Salary Story: I Went From $175,000 To $245,000 With Just One Job Change

In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions and job loss, with the hope it will give young people more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.

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Age: 35
Location: New York
Current industry and job title: Ad tech, senior product manager

Current salary: $245,000/year
Number of years employed since school or university: 12
Starting salary: $15 to $17/hour

Biggest salary jump: $175,000 to $245,000. It was a job switch. I got a LinkedIn message from someone who said she was looking for more women in tech in leadership, and that sparked my interest.

Biggest salary drop: $65,000 to $22/hour. I lost a job and had to have one immediately, so I took a pay cut.

Biggest negotiation regret: For a recent job, I was offered $130,000 and I went for $190,000. In the end, we agreed to $165,000. I wish I had negotiated like this — going high — in my initial jobs, because it’s harder to move once you start, and it took me years to build up from there.

Best salary advice: No one is going to ask for a raise for you. Ask every six months — the worst thing to hear is no, but you’ll have it in their minds that you want to move up. I had a boss who told me that once, and it always stuck with me. Also, if your company does reviews, always use that as a chance to gauge where you’re at, and what they would like to see from you. And read your benefits! The impact of bad benefits can really skew what may seem like a higher-paying role. This is something I think about often.

 I wanted to get into the IT field, and it was an entry-level job. I thought it would open doors to other roles, which it did. This was a new contracting house, so I was able to negotiate a bit higher, but I should have asked for more.

I was actively applying to other jobs. I found one and interviewed with the leadership team. I think it was, if I’m being honest with myself, a diversity hire — not a lot of women in technology. I was there for three months and was fired for calling into work on a Monday after going on a trip.

My old boss heard what happened, and before I left my previous job, I had applied for this position. The position was still open, and I needed a job, so I went back. I did not really negotiate because I felt a blow from my last job ending the way that it did — but it was another mistake to let emotions take over in business situations. As the only woman, I know I was making the least on the team.

I applied to a lot of roles trying to find what I thought might be a good next step career-wise. I ended up being with this company for seven years and went from $55,000 to leaving at $120,000 in 2020. 

I worked really hard and made sure I clearly understood what it took to get a raise/bonus, but also I learned a lot about how having that structure in place was important in being able to fight for those things. Not every company has a review plan and bonus structure, and it’s important that you think about that when you apply, and that you have it written in your contract.

I left the company with someone I worked with, and they helped me get a larger pay range. But this didn’t take into account insurance and other things, which I now am more conscious of.

I quit my previous role because it was the most toxic job I had ever had — and I worked at bars and restaurants through my early 20s, and this could top them twice over with negativity. I went in super high with every role I applied for at this time — I was offered $130,000 and asked for $190,000. We realistically came down to $165,000. Even though I knew I might not get a solid raise for a few years, I could afford to take it (because of the) insurance.

I did get a raise after year one. I had been reporting to the CTO and when he left the company, they gave me a $10,000 bump for assuming some of his responsibilities.

Someone had reached out to me on LinkedIn, and I was feeling like I was hitting a ceiling in my previous role, as I was reporting to the CFO at the time and knew that was not my next jump. There was not a clear progression path, where I felt like I would have room to grow. So I took the initial interview and really liked the company culture and team, which prompted me to move.

For my next career move, I want to continue to be in the product space. I see myself making $500,000+, somewhere in leadership for product in tech. I do not have a dream title — I just want to continue to be in roles that are challenging, and also where I have room for growth. I don’t want to be at a place where I am comfortable coasting for a while.

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