Without the experience, the certifications mean nothing - trust me. I'm a MCSA/MCSE/CCA/CCNP/CCA/CCEA - good $ =)
Looking for a partner to open a consulting firm.
I do government contracting and i have my CCNA, CCNP, CCSP and my MCP and MCSA. I normally clear over 160,000 a year with no college degree, now the caveat to that is that you have to go overseas, sometimes to hostile locations.