What are the highest paying non-managment jobs? What certs would help get them?

pcgizzmo · April 2012

I assume that a CCIE would be one of the highest paying tech jobs around that aren't management or executive level jobs. What are the others and what range would you think they would pay? I'm a network admin and my salary is in the mid 80's but I wear a lot of hats. I'm just curious if there are any tech jobs that would get over 6 figures. I'm pretty sure CCIE would in some or most areas of the US.

Thanks

networker050184 · April 2012

"CCIE" isn't a job, but you are on the right track. Anything highly technical is going to bring in the big bucks. I'd just find what you like and work at being an expert in that field. Pretty much any of the paths within IT can lead to a six figure job if you have the drive and aptitude. As far as particular job titles, engineer, architect, consultant etc. would probably be the ones with the higher salaries.

Asif Dasl · April 2012

You don't even need to be a CCIE to earn six figures (in dollars, six figures in Euros is huge money)... You can be a contract Sys Admin here for €225-€300 a day depending on the work, multiplied by say 250 days (260 would be 52 x Monday to Friday) nothing specific here but €300 x 250 = €75,000 = about US$100,000. You have to factor in down time finding a job etc. but contracting can be worth it if you are prepared for the competition of places.

grettlerj · April 2012

I am a US Contractor and I currently work in Germany and make about 180K and I do not manage anyone. I got offered 300k to work in Afghanistan and would not have been a Manager. I live in San Antonio and made around 95k there.

N2IT · April 2012

Unix adminstration seems to pay fairly well. I've seen junior level positions around the area paying 70 on up. Some of the senior level positions can come in around 90+ or higher.

Red Hat is a solid certification

pcgizzmo · April 2012

Thanks for the replies. I'd work in Afghanistan if I could carry a M16.

(Prior military) but my wife would not let me go I feel pretty sure of it. I live in the DFW area so I think San Antonio is probably pretty close salary wise.

I would like my next job to move me to the six figure area if possible so I need to figure out what to do cert wise etc.. I was leaning towards forensics and e-discovery but all the threads here have me worried about getting a chance even with my long IT background. I do have some contacts in e-discovery as my wife is an attorney and has a friend that is a big wig at a e-discovery firm in Dallas and he is going to talk with me but I'm not sure where that will lead.

Nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.

cmitchell_00 · April 2012

I would really assume it's the CCIE's or PMP's guru's that make those salaries. I have known of some CCVP's who integrated and deployed VOIP systems and were making 95-100k plus an year while not really working an whole calendar year. I really believe it depends on your region and the company you working at that time with it's budget.

paul78 · April 2012

It likely depends on industry and locale as well. In the financial services sector, 100k+ plus total compensation is more common than you may think even in individual contributor roles. For IT roles, senior software developers, senior system engineers, senior network engineers can make 100k. Those roles for architect and consultants will start in the 100k range. Various security and audit roles as well will pay well.

My experience is to that certs play a smaller role in getting to these jobs -at least in the area of financial services that I am familiar.

NetworkVeteran · April 2012

It's not how many letters you have, it's how well you use them.

I only have a CCNP and it's been a loooong time since I accepted anything under six figures. It helps if you're capable of explaining your skills and demonstrating that you can use them to cut costs and increase profits.

Valsacar · April 2012

I'm in the 6 figure range if you count my housing allowance (overseas DoD contractor). When comparing to people in the US I always include housing, as in the states I'd be paying that out of pocket. I have a decent number of certs, but my current position doesn't actually use any of them... hopefully soon.

paul78 · April 2012

BTW - is there any particular reason why you want to restrict your career only to non-management roles. The reality is that if a part of you career goal is to maximize your compensation, some management experience helps. One other non-management IT-like role that is sometimes overlooked by folks in pure IT careers is sales engineering. In some companies, there is no cap on the upside.

petedude · April 2012

paul78 wrote: »

BTW - is there any particular reason why you want to restrict your career only to non-management roles. The reality is that if a part of you career goal is to maximize your compensation, some management experience helps. One other non-management IT-like role that is sometimes overlooked by folks in pure IT careers is sales engineering. In some companies, there is no cap on the upside.

Agree with everything you've said, but bear in mind-- some people don't want to deal with the whole management thing.

"Management", to many, is a bad word associated with Dilbert-esque incompetence. It can mean long hours, lots of horrible politics, getting skewered for things that weren't you fault, being separated from co-workers who were once your friends.

I can't blame people for wanting a high-paying job that isn't management. There was a time when management was the only route for good pay, and that has changed with the advent of IT specialties.

pcgizzmo · April 2012

paul78 wrote: »

BTW - is there any particular reason why you want to restrict your career only to non-management roles. The reality is that if a part of you career goal is to maximize your compensation, some management experience helps. One other non-management IT-like role that is sometimes overlooked by folks in pure IT careers is sales engineering. In some companies, there is no cap on the upside.

A couple of reasons. I am 42 and don't have a degree so management might be difficult for me but I'm not sure it was just my thought that management might demand a degree.

The other reason is it seems to me that management at least middle management in a medium to large company usually is the first to go if there are lay offs. At my age lay offs aren't something I can have a lot of tolerance for.

eserfeliz · April 2012

pcgizzmo wrote: »

I assume that a CCIE would be one of the highest paying tech jobs around that aren't management or executive level jobs. What are the others and what range would you think they would pay? I'm a network admin and my salary is in the mid 80's but I wear a lot of hats. I'm just curious if there are any tech jobs that would get over 6 figures. I'm pretty sure CCIE would in some or most areas of the US.

Thanks

Specifically: what are the systems and skills that you have become proficient in or discovered an affinity for? I'm in my early thirties and I'm just jumping up into the low 70s in the wage scale; my observation is that a lot of the non-contract, mid-range salary positions being thrown at me are due to specific technology keywords in my resume. LANDesk and SCCM are two very popular keywords, it appears, in the Fort Lauderdale area. Downplay your JOAT abilities for a moment and pound the pavement for a senior-level role working with a specific technology that you consider yourself to be an expert in. This means going to user groups, creating topics on forums (like techexams!), network and meet people. With your experience, I wouldn't worry about what you need to get six figures. If you're generally happy doing what you're doing, see if there's a job role that allows you to specialize in a particular technology and immerse yourself in it. If you become an expert in three years, the money will follow.

tpatt100 · April 2012

Eventually you will probably want to move into management especially when you get older. I am thinking hard and fast on how I can do this (my current position is supposed to give this opportunity). When you get older in IT you may run into issues of age discrimination quicker than other career fields. At least in management it can work to your advantage because people may think you have lots of experience. I always read about how older IT workers are regularly discriminated against based on sterotypes of IT work being for young guns.

techinthewoods · April 2012

pcgizzmo wrote: »

I'd work in Afghanistan if I could carry a M16.

I wouldn't.

pcgizzmo wrote: »

my wife is an attorney

Condolences.

Valsacar · April 2012

eserfeliz wrote: »

Specifically: what are the systems and skills that you have become proficient in or discovered an affinity for? I'm in my early thirties and I'm just jumping up into the low 70s in the wage scale; my observation is that a lot of the non-contract, mid-range salary positions being thrown at me are due to specific technology keywords in my resume. LANDesk and SCCM are two very popular keywords, it appears, in the Fort Lauderdale area. Downplay your JOAT abilities for a moment and pound the pavement for a senior-level role working with a specific technology that you consider yourself to be an expert in. This means going to user groups, creating topics on forums (like techexams!), network and meet people. With your experience, I wouldn't worry about what you need to get six figures. If you're generally happy doing what you're doing, see if there's a job role that allows you to specialize in a particular technology and immerse yourself in it. If you become an expert in three years, the money will follow.

Slightly off topic, but we're deploying SCCM over here now and there's talks about highering a specialist/someone with a lot of experience in it. You're definitely right about being an expert in certain fields/technologies.

Everyone · April 2012

I was happy to find that the company I just started with has a technical non-management path that goes very high in pay. Even being on the bottom rung for my title, I started in the deep 6 figure range. I can have "Senior" added in front of my title, and be in the same salary band as my Manager, but still be in a purely technical role. I can even go higher than that and have "Principal" added in front of my title, and be in the same salary band as a Director, while still being technical with no management responsibilities.

It is possible, but you have to be VERY skilled to get there, and the smaller the company, the less likely you are to see it.

SteveLord · April 2012

The best guys in my state ($140k) make a little more than the managers. A few are team leaders over a few others, but they are still technical and the go to SMEs.

erpadmin · April 2012

I am slightly off six figures and am in a "professional" class [non-management]. I'm only several grand away from my direct supervisor, and I work in the ERP space. In the private sector, I know for a fact I'd see a nice jump in salary that would put me well in the six-figure range.

ERP work (be it PeopleSoft, SAP, or Microsoft Dyamics even) from a technical perspective is great because it allows you to tie in a lot of server/systems/database [especially database!] knowledge while supporting an "n-tier" application. Good ERPs don't get installed by running a CD and clicking Next and Yes....a lot of system design is involved, server spec'ing and all of that. That's why the best way [IMO] to break into the ERP game is by becoming a DBA.

NetworkVeteran · April 2012

SteveLord wrote: »

The best guys in my state ($140k) make a little more than the managers. A few are team leaders over a few others, but they are still technical and the go to SMEs.

I was paid more than my last three managers. A couple colleagues of mine (on the same team) both make more than their manager, and in fact were tasked with choosing their own manager! For low-wage positions, it's often the case that the manager has more and more marketable skills. For high-wage positions, it's frequently the opposite.

Now executives? Real VPs (not the "courtesy titles") often make a small fortune!

Asif Dasl · April 2012

Would anybody have something similar to this for New York / California - or where is the best place to find out salaries in these areas? Thanks.

http://hudson.ie/Portals/IE/documents/sitedocuments/ireland-salary-survey-2012.pdf

paul78 · April 2012

pcgizzmo wrote: »

A couple of reasons. I am 42 and don't have a degree so management might be difficult for me but I'm not sure it was just my thought that management might demand a degree.

The other reason is it seems to me that management at least middle management in a medium to large company usually is the first to go if there are lay offs. At my age lay offs aren't something I can have a lot of tolerance for.

If it's helpful to know, I'm a college dropout. But I suspect that in my position, that is an anomaly.

Larger companies do have layoffs, but management and non-management are not immune. It really about the type of efficiencies that the organization is looking to gain and it's always the B players that make the list first. And if the organization is looking to labour arbitrage IT, usually it's the non-management that gets laid off first. All around I agree that layoffs are a scary thought in this economy. I personally worry about it all the time - it's probably not warranted but it helps me stay grounded and not take my job for granted and give me a healthy respect for own performance.

I am not necessarily advocating management if that's not your interest. I personally do not like it and after 20 years I was fortunate to wrangle a role where I can have the a leadership position without the burden of personnel management.

Hopefully, this dialogue was useful. There are definately many different types of non-management jobs out there pay 100k+.

Do you enjoy network administration? You mentioned an interest in security - forensics and e-discovery - if that's where you want to go - the education/certs that would be helpful would include CISSP, GCFA. You mentioned working with a law firm - the CIPP is also common when working with lawyers (mostly if you have to deal with privacy law).

pcgizzmo · April 2012

eserfeliz wrote: »

Specifically: what are the systems and skills that you have become proficient in or discovered an affinity for? I'm in my early thirties and I'm just jumping up into the low 70s in the wage scale; my observation is that a lot of the non-contract, mid-range salary positions being thrown at me are due to specific technology keywords in my resume. LANDesk and SCCM are two very popular keywords, it appears, in the Fort Lauderdale area. Downplay your JOAT abilities for a moment and pound the pavement for a senior-level role working with a specific technology that you consider yourself to be an expert in. This means going to user groups, creating topics on forums (like techexams!), network and meet people. With your experience, I wouldn't worry about what you need to get six figures. If you're generally happy doing what you're doing, see if there's a job role that allows you to specialize in a particular technology and immerse yourself in it. If you become an expert in three years, the money will follow.

I've covered the gambit of things in my time in IT. I used to have my MCSE but haven't kept up since 2000 Server. I used to be Citirix certified but didn't keep that up either. I am VERY good with MS Server operating systems as well as directory services. I have administered a Cisco ASA for the last 6 years and before that a PIX firewall. I worked as a system engineer for a consulting company 16 years ago before taking my current job as a network admin of 12 years for my current company. I would say I'm more of a jack of all trades and a master of none but close in MS Server OS's and I'm decent in routing/switching/firewall implementation.

My main issue is that I got comfortable at my current job and didn't keep up with certs after the consulting job because I got tired of chasing the rabbit. I am now feeling at the age of 42 that I need to again get some certifications and probably move from my current job as there is no upward momentum. There is just my boss above me then the CIO. My boss manages 6 people plus me in my department and the CIO manages our 9 programmers plus to a lesser extent interacts with us for certain things. We have about 500 employees at my company.

pcgizzmo · April 2012

Everyone wrote: »

I was happy to find that the company I just started with has a technical non-management path that goes very high in pay. Even being on the bottom rung for my title, I started in the deep 6 figure range. I can have "Senior" added in front of my title, and be in the same salary band as my Manager, but still be in a purely technical role. I can even go higher than that and have "Principal" added in front of my title, and be in the same salary band as a Director, while still being technical with no management responsibilities.

It is possible, but you have to be VERY skilled to get there, and the smaller the company, the less likely you are to see it.

Do you have a degree? W/out divulging everything could you tell me more about what you do and how you came about your job? What got you in the door? Thanks..

pcgizzmo · April 2012

paul78 wrote: »

If it's helpful to know, I'm a college dropout. But I suspect that in my position, that is an anomaly.

Larger companies do have layoffs, but management and non-management are not immune. It really about the type of efficiencies that the organization is looking to gain and it's always the B players that make the list first. And if the organization is looking to labour arbitrage IT, usually it's the non-management that gets laid off first. All around I agree that layoffs are a scary thought in this economy. I personally worry about it all the time - it's probably not warranted but it helps me stay grounded and not take my job for granted and give me a healthy respect for own performance.

I am not necessarily advocating management if that's not your interest. I personally do not like it and after 20 years I was fortunate to wrangle a role where I can have the a leadership position without the burden of personnel management.

Hopefully, this dialogue was useful. There are definately many different types of non-management jobs out there pay 100k+.

Do you enjoy network administration? You mentioned an interest in security - forensics and e-discovery - if that's where you want to go - the education/certs that would be helpful would include CISSP, GCFA. You mentioned working with a law firm - the CIPP is also common when working with lawyers (mostly if you have to deal with privacy law).

Thanks... This is useful. I am working on my CISSP as we speak. I will look into the GFCA and the CIPP. I have not heard of the CIPP.

I wouldn't mind management I had just kind of ruled it out because I don't have a degree and figured I might be frowned upon. Maybe I need to keep a more open mind. I've been looking at posting to just see what is available and I feel lucky that IT is a job that you don't necessarily have to have a degree to do but even with that most of the postingd say a degree is preferred. I hope when I finally start applying that my experience will off set that to some degree.

kenoo · April 2012

Asif Dasl wrote: »

Would anybody have something similar to this for New York / California - or where is the best place to find out salaries in these areas? Thanks.

http://hudson.ie/Portals/IE/documents/sitedocuments/ireland-salary-survey-2012.pdf

I work in the financial sector of NYC, these places pay engineers right out of school 6 figures(plus bonus) to start

SUBnet192 · April 2012

kenoo wrote: »

I work in the financial sector of NYC, these places pay engineers right out of school 6 figures(plus bonus) to start

Consider the cost of living though... a 6 figure salary in NYC is like 60K somewhere else...

paul78 · April 2012

petedude wrote: »

I can't blame people for wanting a high-paying job that isn't management. There was a time when management was the only route for good pay, and that has changed with the advent of IT specialties.

yes - very true. And you are correct regarding good pay. Plus everyone idea of good pay varies depending on history and experience.

pcgizzmo wrote:

I've covered the gambit of things in my time in IT. I used to have my MCSE but haven't kept up since 2000 Server. I used to be Citirix certified but didn't keep that up either. I am VERY good with MS Server operating systems as well as directory services. I have administered a Cisco ASA for the last 6 years and before that a PIX firewall. I worked as a system engineer for a consulting company 16 years ago before taking my current job as a network admin of 12 years for my current company. I would say I'm more of a jack of all trades and a master of none but close in MS Server OS's and I'm decent in routing/switching/firewall implementation.

My main issue is that I got comfortable at my current job and didn't keep up with certs after the consulting job because I got tired of chasing the rabbit. I am now feeling at the age of 42 that I need to again get some certifications and probably move from my current job as there is no upward momentum. There is just my boss above me then the CIO. My boss manages 6 people plus me in my department and the CIO manages our 9 programmers plus to a lesser extent interacts with us for certain things. We have about 500 employees at my company.

It sounds like you work in a nice environment for a small company. I don’t mean to seem presumptuous or offensive but I’m guessing that there is an intangible value that goes along with the lower compensation that you described. What I meant is that the tradeoff with lower compensation is less chance of being laid-off or pressures are different. The reason why I mention this – it could be a talk-track when you start to interview and talk with prospective new employers. Prospective employers will want to know why you believe you should be paid more and why you want to leave. You could cite that you are seeking a challenge that comes with upside opportunity and adjusted compensation. Just a thought.

Also – based on your experience that you described, I would expect that most prospective employers be more interested in your accomplishments than your certifications.While you are preparing to take some of the certifications that you mentioned, there really isn’t any reason why you should start to interview – even if it’s just for practice.

Don't let the lack of certifications hold you back – I never held any certifications until recently. And whatever certifications that I’ve earned, I don’t share that knowledge with my employer since I do it for my own pleasure.

You described yourself as a jack-of-all-trades. That's not always so bad and that experience can be tremondously valuable to the right employer. I am actually a very highly compensated jack-of-all-trades. I was just lucky to get here.

eserfeliz · April 2012

pcgizzmo wrote: »

I've covered the gambit of things in my time in IT. I used to have my MCSE but haven't kept up since 2000 Server. I used to be Citirix certified but didn't keep that up either. I am VERY good with MS Server operating systems as well as directory services. I have administered a Cisco ASA for the last 6 years and before that a PIX firewall. I worked as a system engineer for a consulting company 16 years ago before taking my current job as a network admin of 12 years for my current company. I would say I'm more of a jack of all trades and a master of none but close in MS Server OS's and I'm decent in routing/switching/firewall implementation.

My main issue is that I got comfortable at my current job and didn't keep up with certs after the consulting job because I got tired of chasing the rabbit. I am now feeling at the age of 42 that I need to again get some certifications and probably move from my current job as there is no upward momentum. There is just my boss above me then the CIO. My boss manages 6 people plus me in my department and the CIO manages our 9 programmers plus to a lesser extent interacts with us for certain things. We have about 500 employees at my company.

In my opinion, it sounds like you might benefit from a skills refresh/upgrade. I know I don't really need to say this explicitly; however, there's this phenomenon that can be succinctly summarized as follows: information technology is explosive. I'm finishing up my Bachelors this semester: the things that we learned in my MIS courses were becoming obsolete as we were being taught. It's incumbent on every IT professional, especially us worker bees, to remain up to date in the current trends and skill sets, lest we find ourselves obsolete.

It sounds like you might find a niche within the current crop of Microsoft certifications. In a way, we are dependent on the technologies that the companies are putting out. Currently, Microsoft is *really* pushing cloud and virtualization technologies. See if your company has interest in any new Microsoft technologies and see if they'll pay for your training.

Here are a few links to get you started:

Current Microsoft certifications by technology, browse and see if you have a high level of familiarity/interest in any of these. Exchange, System Center and Virtualization really stick out:

Technology Certification for IT Professionals | Technical Expertise

Informative blog with regard to Microsoft Learning and emerging Microsoft technology:

Home - Born to Learn

At this point, I think the most important part of your career path is finding something to re-ignite your passion for technology. Everyone here on techexams is rooting for you, and we will try to help you achieve your goal in any way we can. From the little research I've done, an advanced niche role, especially as companies are migrating away from XP and 2003 to 7 and 2008, may offer you a chance to take the next step you've been looking for.

halaakajan · April 2012

What is your position ?

What are the highest paying non-managment jobs? What certs would help get them?

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