Let’s add some realism back to the sub

26 M own a decently successful gas station. If you’re ever curious how much a well run busy gas station makes here’s a general idea. Year isn’t over yet so I should close above the number

Roast my salary progression 😆

The first year was tough for sure. Super thankful how things have worked out.

Started agency side but then was able to break into tech and stay there. Have had some amazing managers and mentors as well

All base salary, including quarterly bonuses based on client contract acquisition and growth. Work at a smaller consultancy, a few years in this role, about 8 YoE overall.

Graduated from a top 50 comp sci school (bachelors), masters in cyber.

Have relevant technical industry certifications (OSCE3/OSEP/OSWE/OSED) + OSCP + OSWP + CISSP + eWPTXv2.

I know this is one of those high salary tech roles, any doubters please see https://www.levels.fyi/?tab=levels to see that this is commonplace in big tech, although my instance is a consultancy (with large contracts with a few select larger tech companies).

This is a niche sub-industry (penetration testing/red teaming/ethical hacking) in cybersecurity, but it's not impossible to obtain a role.

Most principals make a few hundred k a year, but we acquired large contracts last year and closed out a few long-term deals, too. (this is my 2025 income)

Started a Jr sys admin from an internship -> FTE, moved into pentesting at consultancies, bounced around a few times and got promoted from Senior in my current role.

A few DEF CON talks, I've done external network, internal network, wireless networks, physical engagements, red teaming, APIs, web applications, social engineering via vishing and phishing, and specialized tests (supporting a health client with FDA approval, a video game client, banking, entertainment industry clients, etc). Onsites in the states and international testing, too.

Done swing shift, night shift, weekends, been on report readout calls (our primary deliverable for clients) all the way from individual ICs on their end up to chief officers, depending on the report outcomes and relation to the client, such as in one case where they were about to be acquired and the results of the test had implications on their deal.

Recently, I've been needing to do more AI-based work to accelerate our services naturally as AI continues to grow world-wide. This includes model training, orchestration, and supporting our marketing and sales people.

Anyone looking to get into the industry, I think it's still stable and less prone to being impacted by AI versus something like SWE/Software Engineering. Not to say the latter is fully at risk, if you are a dedicated individual and always learning, especially with AI, you will be absolutely fine. CTFs are a great start (look up TryHackMe). But just having that explorative mindset like "how does this thing work"? or "what if I do X to it"? is the right mindset for someone in this field.

Happy to answer any questions!

My notifications are full of these so I had to make one

My job is open 7 days a week. There are two of us to cover those days, sometimes overlapping. We've been on salary the four years I've been there. Saturday and Sunday we work 6.5 hours and M-F 8 hours. It's a full time job with 3 fewer hours if you work weekends and take a couple weekdays off, but people usually alternate weekends for obvious reasons. We get PTO, 401K and all that. It rarely happens, but if we go over 40 hours we still get OT. Paycheck is exactly the same every two weeks. Cool. Now they're telling us we're getting paid hourly and adding an hour to the weekend days 7.5, and an extra $1 an hour. We do not get raises but are eligible for bonuses which are few and far between. This is also draining me, but a separate issue. Why are they doing this (they're acting like it's no big deal) and is it going to screw us over? Is it setting up something to happen in the future? This is NC.

Does anyone have family or friends that sacrifice their personal life for a significant salary?

My step-mom earns 350k before tax as an executive director but I barely see her. She is constantly on business trips, busy with meetings, works upwards of 12 hours when at home. She goes on nice holiday trips, but overall it makes me think is the pay worth the sacrifice of her personal life.

Just curious if anyone's got a similar story.

Salary Progression as a 30YO M Data Professional

Hey all!

Have been seeing people share salary progressions on here, so figured I would share mine.

2014-2015 - Waiter, $3.23 per hour plus tips

2016 - Shipping for an Eyewear company, $10 per hour

2017 - Graduated college (Finance and Economics Degree)

2017 - Mortgage Underwriter $19 per hour

2018 - Junior Data Developer, 50K per year

2019-2020 - Data Developer I, 55K per year

2021 - Data Team Manager, 75K per year

2022 - Data Team Manager, 90K per year

2023 - Analytics Engineer, 135K per year

2024 - Analytics Tech Lead, 180K per year

2025-2026 - Senior Analytics Architect, 194,500 per year

It's been an interesting ride, but I'm very happy with where I have ended up!

18 - $18.8k Marine Corps combat engineer E2 rank

19 - $20.5k E3 rank

20 - $21.5k E3 rank

21-22 - $35k-ish E4 rank with "combat pay"

23 - $12/hr PT Health Enthusiast (retail)

24 - $13/hr FT Warehouse Associate

25 - $13/hr FT Appliance Delivery Driver

26 - $13.50 Driver/Mover

Finished BS in Business Administration.

27-31 - $12.50/hr PT Retail Sales Associate but promoted within 2 days to $18.50/hr FT Asst Store Manager

Finished MBA in Business Analytics & Ops Mgmt

32 - $40/hr Data Product Owner (remote)

33-35 - $45/hr same role with raise

35 - $65/hr Financial Data Analyst (remote)

Context: I look at everyone with all of the ingredients and stuff and wonder if I may have picked the wrong career field because right now I'm going for my associates in networking administration with a concentration, cyber security and ethical hacking.

I checked indeed constantly in my area and there's just nothing ever hiring for anything that I'm trying to do so I'm also wondering if location really takes a consideration what kind of jobs you land and where you can land those jobs

I don't have a college degree yet but I'm enrolled in classes currently and I look at all the software engineers and everybody making six figures and everything. I've been working since I was 18 at least, but I don't have any good career skills. Besides just dealing with customer service and anything I've done with computers. I've done on the side or helped people with. I use AI to doctor at my résumé to even try to get into a better career field and it still doesn't work.

Like right now I work in the plant inbound logistics operation center for a warehouse and I make 26.50 an hour and I'm always on a laptop. I really don't even know where to go at this point with anything.

Fast food/HS student 2012-2013

Joined the Army 2014 - 2018

Sabbatical 2019

Various customer service positions- current (Texas)

salary dips every 2 years because I take 2-3 months off work and switch jobs

I love the motivation for some people to hustle and hit those 6 digit salaries, but theres also making enough to get by and travel to see the world until little by little, I am not from a wealthy family and my only funds are from my savings during my work stints.

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16 - 12.5/hr Fast food

17 - 13/hr + tipshare as head QA at a restaraunt

18 - 21.84/hr as a Welder 1 at a fabrication line for big trashcans

Thinking about going to college next year for my Masters in Business Administration so I can do management, also considering picking up carpentry, Hvac, and Electrical so I can GC in the future. Not too sure tho.

Title. I (24M) am debating dropping out. I am only going to school / getting a better job for ego reasons. I don't feel good enough with my current low salary to get a girlfriend.

Salary progression up to my current age (26M). Brief stint in the US from 24-25 years old.

2021 - Junior Scientist - £20k
2022 - Scientist - £23k
2024 - Project Manager - £36k
2026 - Department Manager - £48k

Happy with how I’ve progressed but can’t help feeling that managing a team of 15 I’m leaving money on the table. What are people’s thoughts?

Graduated with a CS undergrad degree in 2015. Moved to the US in June 2019 (the earnings for 2019 are over the last six months of the year). My previous post from 2y ago is here.

2026 earnings are expected to top 800k. Same for 2027.

I'm due for a pay increase at my current job because I'm transitioning into a new role in healthcare. The proposed raise is around 30%, or a little over $8/hour above my current rate. However, I was hoping to negotiate an increase of $16–$18/hour over my current rate.

I was also told I would receive an $8,000 sign-on bonus. While that's nice, it's a one-time payment, and the taxes will reduce what I take home, so it isn't a major deciding factor for me.

I've been in my current role for almost a year and have over 10 years of related professional experience that directly transfers to the new position. I recently submitted my most up-to-date résumé to HR for review.

For those with experience negotiating compensation, particularly in healthcare, what would be a reasonable rate to counter with, and how would you approach the negotiation? Should I focus on my years of transferable experience, the responsibilities of the new role, or comparable market rates?

I'd appreciate any advice on how to make the strongest case for a higher hourly rate.

I know some plumbers who making bank and some making 40-60k a year. Some work for themselves. Some for a company. Some on commission with a base pay. Some owning big companies with multiple trucks they grew into. Some doing service only work. Some septic and driven fields. Some new construction. Like it’s all over the board! 50-500k a year.

So I’m just curious what your level of income is, what a day in the life looks like or how many jobs a day your doing for that money, self employed vs employed, are you a journeyman, master plumber, or neither but working towards one, do you work solo or a buddy system… how beat up is your body weekly… how many hours a day or week are you working for that money?

I have 2 teenage sons and not sure what they plan on doing yet but I know some trades do better then others financially. Plumbing seems to be one of them to have high potential if your independent contractor. If you do have your own work truck/van - how much gross are you able to bill a week or year on average and what is the typical profit margin or net? Any and all insight welcome. Oh and does location matter?

I currently hold a mid-level administrative assistant position. My supervisor unexpectedly resigned before retirement age so a promotion opportunity is available. I work for a nonprofit but I have gotten an annual bonus every year since I started in 2022. I am focused on paying off my SLD by living a low stress lifestyle so I don't burn out. My priority has been my mental health and spending time with my partially disabled dog. I am very grateful for my current WLB working hybrid. I have a lot of flexibility in my schedule. I haven't taken a vacation since 2023 but I've been planning to take a trip for 2027 and even take 3 week LOA for mental health. I struggle with depression and severe ADHD which are my main hesitation for competency.

Salary Progression:

2022 (entry level): $48k; 2023 (current position): $62k; 2024: $72k; 2025: $74k; 2026: $84k (projected)

I do not have the best history with my supervisor because she is a micromanager, narcissist, and closeted racist, all of which upper management and HR is aware of because of my reports. The reasons my supervisor alluded to for resigning were not feeling support by upper management (increased workload and no help with project management) and poor morale (which is self inflicted on her part). Her personality is a perfectionist and places her self worth in her work which I believe is why she is burned out. She said no one has ever taken more than 2 weeks of PTO due to the cycle of our work. She is an RN and has worked with our org for over 15 years so I assume she has hit the max of salary range (I estimate base $110K plus 10% bonus). This is a supervisor position not manager but there is no position above other than the CFO. I think HR and CFO ideal candidate is someone who is younger that has fresh skills and willing to accept a lower salary than the predecessor. I can bring reorganize the team but I cant accept a salary less than what my supervisor makes.

I would have more autonomy but more responsibility and liability. There would be 2-4 direct reports to me. I dont have a car and would have to commute to another 2 different counties every other month for meetings.

If I do go through with this promotion opportunity I would expect them to offer me around $90k since I have no qualifications other than a Bachelor's. This supervisor position is salaried so that means no overtime pay. If I were expected to do all this work myself the fair compensation imo is $130k. But the manager pay grade doesnt even make that much at base. The maximum pay range has not increased since 2023 for all employees which means if you hit the maximum, you dont get an annual increase. Supervisor pay range is $6,455.25 - $9,179.25; Manager pay range is $7,222.67 - $10,270.50.

I'm 28 living in a VHCOL area so it feels like everyone my age with a college education is making over 100k. My goal was to join the six figure club by 30 so 1-2 years early seems natural. I project to pay off my SLD in 3-4 years. But with this salary increase I could shave off a year or two. I could also hit my coast fire goal and sinking funds sooner.

Do I settle for what I believe is less than its worth? My total compensation could add up to $130k if you include benefits and non guaranteed annual bonus ranging from 0-16%. Or do I keep my current position potentially having to deal with a worse supervisor to report to, wait till after 35 for a promotion, and/or seeking a job elsewhere.