Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

When you say customer support, do you mean support ops?

Meraki is on a completely different pay scale than Cisco due to all the perks we get in our offices. If we want to be paid similar to Cisco, we have to give up all our perks.

What are these Meraki perks?

Meraki is on a completely different pay scale than Cisco due to all the perks we get in our offices. If we want to be paid similar to Cisco, we have to give up all our perks.

If you are a new grad just work thru it and get the experience of real world. You will have a lot of time to make more money over your career

You need to download and follow "IT Salary Transparency" on Tiktok. In order to post on that channel you have to show your pay stub (critical info blacked out of course) but you'll see people saying they live in xyz state and work at xyz company for xyz years and make xyz amount and show definite proof. People in IT make a ton of money. Saw a product manager at Netflix the other day say he was 3 years experience pulling in 275k based out the Austin office.

I have not heard of an IT company saying we pay a lot. They all want to hire highly qualified, highly motivated people at dirt cheap money and then run them to ground until they are LR or leave on their own. Cisco is no different.

Meraki contracts out quite a bit through Randstad, who are likely making a good chunk of money off of you, sorry to say. I wouldn't make any demands for a raise given the current looming layoff about to happen, but I would suggest quietly updating your LinkedIn and resume, and start hustling to find another role elsewhere. $20/hr is very low.

The trouble is, once you're locked into a certain grade and pay range, especially if you're a contractor, the move up to make more $$ is seemingly impossible.

And yes, I'm a former Merakian of many years before anyone says anything.

I don't think Meraki TAC/ Network Support has red badges? If you are doing something like returns, rma, sales or logistics support than honestly compared to what grade level 4 gets at Meraki it's low but not that far off. Unless you are in technical support, then you are def under-compensated.

Burger flippers in the US are starting at 15/hour. Underpaid!

Contract company is probably making $100/hr off you. So yes underpaid. This Meraki TAC? In sales you would be crushing it on commissions.

Red badge engineer here.
Our VP laid off all red badges prior to LR announcement.
They used a clause in contracts so that we stopped being part of Cisco (and being paid) effective immediately (no severance, etc.).
Masters in IT, 10 years of IT experience, Eastern Europe.
Worked for Cisco 100% remotely (2 years total), never have been to any Cisco office.

$50/hr after taxes.
No paid PTO, no paid Bank Holidays, no paid Cisco Shutdown, no other benefits.
If you're US based, $20/hr for helpdesk IMHO is extremely underpaid.

I wish you can learn from this, and land a better paying job at a better company, using Cisco as a jumping point. Godspeed.

Either underpaid or you su-k at what you do

Layoff or not - you are being underpaid. Demand a raise or do something else. You have a degree + few years experience…. Your hourly wage comes out to $41,600. Beginners on IT services contracts for basic help desk roles (who have sec+ & MS windows cert) can get 60-70K if not more these days. Sys Admin even higher.