitting the requirements where they would low ball you on salary (since it's contracting they probably can't charge as much for you). But I would bring up what the salary would be once you get the CEH.

dmoore44

Well, given that it's a junior CND specialist, that might actually fall in line. If the job didn't carry the junior prefix, then I would probably be upset at the lowball offer.

Where in Fairfax are you? If you're able to live on the 50k, I'd probably stick it out for a year or two to get the OJT (and anything else they offer, as long as there's no commitment) and then jump ship to someone willing to pay your salary requirements. There are plenty of companies and other organizations in the Fairfax/Reston/Herndon/Arlington area that need CND guys and are constantly hiring. I'd love to take one of those positions, but I lack the clearance, and no one wants to pay for the upgrade.

dmoore44

Also, if you're looking to jump-start your security cert collection, check out UMBC: Training Centers - they have numerous online options for IT and INFOSEC certs, and they take the GI Bill (I took the CEH class through them last year and it worked out pretty well).

USNvet

Thanks everyone for your thoughts... I do not have my college degree , just formal training through the military and experience. I'm going to take the position and just suck it up until I get my CEH in August and then I'll readdress the pay issue then. I'm stoked about getting into the CND field though ive been wanting to perform this kind of work for a couple of years since I was trained in the Air Force for network intelligence analysis

YesOffense

6 yrs sys admin and top secret with poly? you sound like you're just above the minimum requirement for every 6 figure sys admin job i've seen posted in that area.

USNvet

YesOffense wrote: »

6 yrs sys admin and top secret with poly? you sound like you're just above the minimum requirement for every 6 figure sys admin job i've seen posted in that area.

If you can show me a sys admin for six figures I will gladly jump ship!!!!

... I just moved from Indiana out to the NOVA due to the amount of IT jobs especially the need for clearances out here. This was the first job I accepted and I knew it was low for the area but the way I looked at it is that it would give me a chance to move into the market and float me while I find a better paying position. As far as I can see the CND and IA are definitely better paying roles currently and cyber warfare is only growing

YesOffense

http://www.indeed.com/q-system-administrator-$90,000-l-Washington,-DC-jobs.html

dmoore44

USNvet wrote: »

If you can show me a sys admin for six figures I will gladly jump ship!!!!

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346836300

lenell86

USNvet wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your thoughts... I do not have my college degree , just formal training through the military and experience. I'm going to take the position and just suck it up until I get my CEH in August and then I'll readdress the pay issue then. I'm stoked about getting into the CND field though ive been wanting to perform this kind of work for a couple of years since I was trained in the Air Force for network intelligence analysis

Curious..are you able to give some insight into what the network intelligence jobs really cover? I know its a TS job but just wanted to know if it deals with IP packet inspection or non-IT related mapping and plotting, etc. Essentially I was wanting a gig that dealt with IDS/IPS / packet inspection but if this job really does something else then that would help alleviate the misconception I have since it says network intelligence as part of the job.

USNvet

YesOffense wrote: »

System Administrator $90,000 Jobs, Employment in Washington, DC | Indeed.com

Indeed does an estimate in all of those listings there is no salary reported

and the other one is an IT manager

I'm Tier 2 guys not Tier 3.

dmoore44

lenell86 wrote: »

Curious..are you able to give some insight into what the network intelligence jobs really cover? I know its a TS job but just wanted to know if it deals with IP packet inspection or non-IT related mapping and plotting, etc. Essentially I was wanting a gig that dealt with IDS/IPS / packet inspection but if this job really does something else then that would help alleviate the misconception I have since it says network intelligence as part of the job.

I'm not sure, but I think it really depends on the context of the job title/description. In the federal sector, and specifically in the context of the cyberwar world that DOD inhabits, I think it deals literally with intelligence gathering of adversarial networks of all types - not just IP based networks. See here for more info.

As far as the private sector goes, I really wouldn't know what network intelligence would mean by way of job title.

USNvet

dmoore44 wrote: »

I'm not sure, but I think it really depends on the context of the job title/description. In the federal sector, and specifically in the context of the cyberwar world that DOD inhabits, I think it deals literally with intelligence gathering of adversarial networks of all types - not just IP based networks. See here for more info.

As far as the private sector goes, I really wouldn't know what network intelligence would mean by way of job title.

Honestly that link could best explain it. Most of it is Highly Classified and you have to have your security clearance adjudicated before you can even start the school.

USNvet

not all network intel jobs are cyber some are more fusion of seperate types of intelligence into one report. I was on the cyber side and if in the job description it talks about computers and networks then it is mostly cyber. If it talks about knowledge of different types of intel then it is fusion

dmoore44

USNvet wrote: »

Honestly that link could best explain it. Most of it is Highly Classified and you have to have your security clearance adjudicated before you can even start the school.

Absolutely. Even the career training plans (CFETP) for some of the 1N jobs are classified - so you can't even find out what you're going to need to be proficient at in that career field before you've been accepted in to said career field.

nestech

@USNvet,
I hope you take that offer if they offer you the position. You can get your CEH at the new job if they will hire you without your CEH.

USNvet

nestech wrote: »

@USNvet,
I hope you take that offer if they offer you the position. You can get your CEH at the new job if they will hire you without your CEH.

I have already accepted the position I start on Tuesday.