How to Land an $80K to $100K IT Job

Many of my students keep asking me,
“Imran, how can I make $80K or even $100K and beyond in IT?”

Here’s the truth, don’t chase the money. First, make yourself valuable enough to deserve it. Once you have the right skills, knowledge, and mindset, the money will follow naturally.

To earn that kind of income, you must first earn your value.

Focus on building strong technical skills, skills companies rely on every day. Learn the fundamentals, then specialize. You don’t have to learn everything in IT, just the right things deeply.

And yes, experience matters. Two to three years of real corporate experience will teach you what no classroom can, how technology works in production environments.

When I started my first tech job at Time Warner Cable, I earned $45,000 a year. I was grateful, but I knew I could do more. Those early years were tough, long hours, late nights, constant learning. But I made myself a promise, I’d never stop improving.

That’s when I discovered Linux, and it changed my life.
I fell in love with the command line, the power it gave me, and the control it offered. I broke servers, fixed them, broke them again, and learned more each time. Slowly, my confidence grew. People began coming to me for help. I became the go-to person.

After six years of learning, experimenting, and failing forward, I landed my second job earning $110,000 a year. It wasn’t luck or timing. It was value.

That’s why I always tell my students, don’t chase money, chase mastery. When you bring real results, the money will chase you.

Here’s the key,
Pick one field in IT and stick with it.
Don’t jump from networking to cloud to cybersecurity every few months. Specialize until you stand out. As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

Technical skills will open doors, but communication skills will help you climb higher. Learn to explain complex topics simply. Read books, listen to podcasts, and keep growing because “readers are leaders.”

Take initiative. Lead small projects. Volunteer for new challenges. Real growth happens when you take ownership.

Be active in tech communities. Ask questions, help others, and engage in discussions. That’s how you stay sharp, spot opportunities, and build relationships that open doors.

Let me share something personal.
For 11 years, I lived in a neighborhood where nothing inspired me. Then I moved to a more affluent area, surrounded by doctors, entrepreneurs, and thinkers. That change transformed my mindset. One neighbor, TJ Walker, encouraged me to teach. I finally recorded my first online course, and that single decision changed everything.

Today, I have over 50+ online courses, two books, and more than a million students worldwide. None of this would have happened without surrounding myself with people who inspired growth.

So yes, your network matters. Surround yourself with people who lift you up.

Please also know that the IT industry changes fast. Keep learning. Take certifications, build labs, and stay hands-on.
If you want to strengthen your confidence in interviews and learn how to present your skills effectively, check out my course Complete Job Interview Skills with Real Life Examples — it’s packed with strategies that have helped thousands of students land their dream IT jobs.

Also, if you’re new to IT or want to refresh your foundation, my book IT Fundamentals – Everything You Need to Know About IT is a great place to start. It covers core concepts in a simple, practical way that prepares you for real-world success.

And if you want a head start, explore my best-selling Linux, DevOps, and Cloud courses, all designed with real-world labs and practice exams to help you grow faster.

To sum it up:

That’s how you build a strong foundation and eventually land that $80K–$100K IT job.

Let’s keep learning together, stay curious, and remember, the more value you bring, the more the world rewards you. /ads

Imran Afzal