Below, we’ve distilled some of the most inspiring and revealing moments in your salary stories, as 11 Refinery29 UK readers openly share the biggest salary jump or pay rise they’ve ever received and what it meant to them.
From shrewdly sidestepping another company (or a different industry) to negotiating a new role at their existing workplace, these readers show us how it’s done. Let their stories inspire you, as they did us.
Hannah, 31, Wiltshire, she/her
Industry: Technology
What was your biggest salary jump?
£38,000 to £81,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I had been at a large, well-known tech company for two and a half years. I worked in a small engineering team running global analytics. In the time I’d been there, two of my team had left and were never replaced. Instead, I and a colleague were picking up the slack, running machine teardowns for longevity studies. We just finished a big project and made an engineering adjustment which saved the company over £860,000 per year. It was a big deal and such a simple fix – it was staring us right in the face yet no one caught it.
My colleague and I finished up the project and wrote up the findings, including a summary of the savings. We then presented to our boss a proposal to take 10% of the savings (£86k) and split it equally to get a £43k raise each. The other colleague was junior, earning £21k a year, and was gobsmacked that I wanted to split it equally. We put the case to our boss and he took it to his. They came back with a proposal to give me the raise but not my teammate. We stood our ground, reiterated the savings and also spread news of them through word of mouth to give ourselves notoriety. The raise request got bumped to a senior manager who, having heard of our accomplishment, immediately approved our raises. Result!
Any tips you’d like to share?
Don’t be afraid to speak up about your accomplishments. I never used to do this and, as a woman in tech, it’s easy to be sidelined by the male majority. Be your own biggest fan.
Joanne, 27, West Dorset, she/her
Industry: Charity sector
What was your biggest salary jump?
£28,900 to £35,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
My new salary begins from payday in March 2022. I haven’t changed job, company or location. I did nothing – my line manager called me to say that they were reassessing the ‘buildings team’ against industry standards. I work for a charity.
Any tips that you’d like to share?
Check what industry standard is. I had no idea that my salary was below the industry standard and if I had, I would probably have thought, Well, I work for a charity.
Rebecca, 34, London, she/her
What was your biggest salary jump?
£38,000 to £60,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I’d been in the same job for six years and feeling very stuck, with not much room for growth or progression. A former colleague tipped me off for her maternity cover – same title in a related but different industry so it was a horizontal move. This was summer 2020 so it felt scary to leave a known role for the unknown but I wouldn’t change it now for anything – best decision I ever made.
I knew it would be better pay but didn’t realise just quite how much! I asked for more than they were advertising and got it. Needless to say I was thrilled, and it proved life-changing as I was able to save a deposit for my first home in a year and a half rather than five or more. I can now afford to go down to four days a week (an 80% contract), which has been so good for my mental health and work-life balance. I really love the role and the team, my contract has been extended twice and I’m hoping they’ll keep me on permanently.
Any tips that you’d like to share?
Trusting your network is everything! Having a frank conversation with my former colleague about what the job would be like gave me the courage to take the plunge. I had realistic expectations going in and have been able to lean on a fantastic team which includes several people I’ve known from my previous work lives. Also, ask for more than they’re offering and what you think you’re worth – all they can say is no and there’s a good chance it’ll pay off.
Abbie, 29, Somerset, she/her
Industry: Private education
What was your biggest salary jump?
£24,000 to £40,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I work in marketing, which can pay well when you move up the ladder. I worked for one of the best schools in the country for four years and made a name for myself. With that name on my CV I was able to confidently pick up the phone when a rival school advertised a way better job but didn’t advertise the salary. When I asked, it was almost double what I was on and they were desperate to have me.
I couldn’t believe my luck as I would have been happy with £30k. I applied and they offered the top range, which for Somerset is quite good. I’ve been at the new school for a year now and have been on trips to Bulgaria and Dubai, experiences I never would have had.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Shoot your shot – even if you think you’re not qualified, pick up the phone and speak to the employer yourself before submitting your application. It’s an informal interview that is in your control and I like to believe in creating your own luck. Employers will value your initiative and it’s how I’ve gotten almost all of my jobs so far.
D, 30, London, she/her
What was your biggest salary jump?
£65,000 to £115,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I’d been in my job for six months when my company decided to hire another person who would have the same responsibilities I had. My company worked with external recruitment agencies and one of them posted the job but the starting salary was significantly higher than my salary. I spoke with my manager and got a pay rise.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Don’t undersell yourself and always ask for more. If you don’t ask, you won’t get a pay rise.
Emma, 28, Nottingham, she/her
What was your biggest salary jump?
£18,000 to £27,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I had an offer to go from a full-time job I was unhappy in to a freelance contract. I panicked on an unexpected phone call with the new employer when he asked how much my daily rate was and said £105 (I thought £100 sounded too round) and they agreed. That was a nice 50% raise.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Just ask for what you want. Don’t be afraid but maybe prepare before a phone call so you don’t undersell yourself.
Deb*, 24, London, she/her
Industry: Engineering/Technology
What was your biggest salary jump?
£18,000 to £50,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I was offered a full-time role at an engineering firm and was really disappointed when they lowballed me with an £18k salary. I was nervous whether to push back but did and they suddenly found another £10k in the budget, bringing me to £28k. That was okay but it definitely set my expectation that when I was dealing with my salary, I couldn’t rely on others to have my best intentions at heart and I had to be confident and assertive in asking for raises (even if the numbers felt beyond belief to me). So when the opportunity came up to join another tech firm, I accepted an offer for £38k, which my original company offered to match. Within the year at my new firm I asked for a significant raise (which I got!), which brought me to £50k.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Honestly, this taught me that in the right context, half of the negotiation is mindset and knowing your worth.
I would say I’ve been similarly talented throughout the past year but I’ve become more confident and not afraid to shy away from money conversations.
I decided that I was comfortable with the worst case scenario and that the right environment should help me grow in early career. I would also caveat that I’m so lucky to have incredibly supportive friends, family and partner who were my constant cheerleaders against my nerves and doubts.
*Name has been changed
Abi, 26, Buckinghamshire, she/her
Industry: Healthcare
What was your biggest salary jump?
£25,000 to £37,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I was in a low level NHS job (band 4) for three years and growing increasingly unhappy. Background context: before I joined, the role had moved from band 5 to band 3 and then to band 4 when I was hired. Over the years, the workload increased back to band 5 level and I was in the classic overworked, underpaid situation. I was keen to leave and take my experience elsewhere so applied for an NHS England role in my area of expertise (urgent care). It was the first job I applied for in those three years and I beat over 240 candidates to the post.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Once you know you’re being underpaid, definitely move on. I had a great team where I worked previously but few opportunities for progression so I had to bite the bullet and jump from one organisation to another. In the end it was the best decision I could’ve made because in less than a year I was able to take an interim post and I’m now earning an additional £10k on top (£47k total).
Alexandra, 27, Manchester, she/her
Industry: Translation
What was your biggest salary jump?
£31,000 to £40,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
In 2018 I started my first job after university as a translation project manager at a small translation company in southeast London on a standard starting salary of £22,000. One perk was hourly paid overtime, although we didn’t ever get much overtime to use it. After nine months I became a little bored with the same tasks and lack of progression so I started looking and applying for jobs.
I found a job advert that was asking for at least five years of experience as it would be leading the whole translation department on your own. I thought the company looked interesting and I applied but didn’t expect to hear back. I felt a huge amount of imposter syndrome when I was invited to interview. During the interview they asked for salary expectations and I said £26k. I was shocked when they offered me the job and said I had undervalued myself and offered me £31k (I wonder now what was the budget and could I have pushed for a higher salary?!).
A year later I was offered internal progression by way of a hybrid role covering the translation department and project management. At the start of the pandemic we grew the translation department with two recruits and in early 2020 I moved into a full PM role.
After a rocky COVID year it was finally agreed to match my salary to the other PMs in the company. I also used this time to negotiate permanently working from home and a move from London to Manchester, which is where I am now. I am hoping for more internal progression but feel that I may have stalled where I am at the moment. I am also considering a move from private to public sector.
Any tips you’d like to share?
I’m unsure if it is true but I was once told that women try to achieve 80% of a job description before they apply while men average only 30%. I have taken this on and always apply if I find the job interesting and meet some of the criteria but not all.
Gemma, 30, Midlands, she/her
What was your biggest salary jump?
£38,000 to £90,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
My fixed term contract wasn’t renewed due to COVID so I started looking for a new role. Thankfully I had time to find the right role and turned down quite a few offers until I got a call from a recruiter for a contract role. It was seven months at £400 per day – this was roughly double my current wage and it was a ridiculously good opportunity. I weighed up the risks and in the end I just went for it! It did feel a little too good to be true at the time but I’ve now been here for 14 months and have recently been extended by another five months.
Any tips you’d like to share?
Where possible, wait for the right opportunity and take calculated risks to make big jumps in your career.
Hollie, 35, Hampshire, she/her
Industry: IT
What was your biggest salary jump?
£37,000 to £65,000
Tell us the story behind this jump.
I was working for a local council in IT project management and after a year of not being happy and a gruelling process through ACAS, I left.
I started a contract role which was initially three months on a day rate of £250, which works out to around £65,000. I was nervous taking contract work because it was initially only three months, however it’s been extended twice with no end date in sight.
I love my new job, I work from home and go to the office once a fortnight in London. I have complete control over my work day and can keep up with going to the gym and seeing friends. I feel like I’m finally financially independent and have entered my rich childless auntie phase. I love it!
Any tips you’d like to share?
Don’t be scared of going contract. You have a lot more potential for career growth and to earn a lot more money. Speaking of which, don’t downplay your worth! I had doubts I could ‘live up to the salary’ after a really negative working environment but I get good feedback from my boss and I really enjoy my job because I feel valued.
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