My first job paid enough to cover food and transport, not even housing or health insurance. I seriously considered quitting and working as an assistant manager

My first job paid enough to cover food and transport, not even housing or health insurance. I seriously considered quitting and working as an assistant manager at KFC, just because it would pay the bills. That kind of median salary was a fantasy. 10 years later, I make over double the median salary I fantasized about. Most of my former classmates never get there; they're lucky to get jobs putting in fiber optic cables. Most end up doing boring jobs like selling insurance or working HR. But the salary is a local maxima. I had to go through years of terribly paid jobs to get enough experience to get a decent one.