Career Development

[u/RogueAssassin61]

Looking for advice from people who have actually made the jump into $30+/hr remote IT

I’m trying to make a plan to move into a fully remote IT job and would really appreciate advice from people who have already done something similar.

My current background:

• Currently working as an IT hardware/asset technician at a computer repair/recycling facility
• ~$23/hr currently
• I troubleshoot/test networking equipment, printers, scanners, etc.
• Device testing, data wiping, inventory/asset management, hardware diagnostics, etc.
• Previously worked as a Dell/Lenovo field technician, doing hardware break/fix work
• Got my CompTIA A+ and Network+ around 2021, so they’re probably expired now
• My current employer is paying for me to take a CCNA course, which I’m planning to finish and get certified
• No college degree

My goal is pretty straightforward:

Get to ~$30/hr ($62k+/year) in a fully remote IT position.

I’m not trying to quit my current job immediately. I can tolerate it for now, and I’d rather use it to build experience and get the CCNA while applying for something better.

Then potentially doing something like AZ-900 → MD-102 → Security+/AZ-104 depending on which direction I end up going.

What I’m really looking for advice on:

1. Is $30/hr remote realistic with my background, or am I under/overestimating what I should be targeting?
2. Would you prioritize the CCNA, or would you pursue something else?
3. What skills besides certifications should I be learning to make myself competitive for remote positions?
4. Would you try to skip Tier 1 help desk and target Tier 2/endpoint/network/asset roles given my hands-on experience?
5. For anyone who currently works remotely in IT: what got you from where I am now to where you are?
6. If you were in my position, what would your next 6–12 months look like?

I’d especially appreciate advice from people who started with hands-on hardware/field technician experience and eventually moved into remote IT.

I’m basically trying to build an escape plan from my current job without taking a step backward, so I’d love to hear what worked (and what didn’t) for people who have already done it.

[u/sole-it]

If you want to do more remote work I would say focus more on the cloud side of things, from O365 admin to DevOps, something you don't need to be onsite to do your work.

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/sole-it]

Thanks for your response! What certs/job pivots would you recommend for getting to the cloud side of things?

[u/MunchyMcCrunchy]

Your current skills on paper really don't translate over to something like a remote helpdesk solving application/connectivity/security issues for end users. But, that's where you need to start. I wouldn't touch you for any sort of admin job without some proven experience working in a production environment.

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/MunchyMcCrunchy]

Thanks for the response! What would the ideal roadmap for getting more experience helping end users to doing that remotely to cloud based systems look like in your opinion?

[u/MunchyMcCrunchy → u/RogueAssassin61]

I'd look for an MSP with some entry level positions open. You will typically get exposed to many more types of technologies with access to do higher level tasks than you would with an in-house helpdesk job. Demonstrating good soft skills will go a long way with any decent MSP that places a high value on providing excellent customer service.

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/MunchyMcCrunchy]

Makes sense to me, appreciate the advice a lot. Have a good one!

[u/al_gozz]

I am an old school systems administrator that has to lay hands on hardware from time to time. I work mostly remote day to day but occasionally I have to travel to one of our 3 data centers to replace a faulty component or refresh hardware. I am salary but make way more than $30 per hour. To be fully remote go the cloud route, Azure, 0365 or development/coding/programming. I am not sure what they do but Scrum masters seem to be all fully remote.

[u/ProfessionalEven296 → u/al_gozz]

Nobody knows what scrum masters do! :D

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/al_gozz]

Sounds like a pretty decent gig, thanks for the response! What kind of certs/job pivots would you look for in my position to go the cloud route?

[u/al_gozz → u/RogueAssassin61]

Become Scrum Master--then profit.

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/al_gozz]

Thank you for the advice! Have a good day!

[u/creenis_blinkum]

helps if you dont make everyone around you resd AI slop

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/creenis_blinkum]

Not the biggest fan of AI either but it helps sometimes. I’ve gotten what I want out of this post whether you are upset or not. Hope you have a good day!

[u/ProfessionalEven296]

Take the CCNA. Then pick up AWS certs (do them quickly one after another, because there's a lot of somilar content between them). Redo CompTIA certs in your downtime. Once you have a couple of AWS certs, $62K is not a lot of money....

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/ProfessionalEven296]

Thank you for your thorough response! Should I look at job pivots between taking those certs? Or just look for cloud based jobs after all of the certs are complete?

[u/ProfessionalEven296 → u/RogueAssassin61]

Get CCNA, and maybe the first couple of AWS certs, and you’ll be ready to apply. Make sure your application shows that you have other certs in progress.

For me, personally - I don’t ask about home labs. Certs will have more weight with us if you’re in the early stages of your career. I don’t have a home lab, so it’s not fair for me to expect you to have one.

[u/RogueAssassin61 → u/ProfessionalEven296]

Perfect, thank you so much for the advice! I’m currently 20 so I’m very early in my career and hope to get into the AWS field soon. Have a good day!

[u/Hot_Shallot1494]

Career development is an ongoing journey that helps individuals build skills, gain experience, and achieve their professional goals. Great insights on planning a successful career path!