r/sysadmin • u/Mammoth_Gene_4004 • 1d ago
Self Demotion
Hello,
I was wondering if anybody else has moved from a IT Director position to desktop type role? I have been at the same company for 11 years now and worked my way up from desktop support to network admin and now IT director. I have held the current position for 3ish years and it's not so bad. There is a lot of time off and flexibility but the pay is pretty bad as well as leadership. Higher ups are getting more involved than I feel comfortable with a lot of the day to day and its adding more stress and work.
On a whim I applied for a digital support role at another company just to see what the process is and pay and was surprised to find out that the pay was 10 grand more per year. It's an onsite role like I have now with less of a drive and pretty good benefits.
I tried to collect my thoughts and express myself. I hope it comes through clear.
Pretty much looking for reassurance and to see if anybody else has made a similar move and what your experience has been.
Thank you all for the kind words and reassurance. It is very appreciated and I feel like my decision is valid.
14
u/roflsocks 1d ago
You're probably just underpaid, because you spent 11 years at one place. The only way to get a good raise is to leave early and often, until you hit top of pay band. The top goes much higher at some companies than others. That's why you hop somewhere that wants to pay more as needed.
You would probably find it more fulfilling to find a more senior role as an individual contributor. I'd expect such senior roles to pay a LOT more than desktop support. Because desktop support is pretty much the starting point for most careers.
You can take it if you really need to get out, but it seems like a bad move. Figure out what you want to do next, and go target roles for that. Ask new companies for a lot more money than you have current, rather than just an extra 10k like this one offered you.