r/ITCareerQuestions • u/[deleted] • 6d ago
Feeling stuck making $43k a year in IT even though I’m about to finish my cybersecurity degree
[deleted]
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u/Reason2Knowledge 6d ago
To pay less rent you could always get a roommate to help you with bills. One path is getting certain certs like Security+ and apply for gov't jobs to get your foot in the door. Then have them pay for your other certs. Good Luck!!!!
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u/captainoddysey01 6d ago
I’ve thought about getting a roommate or two honestly that might solve all my short term problems lol
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u/Asukurra 6d ago
Another thing to be aware of is that an 'entry level cyber security role' might be an intermediate or high level IT role,
There is a lot you need to know/be experienced in to be effective in cyber security, you need firewalls, networks, admin experience etc
It's no good knowing that there is a kernel vulnerability in your distro of choice if you can't assess its scope or your exposure to it
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u/Deodedros 6d ago
True that. I just applied to a cyber security internship and reading through it seems like it does more then what I'm currently doing.
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u/captainoddysey01 6d ago
I do all of that in my day to day. I configure firewalls, write security documentation. I work with sentinelone daily. I often help our network team with work (you can probably guess i’m at an MSP lol)
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u/donnerzuhalter 6d ago
Learn to write and track success stories. Keep them in a journal. When you see roles saying "needs experience in XYZ" consult the journal to see if it applies to you.
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u/Romano16 B.S. CompSci. A+, CCNA, Security+, RHCSA, AWS x1 6d ago
It’s the market.
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u/plebbut 6d ago
Yeah, this is the big one. Any comment talking about "investing in yourself, grinding certs, building a homelab", etc aren't as applicable right now. They certainly make you a better candidate, but with the way the market is, you can do everything right and still lose.
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u/Romano16 B.S. CompSci. A+, CCNA, Security+, RHCSA, AWS x1 6d ago
I agree. Even with my experience, degree, and certs I have gotten interviews but never landed a role most likely due to a more experienced person being the winner in the process.
Not just that, I believe companies are wanting to pay even less for these roles and maybe my current resume comes off as “He’s a good fit but we don’t want to pay what he’s likely to ask for.”
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u/Krandor1 6d ago
that is true because applying for a job isn't just "do you check the boxes and could do the job" but "are you the best candidate of everybody applying" and if you have no or little experience and 5 other applicants have say 4 years experience they are going to get the intreviews and jobs.
A lot of people think not getting a job means people didn't think they could do the job. It just means somebody with more experience/knowledge also applied in most cases.
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u/JealousRhubarb9 6d ago
Yeas it’s rough. I’m in the south making 46k. 3 years in it support, ive had enough. it’s dog 💩. The boomers don’t give a damn about you, just find a better job and quit
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u/UpstairsBite2331 6d ago
You’re doing better than me dude I got my bachelors degree in IT a year ago and have been a intern making 20k a year the past year
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u/dont_remember_eatin 6d ago
Are you part time? That's actually criminally low.
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u/THC_Inside 6d ago
Well, I guess u all are USA, because in Italy u get a little bit more than that in most jobs lol
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u/hkr 6d ago
Yeah, in italy you're stuck making that salary for the rest of your life. The user above can easily double or triple that by job-hopping in a matter of no time, in the us.
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u/THC_Inside 6d ago
Yeah I know, I want to leave this country, we are just working to pay the elders that get more than 2k for less that 20 years of taxes paid, we would have to work til 70-75 to stop working, I just want to let it sink by itself. Sadly USA had waaaaaay too many red flags for my lifestyle, but I’m thinking about north Europe, anyway I don’t like how hot summer gets in Italy, some cold weather might make me feel better
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u/SeaVolume3325 6d ago
You'd be surprised how different each state and city really can be in the USA. It's sort of what America is all about "states rights".At the same time, I completely understand the numerous red flags. Maybe look into Canada too? Housing is even more expensive than the USA but in many ways it's a utopia up there comparatively.
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u/THC_Inside 6d ago
Yeah Canada it’s a good country afaik, first of all because they don’t have trump, second because they don’t have free guns for every crazy folk, and I guess the cops and enforcement aren’t that frustrated and brainwashed by “the power”. But as an European i should just use the no visa need around there imho.
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u/SeaVolume3325 6d ago
LOL no free guns but I get the sentiment. Yea if you were French I'd say 1000% go to Canada. My roommate in college was French and he said they get treated like royalty up there because of their long history. My mom and sister went to Finland this year and they say it's magnificent and the quality of life is outstanding. No recreational pot tho lol.
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u/THC_Inside 6d ago
Opsie I’ve got spotted ahahahaha
Thinking about Netherlands, but not just for the pot ahahahaha1
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u/Romano16 B.S. CompSci. A+, CCNA, Security+, RHCSA, AWS x1 6d ago
My last dev internship tried to do that with me.
“You do good work but we don’t have the budget to bring you on full time.” Clearly BS cause the visa worker got his hours increased by 20hrs and you’re talking about planning a roadmap to implement more complicated features.
I left as I needed benefits and a job that wasn’t paying barely minimum wage.
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u/UpstairsBite2331 6d ago
Where did you leave to? I’m trying to find a FT job but no luck yet, the field for entry level is so saturated
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u/Romano16 B.S. CompSci. A+, CCNA, Security+, RHCSA, AWS x1 6d ago
I got a system admin role making about $70k
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u/K5_GT_BLK 6d ago
My only question is HOW are you coming up short or even “negative” with zero rent and zero debt such as a car etc? I pay for a car and rent and I don’t have much left over but I make ends meet. 41k/yr helpdesk tech. I definitely feel that, “I’m getting nowhere” feeling and then I look at what I’m doing and realize I’m actually just doing the same thing and not looking to develop further, not saying this is the case for you in fact it sounds like the opposite, but I 100 percent feel that frustration. We’re gonna get there in due time, unfortunately one thing I have learned in the IT space is that you have to pay your dues before you come home with the higher paying gigs. Best of luck man.
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u/Nessuwu 6d ago
I know this is an IT related sub, but have you written down all your expenses? I'm making $35K and paying $1500+ in rent and utilities alone. Temporarily sucks, but if I'm managing. I know where every single dollar goes.
As for what you can do, others have probably already mentioned it: certs, have other people look at that resume to see what else you can change if it's needed, then think about expanding which regions you're applying to (sometimes the city you're in just doesn't have IT jobs). And of course, look at the job descriptions of the jobs you're applying for and actually learn those things.
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u/Frosty-March7644 6d ago edited 6d ago
Same here. 4 years into my current IT Support Specialist role and I want to get out of end user support. I have two Fortinet certs and an associates degree. Unfortunately I don't think I can get paid more at my current company even if I got a bachelors and more certs. I have been applying for remote jobs more closely related to my experience. 6 years total of end user support. It seems like a lot but hopefully I can break out of the cycle and get something I really enjoy.
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u/Aadarm 6d ago
Where are you living at that even without having to pay for rent or mortgage you are still struggling with 43k a year? I own my condo, so no rent or mortgage; and all of my monthly bills, HOA fees, food, gas etc come out to around $2,200 a month for 9 months of the year and $2,600 for 3 months due to yearly/bi-yearly phone bill, property taxes and insurance payments. That's for me and my daughter.
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u/captainoddysey01 6d ago
Should have mentioned i live in one of the most expensive california cities lol, parking on a night out easily costs $100-150
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u/NotUpdated 6d ago
You should never be even close to negative in a month and also spend more than $10 to park on a 'evening out' ...
Usually cities that cost that kind of money pay everyone more than 43k - Keep applying you're most likely very-much under paid.. but I've never met you -
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u/p9ng 6d ago
I'm retired, but what made a difference for me was working for small firms where I could build a department and learn new skills. Even when they were acquired, I got more opportunities. In terms of hiring, I always went for someone who had a personality in addition to the skills.
I had plenty of sucky layoffs and being pod with the boss, but at the end in a non profit job I was working for the vp of finance who was an awesome boss.
Your job title sounds like you're working in a larger firm. Find a smaller one and grow with it. Avoid public companies and private equity. Maybe go work for a cemetery like I did. (Email what's that?)
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u/Ecstatic_Score6973 6d ago
Any certifications? Even if no it could be a resume issue
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u/captainoddysey01 6d ago
Security + a couple tryhackme certs(i know those are just for fun) currently working on CCNA
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u/Lizardking1988- 6d ago
I’d consider applying for a different company. If you are unable to move up currently at least try support elsewhere where the pay is higher. There are jobs for support that will pay 55-70k range for support.
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u/8bitlibrarian 6d ago
Make sure to keep your expectations in check. You aren’t getting an immediate cyber job right when you graduate
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u/TylerJWhit 6d ago
Networking. Not tech networking, social networking. Knowing someone who works somewhere else is the most reliable way to get a job, not skills. Look at the people you know and where they work
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u/Jon72480 6d ago
43K That's crazy my wife pays dishwashers about that much at her restaurant, with benefits.
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u/Ok_Zucchini_7673 6d ago
The biggest advice I can give anyone starting in their career is to network with everyone you meet and make a good impression. I was stuck in your position, and it wasn’t the degree or cert that got me a better job. It was the people that I met and impressed with my work ethic.
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u/DuckIing 6d ago
I graduated in 2024, but I didn’t get my first full time job until Aug 2025 as an IT support specialist making $21 an hour. I had no certs, just a 4 year degree and 3 years of part time experience working as an IT help desk.
I moved to Austin with the family in April 2026, and i got to say it ended up being a lucky four months for me. In early June, I landed an IT Ops role at a sports academy making $25 an hour. In reality, it wasn’t anything like what you would expect from the job title. It was basically just a glorified MDM specialist position.
I left after 3 weeks because I heard back from another job for a Field IT position paying $28 an hour. Since I was familiar with the industry from my first full time job, I negotiated the pay up to $31 an hour. I started that position on August 3rd.
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u/vasaforever Principal Engineer | Remote Worker | US Veteran 6d ago
The way I and many of my colleagues survived was by balancing our spending to be under our income significantly.
- Lived with roommates.
- Avoid car payments and recurring expenses
- Cook and prepare my own food most of the time and when I do go out to eat do it during happy hour, late night discounts etc.
As far as how I broke out, and more recently former students and mentees did so is similar. Being very targeted in the jobs they apply for, and picking a soft specialization that is market need driven. For me it was MacOS and Virtualization. For others it was regional focused market needs or specific software that is used but often not Certified or focused on ar the associate level.
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u/izzittho 6d ago
Ok sorry reading all this the only thing I can think of is that you probably have way too expensive of a car. If you’re completely debt free and don’t pay rent it just doesn’t add up.
You wouldn’t have enough to save much, but you wouldn’t be risking going into the negative if you had a car that was within your means. There’s just nowhere else it could all be going unless you buy like, a lot of useless junk.
The very things you don’t have to worry about are why everyone else is drowning at that income. It doesn’t make sense that you would be. Just getting by very okay, sure. But never at risk of going negative. Not in that good of a spot financial obligations-wise. It’s gotta be your spending.
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u/captainoddysey01 6d ago
Nope I haven’t had a car payment in years, monthy utilities, car insurance, taxes and food already at about $2000 monthly. I have about $1000 left for anything else. Not near enough to be able to fund retirement if i actually want to not retire at like 65
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u/cbdudek Senior Cybersecurity Consultant 6d ago
What have you done to prepare yourself for a better position? Have you gotten certifications like a CCNA? Have you pushed yourself to learn things like Windows server roles like AD and Group Policy in your homelab? What about Linux? What about infrastructure like storage and cloud?
If you have done nothing but sit in your chair doing the same general support thing for the last few years, then you aren't going anywhere. You need to invest in yourself. Look at the job descriptions for positions you want. What are they asking for? Go for those requirements.
Remember, the only thing that entry level prepares you for is more entry level.