Salary Story: I Let My Boss Talk Me Into Lower Pay

Illustrated by Vivienne Shao.

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 women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.

Been in the workforce for at least five years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here. Published stories receive £100.

Age: 36
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Solicitor, Law
Current salary: £70,000
Number of years employed since school or university: 14
Starting salary: £16,500
Biggest salary jump: From £48,000 to £70,000 in 2024.
Biggest salary drop: From £52,000 to £44,000 in 2021.

Biggest negotiation regret: Just taking what was offered at the firm I trained at when I qualified as a solicitor, rather than looking around. I could have maybe found a better salary. I also should have negotiated.

Best salary advice: Always try to remember your value to the company. Not just in your day-to-day work but also the cost of replacing you. They would need to advertise, interview, train, etc and all of that takes time and costs money. You can use this to your advantage.