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Ask HN: How to be an Individual Contributor with a higher salary than a manager?

22 points by dizzydes 8y ago

How does one become this? Practical examples appreciated.

mooreds 8y ago
Specialize, specialize, specialize. I don't mean Oracle, I mean Oracle deployments on AWS for ERP implementations. I don't mean Unix sysadmin, I mean Linux kernel on bare metal hardware tuning. I don't mean "I know our application", I mean "I have seen our application through N deployments and M different platforms and can troubleshoot on high transaction loads". Also, work for a big company or a consultancy that can leverage your talents. You won't be a highly paid IC at a small web consultancy, the leverage isn't there. Note that doing this exposes you to risk, as does all specialization. If your specialization is becomes obsolete, you have to start over, often at a lower pay grade.
tomohawk 8y ago
Become a government contractor for the US federal government.
- frankbreetz 8y ago
  Man, I hope you are right. I just started a position in US contracting about 8 months ago.
  - aintitthetruitt 8y ago
    This is more a function of a low ceiling for government employees than it is anything special about contracting. Like other places it's a race to the bottom for most, with small pockets of exceptional pay for very in demand specialties.
fpalmans 8y ago
Speaking from the perspective of a manager who had direct reports earning more than me. 1. Be good at what you do. This is a given. This also assumes that you do not require coaching to get better - you will just get better. 2. Be dependable. 100% dependable. Answer or return calls and emails promptly (within reason of course). Never, ever, miss your own deadlines. Make sure your manager is never blind-sighted. 3. Make it your primary focus to support your manager's success and his career. Be his eyes and ears, if need be.
- muzani 8y ago
  3 applies to almost every job with a manager. Even if you're just a janitor, being the eyes and ears of your manager lands you the best benefits.
  - fpalmans 8y ago
    Very true. Though I should have been more clear in what I wished to express... 3. Be exclusively interested in supporting and progressing your manager's career. Usually, you'd support your manager's success to drive your own success.
ioddly 8y ago
Higher than a manager at the same company? Be at one of the companies that offers a separate promotion track for engineering. Higher than managers in general? Keep interviewing, raising your rate and you should get there. I mean if you work in software dev you probably already make a shitload more than a lot of people with "manager" in their title so just double down on what works.
badpun 8y ago
In Europe, you do this by becoming a long-term contractor. They make more than their tech leads, and sometimes (depending on company) more than the directors of those tech-leads.
q-base 8y ago
As an independent contractor, in the right market, you will in a lot of cases make way more than any level remotely close to yours. If you are a scarce resource and gives immense value, then you can easily earn more than the managers close to you. And as I said several levels above them. In a lot of cases managers are more easily replaceable than good individual contributors.

22 points by dizzydes 8y ago

How does one become this? Practical examples appreciated.

Specialize, specialize, specialize. I don't mean Oracle, I mean Oracle deployments on AWS for ERP implementations. I don't mean Unix sysadmin, I mean Linux kernel on bare metal hardware tuning. I don't mean "I know our application", I mean "I have seen our application through N deployments and M different platforms and can troubleshoot on high transaction loads". Also, work for a big company or a consultancy that can leverage your talents. You won't be a highly paid IC at a small web consultancy, the leverage isn't there. Note that doing this exposes you to risk, as does all specialization. If your specialization is becomes obsolete, you have to start over, often at a lower pay grade.

tomohawk 8y ago

Become a government contractor for the US federal government.

frankbreetz 8y ago
Man, I hope you are right. I just started a position in US contracting about 8 months ago.
- aintitthetruitt 8y ago
  This is more a function of a low ceiling for government employees than it is anything special about contracting. Like other places it's a race to the bottom for most, with small pockets of exceptional pay for very in demand specialties.

fpalmans 8y ago

Speaking from the perspective of a manager who had direct reports earning more than me. 1. Be good at what you do. This is a given. This also assumes that you do not require coaching to get better - you will just get better. 2. Be dependable. 100% dependable. Answer or return calls and emails promptly (within reason of course). Never, ever, miss your own deadlines. Make sure your manager is never blind-sighted. 3. Make it your primary focus to support your manager's success and his career. Be his eyes and ears, if need be.

muzani 8y ago
3 applies to almost every job with a manager. Even if you're just a janitor, being the eyes and ears of your manager lands you the best benefits.
- fpalmans 8y ago
  Very true. Though I should have been more clear in what I wished to express... 3. Be exclusively interested in supporting and progressing your manager's career. Usually, you'd support your manager's success to drive your own success.

ioddly 8y ago

Higher than a manager at the same company? Be at one of the companies that offers a separate promotion track for engineering. Higher than managers in general? Keep interviewing, raising your rate and you should get there. I mean if you work in software dev you probably already make a shitload more than a lot of people with "manager" in their title so just double down on what works.

badpun 8y ago

In Europe, you do this by becoming a long-term contractor. They make more than their tech leads, and sometimes (depending on company) more than the directors of those tech-leads.

q-base 8y ago

As an independent contractor, in the right market, you will in a lot of cases make way more than any level remotely close to yours. If you are a scarce resource and gives immense value, then you can easily earn more than the managers close to you. And as I said several levels above them. In a lot of cases managers are more easily replaceable than good individual contributors.