How do you make TOP DOLLAR in this area? (calculator, income)

[Joke Insurance]

Originally Posted by VRE332

That will get you an entry position at any company for a salary that you will barely be able to stay afloat i.e. cheap labor. Gain some years of experience into a niche, and job hop a little bit. College degree not required.

College degree is required if you want to do something in organic chemistry, industrial design or civil engineering, for example. Almost every place would prefer you have a college degree. It does get you a bit further than what you described.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Novadhd5150

Yes but kind of hard if you have never worked for Government.
Most private employers dont want to have to dole out lots of cash to get you one either.
I wouldnt care for working for the FED and I hear the process is a pain.

How much cash do they have to dole out for one?

[gammann]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

How much cash do they have to dole out for one?

See my previous post.

Originally Posted by gammann

Actually, a clearance is relatively cheap.

How Much Does a Security Clearance Really Cost? | Security Clearance Jobs Blog

Priority SSBI's are less than $5k. What the employers don't want it is to wait. They have a billable spot now, and don't want to wait for your clearance to come through in order to bill for it.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by gammann

What the employers don't want it is to wait. They have a billable spot now, and don't want to wait for your clearance to come through in order to bill for it.

A couple weeks to get an interim?

[gammann]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

A couple weeks to get an interim?

Depends on the job, not all jobs let you start with an interim. Of course it does cost the company a bit of money if they hire you with an interim and then you can't get the final...cost of hiring an employee and all.

[Mike10]

what kind of salary bumps are most private companies giving these days each year?

[reebo]

3-5% average for the company, not including bonus.

[Jon_In_NOVA]

If a person has a polygraph, from my perspective you can bump that 3-5% to 10-20% comparing equivalent career paths.

An SSBI is nothing more then paperwork and having an investigator tied to you...now passing a polygraph(s) is a different story, which limits the people who have them, thus the potential to make more $$ then your non poly'ed counterparts.

P.S. I would consider top dollar, being under 30yrs old making over 100K. That salary goes up exponentially if you have a BS, certs, military experience, etc..

[gammann]

Originally Posted by Jon_In_NOVA

If a person has a polygraph, from my perspective you can bump that 3-5% to 10-20% comparing equivalent career paths.

Are you saying 10-20% raise a year for staying in the same job with the same company? or are you talking switching companies?

[Jon_In_NOVA]

Originally Posted by gammann

Are you saying 10-20% raise a year for staying in the same job with the same company? or are you talking switching companies?

No, I was just generalizing from government cleared type of work versus industry counterparts.

I expect raises to be few and far between for the next few years with government budget cuts and going into an election year.