Ask HN: Salary for IT Infrastructure Manager? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Salary for IT Infrastructure Manager?

12 pointssteve_g3 comments

One of my employees came to me concerned that his salary is right for a senior SysAdmin, but not for the job he actually does. He may very well be right, but I’m looking for guidance.

Some relevant info – we’re a 200-person company in with a process manufacturing operation that runs 24/7. We have two sites connected by a 100 Mbit WAN. We are a mixed AS/400, Windows Server/SQL Server shop. Just about everything besides the AS/400s and some specialized process control PCs are virtualized. The Infrastructure Group supports our desktop/notebooks/productivity apps, all servers (Exchange, SharePoint, IIS, SQL Server, and many other purchased or custom server apps), all network hardware, printers, copiers, the phone system, Wi-Fi access for business and for mobile handheld terminals at the plant, company cell phones, Citrix remote access, etc. They also do helpdesk for end users.

The guy I’m talking about basically designed, purchased, and installed all the infrastructure above with the exception of the AS/400s (over a period of many years). He manages three other employees, and he is responsible for the capital and expense budget in his area. Because we’ve got 24/7 operations, some of our infrastructure is mission-critical on a realtime basis (not safety-critical, but if the network craps out we stop making money). This guy is well-liked and respected by everyone, including the owner of the company. I like, respect, and trust him, too.

So – what’s the right salary for a guy like this? We’re in Ohio.

Thanks, Internet!

First, what is your employee really after? Raise, title bump, or both? If a title bump is included, then the question becomes--is that what the company wants? If he becomes a manager, will one of his team want to be team lead? If a director, a manager?

Second, the line between a Sr. SysAdmin and a manager is a fine one. Often, it's the size and bureaucratic-leanings of the company which determine which side of the line one falls.

In the case of your "employee", much of what he does lines up with the duties/responsibilities of a SAGE Level 4 systems administrator ( http://static.sage.org/pubs/8_jobs/chapter1.pdf ). But, it also lines up with what one would typically think of a manager's responsibilities. Once again, company dependent.

Third, you never told us his current salary or range thereof. Maybe he is in a competitive range already. The last SAGE salary survey is from 2007--a bit dated with all the economy has been through. But in 2007, the national average for a Level 4 sysadmin was around $90K. ( https://www.usenix.org/survey/2007-sage-salary-survey-result... )

Other places you could look for salary ranges are http://www.payscale.com/ and http://www.glassdoor.com/. I plugged some data at random (12 years experience, Columbus, OH, $80K/yr salary, etc) on PayScale. For a Sr. SysAdmin, $80K is at the 62nd percentile; $75K is average. For a Network Ops Manager, $80K is right on the average for that area.

Of course, you could also speak with your HR department to have them pull local salary surveys.

But what it REALLY comes down to is this. He's done some comparison shopping. Based upon what he's found, believes he's not being fairly compensated for what he does. He likes the company, likes his co-workers, etc, and is giving you guys the first shot at "making things right" in his mind. From your standpoint, he's highly competent and a good cultural fit. Those are people you don't want to loose, and are the ones who hit the upper ends of the pay scale.

He's a network engineering manager, not a senior systems administrator. Pay in Western New York ranges from 70-100k+, depending on seniority. I imagine Ohio is similar.

Pay in Canada at a $20 Billion global communications company starts at $85K.

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