100k in <3 years - goal accomplished

A couple years ago I set a goal of making $100k in 3 years. Yesterday I officially accomplished this and bypassed it. Here is the progression for anyone interested.

Title: Helpdesk
Duration: 8 months
Salary: $20/hr
Certs: A+ Net+

Title: System Administrator
Duration: 1 year 9 months
Total comp: $90,000-96,000
Certs: RHCSA

Title: DevOps Engineer
Duration: Just promoted
Total comp: $130,000-147,000 (bottom range is no on call pay, top is with what I believe on call pay is)

Needless to say I've benefited from being in the right place at the right time, as well as living near a tech hub in Boston. When I purchased my A+ book to start my career change in July 2013, I could never imagine that I would increase my salary 4-5 fold.

I hope this shows people new to the field that you can move up quickly if you're looking for the opportunities.

My takeaways for what has worked:
1. Take opportunities that make you uncomfortable
2. Learn on your own time - cert related or not - no surprise for this forum
3. Be ready to ask for opportunities
4. Being likable goes a long way.
5. Learning to script/program makes you stand out.
6. Don't be the first one out of the office everyday, but also maintain work/life balance.
7. If you find a company that gives you opportunities to grow, then try your best to stay and grow in the organization. You never know when the next job req might pop up.
8. Look for new responsibilities to take on, don't wait for them to be shoveled onto you.

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

kohr-ah

TranceSoulBrother wrote: »

That can also have a vicious negative effect insofar that things end up costing more. Look at healthcare in America compared to elsewhere!.

Bingo! Healthcare at the new job I just took is gonna eat up 1/10 of my paycheck alone of not more unless I want to go HSA (Hasn't worked out well for me with kiddos).

Also jobs in Cities usually pay more due to the cost of living in the city as well. Chicago taxes are high. Cost of living is very high. That is why most the people train in from the burbs.

gkca

kohr-ah wrote: »

Also jobs in Cities usually pay more due to the cost of living in the city as well. Chicago taxes are high. Cost of living is very high. That is why most the people train in from the burbs.

Well, it really sucks here in Canada considering that

The average price within the City of Toronto itself was $699,745 last month, with the average price for fully detached homes at $1.17 million and the average condo price at $416,251.

and even more expensive in Vancouver... And we didn't even take into account the tax burden, higher prices on virtually everything and lousy CAD/USD exchange rate.

RomBUS

the_Grinch wrote: »

Man makes we wonder what I've done with my life! Almost seven years of full time experience and haven't cracked $70k. Congrats op!

Same boat here the_Grinch...Same boat =\

sharkezo

congrats man , good job.

yuddhidhtir

Congrats. Made me realize how lazy i have become and gave me the motivation to try harder.

Santa_

yuddhidhtir wrote: »

Congrats. Made me realize how lazy i have become and gave me the motivation to try harder.

That's how I felt reading this.

Makes me want to jump ship at my job all of a sudden! Ha

In all seriousness, congratulations to the OP.

Time for me to start learning Python...almost 3 years later when I first said that.

NetworkNewb

Santa_ wrote: »

Time for me to start learning Python...almost 3 years later when I first said that.

Learning it right now, its pretty sweet.

Example, I wanted to access some data that was on a page on my company's website and throw into a excel sheet I was creating for auditing user's access (the webpage lists the applications the user has access to). I went to our Database Engineer and he didn't like the idea of me accessing the database directly for the data in my code and changing the permissions on his database, so today I created a python script that goes to that webpage, edit's the URL to include the user's info I'm looking for so it pulls up that user's access, and then parses the webpage for the data about the user I am looking for and spits it out.

loxleynew

Congrats!

Just curious are salaries in Boston over inflated? Like for instance here in Colorado help desk jobs start at like $11 and sys admin at like $60,000 lol.

dave330i

Kreken wrote: »

Congratulations. Sounds a bit too good to be true though.

100k within 3 years is very doable. Several members on this forum have done it.

datacomboss

srj wrote: »

Thank you all!

I do agree that I may not have been able to move up as quickly in another organization. That being said, a lot of people wouldn't have taken a contracting gig at $20/hr and worked hundreds of hours off the clock to get the job done. I also go out of my way to say hello to everyone and I am never an a**hole. I've seen others miss out on opportunities because they are simply difficult to work with.

Great job.

All organizations are in need of people who can save or make them more money, make things more efficient and also be a positive contributor to the team culture.

srj

techfiend wrote:

Did you find the RHCSA to be a valuable asset in your promotion? I'm taking a long time to study for it, kind of concerned about the test but I hear there's a lot of help available like --help and man pages and somewhere it was mentioned internet access but then you could google everything.

I found that my boss was happy with the fact that I pursued the RHCSA on my own time. It was definitely a valuable experience.

To clarify, I'm not in Boston proper. The company is 15-20 mins outside of the city. This has allowed me to take advantage of the lower cost of living in the suburbs. Generally speaking, Boston does seem to have fairly high IT salaries.

There was one comment about this being too good to be true. I have no reason to lie or misrepresent my progression. Like I've mentioned, I work for a large tech company that is known for paying well.

Thank you all again for the kind words. I used to be amazed at the salaries posted on here, but now I've seen firsthand that you can quickly progress if you really want it and get lucky.

pevangel

loxleynew wrote: »

Congrats!

Just curious are salaries in Boston over inflated? Like for instance here in Colorado help desk jobs start at like $11 and sys admin at like $60,000 lol.

What you may have missed from the original post is that the 90k is total comp. I missed that too at first glance and thought it was on the really high side for a sys admin.

It's still a great accomplishment especially considering the time frame. But I can see why some people may think it's a bit too good to be true. OP listed 20/hr for Help Desk which I assume is base salary, then listed total compensation of 90-96k as a Systems Admin. It appears like a really big jump in base salary, if you didn't catch that it said "total comp" next to it, which is usually unheard of from promotions within the same company.

showbo

To the OP, congrats. Amazing and keep going man. Only you can stop you as of now.

To others, especially anyone thinking of switching fields. This is very rare to see and to do. Even the OP himself stated right place right time. He did put in work, but being in the right place at the right time weighs more than what type of skills you have in a lot of companies (It's who you know, not what you know). We have all seen it. People in high positions, no reason to be there. People stuck in lower positions because there just isn't growth, families holding them back, etc. etc.

Can this happen to you? Absolutely. It took me 7 years, just to break 80's. BTW he was a sysadmin at one year making Sub 100k. I was Network Admin after 3 years barely making 50k.

But you know what, I digress. To each there own, and don't let anything hold you back (be willing to move, you will make bank).

dhay13

awesome accomplishment. in my area it is very difficult to hit 6 figures in IT except maybe for downtown Pittsburgh. i have over 7 years of W2 with a B.S degree and i'm nowhere near 6 figures, even total compensation. i will admit though, i have slacked a little. my last job was so bad that i had thought about changing careers and really began disliking IT. now i love my job and am starting to get the 'desire' back again. last month i finally earned my Sec+ and started studying for the CISSP. i bought a new server and set up a nice home lab but with work and studying i don't have much time to devote to that. i hope to hit 6 figures in the next few years (salary alone). my next move will put me over 6 figures total compensation

srj

pevangel wrote: »

What you may have missed from the original post is that the 90k is total comp. I missed that too at first glance and thought it was on the really high side for a sys admin.

Just to clarify, I considered only salary + bonus + stock that vests in this next year. I know total comp could also mean insurance, 401k match, PTO, etc. I didn't include any of that. I didn't list total comp in Helpdesk position because the only source of income was regular hourly wages.

Technically speaking, my base is just over $100k, but even if it weren't, I don't care much whether the pay is biweekly, bonuses at regular intervals, or stock disbursements as long as I know when it will be paid out.

dave330i

showbo wrote: »

To the OP, congrats. Amazing and keep going man. Only you can stop you as of now.

To others, especially anyone thinking of switching fields. This is very rare to see and to do. Even the OP himself stated right place right time. He did put in work, but being in the right place at the right time weighs more than what type of skills you have in a lot of companies (It's who you know, not what you know). We have all seen it. People in high positions, no reason to be there. People stuck in lower positions because there just isn't growth, families holding them back, etc. etc.

Can this happen to you? Absolutely. It took me 7 years, just to break 80's. BTW he was a sysadmin at one year making Sub 100k. I was Network Admin after 3 years barely making 50k.

But you know what, I digress. To each there own, and don't let anything hold you back (be willing to move, you will make bank).

No. It's not that hard and you don't have to know anyone. It's a matter of supply and demand. If you have the skill set low supply & high in demand, you'll get paid.

srj

Just got my performance review (still at same company). Got another promotion and a decent size bump. I've broken out the salary vs. equity components for the benefit of others, but I still consider the stock in my total compensation because it is a form of compensation just like my biweekly paycheck.

Title: Helpdesk
Duration: 8 months
Salary: $20/hr
Certs: A+ Net+

Title: System Administrator
Duration: 1 year 9 months
Salary: $70,000
Stock: ~$25,000
Total comp: ~$95,000
Certs: RHCSA

Title: DevOps Engineer
Duration: 1 year
Salary: $100,000
Overtime: $10,000
Stock: ~$35,000
Total comp: $145,000
Certs: Nothing new other than a couple of ITIL-type certs

Title: DevOps Engineer II
Duration: Just promoted
Salary: $117,000
Overtime: $9,000
Stock: ~$40,000 this year, ~$54,000 next year (this could obviously change with stock prices)
Total comp: $166,000 for next 12 months - $180,000 forward looking ( 2018 )

Our stock would have to reach a very high price for me to crack $200,000 in 2018, but there is a small possibility.

The same things worked as previous years. I've continued to identify weaknesses that are crucial to my success and immediately improved my knowledge in those areas. I've improved my programming/scripting skills in Python and Bash quite a bit in the lats 12 months. I've also been focusing on improving processes within the team, particularly around development best practices.

I was honestly successful in the last year in spite of not having goals. This year I need to work on a number of things to continue my progression:

- Learn more about service architecture/design. This will be important as I work towards a Senior/Principal position.

- Improve public speaking and writing skills. I'm not deathly afraid of speaking and I'm not a terrible writer, but I'd like to be exceptional in both. This will become particularly important to make the next jump as I'll need to interface with other teams.

- Learn more about technologies that other teams are using at work. Again, this is important when interfacing with other teams. I have some knowledge of Java and associated technologies, but I'd like to learn more.

- Get the RHCE just to continue to show that I'm continuing to improve my Linux knowledge (and so I don't lose the RHCSA)

- Contribute to open source projects. I've meant to do this for a while, but it is almost becoming a pre-requisite for large, innovative companies.

- Start a side project or two that would be my own (different than open-source project). I'm thinking about starting a blog (I know...) and maybe a small side business where I can practice my web development skills further. I've found it very powerful to have Systems Administration skills AND be knowledgeable in web technologies.

At this time of this promotion, I've officially been in the IT field for 3 years and 5 months. Keep learning and being curious. The opportunities are out there.

newmove

This is commendable..well done mate!

NetworkNewb

So that was all at the same company? And got to almost 100k after 8 months at the service desk with a A+ and Net+? Not saying it didn't happen, but grats on being the CEO's son or daughter. Kidding, but sounds like one of lottery situations. (1 in a million)

NetworkingStudent

This happened at the same company?

The quick help desk to admin jump is rare, correct? I mean 8 months wow.

Wow Congrats!!

Cyberscum

Great job OP!

But I was under the impression that Boston was expensive to live.

I know a few IA guys out there and they always tell me how much it is to live out there.

I think they are about the 150 mark.

Anywho congrats on meeting your goal!

srj

I can assure you that I'm not related to anyone in the company. I still don't think this is a 1 in a million case. Certs certainly help, but they aren't the most important factor in hiring.

Boston itself is expensive, but I live and work in a suburb. Houses here start at $250,000 or so and new construction with 4br/3ba and ~3000 sq. ft. will run around $500,000. My commute averages 30 mins. or so.

jdancer

Welcome to the six-figure club!

If you haven't done so, get acquainted with a configuration management platform.

Since you already know Python, I suggest Ansible. I use it to provision, install, and configure VMs in 5 minutes in vSphere. In addition, I use Ansible to push out production changes from stage.

Here's a motivating article Which DevOps Skills Pay the Most? - Dice Insights

mzx380

congratulations on your accomplishments
I hope to emulate you very soon!!!!

kalimuscle

srj wrote: »

I can assure you that I'm not related to anyone in the company. I still don't think this is a 1 in a million case. Certs certainly help, but they aren't the most important factor in hiring.

Boston itself is expensive, but I live and work in a suburb. Houses here start at $250,000 or so and new construction with 4br/3ba and ~3000 sq. ft. will run around $500,000. My commute averages 30 mins. or so.

Congrats

Hope your living large

srj

kalimuscle wrote: »

Congrats

Hope your living large

I wish that it was enough money to live large on while still saving for the future.

To be honest I'm more of a saver. My promotions have really only changed the fact that I brought myself to buy a new car (nothing fancy, Mazda) and that I don't have to worry about whether I can pay the bills month to month. My house was a little bit over $250,000 and most of my extra money goes to maxing out retirement accounts and other investments.

The only thing that we'll really spend a decent amount of money on is vacations. I think that $5,000 - 10,000 a year on seeing new places and having new experiences is money well spent.

NetworkNewb

srj wrote: »

I still don't think this is a 1 in a million case.

Yea, it was a little exaggerated you got me. Doubt it is crazy far off though.

RHEL

Big congrats! However, it really makes me think I must be doing something wrong.

Master of Science, RHCE, 8 years large enterprise administration/engineering. Experience with config management, satellite, ESXi/RHEV, AIX, Solaris. Linux SME for a 7 B$ company and I still have not broken 80K.

Cost of living here is dirt cheap, but still. Your story has me questioning what I'm doing.

xxxkaliboyxxx

RHEL wrote: »

Big congrats! However, it really makes me think I must be doing something wrong.

Master of Science, RHCE, 8 years large enterprise administration/engineering. Experience with config management, satellite, ESXi/RHEV, AIX, Solaris. Linux SME for a 7 B$ company and I still have not broken 80K.

Cost of living here is dirt cheap, but still. Your story has me questioning what I'm doing.

I'm not an economic (or English lol) major, but I belive the salary is driven by market vaule. OP's market value demands a higher salary in his area due to close proximity to Boston. When I got out of the military I had my choice to work anywhere I wanted and I always notice north east areas with higher salary. All my buddies always said it's crazy cost of living. I ended up taking a Huntsville, Alabama job making 60k and I was saving like a fiend, because....cost of living was crazy cheap.

Now I'm in Austin and everything is a little more expensive, but the area also demands a higher value for in my case IT Security. Don't discount cost of living in the area you work, your comapny knows and they adjust salaries base of it.

DatabaseHead

You sound like someone who doesn't believe in limitations. Congrats on your aggressive approach it worked.

And I agree you can get to 100,000 in 3 years, it's completely doable.

Well played......