Should my salary be higher?

[Train]

I was just looking at a salary graph for my region (midwest) and it said some one in my position should be making ~$80k, but umm, im only getting 42k at the moment, what gives, are all these so called salary surveys inflated or what?

What do you think someone with the following skills and expirience should be paid, (statewhich area your referring to)
4 Years Proffesional Desktop/Web Application Development Including:
ASP, Cold Fusion, Visual Basic, SQL Server, Oracle, Access
JavaScript, XML
Equivalent of Associates Degree in CS

and another question, im thinking of going for an MCSD (MS Certified Solutions Developer) so i have some leverage when asking for a raise. Any thoughts on this?

 

[AmigaMan]

<< Equivalent of Associates Degree in CS >>



That's the main thing holding you back unfortunately. Get a degree. Then learn Java or C/C++/C#. Then find a new employer.

 

[Emulex]

be thankful in this IT market that you have a job. Many folks don't.

 

[Superdoopercooper]

In Austin TX, if you were still employed you'd probably make $70k+... maybe even in the 90s

 

[mithrandir2001]

42K is very substandard...your region and education are probably the main drags here. If (a) you had a B.S. (b) worked in a metro area (c) have at least average abilities, you should be able to score 60-70K. 4 years experience is typically not enough to fetch 80K, though, B.S. or not.

I also wonder if you are a generalist. ASP/Cold Fusion...SQL/Oracle/Access. It usually pays to focus on a toolset instead of getting moderate exposure here and there.

You are better off gettting that B.S. than the MCSD. If you did go for the MCSD make sure you are clear now with your employer that you expect a raise if you get certified. If they say &quot;no&quot;, then don't waste your time.

 

[durin]

um, i started @ 45k so i think 42 is definetly a little low for someone with 4 years experience.

 

[spidey07]

abought right, maybe 50 is more like it. not having a degree is holding you down.

 

[Descartes]

I seriously doubt his not having a degree is what's holding him down. With 4 years experience, he should get MORE than an equivalent college grad with less experience.

I know many people who make twice that who don't have a degree, and this is in Oklahoma. Either a) you're in a huge corporation or b) you're in a company who places little value on their IT people.

 

[Train]

(a) you had a B.S.
- workin on that one, kinda tough since i have to pay my own way through college and the only computer jobs i get are all full time
(b) worked in a metro area
- I live inside the triangle of Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Toledo, three cities with lots of IT, I have interviewed and worked in all of them, same salaries all around.
(c) have at least average abilities, you should be able to score 60-70K. 4 years experience is typically not enough to fetch 80K, though, B.S. or not.
- not to brag, but im quite an expert in my areas, I have tons of expirience, 2 of my jobs were for large consulting companies, where you get moved around a lot in very complex environments, probably the best on the job training i could have ever asked for. And the 4 years is only proffesional, i was messin with programming and taking classes for many years before that, but of course, theres nothing to show for that.

um, i started @ 45k so i think 42 is definetly a little low for someone with 4 years experience.
I started at $10 an hour when i was 18, at the time i thought i was loaded, and raises were far and inbetween, I pretty much had to change jobs ever since just to get higher pay as i grew more expirienced, but they all seemed to find out how much i was paid at my previous job and never added too much on to that.

 

[Soulbane]

a developer with good VB and SQL skills can get 60-70K in the Buffalo, NY area.

 

[cheuyungphat]

Train,

I am in the process of returning to school for my IS degree and the IT job market is rather frightening today. I have done a lot of research (including the good old Department of Labor's studies which boldly claim the IT industry is one of the fastest growing in today's economy) and there is some truth to what AmigaMan says regarding having a degree. My wife is a web developer with her Masters in Multimedia Technology and she is earning about 20% more than you...but many of the people she works with do not have their degrees and some earn less, some earn more. It kind of scares me because I have seen first hand that often employers require a degree to get in the door, yet others simply prefer that you simply know your &quot;stuff&quot;. Considering all of the layoffs, definitely be thankful for the position, but always keep yourself in the position to move on if necessary. I work with a guy whose brother attended a local technical school, got his associates and began working for a company. He always kept in touch with people he would meet and quickly his name got out in the market for his programming abilities. From what I understand he was offered better pay from another company and moved on, then the same happened later and he moved on again. He is now making around 65k and doing well for himself.

From what I have learned from her, it is also very important to develop your programming abilities (C, C++, Java). My wife is an ASP specialist and there is a fairly big market for the web programming technologies (including Micro$oft's .NET). She always stresses that I focus on these areas (including of all things, basic HTML - many people &quot;claim&quot; to know it - few master it). I have met several people she has worked with or were her teachers in school and most of them are in the 80k+ bracket as web programmers.

Whenever I get frustrated with the potential for earnings when I graduate (as a result of the current IT market), I surf www.monsterboard.com for job openings in Texas (don't ask why...just curious). There are always a huge number of positions for big $$$, open and ready for the &quot;taking&quot;. I guess it is my way of convincing myself that, well, in the worst case scenario I can alway move to the good old &quot;boot&quot; state and find employment...

Good luck Train

 

[OZEE]

Get a real degree -- not &quot;Equivalent of Associates Degree in CS&quot; ... and learn to spell (it's professional, not proffesional) Employers/potential employers notice such things. If you appear absolutely professional in all aspects of a professional career (not flipping burgers...), even the minor things will be observed and will be cause for being held back. If you're sloppy in spelling, it's assumed you're not able to <fill in the blank> as efficiently as someone else who can spell. (Personally, I wouldn't hire a web developer who couldn't spell -- looks bad for me when my web site is sloppy...) If you never finished a real degree (in a professional career...), you may be viewed as a quitter.

Yes, I think the salary surveys are somewhat inflated. It appears people enter what they think they ought to make, not what they're really making. And, yes, those of us in the Midwest (I'm in KS) make quite a bit less than the surveys. But I don't mind that -- it doesn't cost as much to live here; the living here is better quality than on either coast (it's not nearly as crowded or gang-infested), etc. Also, those making $80k have more than 4 years of experience. To get the big bucks, you have to earn them, both by competence and endurance.

I don't think the MCSD means as much now as it did even a year ago. It's loosing its allure just like the CNE/CNA certifications. And the job market is already flooded with people who have these, but are still not capable...

Good luck

 

[viewton]

<< ... and learn to spell (it's professional, not proffesional)

It's loosing its allure just like the CNE/CNA certifications

Good luck >>



Ahahahaha

 

[Superdoopercooper]

Train...

I grew up in Toledo, OH, and they don't pay for crap there. All salaries are low, now matter what you do. Maybe in the last 8-9 years sinced I moved away, salaries have skyrocketed, but with the stagnant growth, lack of industry and high-tech, I highly doubt.

Ann Arbor... good luck... they can get a bunch of poor college students to work for pennies on the dollar compared to you.

Detroit... who the heck wants to live there??

Seriously... I have a close friend who has only a 2 year associates degree in electronics (not used at all in his job), has an MCSE, and about 7-8 years expeience at IBM, Dell, and another place combined... and he (Austin, TX) is in the mid $90k's somwhere. So, just by comparison, I would say that you are somewhat uderpaid.

I have a BS and an MS in EE and my compensation is $70+ and a company car (won't say exact amount in case any co-workers lurk around here)... and I have about 4 years of industry experience.

Therefore, I really do think you could do better in a different area of the country, unless something has really changed aobut the Toledo/Ann Arbor/Detroit area.

 

[yakko]

<< Should my salary be higher? >>

Nope. You are getting paid what you agreed to.

 

[cheuyungphat]

Train,

I missed you mentioning the MCSD...definitely do it. My wife is currently working on hers and her employer will offer her a 10k salary increase once she has completed it (then they can bill her out for a hell of a lot more - and it looks good on a resume). I have read many articles that highlight the benefits of a degree vs. certification. Many employers (this is from my reading of course) like the fact that someone has dedicated 4 years to earning a degree...shows determination. BUT, so many people coming out with their degrees have little knowledge of practical application! I was attending the University of Pittsburgh for my MSIS degree...and all of my fellow students made it clear in my mind that much of the practical experience that I needed would come from the company that hires me - not the university. I was floored. Many of the students were actually planning on attending a local community college after graduation to simply build some practical application experience that was not gained in the graduate program. I think what a shame! To spend all that $ and not be prepared for the current job market after graduation.

I know many people with long lines of credentials from certifications. To an employer they are viewed as being very prepared and up to date with their knowlege and experience. I even read somewhere that most students coming out of universities today are around 7 years behind in their knowledge of current technologies...I don't know if this still holds true, but it kinda shook my thinking behind choosing the right university.

Good luck again Train!

 

[cheuyungphat]

Yakko! Excellent comment! That is so very true!

 

[yakko]

<< Yakko! Excellent comment! That is so very true! >>

It is yakko not Yakko dammit.

 

[HowardStern]

As long as you don't have that degree there are plenty of places that will use it as an excuse not to pay you what your worth, and it's easy enough to do so why not? Doesn't matter that you won't actually use any of the &quot;skills&quot; you learn while getting the degree.

 

[cheuyungphat]

ooops!

 

[erub]

I think ppl are taking the &quot;MCSE being watered down&quot; and applying it to all certifications. Sure you can easily get an MCSE, if you have some $ and a month of time (some will do it in even less, I just can't remember how long). But getting higher ones such as MCSD and some of Cisco's more advanced ones have to look good...

 

[StageLeft]

As people said any tech job in the current market is good to have - don't quit before finding another place. Still, I would say you are underpaid. Sure a degree would be nice - and it will help as will your MCSD - but if I were you I'd start looking around and once you find alternate employment tell your current employer you need a raise immediately or else you're gone.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Train

Salaries in Mid West will be inflated on the stats graph because of Chicago. Aslo, ads for work will overstate to the hightest salary level &quot;DOE&quot;.

In Indiana/Kentucky,Ohio I was drawing $50/hr as an consultant, however carrots being dangled for Chicago area were $65/hr. They were promises though and looking for specific talents. No round pegs in an oval hole situation.

Salary in Indy I left was $66K with 20yrs experience and a Engineering degree.

Once you cross the 5 year experience mark and get the 4yr sheepskin expect to get into the low-mid 50s.

Good Luck

 

[SCSIfreek]

People with 4yrs exp., B.S. in EE are making 90K/yr in Bay area. Yes get yo degree and its a proof of your exp. Its a piece of paper but worth lots more than what it looks like.


--SCSI

 

[rutchtkim]

move to new york, try wall street