How to get to 100k by 30?

I'm just looking for some advice on how to get to that goal.

A little bit about me. From the age of 15 my goal was to make 6 figures by 30. I currently just turned 25 and I'm making $60,000 a year (I just got the bump to 60k). I started at $39,000 and have been working for about 1 and half years and I have had a few raises on the way. I graduated with my B.A in Computer Information Systems in December of 2011 and found a job about 5 months later.

I'm currently the network admin/security engineer for a small private healthcare software as a service company. I mange their AWS domain, all the security reviews for clients, and day to day network operations. My company pays for some nice training and I just got back from the AWS invent conference in las vegas so I have that too.

My question is am I going down the right technical track to be at $100,000 by 30? I don't know if network admins or security professionals can really make 100k?. Everything on pay scale etc is so random depending on the company. Also should I stay here another year and hope for another raise in a year or see if I can job swap and get $70-75k?

Just looking for thoughts of what one would advise me to do to meet my goal.

Thanks,

Random IT Guy.

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Comments

snunez889

darkerz wrote: »

A lot of my coworkers will give **** when I mention daily studies, pursuing new skills and off-hour classes "For Useless Things". I've learned it's best to keep it under wraps and let the work speak for itself.

So far so good.

I have seen this too. I have worked an internship and now in a admin position, must don't study on their free time. I see many dont care for certs or growing, happy on the path they are heading. I keep pushing myself and want my work to be year above anyone else.

ILUVIT

icebeam wrote: »

You probably are getting paid peanuts. If you can't get more where you are at, start looking.

When I look at your certs it seems like you should be making more. Remember you never make what "you" deserve to make you make what you negotiate to make. Many times I have seen people with more information than me make less because they did not speak up.

Lets say you are in a job making 50k and the average on pay scale or whatever is 60k. You might try to get 60k and you might even be happy with 55k. But if your employer is saying you do great work. Then you're better than average. let me repeat this "YOU ARE BETTER THAN AVERAGE" You want 70k as 60k is for AVERAGE. I have used this explanation in the past with employers and it has worked well.

My favorite thing to do is go into a performance review and hear all the great things and say "so i'm above average at my job" and they will always say yes! followed by more great statements about me and then I say "so how are we going to get me on above average pay for this position". Nothing is better than watching your boss's face as he realizes he has to pay you more now by his own words.

If i'm performing better than average why do I want average pay on those sites? and would I accept anything less than above average pay.... NO!

Just my .2 cents.

Thank you for sharing your update. This gives me even greater motivation to keep going towards my goal of 75K by early-next year, currently at 58k. I'm in my 3rd year of IT, a title of helpdesk lead plus other non-official duties (Cross between SharePoint Admin/SharePoint developer) and also currently getting groomed into management. My annual review is in a few weeks. Your comment about negotiating pay with the "better than average" approach is genius. This is exactly what I needed to help me for my review.

snunez889

I have 4 years till I turn 30.. I dont see this happening, nut still a great goal to shoot for.

icebeam

phoeneous wrote: »

It's about quality of life.

+1 to this

tprice5

phoeneous wrote: »

It's about quality of life.

Yeah but money is the biggest component in the quality of life equation. For me it's about balance between work, friends, family, personal development and hobbies.

kurosaki00

29 hoping to break the 40k...

Took a pay cut to work in an amazing place 2 yrs a go and get exposed to a lot of stuff, hopefully will pay off.

In your case.. study, hard work, socialize, network around, evolve and repeat all previous again and again.

tprice5

tprice5 wrote: »

Yeah but money is the biggest component in the quality of life equation. For me it's about balance between work, friends, family, personal development and hobbies.

And beer, can't forget beer.

LinuxNerd

Bloogen wrote: »

I agree completely. I came to write the exact same thing.

I disagree. A Master's Degree in anything should provide a level of logical thinking and writing ability beyond simple certifications. Would never hire anybody without a degree.

Bloogen

Do not confuse lack of school or degree to lack of education or knowledge. My opinion on the topic comes from my own and the experience of others who have met and exceeded the objective of the OP and not theory.

YFZblu

To me, 100k in a technical role is about 'doing' and productivity. I don't care how smart you are, or how talented; what is your output? That should be the focus IMO.

slinuxuzer

Well, I had this same arbitrary goal, and I didn't think I would make it, but I just accepted a new job that put me there. A few points I wanted to make.

1. Adjust for inflation, typically this is regarded as 2.5/3% per year, so the original post I think said this was a goal he set 10 years ago, 100K when I was 15 bought more than it does today now that I am 30.

2. No one thing will get you there.

3. Money isn't worth being miserable.

lsud00d

YFZblu wrote: »

what is your output? .

This is the most important factor in all of this--are you profitable, or do you save the company money?

In any instance, your compensation will be commensurate with your financial productivity...it's all business at the end of the day.

YesOffense

ILUVIT wrote: »

Thank you for sharing your update. This gives me even greater motivation to keep going towards my goal of 75K by early-next year, currently at 58k. I'm in my 3rd year of IT, a title of helpdesk lead plus other non-official duties (Cross between SharePoint Admin/SharePoint developer) and also currently getting groomed into management. My annual review is in a few weeks. Your comment about negotiating pay with the "better than average" approach is genius. This is exactly what I needed to help me for my review.

What's your next step?

brownwrap

It is not how much you make, but how much you keep. I'll never hit that 150K that someone here posted as a goal. I just hit six figures for the 2nd time, but I am about to retire in a few years. I will have my third rental paid off by then, I owe about $9400 on it.I could actually pay it off with a credit card now! But the point is, I managed my money. I bought my first house when I was 22 and making peanuts. It was condemned and took me 9 months before the city would let me move into it. I'm on my 6th house now, sold the first two, but I never made these figures I see being talked about here. I concentrated on the day job and every time I accumulated enough for a down, I bought a new house. Times have changed, but if you spend every nickel that comes in the door, it won't matter what you make.

snunez889

brownwrap wrote: »

It is not how much you make, but how much you keep. but if you spend every nickel that comes in the door, it won't matter what you make.

I agree with 100%,

whats the age you retiring at?

brownwrap

I am 64 now. We''l see what I feel like at 65. I noticed "Inland Empire", that is my home, but I am currently working in Monterey.

ILUVIT

YesOffense wrote: »

What's your next step?

I am thinking cross into either Project Management or Business Systems Analyst. We will see how the next 6 months play out.

hustlerb01

you guys are not comparing oranges with oranges. Ofcourse if your in a area where the cost of living is high you will get a higher salary it is not fair to compare that with other places.

You should compare your salary with the average amount a person gets in that area, if you are making over 50 percent then all good

JoJoCal19

hustlerb01 wrote: »

you guys are not comparing oranges with oranges. Ofcourse if your in a area where the cost of living is high you will get a higher salary it is not fair to compare that with other places.

You should compare your salary with the average amount a person gets in that area, if you are making over 50 percent then all good

This is true, I'd take $90k in Jacksonville, FL over $100k in California, Seattle, DMV area, NY or anywhere NE USA for that matter.

LinuxNerd

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

This is true, I'd take $90k in Jacksonville, FL over $100k in California, Seattle, DMV area, NY or anywhere NE USA for that matter.

Yeah but California and Seattle don't have Cannibals

j/k

philz1982

I got to 100k+ at 29 in Texas with no degree by learning the answers to the questions our customers asked but no-one had an answer to. If you can find a way to contributed to sales they literally throw money at you.

Learn how to be the tech guy every sales guy wants on his calls. You do this by having people skills and by having technical knowledge. Also, don't be afraid to switch jobs once you mastered the technology.

JoJoCal19

LinuxNerd wrote: »

Yeah but California and Seattle don't have Cannibals j/k

Hey we haven't had any lately!

tprice5

philz1982 wrote: »

If you can find a way to contributed to sales they literally throw money at you.

Do you work for Jordan Belfort?

philz1982

tprice5 wrote: »

Do you work for Jordan Belfort?

Nope, why do you ask?

stlsmoore

I got to 100k+ at 29 in Texas with no degree by learning the answers to the questions our customers asked but no-one had an answer to. If you can find a way to contributed to sales they literally throw money at you.

Learn how to be the tech guy every sales guy wants on his calls. You do this by having people skills and by having technical knowledge. Also, don't be afraid to switch jobs once you mastered the technology.

Very inspiring post

tprice5

philz1982 wrote: »

Nope, why do you ask?

Just poking fun at your incorrect use of the word 'literally'.

LinuxNerd

tprice5 wrote: »

Just poking fun at your incorrect use of the word 'literally'.

Always a smart a$$ around. Gotta love these forums. Where's UnixGuy to chime in with his geniusness?

tprice5

LinuxNerd wrote: »

Where's UnixGuy to chime in with his geniusness?

I was just having a little fun, no need to be so sour.
Also, I think you mean *genius. FTFY

vlad06

You lot are lucky living in the US if you can hit 100k by 30 in the IT field.

jibbajabba

LinuxNerd wrote: »

Always a smart a$$ around. Gotta love these forums. Where's UnixGuy to chime in with his geniusness?

I think the problem is that literally is one of the most over(wrong)used words out there ... Driving me nuts .. I am not native English, but I could even the wrong usage of "whom" (or lack thereof) drives me mad lol

Anyway - in the UK, the only way to make 100k is going as a contractor using your own Ltd. company