Hey everyone! I've come across some claims that IT professionals can make upwards of $250k to $350k a year. Is this actually feasible for salaried employees, or is it more of an exception? If it is possible, what kind of roles or responsibilities should one have to reach those salary figures?
5 Answers
For sure, working for one of the FAANG companies in a senior role can get you there. Another route is through contracting or consulting with multiple clients. That way, the pay can add up if you hustle.
It’s generally quite rare to see salaries like that unless you're in a niche or specialized role. Realistically, most people max out around $150k unless they’re in high-demand positions.
I've seen some folks reach high salaries, but typically, it’s with a lot of experience and often only in high-demand locations like the Bay Area or D.C. Most standard tech jobs won’t pay anywhere near that.
Yeah, there are definitely senior roles, especially in high cost of living areas like California, where you could hit those numbers. That said, you’d need to be moving into management to see those kinds of paychecks, which typically involves a lot less hands-on tech work.
Those kinds of earnings usually come from specializing in areas like security or having high-level certifications. Honestly, it’s pretty situational—if you’re working in the US, Switzerland, or Luxembourg, you have a better chance.
Even in the US, though, you’d be looking at specialized roles in really high cost areas to come close to those numbers. I saw that a Senior DevOps Engineer in Seattle averages around $180k.
Right, I’ve heard director roles can sometimes bring in those salaries but are more about planning and less about coding.