Salary Story: I'm Stressing Less & Earning More

Illustrated by Michelle Mildenberg.

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: 28
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Analyst in tech
Current salary: £50,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Five

Starting salary: £22,000 in 2017
Biggest salary jump: £33,000 to £45,000 in 2019
Biggest salary drop: N/A

Biggest negotiation regret: I wish I pushed into negotiating for more base salary in my current job. I found out a colleague accepted the same job for 10% more base but I didn't want to ask as I felt I didn't deserve it. I do deserve it!

Best salary advice: Look through the contract and job offer carefully, research what else is out there and negotiate with your cost of living and financial goals in mind. It isn't always about negotiating the base salary – think about the total package including any bonus and benefits offered.