I think you can only really earn the big bucks in IT if you're either a natural at it (eg started as a kid) or are able to blag.. I think the naturals at have a passion that means they simply learn whatever they need to.. I don't think it's something you can really force down yourself with courses etc.. (although of course there are exceptions)..

I started programming at the age of 5 (bbc micros at school!), then got onto 680x0 assembler by the age of 10, never became a developer oddly and then in the last 12 years have gone from helpdesk > field engineering > sys admin work > engineering work > consultancy > architecture via all kinds of companies from ISP's to media to legal to finance to manufacturing!