I Have A Great Job & Make $90,000 — But Wish I'd Negotiated Earlier In My Career
ADVERTISEMENT
In our series My Salary Story, 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 eight years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here.
Previously, we talked to a 29-year old regional manager in the wine and spirits industry who tripled her salary without changing companies, a 30-year-old technical business analyst who got a raise with the help of a maintenance person, a 33-year-old executive assistant who doubled her salary in less than four years.
Age: 33
Current Location: Charleston, SC
Current Industry & Title: Technology, Senior Marketing Specialist
Starting Salary: $55,000 base + 10% bonus in 2008
Current Salary: $90,000 base + 6% bonus
Number Of Years Employed: 11
Biggest Salary Jump: $22,500 ($71,000 to $93,500) in 2016.
Biggest Salary Drop: $24,000 ($89,000 to $65,000) in 2011.
Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "When I switched from sales to marketing I didn't negotiate at all. Because I thought I was lucky to have the opportunity to get out of sales — and always made sure I could live off my base salary — I didn't take into account that I was making over $90,000 some years during my early 20s. When I transitioned to a non-profit it was a huge wake up call. Seven years later, I'm still not fully recovered from my stupidity."
Best Salary-Related Advice: "Always negotiate. It doesn't hurt to do your research and push back on HR when they negotiate back. I've had some jobs try to strong arm me, but it's like buying a car. Don't be afraid to walk away if they aren't willing to pay what you are worth."
Current Location: Charleston, SC
Current Industry & Title: Technology, Senior Marketing Specialist
Starting Salary: $55,000 base + 10% bonus in 2008
Current Salary: $90,000 base + 6% bonus
Number Of Years Employed: 11
Biggest Salary Jump: $22,500 ($71,000 to $93,500) in 2016.
Biggest Salary Drop: $24,000 ($89,000 to $65,000) in 2011.
Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "When I switched from sales to marketing I didn't negotiate at all. Because I thought I was lucky to have the opportunity to get out of sales — and always made sure I could live off my base salary — I didn't take into account that I was making over $90,000 some years during my early 20s. When I transitioned to a non-profit it was a huge wake up call. Seven years later, I'm still not fully recovered from my stupidity."
Best Salary-Related Advice: "Always negotiate. It doesn't hurt to do your research and push back on HR when they negotiate back. I've had some jobs try to strong arm me, but it's like buying a car. Don't be afraid to walk away if they aren't willing to pay what you are worth."
ADVERTISEMENT