In the personal finance world, most conversations revolve around cutting expenses, budgeting smarter, or living frugally. While those strategies matter, they also have a ceiling. You can only cut so much, but there’s virtually no limit to how much more you can earn. Increasing your salary not only improves your financial stability, it elevates your quality of life.
For me, earning more money changed everything. A higher salary increased my savings rate, let me travel more, reduced stress about rising costs of living, and gave me the confidence to handle unexpected expenses. And while the process wasn’t always easy, the steps I took helped me secure major salary jumps throughout my career, including increases of 16%, 57%, 14%, and 25% across different years.
Below are the strategies that helped me grow my income, stay competitive, and finally get compensated for the value I brought to my job.
The Reality: Increasing Your Salary Isn’t Always Simple
Before diving in, it’s important to acknowledge that earning more isn’t equally accessible for every industry or every worker. Some careers naturally have more room for growth, while others require additional effort, strategic planning, or even changing fields entirely.
Still, the majority of these tips apply universally. Even if they don’t all fit your situation perfectly, they can spark the ideas and direction you need to start increasing your earning potential. Most of us work 9–5 jobs, and not everyone wants to become an entrepreneur, so optimizing the career you already have is a powerful place to start.
1. Make Sure You’re in the Right Career Path
Before investing time in salary tactics, ask yourself a simple but critical question:
Are you in the right career?
I originally went to college for graphic design, but by graduation I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me. Fortunately, I had also studied computer science and communications, which helped me land my first job in email marketing. The degree didn’t directly match the role, but the employer valued my technical foundation and willingness to learn.
Even so, I found myself stuck in a low-paying position for over four years. But what mattered most was discovering that digital marketing actually excited me. That clarity helped guide my next steps and become the foundation of my career growth.
Your goal isn’t to find a job that makes you a millionaire. It’s to find work that motivates you and supports a sustainable lifestyle. When you’re in the right field, every other step gets easier.
2. Track Your Accomplishments Relentlessly
One of the most overlooked strategies to increase your salary is documenting your work wins.
Your manager may recognize your effort, but they aren’t keeping a detailed list of everything you’ve achieved. That’s your job.
Keep a running document of:
This becomes your “proof” during performance reviews. It’s also invaluable when updating your résumé or applying for new roles.
Consistently sharing updates, weekly highlights or project summaries, also helps you get noticed by leadership. Visibility is leverage, and leverage leads to higher pay.
3. Learn From Your Co-Workers to Expand Your Skill Set
If you want a promotion or a salary bump, start learning from people who are already performing at the next level.
Shadow teammates. Ask questions. Observe how different roles operate.
Even a basic understanding of other functions, analytics, sales, advertising, operations, can make you a more valuable employee.
For example, early in my digital marketing career, I didn’t know much about paid advertising. So I asked a colleague to teach me for 15–20 minutes each morning. That small habit eventually allowed me to manage a six-figure advertising budget, something that directly increased my earning potential.
Initiative is often worth as much as experience.
4. Teach Yourself New Skills Outside of Work
Your growth can’t rely solely on your workplace. The most successful professionals invest in themselves during off-hours.
This could mean:
Yes, it may mean less Netflix and fewer lazy evenings. And yes, time can be limited, especially with family responsibilities. But even 15 minutes a day compounds over time.
In digital marketing, free certifications from reputable platforms helped me add immediate value. Running a music blog also helped me learn skills I later used professionally.
Identify the skills required for the next level in your career, then start building them one step at a time.
5. Research Your Market Value
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not knowing the going rate for their role. I ignored salary research for the first five years of my career and it cost me.
Regularly check pay scales using tools like Glassdoor, PayScale, or LinkedIn Salary to understand:
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What people in your role earn
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How pay varies by city or region
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What similar roles in your field are offering
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What titles you could move into
While the numbers aren’t perfect, they provide a solid benchmark. Bringing this research into reviews or job interviews can significantly improve your negotiation power.
6. Ask for the Raise You Deserve
Annual raises often hover around 2–3%, which barely moves the needle. If you want a meaningful increase, you’ll need to ask for it directly.
Equip yourself with:
Managers are often more willing to negotiate than you think, especially when you come prepared. Yes, asking can feel intimidating. But if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
7. If All Else Fails, Look for a Better-Paying Job
If you’ve improved your skills, taken initiative, documented your results, and still aren’t being paid fairly, it may be time to move on.
Despite the stigma around “job-hopping,” strategic moves can dramatically increase your salary, sometimes faster than waiting for internal raises.
Just make sure your expectations are realistic. If the market value for your role is around $80,000, jumping to $150,000 overnight isn’t likely. But securing a 10–30% increase by switching companies is completely possible.
Sometimes the only way to get a raise is to get a new job.
Final Thoughts
Increasing your salary is one of the most effective ways to accelerate your financial progress. Yes, it requires effort, patience, and often stepping outside your comfort zone. But the payoff is well worth it.
It took me five years to go from a low salary to earning close to six figures. Your growth may be faster or slower. What matters is staying committed, continually improving, and knowing your worth.
And if you need more income while building your career, consider part-time work or simple side hustles to bridge the gap.
Your income is one of your most powerful wealth-building tools. Make sure it’s working as hard as you are.
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