I have a degree in IT and have to compete with people more experienced than me for jobs that pay a dollar or two an hour more than retail jobs

In my experience the places paying barely more than retail wages are not hiring people with extensive resumes but mostly hiring people straight out of college. Places paying ~$20+ are where you’re probably competing with more experienced folks

Make sure you’re on LinkedIn, and also don’t discount uploading your resume to Indeed and marking yourself as looking for work on both. For as long as I’ve been working in the industry I’ve had recruiters contacting me on both platforms with various opportunities for contracts and employment.

Also work with your college/university and your instructors to be referred for openings. Often employers will reach out to colleges with IT programs when there’s openings in IT