4 ms·

I've got raises as high as 206% by switching jobs. Most recent switch a little over 2 years ago resulted in a 20% raise which is much more typical. Never had m

I've got raises as high as 206% by switching jobs. Most recent switch a little over 2 years ago resulted in a 20% raise which is much more typical. Never had more than a cost of living increase otherwise (2-3%), My strategy is to move when I stop learning. It maximizes both my enjoyment (learning challenges me and gives me motivation beyond a paycheck which is good for me and my employer.) and my potential earnings.

vogt 10y ago
Since Oct 2012, I've gone from $32k, to $44k, to $75k, to $85k (and killer benefits) now. None of these were in SF, NYC, LA, Boston or Austin. All from switching jobs.
- ryandrake 10y ago
  One thing not mentioned a lot in this discussion is that those triple- and double-digit increases tend to only happen early in one's career. Later in your career, it gets very difficult to find a different company that is willing to pay you even 10% more than you're making. You definitely will hit a ceiling at some point. My last job hop probably did not result in more than a 1% bump or so. So, Junior Engineer going from $32K to $60K is totally believable. Senior Engineer going from $150K to $175K is going to be rarer. Super-Senior Engineer going from $190K to $225K seems unlikely (but probably does happen from time to time).
  - vogt 10y ago
    Yes, that is definitely a fair point. Also for clarity's sake I'm a designer but the principles here are the same.
  - kasey_junk 10y ago
    Just to give a anecdotal data point. I'm in that high end range and have been for a long time, and I go between it (a little higher and lower for that matter) based on the job opportunity. Literally, I've taken jobs that go down that much because it sounded like a good job. Similarly, I've been given raises that much because of a variety of factors. But to your larger point, at the top end of the scale, to make dramatically more money you need to get attached to the business revenue directly, either as a founder, a partner, a solo operator etc.
  - morgante 10y ago
    > Senior Engineer going from $150K to $175K is going to be rarer. Super-Senior Engineer going from $190K to $225K seems unlikely (but probably does happen from time to time). I don't think either of those are particularly rare. If you're learning and negotiating aggressively, the salary ramp is very steep. There is absolutely a ceiling, but it's probably closer to $300k than $150k.
    - user5994461 10y ago
      We're talking base salary. The $300k are usually accounting for stock and bonus.
user5994461 10y ago
> 206% So it proves that it's possible to get decent people at 206% under the market :D
- micahbright 10y ago
  Yes, but it's more like getting a ticking time bomb. Eventually, they will find out the market rate.
  - user5994461 10y ago
    One may or may not find out. One may or may not have the balls to leave after finding out. So many variables at play :D
- jholman 10y ago
  /commence well-actually mode If that's how you do math, the sky's the limit. 206% means x3.06, so (s)he was previously making 1/3.06 of the new rate, which is roughly 32.7% of the new rate. Assuming the new rate was "at market", the old rate was 67.3% below market. Math like that is why I make the big bucks. (I do not currently make the big bucks.)
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
rosege 10y ago
I have to agree - a big incentive of changing jobs is how much you learn in those first 1-2 years with any new company. Another reason I have found for leaving recently is that the company makes a change that adversely affects your conditons. I am currently working for a company that when I started offered great pay for weekend work. Then new management came in with a mandate to cut costs and this was then removed which has significantly lowered my pay. The company is making record profits and is hugely profitable already so it wasnt done because of hard times. Either way, the way I see it is that its not my company and they can choose to do this - but then I can also choose to work somewhere else where I will earn more now that this source of extra $ has dried up.
mcv 10y ago
Same for me. Switching is the best way to get a raise, and I like the change. And I'm always at my best when I'm fresh at a new job.

vogt 10y ago

Since Oct 2012, I've gone from $32k, to $44k, to $75k, to $85k (and killer benefits) now. None of these were in SF, NYC, LA, Boston or Austin. All from switching jobs.

ryandrake 10y ago
One thing not mentioned a lot in this discussion is that those triple- and double-digit increases tend to only happen early in one's career. Later in your career, it gets very difficult to find a different company that is willing to pay you even 10% more than you're making. You definitely will hit a ceiling at some point. My last job hop probably did not result in more than a 1% bump or so. So, Junior Engineer going from $32K to $60K is totally believable. Senior Engineer going from $150K to $175K is going to be rarer. Super-Senior Engineer going from $190K to $225K seems unlikely (but probably does happen from time to time).
- vogt 10y ago
  Yes, that is definitely a fair point. Also for clarity's sake I'm a designer but the principles here are the same.
- kasey_junk 10y ago
  Just to give a anecdotal data point. I'm in that high end range and have been for a long time, and I go between it (a little higher and lower for that matter) based on the job opportunity. Literally, I've taken jobs that go down that much because it sounded like a good job. Similarly, I've been given raises that much because of a variety of factors. But to your larger point, at the top end of the scale, to make dramatically more money you need to get attached to the business revenue directly, either as a founder, a partner, a solo operator etc.
- morgante 10y ago
  > Senior Engineer going from $150K to $175K is going to be rarer. Super-Senior Engineer going from $190K to $225K seems unlikely (but probably does happen from time to time). I don't think either of those are particularly rare. If you're learning and negotiating aggressively, the salary ramp is very steep. There is absolutely a ceiling, but it's probably closer to $300k than $150k.
  - user5994461 10y ago
    We're talking base salary. The $300k are usually accounting for stock and bonus.

user5994461 10y ago

> 206% So it proves that it's possible to get decent people at 206% under the market :D

micahbright 10y ago
Yes, but it's more like getting a ticking time bomb. Eventually, they will find out the market rate.
- user5994461 10y ago
  One may or may not find out. One may or may not have the balls to leave after finding out. So many variables at play :D
jholman 10y ago
/commence well-actually mode If that's how you do math, the sky's the limit. 206% means x3.06, so (s)he was previously making 1/3.06 of the new rate, which is roughly 32.7% of the new rate. Assuming the new rate was "at market", the old rate was 67.3% below market. Math like that is why I make the big bucks. (I do not currently make the big bucks.)
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

rosege 10y ago

I have to agree - a big incentive of changing jobs is how much you learn in those first 1-2 years with any new company. Another reason I have found for leaving recently is that the company makes a change that adversely affects your conditons. I am currently working for a company that when I started offered great pay for weekend work. Then new management came in with a mandate to cut costs and this was then removed which has significantly lowered my pay. The company is making record profits and is hugely profitable already so it wasnt done because of hard times. Either way, the way I see it is that its not my company and they can choose to do this - but then I can also choose to work somewhere else where I will earn more now that this source of extra $ has dried up.

mcv 10y ago

Same for me. Switching is the best way to get a raise, and I like the change. And I'm always at my best when I'm fresh at a new job.