High Paying IT Skills That Can Boost Your Salary

Discussion in 'IT and Computer-Related Degrees' started by Lerner, Nov 14, 2014.

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  1. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Job skills and salary often have a direct correlation, meaning the more qualified you are for the job, the higher your bargaining power when its time to negotiate salary. Skills certainly play a big role in your salary, but so does location. Taking your skills to the right location can help you get a higher salary if you are willing to relocate. And remember, these are the median salaries, meaning that there is potential to make more or less than the average salary for each title and location.

    Here are five skills that can get you higher pay in IT and the cities where you can make the most money with your skills and experience.


    High Paying IT Skills That Can Boost Your Salary | Monster.com

    Systems Administration

    System administration pertains to the operation, configuration, and general upkeep of computers and servers. At a company, where there are a number of users operating on one network, system administration skills are crucial in managing, updating, and maintaining these networks and applicable technology. This role generally falls on IT support specialists, and having network administration skills can boost your salary. IT support specialist is an entry level position that can lead you on a career path to IT manager, project manager,

    According to PayScale, the average salary for an IT support specialist with system administration skills is $46,745 per year, with a reported range of $32,112 to $67,996. Location is a big player in higher salaries for this job and skill set, with Philadelphia, PA averaging $56,000 per year for IT support specialists with systems administration skills. Atlanta, GA and Nashville, TN are next, with an average salary of $53,000 and $50,000 respectively.

    Check out openings Monster to find IT support specialist jobs around the country.

    Unix

    Invented by Bell Labs in the early 1970’s, Unix is an open-source, multi-user, and multitasking operating system. It was also one of the first operating systems built using the programming language C. Today, it is less popular for personal computers, and is more typically found on workstations. One of the draws of Unix is that it is open source, meaning anyone can modify or configure it to their specific needs.

    According to PayScale, IT managers with UNIX skills can net a salary that is 22% higher than the average $78,384 annual salary. The highest paid IT Managers with Unix skills are found in Atlanta, GA, where the median salary is $118,000 per year. Dallas and Austin, TX fall right behind, with average yearly salaries of $113,000 and $105,000, respectively.

    Check out openings on Monster to find IT manager jobs across the country.

    Project Management

    Project management skills aren’t the same as skills in certain software or programming languages. Project management is a skill you will gain by experience, rather than in a classroom. It involves planning, organizing, and overseeing a process, which includes obtaining resources, creating procedures, and following protocol. This is an important skill for IT managers because whether you’re deploying a company wide software update or overseeing the relocation of a company’s data center, you will need to be organized.

    Since project management is such an integral part of any IT department, IT managers can net a salary that is 11 percent higher than the median average of $78,384 per year, according to PayScale. IT managers with project management skills report an average salary of $85,075 per year, with a range of $51,309 to $133,456 annually.

    Salary for IT managers with project management skills varies drastically by state, with Washington, DC coming in with the highest average salary of $123,000 per year. Next is Charlotte, NC, where IT managers with project management skills earn an average salary of $112,000. Seattle, WA; New York, NY; and Pittsburgh, PA are the next three states with the highest reported median salaries coming in at, $109,000, $106,000, $103,000, respectively.

    Check out openings on Monster to find IT Project Manager jobs across the country.

    Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

    For an IT Operations Manager, ITIL is the practice of ensuring the IT department is aligned with the overall needs of the company. The 2011 edition of the ITIL is comprised of five volumes, each focused on a different lifecycle stage of IT service management. It includes generalized overviews of the processes, procedures, tasks, and checklists that can be applied to organize a business’ IT strategy. Essentially, it’s a jumping off point for a company to structure its IT department in a way that best supports the overall vision of the business.

    According to PayScale, the average salary for an IT operations manager with ITIL skills is $99,786 per year, which is 24 percent higher than the average salary for an IT operations manager. The highest paid IT operations managers reside in New York, NY, where the average annual salary is $115,000 per year. The next highest paid cities are San Francisco, CA, which reports an average salary of $113,000, followed by San Diego, CA and Detroit, MI, which both have an average salary of $104,000.

    Check out openings on Monster to find IT Operations Manager jobs across the country.

    E-Commerce

    Information technology consultants benefit from some of the skills previously mentioned, including UNIX and project management. IT consultants generally work normal hours for a company, but since they are paid as a consultant, they are often the first called in when systems need to be fixed immediately, no matter the time or day. While UNIX and project management both mean higher pay for IT consultants, e-commerce skills can help boost your annual earnings. E-commerce brings us much of our online retail experience, and it allows us to shop and sell items on the Internet.

    IT consultants with e-commerce skills, on average, make 10 percent more than the average salary of an IT consultant without such skills. According to PayScale, the average salary for IT consultants with e-commerce skills is $76,231 per year. Those who make the highest salary work in New York, NY, where the average reported salary is $117,000. The next highest paid city for IT consultants is Chicago, IL, where the average salary is $92,000 per year.

    Check out openings on Monster to find IT Consultant and E-Commerce jobs across the country.
     

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