My Income Progression
Now, at the age of thirty, I find it beneficial to reflect on the trajectory of my career and the progression of my salary. Throughout my adult life, I've held various jobs. During college, I worked as a camp counselor during summers and took on campus odd jobs like refereeing intramural sports throughout the school year. With a degree in finance and accounting, I interned at a large accounting firm in South Florida after graduation. Despite receiving a full-time offer upon completing my graduate degree, I declined and chose not to pursue grad school.
During this transitional phase, I found employment teaching and tutoring students in Standardized Test Prep (SAT & ACT). While the job paid well, I felt like I wasn't utilizing my degree, earning less than expected, and living in a location I didn't desire. In the Spring, I made a resolution to move to a different state and start fresh. Upon arriving, I actively searched for any decent job with low barriers to entry and received two offers.
One offer was from Solar City, involving door-to-door sales on a 100% commission basis. The other was an entry-level sales role at a technology startup with a $40,000 OTE, with a 30/10 split. (OTE refers to On Target Earnings, combining base salary and commissions to determine total compensation if 100% of plan goals are met.) I was wary about a full commission job so I chose the startup role for the guaranteed money, even though it was relatively low. My biggest career mistake was not negotiating that initial offer, but despite this, the opportunity proved to be fertile ground for launching my career, and I learned from the experience.
The startup had a successful exit through acquisition, providing me with the chance to switch roles and earn promotions. After a few years, I transitioned to a different company and continued to receive annual raises and promotions. The following table charts my salary progression, representing cash compensation only and excluding additional benefits like 401K matching or health insurance. The last column breaks down the base salary to commissions if applicable to the role.
| Age | Job Title | Salary | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-21 | Miscellaneous | <$10,000 | na |
| 22 | Tax Accountant Intern | <$10,000 | na |
| 22 | Standardized Test Prep Instructor | ~$30,000 | na |
| 23 | MDR | $40,000 | 30/10 |
| 24 | MDR/SMB AE | $64,000 | 38/26 |
| 25 | Account Executive | $85,000 | 50/35 |
| 26 | Sales Engineer I | $120,000 | 96/24 |
| 27 | Sales Engineer II | $145,000 | 116/29 |
| 28 | Solutions Engineer III | $160,000 | 128/32 |
| 29 | Solutions Engineer IV | $185,000 | 148/37 |
| 30 | Lead Solution Consultant | $194,000 | 155/39 |