How can I move from general IT support toward a $90k–$100k role?

Pick a lane based on the work you already touch, then build evidence that you can own more than the routine tasks. In a Microsoft-heavy environment, endpoint management could be a natural direction: learn the tools used there, such as Intune and Configuration Manager, and look for chances to improve deployments, patching, or device compliance. Azure could also fit, but it’s worth checking local job listings before choosing a certification path.

A cert can help structure your learning, but it won’t substitute for hands-on examples. Try automating a small recurring task or documenting an improvement at work. That gives you something concrete to discuss in an interview and helps test whether the specialty actually interests you.

You may be giving yourself too little credit. A solid reputation, responsibility for updates and security checks, and familiarity with day-to-day operations are useful foundations. Nobody understands every system in a workplace, especially when documentation is incomplete. The question is whether you can investigate problems, ask good questions, and take ownership of a defined area.

Apply for a few roles that look like a reasonable stretch, even if you don’t match every listed requirement. Interviews can show you what employers value and where your gaps are. You don’t have to quit your current job before you know what the market thinks of your experience.

Direct answer: specialization and a job change are often the clearest routes to a pay bump, but the trade-off may be more pressure, less predictable hours, or weaker benefits. A stable job with good insurance has real value, so compare the whole package rather than salary alone.

Ask your manager whether you can take ownership of one project or system and whether there’s a path to a higher-level role. If the answer is vague or there’s no room to grow, use that information while quietly exploring other openings. You can move when an offer is actually better for you, not just because you feel behind.

I’d be cautious about committing to a demanding degree or certification just because you feel you’re supposed to keep studying. If motivation has been difficult, start smaller: choose one practical skill tied to your current work and spend a few weeks using it on a real problem. Scripting, endpoint administration, or cloud fundamentals could each be a starting point, depending on what you enjoy and what employers nearby ask for.

If low motivation is showing up beyond career plans too, it may be worth getting support for that separately. A career plan can help, but it doesn’t have to carry the whole burden.

Don’t chase a broad label like “learn IT” or try to master every system. Look at the tasks you naturally want to dig into. Is it troubleshooting devices, making repetitive work less manual, investigating security alerts, or keeping services reliable? Pick one, then ask for a project that gives you more of that work.

A portfolio doesn’t need to be a fancy home lab. A clear account of a work improvement, what you changed, and how you checked the result can be useful, as long as you avoid sharing confidential details.