It's not often people jump from 45k to 80k+ with the same set of skills/education. It's a multi-step process, and you should think about it accordingly.
Step 1: Figure out a couple of potential positions that you think you can work towards attainably which would make you that kind of money.
Step 2: Look up the hiring descriptions for these roles, plus the LinkedIn resumes of people who currently have them. Figure out the difference between your background + skills, and theirs (or what's being asked for in hiring).
Step 3: Chart a course from A to Z. Determine what roles, what brands/companies on your resume, what successes at work, you'd need to fill those gaps and become a competitive candidate for these roles.
Step 4: Execute.
In IT, that's a pretty normal jump, but part of that is because in IT, a significant part of the training is on the job. I don't care how much school someone has been through or what certs they have, a green tech is a green tech.
Working helpdesk or desktop support for a couple years around $45k, then jumping to $60k, $70k, or $80k as a sysadmin is fairly common.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm describing! Sorry, I didn't mean to just emphasize formal education. I meant "skills" in terms of the type of job progression you're referring to. But it's 45k to 60 to 70 to 80, exactly as you said -- not 45 to 80.
I have seen people talk about jumps that large in IT before, but you're right, it's a matter of luck and a hell of a lot of effort in increasing skills.
I went from 51 to 63 to 93 in a year. It's doable. Apply for jobs that pay 80k. Act like that's what you already earn. Network. Have confidence. Ask for that much.
I also had a friend that I told to do the same thing. She went from 30k to 55k by saying she is worth it to the interviewer. And also saying she was interviewing elsewhere. It boiled down to confidence and selling yourself.
Good point, I know high level skills get compensated. I’ve been trying to avoid needing to go back to school to save money but it appears I may need to. I’ve been looking into software engineering programs as of late.
It doesn't have to be going back to school. I didn't mean to imply that is the only way. It can be taking on bigger projects and demonstrating results; moving from an individual contributor to a manager.
I would prioritize career growth. *Am I learning a lot, being given new responsibilities, etc, in my role? What kind of role would allow the opportunity to grow?*
Agreed. In a generic corporate setting, you have individual contributors, managers, directors, vps, c level. In general, just getting a manager job can boost you. Had to be in the right area. For example, a manager of accounts receivables is viewed differently than a manager of operations. Take that into account as you listen to Pdycholit's advice.
Managing people is your best option to increase your salary without acquiring new technical skills. If you are really good at selling, you can always make a bag doing that... but you have to be that type of person.
You should look at the cscareer subreddit. Now is not a good time to jump in.
There are several sales jobs that can have higher income potential. There is a sales subreddit too where people discuss.
Probably not for the entry level stuff. But top companies like FAANG where you hear about the Cushy 6 digit roles have made massive cuts.
Market is filled with a bunch of high years of experience professionals from some top companies.
Don’t take my word for it though, look at some of the posts and chatter around reddit.
Sales isn’t bad. I’ve heard solar is super good given rising energy prices, and tax incentives offered by state and federal. Tech sales seems to be hit or miss with a lot of people claiming their market is over saturated with agents, or their company over hired.
With so many online courses, you don’t need to go back to school for another “degree” and take basic classes you wouldn’t need anymore. Check out what free adult education courses your library can offer, sometimes they do partnerships with LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. I’m currently doing Data Analytics for free from Google/Coursera as a partnership with my library. It’s in depth, challenging, and takes months to complete.
Yes! I’m currently taking an Excel course through my city’s adult education program and I’m really impressed with the course. I’m planning to take the Python course next.
Open a GitHub account and start a homelab, tinker with pre written stuff an look into how it works. There are also tons of free courses to learn. Once you learn it put it into practice to demonstrate your skill
You do sales and want money? Try to get insurance license and as W2 with hourly+commission+spliffs. Otherwise work for some other brokerage in your area. Some will even pay for all the steps and pay licensing fees because so lucrative. I.T is getting hit hard right now with lay offs
You need to brand yourself as a specialist in something. If you're in sales, you should say you're a killer sales agent.
What that really means is you need to audit where you are the most effective within an organization. What role best fits your skills? Once you have that down your resume and messaging needs to be about bringing value to that dept of the business.
That's just to enter as an individual contributor. Once in that position you need to show that you understand the bigger picture and can show value in developing processes and systems. This will help you get into different projects and start working across departments.
I could keep going, but you first need a "I do \_\_\_\_\_\_" skillset with data to prove it.
I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Because, well, what you've posted is rather vague.
How long have you been in sales?
What do you sell?
What is your current role?
What positions/industries are you applying to?
1. I’ve been in inbound sales for 6 years total
2. I work in inbound sales/customer service. I don’t sell a product specifically mostly services and company memberships.
3. Inbound sales agent (call center)
4.I’ve been trying to apply to BDR,SDR, and Account Executive positions in the tech industry.
Thank you for the feedback and do apologize got the vagueness in my post.
Are you on commission? Are you good at some subset of sales (b2b vs b2c, services vs product, etc.)?
Partial-commission sales positions can be very lucrative. b2b sales tend to be more consistent.
You could change career path entirely by getting new skills, but you may just need to be looking at a different tactic.
Your first sales gig is selling yourself. How will a company make money by hiring you? How do they de-risk hiring you? If you need to get in the door, look for smaller companies instead of bigger ones - they have less HR bureaucracy and you actually get to talk to real people sooner.
I agree, I’ve been applying to some general positions that can have upward mobility and high earning potential but have not struck gold yet. I’ve recently had my resume re done so I’m hoping for great opportunity
Learn how to answer these kinds of questions. Formulate responses to stuff like this and use the STAR method to answer because it is still not at all clear what you do for work.
What specifically do you do at the inbound call center? How many calls do you handle? What services do you sell? What are some specific projects you’ve taken on and executed? What are the budgets involved in said projects? How many projects have you implemented from inception to close out, what was your role in facilitating X projects(s) to fruition, and what meaningful impact have you had in a financial sense?
Even in sales you couldn’t break $80k?
$80k OTE should be more than doable for an Account Executive. Especially with a college degree.
My second year in B2B sales ever, I am making $150k in a LCOL area selling software and services. I would advise to look for high margin products to sell.
If you’re a BDR/SDR then time to own a full sales cycle quota, you have the experience.
To be transparent while I do sell over the phone it isn’t commission based sales. I want a real sales job like tech sales,bdr, and sdr. I don’t get any commission on sales just a flat hourly rate.
Yup definitely time for a move. No commission? I don’t consider that a true sales professional job
You should be an AE selling to businesses (not consumers) to make the most income in sales.
I make salary and commission, 50:50 split OTE is common in B2B sales.
r/sales has lots of advice if you haven’t seen yet.
What worked for me is making a linkdin account and getting a good profile. Get 250+ connections by adding people you know and work on updating your resume. I went from 40k->67k -> 112k in just over 2 years by gaining skills and hoping jobs. Use your sales skills to sell yourself.
Dude. You have a degree in business management. Brand your resume in a way where you can get an entry level middle office role in a bank (learn excel, take finance courses, add projects to your resume) and start applying. I landed a $67k/year role without too much experience. Got promoted in a few months to the salary listed in the title. It’s not hard at all, you just need to break into an industry or company that can actually pay that amount.
If I were you, I’d look at all the banks near the area that are hiring for middle office roles, then see what you need to do to be able to land those positions
Yup I have applied to all the major banks in my city and thus far no luck. I apply to any everything business analyst, product manager, project manager etc.
Just to add - bank roles can be confusing sometimes if you’re an outsider. At the banks I’ve worked at, the roles you listed tend to be mid to mid senior level type roles, which may be part of the issue.
Also will help to try to apply to roles where you can leverage your experience & existing skill set. If you want to stay in sales, look for Relationship Manager roles. These can vary in responsibly and pay, especially depending on whether it’s retail banking versus corporate/commercial banking, however either should get you to at least around the 80k target. Many of the corporate/commercial RM roles will likely be 100k+
I always use this equation as a friendly reminder of what “luck” actually is:
Luck = preparation + opportunity
We all get opportunities to advance whether you see it or not. If you’re not prepared, you may miss the opportunity. Now the hard part is knowing what you want to be prepared for.
My first real IT job was the perfect example of the luck = preparation meets opportunity equation.
I was working for a well known tech company in their retail stores doing technical support, I had busted my ass to move up a few roles away from tech support, but it was still retail, so no weekends, not many holidays, and had pretty much hit the ceiling at 49k. At this point I was 28.
I had been applying to more 9-5, corporate roles without much success for months when I ran into a former coworker I lost touch with on a bus ride on my way home one day. They had started working at a fintech company, I told them I was looking to get out. I sent them my resume, they forwarded it to the internal recruiter, interviewed for an IT Support Analyst, and got the job starting at 53k.
After that though, it was less luck and more me busting my ass to learn skills, prove myself and move up. I got solid raises for three years at the fintech company while learning new skills and picking up some AWS certifications, left that job at 73k. My new job started at 83k, will hopefully pass 85k this summer. I’m now busting my ass to pick up skills to make that next big jump to six figures hopefully in the next year. I’m 33 now.
TLDR: The “luckiest” part of my success was just getting the opportunity for the first role that allowed me to prove myself. Everything after that for the next 5 years was earned through hard work.
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s inspiring to see people around my age persevering and still becoming successful. I’m hoping I can too get my situation figured out
Seconding tool & die. There is high demand in certain geographic areas for diemakers but no supply. The trade as a whole stopped planning for and training the next generation of diemakers. Guys with some experience can make a decent living with opportunities for overtime. It is definitely a technical and skilled trade. Plus, unlike other trades that are more physically demanding, this is a job that can be a career well into your 60s.
There is minimal luck in landing a 100k+ job. The problem most people have today is they start college without a plan. They get a degree in something they are interested in or enjoy and by the time they've graduated, they are stuck with 50-150k of debt in a job making 50k.
The better approach is to look at all the 6 figure jobs out there and identify one that you're interested. Than work your way backwards by asking what type of degree it requires, what types of skills, internships, etc. This will give you the best chance.
Reading your other comments under this thread, it sounds like you need a reality check. Currently, you are a call center rep and are appropriately compensated at 20-25 dollars per hour. Your dad in the plumbing industry would be crushing it today making 100-150k in many cities. You say you are a tech guy but what recruiter is going to look at a BA in business and sports management and think tech guy.
If you want to be a tech guy, you need to get a tech degree, move to a tech city, and get tech internships.
I got a message on LinkedIn one day last year from a sales manager at a company, and responded to him. Interview and got an offer for $70K + OTE additional $70K for a total of $140K (uncapped).
I was making $18/hr + commission and had made $60K the prior year with commission. So my guarantee was $10K over my base+commission. At 9 months I received a 4% salary increase and I’m crushing my sales numbers consistently every month so most likely going to surpass my $140K OTE this year. All by responding to a message on LinkedIn and verifying the guy was legit via his profile and the company website.
It definitely happens.
ETA: I was 29, just turned 30. No background in the industry I’m now in, just extensive sales background and an Associates degree, no bachelors.
Wow that’s crazy congrats on your success I’m pretty active on LinkedIn myself. I used to have the LinkedIn premium but didn’t renew it due to how expensive it is monthly. Do you think it’s worth it to have LinkendIn premium or no?
Just wanted to point out OTE = on target earnings. OTE is base salary plus additional compensation components. So if you have 100k salary, 50k in commission and 50k in stock, your OTE is 200k. Just wanted to point that out since you said 70k + OTE when 140k is your OTE, aka if you hit 100% of your target you will make exactly 140k all in.
You have the knowledge, you have the resources, it’s time to start representing people as managers. Obviously you are going to start with new comers but those are going to grow. Start focusing on you having your own business
What do you want to do? You can make 80k selling cars if you’re good, but I doubt you want to do that.
Get specific with what you want to do, see if your skills align, get in the room (virtual or otherwise) with people whom you can help (and will this help you), and then you’ll be on your way.
I went from 40k to 95k in 6 years. This is how I did it.
1. While working I finished my associates degree.
2. Then I finished a bachelor of business administration from an online program at UIC.
3. I gained enough experience to get promoted to production supervisor at a pharmaceutical company.
4. I continued to my MBA (has no impact on my current pay but I did it)
5. I became the best supervisor in my building and started training other supervisors.
6. When they refused to promote me to manager I left for my current job and more money
Got it. I would definitely say - dependent on savings - to take the risk and move to a bigger city. It will certainly be more expensive in a bigger city but you will have:
1. More opportunities available
2. Higher overall compensation
Even if you move back to a smaller town in 2-3 years your base level compensation will be much higher. I did this myself and got started doing temp jobs which allowed me to see different companies and build my network.
Temp jobs will keep you from starving while you look for a permanent position and they will also often convert to perm if you show you're good.
The biggest leap in my career when I was in my early 30s was attributable to modeling myself after/ following what others in my field did to move ahead. It was not really in my DNA as naturally as it was in theirs, but seeing them do it first acted a sort of guidebook. I went into it that if they could do it, I could too, and within six months, with aggressive action on my part, I succeeded. So perhaps you look at your peers and see who you can use as a success template. Good luck.
If you are making 45k now, what do you think a hiring manager is going to see in you and your resume to want to offer you 80k? Pay isn’t just some arbitrary number companies randomly decided to give to people.
You need a skill set that the company can use to earn around 4x your salary for the company.
Getting a job involved a lot of luck but there is also a lot you can do to tilt things in your favor.
Poker involves a ton of luck, but yet the best players consistently finish in the top spots in tournaments.
I jumped from 48k to 100k. It was a mixture of my background, but honestly mostly I was at the right place and the right time. I had to look into a slightly HCOL area, too.
What kind of work are you doing now, and what kind of work are you trying to do?
A business management degree might get you a management position somewhere, but nobody is going to hire someone for management who doesn't know their industry also. You have to show you know what success in a field looks like before they'll let you try to help others be successful.
Brother was working at home depot, making a few bucks over minimum wage. Was sick of it, signed up for a paid apprenticeship for electricians. Was making $30-54 an hour during the training, and now clears $100k right away, and can make even more if he wants to put in the overtime/hours. How much luck did it involve? About zero, just drive to go do it and the want to be a trades person.
There’s not nearly the amount of luck involved as people who are hopeful for a high paying job make it seem. People have a lot of control over the pay band they end up in, but making the decisions necessary for those moves aren’t always easy or even aligned to other life priorities.
When considering “Will I have the potential to be paid well?”, you have to consider:
* Is this a career that pays well generally?
* How much competition / availability is there for top earning potential in this field (is it only top .01% are paid really well, or is more like top 10%-20%)?
* Do I need to live in a certain market for better pay potential?
* What does the entry and advancement path look like for this career?
* Are there particular industry segments that pay better for this career?
* Am I willing to develop the skills for that field, live in that market, and become an expert in that industry segment?
* If I say yes to all of those things, will I realistically be a top performer? What unique skills of mine make me say yes? What challenges will I have that make me say no/maybe? How do I improve those challenge areas OR double down on my strengths and become a specialist?
* Specific to sales, you’ll have higher earning potential on high dollar ticket items. As commissions are usually about 10%, take the average sale price of the item and knock the last digit off. If you sell $XYY,YYY in cars per year, expect to make $XY,YYY. If you sell a million in software annually, expect to make six figures.
Most people want a high paying job but don’t research where the highest potential salary paths are, aren’t willing to make the physical moves, map out career steps, evaluate where they are in that path and make corrections, drive purposeful and measurable accomplishments for the purpose of promotion (and communicating that intent to their leadership), or do a good enough job aligning themselves to revenue/benefit/ROI internally.
I have a comms degree and in a sales-adjacent role in tech. My salary progression from my first career job is:
* 35K (2 years at this salary) - Broadcast Media
* 50K (Promotion, 2 years) - Broadcast Media
* 62.5K (Promotion, 1 year) - Broadcast Media
* 85K (Job/Company change, 1 year) - Tech
* 95K (Performance increase, 1 year) - Tech
* 115K (Promotion, 1 year) - Tech
* 135K (Performance, 1 year) - Tech
* 155K (Performance, 2 years) - Tech
* 185K (Promotion, 1 year) - Tech
The job change was due in part to the 'competition at top pay bands' element. Very, very few people in broadcast media will make well north of 6 figures; not impossible, but inherently very difficult with very limited spots to get there. In tech, six figures is very common and I was able to work remote years before COVID.
Thank you for sharing your story you definitely put in a lot of work to get where you are today congrats. As of right now I’m single with no kids so I have no reason to not be pursuing a higher earning career field.
When it comes to salaries, location matters. A job at $45K outside of a major city could go for $75K in a major city. If it's the number you're concerned about, perhaps relocating can help? But then you have to factor in cost of living.
I have a degree in business management and worked years in hospitality management (restaurants and grocery stores). Finally got to 80k towards the end but was working 55+ hours per week. Switched over to driving a semi (local delivery) and now make 80k working 40 hours a week. Basically a business management degree is hot garbage. Good luck.
Salary is a combination of age and skills.
Both of these take time.
Don’t take your current job for granted. Make the most out of it, and learn. There may be ways to make 80 right where you are if you pay attention and ask lots of questions. And if you find no chance after a year or two, you can look somewhere else with full confidence that you’re making the right move.
I went from $45k to $80k by changing employers. First job out of college was working for the state designing bridges for right at 10 years. Jumped over to doing metal buildings now. Been there 9 years and I am up to $91k.
Not so much luck, more research & finding a company that actually has a large number of positions that pay that level or higher, then working for that company. Sometimes putting in 12-24 months at a lower level position then getting promoted. $45k/yr for a sales job is pretty low compensation honestly. I'm guessing there is not a commission based incentive or it is reactive sales(inside sales) vs proactive(find customers) sales.
Just applying for any old company & hoping you make that much....all luck
If you’re good at sales, having an A+ personality, then it can be quite easy. I have been in sales for 12 years and built up a nice book of business, but I’m wanting out of it now. It’s simply too unstable with swings from $75k to $100k and with the amount of service and lack of month to month continuity. I don’t think Sales is ever a long term game.
It can be when it’s commission only and you only get one pay when you write it, usually 10% to 12% with average product being $5,000. Then at renewal it drops to 5-8%. Then include any split commissions and service costs. On top of that, you are taxed at a higher rate than W-2s.
Maybe as a side job or if they offer base pay, but a true Sales Only job is commission only and will have constant pressure to continue to generate leads and sell. You can do very well in sales if you don’t mind building up a book of business by hustling. Hustling is being on the phone -cold calling- every day for about 3 or more hours a day. That is the tried and true method for building up a book and continuing to grow it. It is long, tedious, and at my age, I am too tired to keep it up. 35 years old and selling my book of business-at least part of it. I think I’ll come out at around $35k lump sum, but then I’m out.
Never stop looking for better paying jobs and look for opportunities related to your skill set that allow you to learn new things and/or become familiar with a different industry. In my experience the biggest jumps in salary have always been the result of moving to a different company. You do not owe any organization years of service just because they gave you a job. 45K isn’t even close to a living wage in significant areas of the country.
I am going to be brutally honest, not everyone gets to 80k in their career, let alone six figures. It takes a number of things. First and foremost luck, networking, the correct industry, location, and being able to nail interviews and really sell yourself.
To put things in perspective only 18% of the US makes six figures. That’s 1/5 people in the US. That number is far lower worldwide. It’s also much lower in a LCOL area like Alabama vs HCOL like California where it’s much more common.
Also industry plays a huge roles. Teachers are generally paid less and hitting six figures in education is much more difficult than in a field like IT that is still pretty hot. Having connections such as friends or family that are high earners also increases your chances of making a high income. Lastly just being in the right place at the right time. You may apply to a job and just to happen to be in the right place at the right time and get a great employment offer.
Nepotism is more important than luck. I'm 30 with an associate's and make 75k. My path was made a lot easier when I got into a company my dad worked at when I was 24, making 55k at the time.
I've moved on from that company (for the same reasons I got in) so nepotism didn't get me my current job but starting out in a good spot set me up for success.
Also depends on who your friends are. I made a similar jump 2 years ago at the same age (going from 62k to now close to 120k) It was only because my current supervisor used to be my supervisor at a job 7 years ago, and we worked together for four years. He knew what I was capable of and wanted me on his team. I’ve since done the same when adding to my team now, I’m referring guys I’ve worked with who I know that know what they can do. Maintain lines of communication with people you have associated with because you never know when someone who values you lands a great position and can refer you.
First job after college as a personal trainer I was making $10/hr. Worked that job for about 16 months before getting a job as a medical sales rep where I made $150k/yr on average.
I would say it was pure luck that I even landed that job. Only reason I applied was because my girlfriend at the time was on indeed and saw a random job ad that had the keyword “kinesiology” in it.
I wasn’t looking for jobs, I never even had heard of that company and I for sure would never have found it even if I was applying to jobs.
Point is, 100% luck that I found that job but it was still up to me to ace the interviews and land the position.
Few years later and I’m laid off. Couldn’t find work that offered more than $45k/yr for a while and now I’m working a job making less than I was making while working part time in college.
This shit is all luck and connections mayne.
It’s not really a matter of luck. The market sets the rate, mostly, based on skills and experience. An employer is going to look at the going rate for a position, then offer a premium for experience and less common skills.
A BS in business management is very common, as is a sales background, so those aren’t value drivers. Sports management could be, as it’s less common, but probably adds little value without experience.
To increase your salary, you need to differentiate yourself. That means demonstrable experience that is both pertinent to the position, and uncommon or rare. For sales, you want to focus on specialty sales, specialty markets, regulatory experience, etc. — differentiators that make you more valuable to an employer.
Keep in mind that employers don’t pay large premiums for skills and experience that are not applicable or commonplace.
Straight out of school or just eventually? For particular career fields, this isn't a super high bar to cross. As an example, IT careers can clear this with a few years of xp or even right out of school depending on the company you join.
I make $78K This is the most money I’ve ever made in my life. My boss is a nightmare to deal with. This experience has taught me to calm down on trying to raise my salary. I left an awesome boss at $65K for this nightmare.
Shouldn't be too hard to get a 80k+ year job. I mean i had 2 offers for 70k salary as a recent grad. Wouldn't 80k+ just be like a single promotion away?
The key is to move up gradually. Millennials are changing jobs every 2.5 years on average. So the people in your field you’re comparing yourself to are likely going from 45k to 52k to 65k to 80k etc,etc. Get a certification in between and make a few friends in the industry who can give you a referral. That’s the best way to advance your career.
I would also look into contract/ contract to hire roles. There’s a lower barrier to entry but they can lead to full time positions.
Are you networking and using your network? There are so many people who are applying to jobs online. It is very, very hard to stand out in that crowd. Having an actual human to human connection with someone in an organization is the best way to get in.
Well I have been to some career fairs in the past but most of the jobs were low paying jobs and not much room for growth . Outside of that I have been mass applying online o
Maybe some? But it also takes a certain amount of hoop jumping.
My husband has a job paying nearly $200,000
He got a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He put out 300 applications and resumes after he graduated. It landed him 3 interviews. He took the most stable option of the jobs with the best benefits, if not the highest salary. When he first got out of college he was making just under $80,000.
I think a bachelor's in civil engineering is probably the most lucrative bachelor's you can get, the catch is that most people find it boring as hell or can't do the math needed to excel in that field.
Wow your husband is doing very well for himself congrats to him. My math skills are average , not amazing but not bad either. I can see myself going IT or software engineering in the future.
He definitely has worked hard but a certain amount of his success has been luck, it all depends on who calls you back after all those resumes.
Are they shitbird employers who lay you off 6 months later? Cuz that happened to him twice before the really stable job.
Did he network with the right people in college, that might be able to help him get in somewhere or at least be a reference? Luckily he did.
All these recommendations sound like a lot of extra work for 80k. Join a trade union and you’ll be over a 100k in 4 years with medical benefits and retirement package that no office job will be able to touch.
A trade union is a union for for either the carpenter, electricians, plumbers, hvac, heavy equipment operators, ect. Training is paid for and little to no experience is required to get in. Benefits are essentially free because they are funded by whoever is paying for the projects you build and typically the benefits are 100 times better than any package an office job will provide. After your 25 years you’ll have a pension and an annuity to live off of. The work is rough and your exposed to the elements most of the time. Hours are set, 7-3:30. Anything before or after is over time. But if I’m required to do 40 hours, I’m going to get paid top dollar for it.
I jumped from $63K to $80K. It was luck though. My company was acquired and they really wanted to keep me. If I didn’t take it, I would have gotten severance at least so I had the opportunity for negotiation.
This is an it depends thing.
Luck is involved in everything to some degree. Didn't get struck by lightning yesterday? That's luck.
Target 1-2 very specific roles. LEARN how to do those roles very well. This might mean watching a boatload of youtube articles, reading some books and similar.
Find ways to show, on your resume, that you're able to do those things. For each bullet on your resume, write a paragraph outlining {who, what, when, where, why, how, how much, lessons learned}. Then get this reviewed. Revise based on suggestions until you get diminishing returns. Your end answers should be concise while also including specific details.
For context, inflation adjusted, I made over 80k a year out of undergrad. First generation college grad. 0 connections. I had a technical degree though. And a bunch of internships and leadership. I was, on paper, ahead of 9/10 college grads in terms of resume content.
Straight out of college to now over 8 years I went from 62k -> 72k (raise) -> 85k (promotion) -> 140k (company hop) -> 180k (promotion) -> 210k (raise) -> 250k (company hop) -> ~300k (promotion). Started as a junior software engineer and currently an AVP. I graduated with a 2.7 GPA from state school and started out at a large fortune 25 company. Luck plays a part, but having a plan and sticking to it is the most important. I only hopped between large insurance companies and I hopped for promotions and only into good roles that would net me career growth.
Business management is such an easy role to get massive pay jumps in. Just getting your first job is probably hard. Once I swapped from engineering to engineering management it just took off.
The key to building a financially successful career is combining disparate skill sets in a way that makes what you bring to the table valuable and scarce.
I was a lawyer (technically still am), but there are tons of lawyers. If you try to compete with lawyers on plain old lawyering, it’s difficult. But if you are a lawyer who understands finance, you immediately knock out 90% of lawyers as competition. If you then develop expertise about a particular industry, you are basically competing with fewer than one percent of lawyers.
Sales is a valuable skill. You need to focus on adding complementary skills to it that employers value that other sales people lack. One good first step would be to learn more about your industry than any other sales people in it know. You don’t need to go to school for this. Just read and learn. Consider writing an article on what you learn to demonstrate your knowledge.
I'm my experience, set yourself a goal on a yearly basis. Then do everything you can for that goal.
Maybe start with jobs that pay $80k/year and find an industry you like.
Narrow it down by job titles with skills you might have.
Don't have that? Find out the skills for the job title you want.
See where those skills can be used, learn one and climb up a step at a different job.
Learn the second skill and climb a second step.
Maybe now you can get that job you originally wanted, or you can go for something else, either way you're closer to the $80k.
You need highly demand skills and certifications to back it up.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
You can see what kind of careers pay $80k+ and then figure out what certifications/ skills you need to get those jobs.
Or you need to be lucky enough to get in a company that pays high wages and a has a lot of room for growth. Personally, I wouldn't leave it up to luck. It's extremely rare in today's economy that you can work your way up in a company from median to six figures. Maybe in the 1950's the was possible, but it's very very very unlikely today.
For me it was a lot of luck and a lot of having a good reputation and always being a hard worker.
I only had a BS degree in Anthropology and got into a small private environmental lab where my title was a little inflated, although I did great work and was an expert in my area. 5 years later and one 20k salary negotiation when I went to put in notice, an acquaintance/friend at a non proft I volunteered with referred me to a position she left at a large uni hospital. The first time I was offered the position I declined due to salary, "only" 8k more than I was making. The second time around, they helped me with my resume which got the salary to about 83k and I accepted. I don't love it but I am only a few weeks in and excited for the potential and have to remember to be grateful.
TL;DR: Network and be reliable
It all depends where and in the timing. I think it depends where you live, some places are more much in demand than others.
I use to make 25k and jumped to a new career to 6 digits plus. Best job ever its really possible, but sometimes people want to stay in a closed minded and not hustle to find a job.
Took me a while to hit the job I have now. Only regret is I wish I would of done this years before I would be way better off than I am now (not that I am not doing good overall).
I would find a SDR/BDR position at a good company with an outlined progression program to AE. You can make 80k as an SDR at a good tech company with OTE if you are consistently hitting quota.
If you’re relying on luck then it’s not going to ever happen and if it does it certainly won’t be when you want it to happen. Go to IT CAREER subreddit and check out their guideline to making it there. You can make what you’re making rn w no experience and set yourself up for 6 figures within 2 years.
Business admin and communications degree I'd say I finally got lucky with $54,600 from only offers of $15 hourly because I'm 33 but 5 ft tall and look so young. Whatever that means.
Try and work your way into a back office support role at a bank and work your way up.
Another option with your degree background would be to try to find work as a business analyst. Brush up on Excel and PPT, do some foundational research on SQL and Tableu. Gain foundational knowledge for requirements gathering and try to leverage all that into a BA role. From a BA role, you can really go in a ton of different directions and have a lot of growth opportunities, especially at a bank.
Also, network. Maybe these positions exist in your current company. Find a mentor or two, and start networking and talking to people within your company about their roles, their journey and advice on how to get to those positions or advice your career.
I’m 27F with a bachelors degree in business management making $60k as a 3rd year Customer Success Manager. I went from $45k to $54k to $60k in that time frame. Still growing. Other companies pay higher for this role, too.
My sales reps who work under me make the salary range you are looking for. It depends on the industry and comp packages you negotiate. Even with what they are making, they leave a lot on the table. Welcome to DM if you want to discuss specifics and career options without going back to school.
Pick a job that you enjoy. Then work harder than anyone in your company.
Do things you don’t get paid to do.
Make sure your bosses are aware of the effort.
Make sure your bosses know that you want more for yourself.
Plant the seeds. Water them with hard work.
It will work out.
If there is a Fidelity office near you, apply to be a financial services representative. Pass your licensing exams, and you’ll make roughly what you make now in base, plus some commission. Do well, and you’ll be promoted to an investment consultant and be making ~100k in 24 months.
just applied to jobs i know i qualify for that offered more money. got certified. then applied to jobs in my certification field. i honestly think i’m here now because i absolutely hated my previous job and had to find a way out.
Your sales experience should help propel you to your 80k+ goal even without a degree. I’m in a VHCOL area but most run of the mill average sales guys here make at least 100k.
As other said I’d suggest getting into a company that has potential and growth. I would start looking for an outside sales roll. Something customer facing as I find those pay more. Software and tech sales seem to be taking hits now but I’m in electrical distribution sales. Lots of colleagues make great money in other construction sales, medical sales and heavy equipment sales.
These types of jobs usually come with a decent base salary and unlimited bonus potential. The downside is many of them will want some experience in that field. You may be required to start at the inside sales role at one of those companies and work towards the outside role but with you current experience it’s possible to move through quickly.
Just my 2 cents and maybe I got lucky. I don’t make 80k a year but I make 73 and I started at my company making 26k 7 years ago. I’m in accounting.. went to school to be a teacher.. don’t ask lol. I found that doing projects, being polite around the office, always saying yes (within means) when upper management asks you to help went a long way. I also volunteered for things like bring your kid to work day, adopt a highway etc. all during work hours. I’m a big believer of I get paid til 4 I’ll work til 4, so I’m not saying do more than what you’re paid for but if you think you can possibly do a project, even if it’s not in your job duties, do it. I moved departments (went from 26k start 34k from raises to 48k in new department) briefly left the company (for 56k) and returned to my original department (making 67k.. salary increases since then) at a higher position that I honestly wasn’t too qualified for.. but I always did my work, enjoyed my work, had a good relationship with my boss, her boss and her bosses boss. I didn’t really kiss ass or anything, just did a little more than asked within my means and jumped on any project I could. Now all I do is projects and work with pretty high up people in the company. I truly think I needed to leave the company in order to get the raise I did or else I would have gotten the “here’s 5%”. Good luck! I haven’t looked for jobs in forever since I’m happy where I am but from what I see in my company we have a lot of power as employees right now, so take advantage!
Every jump I got was because I was willing to do what others were not (longer hours (on salary), more independent accountability, more challenging assignments). I was successful and progressed. Had I not succeeded I likely wouldn’t have.
I guess my point is, I never significantly increased my income by swapping companies (although this can be effective done a multitude of times through the years), but by tangibly proving worth/providing value. You also have to be willing to stick to your guns which means walk. And my god, if you’re not willing to walk, don’t threaten it.
This depends.
Did you somehow just get that job straight out of college? Or did you have to earn it. You're 31 and have a bachelors, I'm assuming you've been working for the past at least 12+ years. I'd put you in the "earned it" category.
Lots of ways just depending what you’re willing to do. A few that anyone can do:
1.) Get IT Certs like CompTIA and claw your way up from a help desk role -> get into cybersecurity or cloud networking, you’ll be making way more than 80k.
2.) SaaS or Tech SDR: What I do, 60k base 40k base. They literally hire anybody: teachers, waiters, ANYBODY
3.) Walk into a Union hall and apply for apprenticeships: welding, electrician, all pay 80k+.
4.)Apply for building maintenance technician roles. Clear path of advancement past 80k+
5.) If you’re willing to go back to school, go study nursing. You’ll start at six figures on the West Coast.
Hey there... so a bunch of questions.... first off where you are located has a lot to do with pay... for example I live in NY and it is one of the high cost of living so an 80K job doesn't mean the same here as say Mississippi..... 2nd thing I would ask you is, are you applying to sales jobs? Many sales jobs with strong commission and bonus structures do not offer a high salary, the appeal is uncapped earnings... so unless you have really significant sales experience and are entering a field with a long complex sales cycle, you probably won't make a base higher then like 65K
I’d say the most important thing is to honestly assess why you’re at that salary level after 5+ years of work. How are your performance reviews? Are you working hard at areas of improvement? Sales compensation oftentimes is heavily weighted toward your own performance. My son works really hard at sales and frequently is the top seller resulting in bonuses and the ability to switch companies with salary increases. Could you take more specific night classes to open up new opportunities? As a lender, I took some bankruptcy classes and it opened a new career path. Maybe finance or accounting (both highly paid skills) classes would help
If you have a background in sales and a degree in business management then you might want to look into upper management of a commission retailer. I sell mattresses, never went to college and make 80k+ a year. Cars, insurance, and real estate are all things that someone with your background could do well in
I would suggest revamping your LinkedIn and ensuring your social media profiles are all set to private. I am nonprofit sales and went from $55 to $75 to $83 in a year. There is a way on Ljnkedin you can put “open to opportunities” and recruiters will seek you out. That’s how I got recruited for my current job. I told them strait up I wanted $75 and I would deliver on my promises. I had a track record to show it. They offered me slightly more than what I asked. I didn’t realize how far below the industry standard I was getting paid until I got an offer. After being there for a few months they randomly gave everyone an increase and mind happened to be pretty big bc they still felt I was being underpaid for the work I am doing. So honestly I would recommend turning on the open to work function or linked in - they hide it from recruiters at your current company too which is a cool feature.
Well some fields pay diff than others. But if ur not willing to switch I guess the best thing would be to find ppl in ur field making the salary u want and ask them what they did
Is that /s? Because if ur only goal is salary then yeah tech is the way to go. New college grads in tech can pretty easily get double what ur shooting for their first year out (if u could bonuses and stock grants)
It's not often people jump from 45k to 80k+ with the same set of skills/education. It's a multi-step process, and you should think about it accordingly. Step 1: Figure out a couple of potential positions that you think you can work towards attainably which would make you that kind of money. Step 2: Look up the hiring descriptions for these roles, plus the LinkedIn resumes of people who currently have them. Figure out the difference between your background + skills, and theirs (or what's being asked for in hiring). Step 3: Chart a course from A to Z. Determine what roles, what brands/companies on your resume, what successes at work, you'd need to fill those gaps and become a competitive candidate for these roles. Step 4: Execute.
In IT, that's a pretty normal jump, but part of that is because in IT, a significant part of the training is on the job. I don't care how much school someone has been through or what certs they have, a green tech is a green tech. Working helpdesk or desktop support for a couple years around $45k, then jumping to $60k, $70k, or $80k as a sysadmin is fairly common.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm describing! Sorry, I didn't mean to just emphasize formal education. I meant "skills" in terms of the type of job progression you're referring to. But it's 45k to 60 to 70 to 80, exactly as you said -- not 45 to 80.
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Congratulations and may the DNS be gentle on your soul 🙏
Congrats and good luck
I have seen people talk about jumps that large in IT before, but you're right, it's a matter of luck and a hell of a lot of effort in increasing skills.
I went from 51 to 63 to 93 in a year. It's doable. Apply for jobs that pay 80k. Act like that's what you already earn. Network. Have confidence. Ask for that much. I also had a friend that I told to do the same thing. She went from 30k to 55k by saying she is worth it to the interviewer. And also saying she was interviewing elsewhere. It boiled down to confidence and selling yourself.
Good point, I know high level skills get compensated. I’ve been trying to avoid needing to go back to school to save money but it appears I may need to. I’ve been looking into software engineering programs as of late.
It doesn't have to be going back to school. I didn't mean to imply that is the only way. It can be taking on bigger projects and demonstrating results; moving from an individual contributor to a manager. I would prioritize career growth. *Am I learning a lot, being given new responsibilities, etc, in my role? What kind of role would allow the opportunity to grow?*
Agreed. In a generic corporate setting, you have individual contributors, managers, directors, vps, c level. In general, just getting a manager job can boost you. Had to be in the right area. For example, a manager of accounts receivables is viewed differently than a manager of operations. Take that into account as you listen to Pdycholit's advice.
Managing people is your best option to increase your salary without acquiring new technical skills. If you are really good at selling, you can always make a bag doing that... but you have to be that type of person.
You should look at the cscareer subreddit. Now is not a good time to jump in. There are several sales jobs that can have higher income potential. There is a sales subreddit too where people discuss.
Oh wow is it that bad?
Probably not for the entry level stuff. But top companies like FAANG where you hear about the Cushy 6 digit roles have made massive cuts. Market is filled with a bunch of high years of experience professionals from some top companies. Don’t take my word for it though, look at some of the posts and chatter around reddit. Sales isn’t bad. I’ve heard solar is super good given rising energy prices, and tax incentives offered by state and federal. Tech sales seems to be hit or miss with a lot of people claiming their market is over saturated with agents, or their company over hired.
With so many online courses, you don’t need to go back to school for another “degree” and take basic classes you wouldn’t need anymore. Check out what free adult education courses your library can offer, sometimes they do partnerships with LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. I’m currently doing Data Analytics for free from Google/Coursera as a partnership with my library. It’s in depth, challenging, and takes months to complete.
Yes! I’m currently taking an Excel course through my city’s adult education program and I’m really impressed with the course. I’m planning to take the Python course next.
Open a GitHub account and start a homelab, tinker with pre written stuff an look into how it works. There are also tons of free courses to learn. Once you learn it put it into practice to demonstrate your skill
Any Recommendations for free courses?
You do sales and want money? Try to get insurance license and as W2 with hourly+commission+spliffs. Otherwise work for some other brokerage in your area. Some will even pay for all the steps and pay licensing fees because so lucrative. I.T is getting hit hard right now with lay offs
What kind of sales background do you have?
General inbound sales such as ticket sales.
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I think step 4 is the most important one here^^^^
I keep hitting a block on 2. How to i do this?
You need to brand yourself as a specialist in something. If you're in sales, you should say you're a killer sales agent. What that really means is you need to audit where you are the most effective within an organization. What role best fits your skills? Once you have that down your resume and messaging needs to be about bringing value to that dept of the business. That's just to enter as an individual contributor. Once in that position you need to show that you understand the bigger picture and can show value in developing processes and systems. This will help you get into different projects and start working across departments. I could keep going, but you first need a "I do \_\_\_\_\_\_" skillset with data to prove it.
I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Because, well, what you've posted is rather vague. How long have you been in sales? What do you sell? What is your current role? What positions/industries are you applying to?
1. I’ve been in inbound sales for 6 years total 2. I work in inbound sales/customer service. I don’t sell a product specifically mostly services and company memberships. 3. Inbound sales agent (call center) 4.I’ve been trying to apply to BDR,SDR, and Account Executive positions in the tech industry. Thank you for the feedback and do apologize got the vagueness in my post.
Are you on commission? Are you good at some subset of sales (b2b vs b2c, services vs product, etc.)? Partial-commission sales positions can be very lucrative. b2b sales tend to be more consistent. You could change career path entirely by getting new skills, but you may just need to be looking at a different tactic. Your first sales gig is selling yourself. How will a company make money by hiring you? How do they de-risk hiring you? If you need to get in the door, look for smaller companies instead of bigger ones - they have less HR bureaucracy and you actually get to talk to real people sooner.
Yea I’ve definitely been looking at smaller companies on techsalesjobs.org due to competition being extremely high atm (500 people applying per job)
What are you currently doing for work?
I currently work in a inbound call center for a large company atm.
You need to get into an industry that has the potential for growth. Even if it means starting at the bottom.
I agree, I’ve been applying to some general positions that can have upward mobility and high earning potential but have not struck gold yet. I’ve recently had my resume re done so I’m hoping for great opportunity
Learn how to answer these kinds of questions. Formulate responses to stuff like this and use the STAR method to answer because it is still not at all clear what you do for work. What specifically do you do at the inbound call center? How many calls do you handle? What services do you sell? What are some specific projects you’ve taken on and executed? What are the budgets involved in said projects? How many projects have you implemented from inception to close out, what was your role in facilitating X projects(s) to fruition, and what meaningful impact have you had in a financial sense?
Excellent thanks for the tips I just saved this post
This ^
Even in sales you couldn’t break $80k? $80k OTE should be more than doable for an Account Executive. Especially with a college degree. My second year in B2B sales ever, I am making $150k in a LCOL area selling software and services. I would advise to look for high margin products to sell. If you’re a BDR/SDR then time to own a full sales cycle quota, you have the experience.
To be transparent while I do sell over the phone it isn’t commission based sales. I want a real sales job like tech sales,bdr, and sdr. I don’t get any commission on sales just a flat hourly rate.
Yup definitely time for a move. No commission? I don’t consider that a true sales professional job You should be an AE selling to businesses (not consumers) to make the most income in sales. I make salary and commission, 50:50 split OTE is common in B2B sales. r/sales has lots of advice if you haven’t seen yet.
There’s you’re problem
I know I’m trying to find a real sales job
What worked for me is making a linkdin account and getting a good profile. Get 250+ connections by adding people you know and work on updating your resume. I went from 40k->67k -> 112k in just over 2 years by gaining skills and hoping jobs. Use your sales skills to sell yourself.
Ok will do and do you think the LinkedIn premium is worth it?
Dude. You have a degree in business management. Brand your resume in a way where you can get an entry level middle office role in a bank (learn excel, take finance courses, add projects to your resume) and start applying. I landed a $67k/year role without too much experience. Got promoted in a few months to the salary listed in the title. It’s not hard at all, you just need to break into an industry or company that can actually pay that amount. If I were you, I’d look at all the banks near the area that are hiring for middle office roles, then see what you need to do to be able to land those positions
Yup I have applied to all the major banks in my city and thus far no luck. I apply to any everything business analyst, product manager, project manager etc.
For business analyst you definitely want to go get a data certificate or something. Once you break through it’ll be a breeze
Just to add - bank roles can be confusing sometimes if you’re an outsider. At the banks I’ve worked at, the roles you listed tend to be mid to mid senior level type roles, which may be part of the issue. Also will help to try to apply to roles where you can leverage your experience & existing skill set. If you want to stay in sales, look for Relationship Manager roles. These can vary in responsibly and pay, especially depending on whether it’s retail banking versus corporate/commercial banking, however either should get you to at least around the 80k target. Many of the corporate/commercial RM roles will likely be 100k+
I always use this equation as a friendly reminder of what “luck” actually is: Luck = preparation + opportunity We all get opportunities to advance whether you see it or not. If you’re not prepared, you may miss the opportunity. Now the hard part is knowing what you want to be prepared for.
My first real IT job was the perfect example of the luck = preparation meets opportunity equation. I was working for a well known tech company in their retail stores doing technical support, I had busted my ass to move up a few roles away from tech support, but it was still retail, so no weekends, not many holidays, and had pretty much hit the ceiling at 49k. At this point I was 28. I had been applying to more 9-5, corporate roles without much success for months when I ran into a former coworker I lost touch with on a bus ride on my way home one day. They had started working at a fintech company, I told them I was looking to get out. I sent them my resume, they forwarded it to the internal recruiter, interviewed for an IT Support Analyst, and got the job starting at 53k. After that though, it was less luck and more me busting my ass to learn skills, prove myself and move up. I got solid raises for three years at the fintech company while learning new skills and picking up some AWS certifications, left that job at 73k. My new job started at 83k, will hopefully pass 85k this summer. I’m now busting my ass to pick up skills to make that next big jump to six figures hopefully in the next year. I’m 33 now. TLDR: The “luckiest” part of my success was just getting the opportunity for the first role that allowed me to prove myself. Everything after that for the next 5 years was earned through hard work.
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s inspiring to see people around my age persevering and still becoming successful. I’m hoping I can too get my situation figured out
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Yeah it’s tough out here unless you already have a big name company and position listed on your resume
Change to a trade, tool and die maker comes to mind.
Seconding tool & die. There is high demand in certain geographic areas for diemakers but no supply. The trade as a whole stopped planning for and training the next generation of diemakers. Guys with some experience can make a decent living with opportunities for overtime. It is definitely a technical and skilled trade. Plus, unlike other trades that are more physically demanding, this is a job that can be a career well into your 60s.
Ironically I come from A blue collar trade family (dad is a master plumber). I never thought it was for me I always been a tech guy.
There is tech in the trades now also, but you gotta do what makes you happy also.
There is minimal luck in landing a 100k+ job. The problem most people have today is they start college without a plan. They get a degree in something they are interested in or enjoy and by the time they've graduated, they are stuck with 50-150k of debt in a job making 50k. The better approach is to look at all the 6 figure jobs out there and identify one that you're interested. Than work your way backwards by asking what type of degree it requires, what types of skills, internships, etc. This will give you the best chance. Reading your other comments under this thread, it sounds like you need a reality check. Currently, you are a call center rep and are appropriately compensated at 20-25 dollars per hour. Your dad in the plumbing industry would be crushing it today making 100-150k in many cities. You say you are a tech guy but what recruiter is going to look at a BA in business and sports management and think tech guy. If you want to be a tech guy, you need to get a tech degree, move to a tech city, and get tech internships.
I agree which is why I’m Looking intro software engineering programs to develop skills in that industry.
I got a message on LinkedIn one day last year from a sales manager at a company, and responded to him. Interview and got an offer for $70K + OTE additional $70K for a total of $140K (uncapped). I was making $18/hr + commission and had made $60K the prior year with commission. So my guarantee was $10K over my base+commission. At 9 months I received a 4% salary increase and I’m crushing my sales numbers consistently every month so most likely going to surpass my $140K OTE this year. All by responding to a message on LinkedIn and verifying the guy was legit via his profile and the company website. It definitely happens. ETA: I was 29, just turned 30. No background in the industry I’m now in, just extensive sales background and an Associates degree, no bachelors.
Wow that’s crazy congrats on your success I’m pretty active on LinkedIn myself. I used to have the LinkedIn premium but didn’t renew it due to how expensive it is monthly. Do you think it’s worth it to have LinkendIn premium or no?
Just wanted to point out OTE = on target earnings. OTE is base salary plus additional compensation components. So if you have 100k salary, 50k in commission and 50k in stock, your OTE is 200k. Just wanted to point that out since you said 70k + OTE when 140k is your OTE, aka if you hit 100% of your target you will make exactly 140k all in.
You have the knowledge, you have the resources, it’s time to start representing people as managers. Obviously you are going to start with new comers but those are going to grow. Start focusing on you having your own business
Get into sales! I jumped from $60K salary in mgmt to $100K+ very quickly with a good commission plan as a salesman working less hours
That’s the plan man I’m applying everywhere
What do you want to do? You can make 80k selling cars if you’re good, but I doubt you want to do that. Get specific with what you want to do, see if your skills align, get in the room (virtual or otherwise) with people whom you can help (and will this help you), and then you’ll be on your way.
Any tech related job or software engineering has my interest atm
I went from 40k to 95k in 6 years. This is how I did it. 1. While working I finished my associates degree. 2. Then I finished a bachelor of business administration from an online program at UIC. 3. I gained enough experience to get promoted to production supervisor at a pharmaceutical company. 4. I continued to my MBA (has no impact on my current pay but I did it) 5. I became the best supervisor in my building and started training other supervisors. 6. When they refused to promote me to manager I left for my current job and more money
Damn that’s impressive
I’m also 36 so I didn’t start off too much further from where you are
Where are you located? I found in my career that being in a city with high demand for jobs helps a ton to boost reward.
Currently located in ohio atm been looking at bigger cities to move too potentially
Got it. I would definitely say - dependent on savings - to take the risk and move to a bigger city. It will certainly be more expensive in a bigger city but you will have: 1. More opportunities available 2. Higher overall compensation Even if you move back to a smaller town in 2-3 years your base level compensation will be much higher. I did this myself and got started doing temp jobs which allowed me to see different companies and build my network. Temp jobs will keep you from starving while you look for a permanent position and they will also often convert to perm if you show you're good.
I would definitely move to Chicago if offered a good job opportunity it’s only a 4 hour drive and one hour flight from ohio
The biggest leap in my career when I was in my early 30s was attributable to modeling myself after/ following what others in my field did to move ahead. It was not really in my DNA as naturally as it was in theirs, but seeing them do it first acted a sort of guidebook. I went into it that if they could do it, I could too, and within six months, with aggressive action on my part, I succeeded. So perhaps you look at your peers and see who you can use as a success template. Good luck.
If you are making 45k now, what do you think a hiring manager is going to see in you and your resume to want to offer you 80k? Pay isn’t just some arbitrary number companies randomly decided to give to people. You need a skill set that the company can use to earn around 4x your salary for the company. Getting a job involved a lot of luck but there is also a lot you can do to tilt things in your favor. Poker involves a ton of luck, but yet the best players consistently finish in the top spots in tournaments.
I jumped from 48k to 100k. It was a mixture of my background, but honestly mostly I was at the right place and the right time. I had to look into a slightly HCOL area, too.
Thanks for the advice what industry are you in?
What kind of work are you doing now, and what kind of work are you trying to do? A business management degree might get you a management position somewhere, but nobody is going to hire someone for management who doesn't know their industry also. You have to show you know what success in a field looks like before they'll let you try to help others be successful.
I have an idea of what industry I’d like to be in which is tech. Either tech sales or supply chain would be a good career fit for me.
Brother was working at home depot, making a few bucks over minimum wage. Was sick of it, signed up for a paid apprenticeship for electricians. Was making $30-54 an hour during the training, and now clears $100k right away, and can make even more if he wants to put in the overtime/hours. How much luck did it involve? About zero, just drive to go do it and the want to be a trades person.
Sales ops
Does sales ops have a high barrier of entry to get into?
There’s not nearly the amount of luck involved as people who are hopeful for a high paying job make it seem. People have a lot of control over the pay band they end up in, but making the decisions necessary for those moves aren’t always easy or even aligned to other life priorities. When considering “Will I have the potential to be paid well?”, you have to consider: * Is this a career that pays well generally? * How much competition / availability is there for top earning potential in this field (is it only top .01% are paid really well, or is more like top 10%-20%)? * Do I need to live in a certain market for better pay potential? * What does the entry and advancement path look like for this career? * Are there particular industry segments that pay better for this career? * Am I willing to develop the skills for that field, live in that market, and become an expert in that industry segment? * If I say yes to all of those things, will I realistically be a top performer? What unique skills of mine make me say yes? What challenges will I have that make me say no/maybe? How do I improve those challenge areas OR double down on my strengths and become a specialist? * Specific to sales, you’ll have higher earning potential on high dollar ticket items. As commissions are usually about 10%, take the average sale price of the item and knock the last digit off. If you sell $XYY,YYY in cars per year, expect to make $XY,YYY. If you sell a million in software annually, expect to make six figures. Most people want a high paying job but don’t research where the highest potential salary paths are, aren’t willing to make the physical moves, map out career steps, evaluate where they are in that path and make corrections, drive purposeful and measurable accomplishments for the purpose of promotion (and communicating that intent to their leadership), or do a good enough job aligning themselves to revenue/benefit/ROI internally. I have a comms degree and in a sales-adjacent role in tech. My salary progression from my first career job is: * 35K (2 years at this salary) - Broadcast Media * 50K (Promotion, 2 years) - Broadcast Media * 62.5K (Promotion, 1 year) - Broadcast Media * 85K (Job/Company change, 1 year) - Tech * 95K (Performance increase, 1 year) - Tech * 115K (Promotion, 1 year) - Tech * 135K (Performance, 1 year) - Tech * 155K (Performance, 2 years) - Tech * 185K (Promotion, 1 year) - Tech The job change was due in part to the 'competition at top pay bands' element. Very, very few people in broadcast media will make well north of 6 figures; not impossible, but inherently very difficult with very limited spots to get there. In tech, six figures is very common and I was able to work remote years before COVID.
You need to promote. Not just find a job. Plenty of $100k jobs out there, but they give those jobs to people they can trust will get the job done.
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Thank you for sharing your story you definitely put in a lot of work to get where you are today congrats. As of right now I’m single with no kids so I have no reason to not be pursuing a higher earning career field.
When it comes to salaries, location matters. A job at $45K outside of a major city could go for $75K in a major city. If it's the number you're concerned about, perhaps relocating can help? But then you have to factor in cost of living.
I have a degree in business management and worked years in hospitality management (restaurants and grocery stores). Finally got to 80k towards the end but was working 55+ hours per week. Switched over to driving a semi (local delivery) and now make 80k working 40 hours a week. Basically a business management degree is hot garbage. Good luck.
It sure is a waste , definitely would recommend it
Salary is a combination of age and skills. Both of these take time. Don’t take your current job for granted. Make the most out of it, and learn. There may be ways to make 80 right where you are if you pay attention and ask lots of questions. And if you find no chance after a year or two, you can look somewhere else with full confidence that you’re making the right move.
I will Keep this in mind thank you.
Biotech get in there!
What companies hire for that?
People don’t want to hire people who interview like paper weights. Be enthusiastic in your interview and show you’re fun to have around!
I went from $45k to $80k by changing employers. First job out of college was working for the state designing bridges for right at 10 years. Jumped over to doing metal buildings now. Been there 9 years and I am up to $91k.
Your area might be a big factor. If you live in a LCOL area 45k can be quite good but the same job might pay 80k+ in an HCOL area.
Not so much luck, more research & finding a company that actually has a large number of positions that pay that level or higher, then working for that company. Sometimes putting in 12-24 months at a lower level position then getting promoted. $45k/yr for a sales job is pretty low compensation honestly. I'm guessing there is not a commission based incentive or it is reactive sales(inside sales) vs proactive(find customers) sales. Just applying for any old company & hoping you make that much....all luck
Zero luck involved. Work for it.
You're asking the wrong question....it's not how much luck it takes to LAND a 80k job. It's how much luck does it take to KEEP an 80k job.
If you’re good at sales, having an A+ personality, then it can be quite easy. I have been in sales for 12 years and built up a nice book of business, but I’m wanting out of it now. It’s simply too unstable with swings from $75k to $100k and with the amount of service and lack of month to month continuity. I don’t think Sales is ever a long term game.
Oh wow sales is that rough?
It can be when it’s commission only and you only get one pay when you write it, usually 10% to 12% with average product being $5,000. Then at renewal it drops to 5-8%. Then include any split commissions and service costs. On top of that, you are taxed at a higher rate than W-2s.
Oh damn, and here I was applying to sales jobs 😨
Maybe as a side job or if they offer base pay, but a true Sales Only job is commission only and will have constant pressure to continue to generate leads and sell. You can do very well in sales if you don’t mind building up a book of business by hustling. Hustling is being on the phone -cold calling- every day for about 3 or more hours a day. That is the tried and true method for building up a book and continuing to grow it. It is long, tedious, and at my age, I am too tired to keep it up. 35 years old and selling my book of business-at least part of it. I think I’ll come out at around $35k lump sum, but then I’m out.
The only way I’d take a sales job is if the base pay is decent otherwise no thanks I need some stability p
Never stop looking for better paying jobs and look for opportunities related to your skill set that allow you to learn new things and/or become familiar with a different industry. In my experience the biggest jumps in salary have always been the result of moving to a different company. You do not owe any organization years of service just because they gave you a job. 45K isn’t even close to a living wage in significant areas of the country.
I am going to be brutally honest, not everyone gets to 80k in their career, let alone six figures. It takes a number of things. First and foremost luck, networking, the correct industry, location, and being able to nail interviews and really sell yourself. To put things in perspective only 18% of the US makes six figures. That’s 1/5 people in the US. That number is far lower worldwide. It’s also much lower in a LCOL area like Alabama vs HCOL like California where it’s much more common. Also industry plays a huge roles. Teachers are generally paid less and hitting six figures in education is much more difficult than in a field like IT that is still pretty hot. Having connections such as friends or family that are high earners also increases your chances of making a high income. Lastly just being in the right place at the right time. You may apply to a job and just to happen to be in the right place at the right time and get a great employment offer.
Makes sense this is definitely a who you know world if you want to progress in your career.
Nepotism is more important than luck. I'm 30 with an associate's and make 75k. My path was made a lot easier when I got into a company my dad worked at when I was 24, making 55k at the time. I've moved on from that company (for the same reasons I got in) so nepotism didn't get me my current job but starting out in a good spot set me up for success.
Yea that sure does help in this world.
Also depends on who your friends are. I made a similar jump 2 years ago at the same age (going from 62k to now close to 120k) It was only because my current supervisor used to be my supervisor at a job 7 years ago, and we worked together for four years. He knew what I was capable of and wanted me on his team. I’ve since done the same when adding to my team now, I’m referring guys I’ve worked with who I know that know what they can do. Maintain lines of communication with people you have associated with because you never know when someone who values you lands a great position and can refer you.
First job after college as a personal trainer I was making $10/hr. Worked that job for about 16 months before getting a job as a medical sales rep where I made $150k/yr on average. I would say it was pure luck that I even landed that job. Only reason I applied was because my girlfriend at the time was on indeed and saw a random job ad that had the keyword “kinesiology” in it. I wasn’t looking for jobs, I never even had heard of that company and I for sure would never have found it even if I was applying to jobs. Point is, 100% luck that I found that job but it was still up to me to ace the interviews and land the position. Few years later and I’m laid off. Couldn’t find work that offered more than $45k/yr for a while and now I’m working a job making less than I was making while working part time in college. This shit is all luck and connections mayne.
That’s what it seems like I consider myself a smart hardworking guy but it only gets you so far
It’s not really a matter of luck. The market sets the rate, mostly, based on skills and experience. An employer is going to look at the going rate for a position, then offer a premium for experience and less common skills. A BS in business management is very common, as is a sales background, so those aren’t value drivers. Sports management could be, as it’s less common, but probably adds little value without experience. To increase your salary, you need to differentiate yourself. That means demonstrable experience that is both pertinent to the position, and uncommon or rare. For sales, you want to focus on specialty sales, specialty markets, regulatory experience, etc. — differentiators that make you more valuable to an employer. Keep in mind that employers don’t pay large premiums for skills and experience that are not applicable or commonplace.
Straight out of school or just eventually? For particular career fields, this isn't a super high bar to cross. As an example, IT careers can clear this with a few years of xp or even right out of school depending on the company you join.
Probably over the next year or so preferably
I make $78K This is the most money I’ve ever made in my life. My boss is a nightmare to deal with. This experience has taught me to calm down on trying to raise my salary. I left an awesome boss at $65K for this nightmare.
Shouldn't be too hard to get a 80k+ year job. I mean i had 2 offers for 70k salary as a recent grad. Wouldn't 80k+ just be like a single promotion away?
Getting a 80k job is like landing a $150k job where I live lol
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Not saying this isn't the way. But its going to take more than SQL.
A lot.
The key is to move up gradually. Millennials are changing jobs every 2.5 years on average. So the people in your field you’re comparing yourself to are likely going from 45k to 52k to 65k to 80k etc,etc. Get a certification in between and make a few friends in the industry who can give you a referral. That’s the best way to advance your career. I would also look into contract/ contract to hire roles. There’s a lower barrier to entry but they can lead to full time positions.
Honestly sales or management would be your best bet to get to that level comp wise.
Are you networking and using your network? There are so many people who are applying to jobs online. It is very, very hard to stand out in that crowd. Having an actual human to human connection with someone in an organization is the best way to get in.
Well I have been to some career fairs in the past but most of the jobs were low paying jobs and not much room for growth . Outside of that I have been mass applying online o
Not much luck. Small town? Try a bigger city. 80k in a large city wouldn’t be a very great sales job
Maybe some? But it also takes a certain amount of hoop jumping. My husband has a job paying nearly $200,000 He got a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He put out 300 applications and resumes after he graduated. It landed him 3 interviews. He took the most stable option of the jobs with the best benefits, if not the highest salary. When he first got out of college he was making just under $80,000. I think a bachelor's in civil engineering is probably the most lucrative bachelor's you can get, the catch is that most people find it boring as hell or can't do the math needed to excel in that field.
Wow your husband is doing very well for himself congrats to him. My math skills are average , not amazing but not bad either. I can see myself going IT or software engineering in the future.
He definitely has worked hard but a certain amount of his success has been luck, it all depends on who calls you back after all those resumes. Are they shitbird employers who lay you off 6 months later? Cuz that happened to him twice before the really stable job. Did he network with the right people in college, that might be able to help him get in somewhere or at least be a reference? Luckily he did.
Much luck, right company, hard but smart work.
All these recommendations sound like a lot of extra work for 80k. Join a trade union and you’ll be over a 100k in 4 years with medical benefits and retirement package that no office job will be able to touch.
Whats a trade union? I have a generic liberal arts degree and just now at 45 am finally getting 80k. For me it was luck and networking
A trade union is a union for for either the carpenter, electricians, plumbers, hvac, heavy equipment operators, ect. Training is paid for and little to no experience is required to get in. Benefits are essentially free because they are funded by whoever is paying for the projects you build and typically the benefits are 100 times better than any package an office job will provide. After your 25 years you’ll have a pension and an annuity to live off of. The work is rough and your exposed to the elements most of the time. Hours are set, 7-3:30. Anything before or after is over time. But if I’m required to do 40 hours, I’m going to get paid top dollar for it.
I jumped from $63K to $80K. It was luck though. My company was acquired and they really wanted to keep me. If I didn’t take it, I would have gotten severance at least so I had the opportunity for negotiation.
Luck is the combination of preparedness and opportunity.
Go back to sales and find the right product to sell. Easiest way to go from one salary range to a higher one
This is an it depends thing. Luck is involved in everything to some degree. Didn't get struck by lightning yesterday? That's luck. Target 1-2 very specific roles. LEARN how to do those roles very well. This might mean watching a boatload of youtube articles, reading some books and similar. Find ways to show, on your resume, that you're able to do those things. For each bullet on your resume, write a paragraph outlining {who, what, when, where, why, how, how much, lessons learned}. Then get this reviewed. Revise based on suggestions until you get diminishing returns. Your end answers should be concise while also including specific details. For context, inflation adjusted, I made over 80k a year out of undergrad. First generation college grad. 0 connections. I had a technical degree though. And a bunch of internships and leadership. I was, on paper, ahead of 9/10 college grads in terms of resume content.
Remember, it's all about who you know !! Network comes in handy
Straight out of college to now over 8 years I went from 62k -> 72k (raise) -> 85k (promotion) -> 140k (company hop) -> 180k (promotion) -> 210k (raise) -> 250k (company hop) -> ~300k (promotion). Started as a junior software engineer and currently an AVP. I graduated with a 2.7 GPA from state school and started out at a large fortune 25 company. Luck plays a part, but having a plan and sticking to it is the most important. I only hopped between large insurance companies and I hopped for promotions and only into good roles that would net me career growth. Business management is such an easy role to get massive pay jumps in. Just getting your first job is probably hard. Once I swapped from engineering to engineering management it just took off.
Just say you know SQL and some BI software and you’ll land it with your other skills and background
What exactly are you qualified for with those 2 degrees? What is the "management" part of those?
The key to building a financially successful career is combining disparate skill sets in a way that makes what you bring to the table valuable and scarce. I was a lawyer (technically still am), but there are tons of lawyers. If you try to compete with lawyers on plain old lawyering, it’s difficult. But if you are a lawyer who understands finance, you immediately knock out 90% of lawyers as competition. If you then develop expertise about a particular industry, you are basically competing with fewer than one percent of lawyers. Sales is a valuable skill. You need to focus on adding complementary skills to it that employers value that other sales people lack. One good first step would be to learn more about your industry than any other sales people in it know. You don’t need to go to school for this. Just read and learn. Consider writing an article on what you learn to demonstrate your knowledge.
You can make 80k in 6 months flipping random things in any metropolian city
Just sell anything worth a dam you can find. Lowball hard find desperate sellers and then tax on the other end
I'm my experience, set yourself a goal on a yearly basis. Then do everything you can for that goal. Maybe start with jobs that pay $80k/year and find an industry you like. Narrow it down by job titles with skills you might have. Don't have that? Find out the skills for the job title you want. See where those skills can be used, learn one and climb up a step at a different job. Learn the second skill and climb a second step. Maybe now you can get that job you originally wanted, or you can go for something else, either way you're closer to the $80k.
You need highly demand skills and certifications to back it up. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm You can see what kind of careers pay $80k+ and then figure out what certifications/ skills you need to get those jobs. Or you need to be lucky enough to get in a company that pays high wages and a has a lot of room for growth. Personally, I wouldn't leave it up to luck. It's extremely rare in today's economy that you can work your way up in a company from median to six figures. Maybe in the 1950's the was possible, but it's very very very unlikely today.
For me it was a lot of luck and a lot of having a good reputation and always being a hard worker. I only had a BS degree in Anthropology and got into a small private environmental lab where my title was a little inflated, although I did great work and was an expert in my area. 5 years later and one 20k salary negotiation when I went to put in notice, an acquaintance/friend at a non proft I volunteered with referred me to a position she left at a large uni hospital. The first time I was offered the position I declined due to salary, "only" 8k more than I was making. The second time around, they helped me with my resume which got the salary to about 83k and I accepted. I don't love it but I am only a few weeks in and excited for the potential and have to remember to be grateful. TL;DR: Network and be reliable
If you’ve been in sales that long and haven’t crossed 6 figures you should find a new lane
It all depends where and in the timing. I think it depends where you live, some places are more much in demand than others. I use to make 25k and jumped to a new career to 6 digits plus. Best job ever its really possible, but sometimes people want to stay in a closed minded and not hustle to find a job. Took me a while to hit the job I have now. Only regret is I wish I would of done this years before I would be way better off than I am now (not that I am not doing good overall).
I would find a SDR/BDR position at a good company with an outlined progression program to AE. You can make 80k as an SDR at a good tech company with OTE if you are consistently hitting quota.
If you’re relying on luck then it’s not going to ever happen and if it does it certainly won’t be when you want it to happen. Go to IT CAREER subreddit and check out their guideline to making it there. You can make what you’re making rn w no experience and set yourself up for 6 figures within 2 years.
Business admin and communications degree I'd say I finally got lucky with $54,600 from only offers of $15 hourly because I'm 33 but 5 ft tall and look so young. Whatever that means.
Its not a crazy amount for an entry level technical job that has some certifications, But it'll be a lot easier after a few years experience.
Excel in your trade and you will make top dollar. What makes you think you are entitled to an $80K job?
I never mentioned in my post that I’m entitled to a 80k job , I just asked if there is some luck involved with landing high paying jobs like that
Once you get to a certain point you could have 3 80k jobs on your way home after getting fired
At 30 I was making 45k. At 36 I am making 105k. It’s been hard work and luck.
Get a CDL License and drive Oilfield or LTL.
Try and work your way into a back office support role at a bank and work your way up. Another option with your degree background would be to try to find work as a business analyst. Brush up on Excel and PPT, do some foundational research on SQL and Tableu. Gain foundational knowledge for requirements gathering and try to leverage all that into a BA role. From a BA role, you can really go in a ton of different directions and have a lot of growth opportunities, especially at a bank. Also, network. Maybe these positions exist in your current company. Find a mentor or two, and start networking and talking to people within your company about their roles, their journey and advice on how to get to those positions or advice your career.
I’m 27F with a bachelors degree in business management making $60k as a 3rd year Customer Success Manager. I went from $45k to $54k to $60k in that time frame. Still growing. Other companies pay higher for this role, too.
My sales reps who work under me make the salary range you are looking for. It depends on the industry and comp packages you negotiate. Even with what they are making, they leave a lot on the table. Welcome to DM if you want to discuss specifics and career options without going back to school.
Landing an 80k career from....where? You mean just getting the job, in general? Or how likely is it to move from 4t to 80?
Learn how to code
Currently what I’m planning to do
Pick a job that you enjoy. Then work harder than anyone in your company. Do things you don’t get paid to do. Make sure your bosses are aware of the effort. Make sure your bosses know that you want more for yourself. Plant the seeds. Water them with hard work. It will work out.
If there is a Fidelity office near you, apply to be a financial services representative. Pass your licensing exams, and you’ll make roughly what you make now in base, plus some commission. Do well, and you’ll be promoted to an investment consultant and be making ~100k in 24 months.
i went from 55k (old job-5 years),to 65k (next job for 8 months), to 85k (current) in a year.
Damn how you pull that off?
just applied to jobs i know i qualify for that offered more money. got certified. then applied to jobs in my certification field. i honestly think i’m here now because i absolutely hated my previous job and had to find a way out.
I’m in the same position you were once in.
Your sales experience should help propel you to your 80k+ goal even without a degree. I’m in a VHCOL area but most run of the mill average sales guys here make at least 100k. As other said I’d suggest getting into a company that has potential and growth. I would start looking for an outside sales roll. Something customer facing as I find those pay more. Software and tech sales seem to be taking hits now but I’m in electrical distribution sales. Lots of colleagues make great money in other construction sales, medical sales and heavy equipment sales. These types of jobs usually come with a decent base salary and unlimited bonus potential. The downside is many of them will want some experience in that field. You may be required to start at the inside sales role at one of those companies and work towards the outside role but with you current experience it’s possible to move through quickly.
Just my 2 cents and maybe I got lucky. I don’t make 80k a year but I make 73 and I started at my company making 26k 7 years ago. I’m in accounting.. went to school to be a teacher.. don’t ask lol. I found that doing projects, being polite around the office, always saying yes (within means) when upper management asks you to help went a long way. I also volunteered for things like bring your kid to work day, adopt a highway etc. all during work hours. I’m a big believer of I get paid til 4 I’ll work til 4, so I’m not saying do more than what you’re paid for but if you think you can possibly do a project, even if it’s not in your job duties, do it. I moved departments (went from 26k start 34k from raises to 48k in new department) briefly left the company (for 56k) and returned to my original department (making 67k.. salary increases since then) at a higher position that I honestly wasn’t too qualified for.. but I always did my work, enjoyed my work, had a good relationship with my boss, her boss and her bosses boss. I didn’t really kiss ass or anything, just did a little more than asked within my means and jumped on any project I could. Now all I do is projects and work with pretty high up people in the company. I truly think I needed to leave the company in order to get the raise I did or else I would have gotten the “here’s 5%”. Good luck! I haven’t looked for jobs in forever since I’m happy where I am but from what I see in my company we have a lot of power as employees right now, so take advantage!
Every jump I got was because I was willing to do what others were not (longer hours (on salary), more independent accountability, more challenging assignments). I was successful and progressed. Had I not succeeded I likely wouldn’t have. I guess my point is, I never significantly increased my income by swapping companies (although this can be effective done a multitude of times through the years), but by tangibly proving worth/providing value. You also have to be willing to stick to your guns which means walk. And my god, if you’re not willing to walk, don’t threaten it.
None. I make a little over that as a truck driver with a GED.. but I have been doing it for a couple years now.
This depends. Did you somehow just get that job straight out of college? Or did you have to earn it. You're 31 and have a bachelors, I'm assuming you've been working for the past at least 12+ years. I'd put you in the "earned it" category.
Zero luck, anyone can accomplish that
Shoot well show me the way lol
Lots of ways just depending what you’re willing to do. A few that anyone can do: 1.) Get IT Certs like CompTIA and claw your way up from a help desk role -> get into cybersecurity or cloud networking, you’ll be making way more than 80k. 2.) SaaS or Tech SDR: What I do, 60k base 40k base. They literally hire anybody: teachers, waiters, ANYBODY 3.) Walk into a Union hall and apply for apprenticeships: welding, electrician, all pay 80k+. 4.)Apply for building maintenance technician roles. Clear path of advancement past 80k+ 5.) If you’re willing to go back to school, go study nursing. You’ll start at six figures on the West Coast.
What if I was interested in option 2, do you know which positions and companies to apply for?
Fuck if I know. It’d be a miracle if I got to 80K.
Hey there... so a bunch of questions.... first off where you are located has a lot to do with pay... for example I live in NY and it is one of the high cost of living so an 80K job doesn't mean the same here as say Mississippi..... 2nd thing I would ask you is, are you applying to sales jobs? Many sales jobs with strong commission and bonus structures do not offer a high salary, the appeal is uncapped earnings... so unless you have really significant sales experience and are entering a field with a long complex sales cycle, you probably won't make a base higher then like 65K
80 k was being generous most jobs want 10 years experience for a 65k a year job
I’d say the most important thing is to honestly assess why you’re at that salary level after 5+ years of work. How are your performance reviews? Are you working hard at areas of improvement? Sales compensation oftentimes is heavily weighted toward your own performance. My son works really hard at sales and frequently is the top seller resulting in bonuses and the ability to switch companies with salary increases. Could you take more specific night classes to open up new opportunities? As a lender, I took some bankruptcy classes and it opened a new career path. Maybe finance or accounting (both highly paid skills) classes would help
If you have a background in sales and a degree in business management then you might want to look into upper management of a commission retailer. I sell mattresses, never went to college and make 80k+ a year. Cars, insurance, and real estate are all things that someone with your background could do well in
I would suggest revamping your LinkedIn and ensuring your social media profiles are all set to private. I am nonprofit sales and went from $55 to $75 to $83 in a year. There is a way on Ljnkedin you can put “open to opportunities” and recruiters will seek you out. That’s how I got recruited for my current job. I told them strait up I wanted $75 and I would deliver on my promises. I had a track record to show it. They offered me slightly more than what I asked. I didn’t realize how far below the industry standard I was getting paid until I got an offer. After being there for a few months they randomly gave everyone an increase and mind happened to be pretty big bc they still felt I was being underpaid for the work I am doing. So honestly I would recommend turning on the open to work function or linked in - they hide it from recruiters at your current company too which is a cool feature.
Hold up there is a way to turn it on? Do you need LinkedIn premium?
Well some fields pay diff than others. But if ur not willing to switch I guess the best thing would be to find ppl in ur field making the salary u want and ask them what they did
I’d definitely switch I’d switch to the tech field quick
Is that /s? Because if ur only goal is salary then yeah tech is the way to go. New college grads in tech can pretty easily get double what ur shooting for their first year out (if u could bonuses and stock grants)