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I'm 35 years old and have always lived in Boston. I currently make 51k. Not too long ago I had a job where i was making 42k and I managed. Reading other people's salaries I'm wondering if I'm just settling for less than I'm worth at this point. I work at a higher ed/non profit company and I'm in a customer support type role. I have a masters degree. I guess I went into the wrong field? I'd like to make more but once you accept a salary unless you get a big promotion within the company it's tough to get much more than a 5% raise. I once worked at a company for 6 years where i felt i put in a strong effort in trying to get ahead, trying to get promotions, but it didnt happen easily and then I got laid off. I went back to a customer support role because I feel like that's what I'm good at. I dont know where else i can go from here and I guess it's scary. I'm like ok am i going to have a salary in the 50k range for the rest of my life?? I went back and got a masters thinking it would help me...really hasn't.
I like my job, but i feel like i'm making less than i should be. It's discouraging, but getting a job these days seems so difficult. Interviewing is exhausting. I guess I'm just venting. It's just irritating seeing 22 year olds fresh out of college complaining about a salary of 55k. They dont know how lucky they are!
Well, to put things into perspective, I'm only making around 30k at my current job. Granted, it's an economically depressed area with a much lower cost of living. I'm a recent graduate as well, currently working in human resources for a community bank.
I'm already applying for positions in a larger city near where I live. The salary ranges there are close to 40k, which is about market rate for an HR Generalist. I'd be happy right now with that salary! It's all about your situation, I guess.....
Luckily HR is a in demand field right now. I've applied for maybe 10 jobs, and have already gotten 5 call backs for interviews.
Honestly, people lie quite a bit on the internet. Most of my friends are not making anything close to 50K, even the ones who are entering professional roles after graduation. $17/hr seems about average in my circle of friends with a degree. Mostly mid 20's in age.
Even later down the road, 50K seems about average unless you're working in a corporate setting, a highly specialized role, etc. For most of my early life, I could earn close to 50K, but it took some definite OT. The income changed ever so slightly. What did change more noticeably was the number of hours I had to work to earn it. Lots of folks out there earning good money, but they are really working for it. If you feel like sacrificing your well being, your family if you have one and so forth, more power to you Much easier to spend money wisely, invest what you can, and let everyone else work 60 hours a week so they can drive a nicer looking vehicle that serves the same function as yours.
What is most important is if your generally happy, healthy and have no major wants in life.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Non-profits are notoriously low paying except for the CEO, and customer support is typically not a high paying career. It sounds to me like you are very well paid for what you do, but you are overqualified. It is typical that your boss would only make about 10% more than you. Here where I am a manager my lowest paid people are at about your pay range, but have the opportunity for 3 different levels before mine, and 2-3 more above that.In addition we have an assortment of other jobs available for transfer or promotion with 2,000 employees and 400 different job titles.
You have not mentioned what your degree/Masters are in, which would be helpful, but I think you will have to look for another kind of work if you are unhappy with your salary. the question is whether another $10-15,000 is worth going from something you enjoy to something you may not.
Very doubtful many 22 year olds are making 50K, so, please don't be upset by reading such as that. What I see are young people complaining they should be making that and more. Something I've observed over many years is being prepared often isn't rewarded immediately. It comes later. Be patient. Of course, I'm a patient person, so, that helps.
My masters is in communications management. Honestly no one seems to care that I have it. I thought it would help...but it's really all about work experience and special skills. I always end up in admin/support type roles. I guess I thought id be a program manager or something like that. I dont want to manage people necessarily...but i'd like to have more responsibility than what I have now. I just dont know where this career can go.
It is impossible to say if you are underpaid without knowing what your peers make at similar employers. I agree that NPOs generally equate to not a lot of money; same for customer service jobs.
Yeah i guess I'm in the wrong place. I work at a university in a customer support role...and while it's not like i'm working for comcast or Bank of america taking calls all day, it's just not always challenging. we actually dont have a phone line...everything is done over email. Sometimes i get to use my brain and solve problems, fix bugs...but for the most part i feel like i write the same thing over and over. The other good thing is that it changes on a weekly basis. I guess I worry that I will be in this job for the rest of my life. I just know that customer service roles get typecasted and that's all people can see you doing...same with admin/exec assistance roles. It's just hard to move up. Again i thought going back to school would help..not so much. I just feel like I don't have a career...it's a job. I ask myself if i'm ok with that...sometimes i am...i mean it pays the bills, i have a great benefits, interesting company, nice co-workers, etc...but I dont feel entirely fulfilled.
Take a look at Bloomberg, WSJ, or any business news. Find out who has major expansion plans over the next year. Did any company get bought by a private equity firm? It's a human resources nightmare. They will have to ramp up staffing levels in a ridiculously short time period. It means plenty of room for promotion and advancement.
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Much easier to spend money wisely, invest what you can, and let everyone else work 60 hours a week so they can drive a nicer looking vehicle that serves the same function as yours.
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