If you're looking for a good paying job, my recommendations are as follows:
- Love what you do and be passionate about it.
- Educate yourself, don't fools others - Most people neglect the fundamentals and jump into the advance stuff thinking it'll make them look smart. All tall buildings are built upon a stable foundation.
- Know your worth - Don't accept a job only because the employeer said they want to hire you. It's a two way street. What are they offering you long term? Is there growth? Does the work appeal to you?
- Good pay is subjective, so know what you're willing to accept and settle for nothing less.
- Build a reputation! Speak at conferences, Write articles, commit to Open Source projects
Don't be lazy. Just because someone will Google your name up and find out you answered a million questions on stackexchange.com that it makes you any way qualified for more money. Any code monkey can use Google to answer a question. Problem solving, strong technical knowledge, good personal skills, etc. make the world of difference when it comes to money.
I'm not perfect. Just perfect enough to know I'm good, but I'm not sure how good.