[geeks] What is a system admin worth these days?

[Lionel Peterson]

> From: Brian Dunbar <brian.dunbar at plexus.com>
> Date: 2004/12/15 Wed AM 06:11:31 GMT
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Subject: [geeks] What is a system admin worth these days?
> 
> I've been putting in after hours work on a website / startup for the 
> past 18 months or so.  The principal has offered to compensate the low 
> salary* with stock - and wants a guesstimate (among other items) "The 
> amount you feel you should have received in a dollar amount".
> 
> I know what my time at the Day Job is worth - but I have no real idea 
> what a system administrator could command for his time.  I'd like to 
> give Michael a fair accounting of what I'm worth without being greedy.  
> And no, the place isn't in Wisconsin but in Seattle.**
> 
> Assume I have  10+ years of experience, buzz-word compliant, mixed Unix 
> (Solaris, mostly with BSD on the side) and Windows background.  What 
> would you charge?  What would you pay?  Any other comments?

Well, there are "billing" consultant rates and "paying" consultant rates (what a firm would bill a client for vs. what a contractor would get from the firm in the middle).

I'd suggest a simple rate of $500/8 hour day - it's a good compromise between the two rates - discounted by about 20% if the hours number is high.

I assume the startup is offering you "equity" commensurate with your reasonable contribution to teh effort. Equity <> money, so don't be put off by a big number. Remember it is "funny money", it is very negotiable, but why make your fantasy rate $25/hour?

Another strategy would be to simply quote your annual salary times the number of man-years" invested (man-years is aprox. 2000 hours)...

Hope this helps in some way (but it might be moot now, just remembered this is an old post...)

Lionel