I Made $50k in My First Job — How I Built That to $100K

According to research from 2023 conducted by Zippia, 18% of American individuals earn over $100,000 and 56% of Americans believe that this salary would make them rich. While we can debate if a six-figure salary is middle-class or rich these days, for the sake of this article, we will examine two examples of people who turned a low-paying gig into something more lucrative.

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We will look at two people who started with low-wage jobs and built them into careers making six figures.

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Person #1: Moving Up to Chief of Staff

Kimberly Bacso started with her current employer at $24 an hour, well under her then going rate. Through demonstrating value by executing projects quickly, she became the chief of staff, earning $69.23 per hour or $144,000 annually.

Starting as an Executive Assistant

“I was a military spouse for 23 years, so we moved around on average every two years, and I did my best to take advantage of opportunities at each duty station,” Bacso noted.

Bacso shared how she originally started as an executive assistant to get her foot in the door and see what other opportunities would present themselves. Bacso went into detail on the various gigs that she took while traveling with her husband over the years:

“Sometimes, that meant full-time employment. Other times, it was volunteer work or entrepreneurship. It was a non-linear career path, but I developed expertise in accounting, marketing, operations, and more, setting me up well for a chief of staff position.”

Moving Up The Ranks

Bacso shared how she ended up in this temporary low-paying job that ultimately led to a six-figure salary:

“When I was job searching, a previous boss called me and asked me if I wanted to join her on a political campaign as an executive assistant for $20 an hour. I laughed at the rate but asked her to tell me more. I negotiated up to $24 an hour and the deputy chief of staff title. She left the campaign, and I took over as chief of staff. The campaign pivoted to a new endeavor, and I stayed on as the CEO’s chief of staff. I have earned several pay increases along the way.”

The key takeaway from this story is that you may have to take a lower-paying job initially as you prove your worth to the organization.

Bacso knew she could efficiently complete tasks through the various skills she picked up in previous roles. Through her previous experience, she was able to move up the ranks quickly from a low-paying gig to a respectable six-figure salary. It’s not about where you start that matters because you likely have the opportunity to improve your situation.

Story continues

Moving Up to a Vice President Role And Then Pivoting

“I worked with a Fortune 500 Staffing agency for six years, working my way up to VP and then I opened a staffing firm,” said Justin Marcus, the co-founder and CEO of Big 4 Talent. Marcus opened Gratus Staffing in the DC area four years ago and he eventually helped start Big 4 Talent, a leading platform specializing in connecting top talent with premier employers in the accounting and finance sector.

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We’ll look at Marcus’ journey to reach six figures:

Starting Salary of $45,000

Marcus realized that he had to start somewhere so he took a sales position with a low-paying base just to get his foot in the door.

“When I started my career at the Fortune 500 Staffing Firm, it was a sales job, and my base salary was $45,000 per year,” shared Marcus. “In the first few months, I didn’t earn much in commissions as I was learning how to make placements.”

One of the biggest challenges with accepting a starting sales position is that you may have to accept a lower pay rate as you gain experience and try to excel in your role.

Gaining Experience and Confidence

Marcus knew the low-base salary wouldn’t be his pay for the long run as he believed in his abilities, so he continued to hone his craft and do whatever he could to improve in his role.

“Several months later, I made a few bigger placements, and my income increased by $15,000 for the month, which was exhilarating for me,” Marcus said. “It was the first time I believed I could truly be in charge of earning as much as I wanted and that I was totally in control. It also allowed me to stretch and reach bigger goals.”

As Marcus gained experience, he also picked up confidence and self-belief that would help propel him forward.

Leaving a Six-Figure Salary

Even though Marcus was able to turn his $45,000 per year job into a six-figure salary, he knew that he had the potential to earn more.

“In 2019, I took a risk and left my $130,000 job as a recruiter to open my first business (in the same industry),” shared Marcus.

When reflecting on his success, Marcus says:

“The biggest thing I have realized is that my income is directly related to the quality (and quantity) of people I can positively impact (whether indirectly or directly). Finding out what people want and then delivering it to them in a way that is better than they are used to has been a recipe for success.”

This discovery helped Marcus build a business that would bring in much more than he ever imagined he would be making. His annual income from his business has ranged from $150,000 to $320,000, depending on expenses and other factors.

Investing in Knowledge and Connections

Marcus credits his success to reading books to acquire new knowledge and making new connections to build his network.

“Read some books to help change your mindset,” Marcus stated. He shared how the right book at the key moment in time can change the trajectory of your life.

Marcus concluded, “Then, start hanging out in situations where people you want to be like, are. We become like the books we read and people we associate with.”

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Made $50k in My First Job — How I Built That to $100K