If your salary was $150+ before 35, what do you make now

[Anonymous]

30-33 - around 160K
33-34 170K
34-36 -120 K in a low cost of living area and with better hours and more working from home.
37 (now) - 125K but I have a higher share of the company which is looking to sell for several million in the next year or two.

We bought our house for 280K and similar houses where we used to live in similar school districts go for 800 plus. So the salary is lower, but the cost of living is a whole lot lower.

[Anonymous]

This is the year 2019 and we are coming off a ten year BULL Market.

Some older folks had to deal with 1987-1992 (zero raises, lay offs), 2000-2003 (zero raises, lay offs) and 2008-2010) zero raises lay offs.

At your young age of 33 you missed the first two recessions and the 2008 recession as just starting out you were lower paid and new and not in firing line.

Most salary jumps come is splurts and then goes flat in periods. I am older, but in last Boom around 2006 I was right age to make leap to corner office in a new company, I timed it right as the crash came two years later and managed not to get laid off and in 2017 next boom cycle did it again at a new company. It is musical chairs. And a pyramid scheme. For every 55 year old at work there are ten 25-45 year olds. Guess what all the 25-45 year olds will live to 55 except there are not many VP and above jobs in office. You are 37 and cocky, but at 55 when you are making 600K there will be another 37 year old cocky guy to take your job,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30-33 - around 160K
33-34 170K
34-36 -120 K in a low cost of living area and with better hours and more working from home.
37 (now) - 125K but I have a higher share of the company which is looking to sell for several million in the next year or two.

We bought our house for 280K and similar houses where we used to live in similar school districts go for 800 plus. So the salary is lower, but the cost of living is a whole lot lower.

What kind of company do you work in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started a business, and do $1mln+ per year now. Most of my friends in their 40s who have a high HHI are the same way -- entrepreneurs.

Same here. I had some very lean years and then started bringing in $300-$400k a year from a business in my early 30s. I am in my mid-40s now, operating a different business, hovering at around $1mm per year.

Starting a business is risky - I see so many examples of failure around me. It's not for everyone. For the people with the right balance of priorities, it can be really rewarding. I couldn't do this without my wife's support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30-33 - around 160K
33-34 170K
34-36 -120 K in a low cost of living area and with better hours and more working from home.
37 (now) - 125K but I have a higher share of the company which is looking to sell for several million in the next year or two.

We bought our house for 280K and similar houses where we used to live in similar school districts go for 800 plus. So the salary is lower, but the cost of living is a whole lot lower.

What kind of company do you work in?

Now software development. Back when I was 30-34 I worked more in the IT field of a big company.

[Anonymous]

250K 10 years later. Like PP said, my income has flattened over the last 4 or 5 years though. I do not have what it takes to START my own business even though I run one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1998: $56,000
21: $61,000
22: $66,000
23: $66,000
24: $90,000
25: $93,000
26: $240,000
27: $240,000
28: $105,000
29: $0
30: $140,000
31: $160,000
32: $190,000
33: $210,000
34: $215,000
35: $230,000
36: $275,000
37: $400,000
38: $400,000
39: Likely substantially higher

The key is simple: New Jobs are made in moments of intense leverage. When that opportunity comes up, leverage, leverage, leverage. When you think you’ve plateaued, listen to your gut, and pound pavement.

Good grief! Who keeps a record of this or has easy access to tax records? I remember my starting salary and what I make now and that's about it.

NP here: I had an almost 0 year too and some jumps...not as impressive. Sometimes opportunistic pay-raise requests that were granted and a couple of org moves. BUt no, I too don't remember this level of detail, just my 2 years of nearly 0 income.

[Anonymous]

Great thread, at 160k at 30

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1998: $56,000
21: $61,000
22: $66,000
23: $66,000
24: $90,000
25: $93,000
26: $240,000
27: $240,000
28: $105,000
29: $0
30: $140,000
31: $160,000
32: $190,000
33: $210,000
34: $215,000
35: $230,000
36: $275,000
37: $400,000
38: $400,000
39: Likely substantially higher

The key is simple: New Jobs are made in moments of intense leverage. When that opportunity comes up, leverage, leverage, leverage. When you think you’ve plateaued, listen to your gut, and pound pavement.

Other than a humble brag, this doesn’t achieve anything. What a fluff post which says nothing. What did you do or do now...what do you mean by leverage (can explain in a couple of lines, no need to give your secrets away). if you are at all trying to be the least bit helpful to OP and others. Not, I guess.

PP here.

Not a humble brag really. I’m nearly 40 and make what a LOT of people in Dc make. Its good of course but it’s not really so absurd for the area

But to elaborate, what I meant about leverage was two things really. First, careers are made and broken in moments where you have the upper hand. Find companies that really need YOU for a role, and be bold about it with them. For instance, when I interviewed at a well known startup that recently IPOd, and they asked for my salary, I just said I wanted compensation commensurate with the risk of a startup. They offered me $300K a year base, cash, plus stock. At the time I was in the $150s. I didn’t take the job, but point being if I’d played the game “normally”, they’d of course have offered me 10% more than what I already made. I knew they’d struggle to get people through their interview process, the skills they demanded would be super hard to find in this market, and that they paid well.

Another time I had an offer for $400K, at a time when I was below $200K. I got it because, again, I realized that the company had lost a few key leaders, and I made it clear that I was about to leave a company where I was a top performer etc, so the relevant comparison for me wasn’t what I was making, but what I would make at my current job post promotion, which I had every reason to believe I’d get in 6 months. Truth was that I didn’t think I’d get the promotion, so I was bluffing, but they certainly didn’t know that. That enabled me to just make up numbers I thought were in the realm of reason for their role based on what I’d been able to get through backchannels.

More recently, on a whim, I tried this again, just to test the market. I won’t share the figure here cause it will definitely come across as a humblebrag, but I got a very similar outcome.

The key to leveraging comes down to a few things:

(1) Figure our what is unique about you, or what the market doesn’t have (I.e. Imagine Amazon trying to hire qualified tech recruiter soon here vs in Seattle. Which market do you think they will have far fewer good choices? Or if a company on the west coast needs a regulatory person, do you think they’ll have a huge Rolodex of candidates locally or will they likely seek someone in DC and overpay?)
(2) Test the market every few years.
(3) Don’t leave jobs unless it’s for a big leap. 10% isn’t worth it. 50% is.
(4) Be creative. I got a $100,000 sign on bonus from a company because I knew that the sign on bonus would come from a different budget.
(5) Research. Heavily. I once found someone who wrote an article about the company they worked for WIRED. I LinkedIn them and asked to chat. They introduced me to their old boss who flat out told me the company comp structure. My negotiating position changed dramatically.
(6) Network. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1998: $56,000
21: $61,000
22: $66,000
23: $66,000
24: $90,000
25: $93,000
26: $240,000
27: $240,000
28: $105,000
29: $0
30: $140,000
31: $160,000
32: $190,000
33: $210,000
34: $215,000
35: $230,000
36: $275,000
37: $400,000
38: $400,000
39: Likely substantially higher

The key is simple: New Jobs are made in moments of intense leverage. When that opportunity comes up, leverage, leverage, leverage. When you think you’ve plateaued, listen to your gut, and pound pavement.

Other than a humble brag, this doesn’t achieve anything. What a fluff post which says nothing. What did you do or do now...what do you mean by leverage (can explain in a couple of lines, no need to give your secrets away). if you are at all trying to be the least bit helpful to OP and others. Not, I guess.

PP here.

Not a humble brag really. I’m nearly 40 and make what a LOT of people in Dc make. Its good of course but it’s not really so absurd for the area

But to elaborate, what I meant about leverage was two things really. First, careers are made and broken in moments where you have the upper hand. Find companies that really need YOU for a role, and be bold about it with them. For instance, when I interviewed at a well known startup that recently IPOd, and they asked for my salary, I just said I wanted compensation commensurate with the risk of a startup. They offered me $300K a year base, cash, plus stock. At the time I was in the $150s. I didn’t take the job, but point being if I’d played the game “normally”, they’d of course have offered me 10% more than what I already made. I knew they’d struggle to get people through their interview process, the skills they demanded would be super hard to find in this market, and that they paid well.

Another time I had an offer for $400K, at a time when I was below $200K. I got it because, again, I realized that the company had lost a few key leaders, and I made it clear that I was about to leave a company where I was a top performer etc, so the relevant comparison for me wasn’t what I was making, but what I would make at my current job post promotion, which I had every reason to believe I’d get in 6 months. Truth was that I didn’t think I’d get the promotion, so I was bluffing, but they certainly didn’t know that. That enabled me to just make up numbers I thought were in the realm of reason for their role based on what I’d been able to get through backchannels.

More recently, on a whim, I tried this again, just to test the market. I won’t share the figure here cause it will definitely come across as a humblebrag, but I got a very similar outcome.

The key to leveraging comes down to a few things:

(1) Figure our what is unique about you, or what the market doesn’t have (I.e. Imagine Amazon trying to hire qualified tech recruiter soon here vs in Seattle. Which market do you think they will have far fewer good choices? Or if a company on the west coast needs a regulatory person, do you think they’ll have a huge Rolodex of candidates locally or will they likely seek someone in DC and overpay?)
(2) Test the market every few years.
(3) Don’t leave jobs unless it’s for a big leap. 10% isn’t worth it. 50% is.
(4) Be creative. I got a $100,000 sign on bonus from a company because I knew that the sign on bonus would come from a different budget.
(5) Research. Heavily. I once found someone who wrote an article about the company they worked for WIRED. I LinkedIn them and asked to chat. They introduced me to their old boss who flat out told me the company comp structure. My negotiating position changed dramatically.
(6) Network. Duh.

NP. You’ve done well and deserve to win. BTW, a LOT of people in DC do NOT make $400k before they reach 40 or even at 60. You are in a very small minority. Wear your crown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1998: $56,000
21: $61,000
22: $66,000
23: $66,000
24: $90,000
25: $93,000
26: $240,000
27: $240,000
28: $105,000
29: $0
30: $140,000
31: $160,000
32: $190,000
33: $210,000
34: $215,000
35: $230,000
36: $275,000
37: $400,000
38: $400,000
39: Likely substantially higher

The key is simple: New Jobs are made in moments of intense leverage. When that opportunity comes up, leverage, leverage, leverage. When you think you’ve plateaued, listen to your gut, and pound pavement.

Other than a humble brag, this doesn’t achieve anything. What a fluff post which says nothing. What did you do or do now...what do you mean by leverage (can explain in a couple of lines, no need to give your secrets away). if you are at all trying to be the least bit helpful to OP and others. Not, I guess.

PP here.

Not a humble brag really. I’m nearly 40 and make what a LOT of people in Dc make. Its good of course but it’s not really so absurd for the area

But to elaborate, what I meant about leverage was two things really. First, careers are made and broken in moments where you have the upper hand. Find companies that really need YOU for a role, and be bold about it with them. For instance, when I interviewed at a well known startup that recently IPOd, and they asked for my salary, I just said I wanted compensation commensurate with the risk of a startup. They offered me $300K a year base, cash, plus stock. At the time I was in the $150s. I didn’t take the job, but point being if I’d played the game “normally”, they’d of course have offered me 10% more than what I already made. I knew they’d struggle to get people through their interview process, the skills they demanded would be super hard to find in this market, and that they paid well.

Another time I had an offer for $400K, at a time when I was below $200K. I got it because, again, I realized that the company had lost a few key leaders, and I made it clear that I was about to leave a company where I was a top performer etc, so the relevant comparison for me wasn’t what I was making, but what I would make at my current job post promotion, which I had every reason to believe I’d get in 6 months. Truth was that I didn’t think I’d get the promotion, so I was bluffing, but they certainly didn’t know that. That enabled me to just make up numbers I thought were in the realm of reason for their role based on what I’d been able to get through backchannels.

More recently, on a whim, I tried this again, just to test the market. I won’t share the figure here cause it will definitely come across as a humblebrag, but I got a very similar outcome.

The key to leveraging comes down to a few things:

(1) Figure our what is unique about you, or what the market doesn’t have (I.e. Imagine Amazon trying to hire qualified tech recruiter soon here vs in Seattle. Which market do you think they will have far fewer good choices? Or if a company on the west coast needs a regulatory person, do you think they’ll have a huge Rolodex of candidates locally or will they likely seek someone in DC and overpay?)
(2) Test the market every few years.
(3) Don’t leave jobs unless it’s for a big leap. 10% isn’t worth it. 50% is.
(4) Be creative. I got a $100,000 sign on bonus from a company because I knew that the sign on bonus would come from a different budget.
(5) Research. Heavily. I once found someone who wrote an article about the company they worked for WIRED. I LinkedIn them and asked to chat. They introduced me to their old boss who flat out told me the company comp structure. My negotiating position changed dramatically.
(6) Network. Duh.

This is great advice. Just curious are you a man or woman?

[Anonymous]

I’m a man.

[Anonymous]

I hit $150 before 35. Now I'm 48 and am around $175. The salary increase is pretty blah. But my priorities have changed. Now I have 2 kids and I WFH full time. I've been at my company for so long I have seniority and a ridiculous amount of vacation. I can do my job in my sleep. What would take someone 2 or 3 days to figure out I can do in a few hours mostly because I've seen it before and I know how to access the right people to resolve an issue.

So, I used my fantastic salary prekids to buy a house. The house is now paid off and the kids are in public. I don't really need more than $175 to live. I'm there for every school function, my kids can do anything they want after school because I have the flexibility to drive them, dinner is easy because I prep it when they are in school and then just finish it off around 5:30. By 6:30 most nights, my kids and I relaxing.

A former co-worker went to another company and offered me $300 to jump ship. At this point in my life, I don't need the money and I don't want the responsibility. I love the ease and flexibility of my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hit $150 before 35. Now I'm 48 and am around $175. The salary increase is pretty blah. But my priorities have changed. Now I have 2 kids and I WFH full time. I've been at my company for so long I have seniority and a ridiculous amount of vacation. I can do my job in my sleep. What would take someone 2 or 3 days to figure out I can do in a few hours mostly because I've seen it before and I know how to access the right people to resolve an issue.

So, I used my fantastic salary prekids to buy a house. The house is now paid off and the kids are in public. I don't really need more than $175 to live. I'm there for every school function, my kids can do anything they want after school because I have the flexibility to drive them, dinner is easy because I prep it when they are in school and then just finish it off around 5:30. By 6:30 most nights, my kids and I relaxing.

A former co-worker went to another company and offered me $300 to jump ship. At this point in my life, I don't need the money and I don't want the responsibility. I love the ease and flexibility of my job.

I would love to be in this situation - any advice on how to get there?

[Anonymous]

I was at $150 at 35. $350 now at 45. If you get bored, get your CV out there, talk to headhunters.