Salary Story: I Doubled My Salary In The Tech Industry

Illustrated by Other Maria.

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: Hampshire but working in London
Current industry and job title: Marketing director in tech
Current salary: £85,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Eight

Starting salary: £38,000 in 2014
Biggest salary jump: £37,000 to £80,000 in 2018
Biggest salary drop: £38,000 to £28,000 in 2015

Biggest negotiation regret: In my second job (2016-2018), I pushed for a salary raise, having learned that others with the same level of responsibility were on more. I was adamant that it was just because I was younger. I was belittled (by a woman) into thinking I was out of order for asking – today we might call it gaslighting. I later learned the business didn't have enough revenue to increase salaries but instead of this honesty, I was made out to be the problem.

Best salary advice: You do not need to justify your wage like it's a parent/child conversation but that's something we often do when we feel uncertain or uncomfortable. Emphasising your worth by demonstrating your impact is better than adjectives to describe your hard work.