How much do network administrators make?

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Citrix
not to be too specific about me (systems administrator)... 55-60K

just filed my taxes and even itemizing like a mofo my ass is kinda sore...

I'm right there with ya....Network Admin but my salary is just a tad higher though. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!! Actually I shouldn't bitch too much since I got a refund this year. Of course the only reason I got that is because I bought a house and have all those expenses to deduct.

hope you live in a state that charges taxes. if not, that "GREAT morgage deduction" is just a myth and isn't worth it from a purely financial point of view.

standard deduction for 2002 is $4700. my $125k morgage at 5.5% only had $6700 in interest. given all the expenses to maintain a house, that extra $2000 deduction doesnt cover it. ($2000 deduction at 20% tax bracket = $400 in your pocket.) and my housing expenses were ALOT more than $400. it would have been cheaper to rent an apt. plus houses prices are dropping.

but if you add state tax (mines was ~$4700, i think) to the itemized deduction, then the extra $6700 x 20% = $1340. i come out a little ahead.

 

[yoda291]

It's rough in the IT field. My last 4 interviews were for positions that I was GROSSLY (and I mean obscenely) overqualified for, all I got were a bunch of apologetic interviewers. It's tough competing with people with 5+ years over me.

 

[Skel]

WHen I was working as one, I was making on the upper side of 40k a year...

 

[ivwshane]

What sucks is I really enjoy networking and computers in general but with no real world experience if I were even able to get a job I'd be making less then what I get working retail ($45,000 $50,000) but then again I'd be alot happier🙁

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: Medellon
I would like to quite my current middle school teaching job and go back to school to do something in the computer field, more hardware oriented than software. Are network administrators "hot" right now and what is the typical salary? Any other "hot" jobs that pay well?

My own advice is that you shouldn't focus on the pay too much. If its something you enjoy and want to do, go for it, but its going to be rough to get a job and the pay will probably be lower than you'd expect. If you're wanting a career change thats going to pay really well, look elsewhere.

 

[flavio]

Interesting

 

[iamme]

*sigh* most depressing thread, ever.....

 

[Padawannabe]

The IT field is definitely not hot at the moment. I've been working the same position now for 2 years. That's not so bad, at least I'm still employed. What is so bad is that instead of getting pay increases or additional benefits, most people I work with including myself, have taken 5% - 12% pay cuts. I've taken two courses this past year (at my own expense) hoping that I'll get an increase when my review comes up in March.

 

[slycat]

no kidding man..its a VERY bad move to get into IT now.
Time has passed...and while i'm still in it...its burning me.
Its not something you wanna do long term... if u don't have a sh1tload of experience
and networking(people, not cables)...don't even bother.

...unless if u frequently win the lotto
and yes...what a damn depressing thread.
i cringe whenever i see a thread or talk about sys admin, network admin...etc.....gRRRR

 

[ivwshane]

You guys with jobs need to help us jobless out😛 (well not just the jobless but the people that want in)

 

[yoda291]

I can say that getting paid to put together my own server farm and implement new and cool technologies was the most fun I've ever gotten paid for. I woulda done it for free. If that's what you wanna do, I say keep looking, but I also say that in this environment, be cautious.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: ivwshane
You guys with jobs need to help us jobless out😛 (well not just the jobless but the people that want in)

I would if I could. I have friends who ask me about once a month if my company is hiring, and my answer is always no. Somehow i have survived 8 layoffs at my company and i have been there since may of 1999. 4 years is along time for a IT guy to stay at one company. I dont want to leave, great pay and bennies and boss. I know that if i ever go the pink slip i would never find another IT job in the Denver market, that is why im a student at a massage school. Just incase i do get the AX i will have a way to still make a living, granted not as a high of living but atleast my wife and kids will have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. To tell you the truth if I ever did get the AX i dont think i would want to work in the IT field again. It can get pretty stressful at times.

 

[everman]

Originally posted by: iamme
*sigh* most depressing thread, ever.....

Ya really 🙁

 

[ivwshane]

I live for stress!

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: ivwshane
You guys with jobs need to help us jobless out😛 (well not just the jobless but the people that want in)

I would if I could. I have friends who ask me about once a month if my company is hiring, and my answer is always no. Somehow i have survived 8 layoffs at my company and i have been there since may of 1999. 4 years is along time for a IT guy to stay at one company. I dont want to leave, great pay and bennies and boss. I know that if i ever go the pink slip i would never find another IT job in the Denver market, that is why im a student at a massage school. Just incase i do get the AX i will have a way to still make a living, granted not as a high of living but atleast my wife and kids will have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. To tell you the truth if I ever did get the AX i dont think i would want to work in the IT field again. It can get pretty stressful at times.

I have to agree. I?m in a similar boat as you are & am hanging on to my job for another 3-5 years at my company for the chance to become a branch manager. I will then only be a paper pusher, which I hope the stress level is less than I?m currently have to deal with.

As for quitting the teaching job. Sometime it seem as if it is not rewarding enough for you to stick it out, but every bit of hard work & stress is worth it if one of successful your student name you as the person that has guided him/her to their goal. (I can still remember the tears of joy on my college prof face when I handed him the first copy of my grad paper. I named him as my mentor instead of my grad prof.) You can always go back to school & get your master in education and work as a paper pusher as away to get out of your rut.

IT is not as hot as it was 3-4 years ago, but skill tech will always needed. If you are compel to be an admin then go for it, because you can always fall back to your teaching job if you lose interest in the IT rat race.

 

[JEDI]

Medellon,

oh, when i started out in out right out of college back in 1994, i was making 40k/year

typically, this is what happens if you have no experience and get hired in IT field:

1) start off on the helpdesk answering calls. type in the user's problem in the computer, and it'll come up w/a list of possible solutions. if it doesnt fix his problem, send the trouble ticket to a tech to goto the user's desk

2) company pays for you to goto training (A+ cert) and get promoted to tech and do desk calls. or learn how to do PC repair yourself

3) company pays for you to goto cisco/microsoft training or learn it yourself. get promoted to admin

submit your resumes now for helpdesk positions. put on your cover letter that you are a teacher and you know how to deal with whiny kids. show them that u have the patience for whiny adults 🙂 hey, applying for jobs wont hurt any so try it 🙂