Is 60,000 a year unrealistic?

Rising Techie · June 2004

I'm currently trying to finish up my MCSE. Already have A+, Net+, MCSA and will have Sec+ by the time I get my MCSE. I've been working for the same company for over 5 years and I have some college although I never completed it. Right now, I'm the only IT guy in my office so naturally, I'm the IT Department Manager. Actually, we didn't even have an IT department when I started there. That's how I got my foot in the door. I basically built it from the ground up. I do everything IT related and then some. My main duties involve application and database development with Microsoft Office and VBA as well as network admnistration for a 21 client Win98 peer-to-peer network (not even one Win2k machine). I also created our company website, restructured our entire network, and handle all major data management projects. Have to work with a very limited budget which is part of the reason we don't use Win2k. I'm currently bringing in about 31K a year, which isn't bad for the area we are in. I want to stay my course with the company at least until I finish the MCSE track but after that I intend on finding a better paying job, unless they up the anty a lot (Which may happen but I doubt it). I don't really care what kind of work I wind up doing since I have a background in and I love all areas of IT. Actually, I love my current job. It just doesn't pay real well. My main concern is the money at this point. I'm just hoping to find a job paying in the ball park of 60K a year. How realistic is that considering my experience and the certifications I'm shooting for? The only thing I see hurting me is that my corporation is kind of small, (although I have an enormous amount of information that I'm responsible for) and I don't have a lot of experience with Win2k in a production environment. Lots of hands-ons, just not hands-on in the workplace. What are my odds? P.S. I don't plan on stopping after my MCSE. That's just my transition point.

ajs1976 · June 2004

what area of PA are you in? Pittsburgh, Phillie, the sticks? I think people in Phillie make more money then people in Pittsburgh. 60k is reasonable, but making the jump from 31k to 60k is a little harder. Unless someone really wants you, the pay increases are usually a little smaller.

Rising Techie · June 2004

Well, I'm closer to Pittsburgh but I guess you'd call it "the sticks". Mostly rural areas where I'm at now. That really isn't an issue though. I'm willing to relocate to the surrounding states. What do you think a reasonable pay jump would be? See, I think if push came to shove and the company I work for now really thought they were going to loose me, they'd maybe offer me 40k because they know that it's going to be tough to find anyone in this area to fill my shoes, espescially since I deal in many different areas of IT and it would more than likely take at least 2 people to replace me. Plus, they already know what kind of worker I am where as they would be taking a chance on someone new. They would maybe offer me more but they just don't have that kind of budget. I think if I had some of my work to take with me to an interview to prove that I really had impacted my companies bottom line with some of the applications I've built, that might carry a lot of weight too.

sab4you · July 2004

Obviously it all depends on the market in your area.

For me and my area I dont think earning 60k is a stretch. I would suggest your best bet is to work for a larger company or at least one with a bigger budget. If they love you to death, and even if you highly skilled, a small company with lower budget simply may not be able to afford your skill level.

I am a MCSA with 4 years experience on my resume. Its mostly technical support jobs but the resume looks good to highlight my networking skills. I am making 50k and working for a large company where I can work with great high end equipment. I dont see making 60k to much out of reach for me at least, so I would assume if you are looking in the right areas, you can too.

Is 60,000 a year unrealistic?

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