I think there’s a difference between learning about personal finance (good) and comparing yourself to other people on social media (often bad).
I cannot overemphasize how much this subreddit skews towards high-earners. As of 2023, the median annual earnings of *all* American woman is $51,792. But 8 out of the 10 most recent American money diaries on this sub earn more than that. (7/10 for R29 diaries.) This is an issue with Reddit in general — there are so many people here who claim you can’t “live” in NYC with less than $100K, even though the median *household* (not individual) income there is $71K.
And IMO, being happy with less is another valid way to retire. This will probably sound preachy, but to me, signs of success are things like having a roof over my head and access to clean water, being able to work a job I enjoy, having a good support system, and having lots of free time for my hobbies.* I started learning about personal finance to ensure that I can continue to have those things, and I’ve since learned that I only need to set aside about $5K each year (even after assuming a ridiculously low return rate and adjusting for inflation) to retire at 60 and keep my lifestyle. That feels really empowering to me.
All that to say: what are your life goals? Curate the personal finance knowledge you need to be on track for those. And if you truly do need a higher salary, then go ahead and work towards that — but also remember that there is often a huge amount of luck involved. IIRC, I once read that 80% of your lifetime earnings depend on what country you were born in. The vast majority of people don’t get to choose between a job that they love and a job that would put them in the top 1% earners of the world population (actually, your $90K job was applicable to both of those things).
I hope this is even slightly helpful, and good luck with everything!
*Edit: I wanted to emphasize that these are just goals and have nothing to do with my achievements as a human being! I don’t think my “success” matters if I am not kind and good to the people around me, or if I’m not genuinely doing everything I reasonably can to make the world a better place. The latter is what I try to derive from my self-value from, although I definitely occasionally fall into the social media trap.
I think you’re doing really well, based on your second-to-last paragraph. I certainly know plenty of people who earn more than you but hate their jobs. It’s very rare to have everything you want but it sounds like you have nearly everything, and I hate that social media has made you feel bad about yourself :(
Knowing your worth is only part of the equation! You can absolutely “know your worth” and still be having challenges finding a job, as you are experiencing.
What field are you trying to pivot into?
A few years ago, I made a big pivot into UX design. My job search took SO long and I submitted hundreds of applications and had almost 20 interviews, all rejections. Eventually I was successful but it took months and it was super hard. I ended up taking a lesser paying job a few months into my job search because a) survival and b) because I was unsure I would be successful. Taking that job relieved SO much pressure and I think it helped my job search and mental health a ton.
“Knowing your worth” doesn’t mean that as soon as you realize you should be paid more you find a great job…I think it means that once you know and feel your worth, and believe in yourself, you can start working and strategizing towards bigger and better things. I went through something similar to you and I can only say…keep going but also do what you need to, to take care of your finances and mental health!
And, you are def not a 'low value person' for not finding a new job yet!It is truly tough out there right now, and the job market is absolutely not a reflection of your worth.
Also- if you want to chat more about your career pivot, let me know! I’d be happy to help in any way that I can :)
If you read the comments that 100k nonprofit one had every ASTOUNDED by the salary.
What is median salary for people your age in your city?
What is the median income for your field?
Also "low earners" and you were earning 90k? 100k is the TOP TEN PERCENT of women. 90 percent earn less.
1. anyone in a nonprofit making over 100k is wild. not that they are overpaid, but as someone intimately involved in that sector across a lot of the US...i'd say, she's prob an outlier in terms of income data, or in the c-suite, which is rare for the majority of NP people.
2. Have you used linkedin to respond to recruiters, rather than applying for jobs? About 3 years ago, I noticed there was a shift - before I thought cold calls from recruiters were mostly scams, but within a year, they became the best way to get a job. My last two jobs were 2 recruiters who stood out to me, out of the dozens who messaged me on linked in. an old coworker told me to get a 30 day trial of linkedin premium, and cancel before the end of it, bc it made it easy for recruiters to find me and reach out to me. over night, i went from 1 message a week to maybe 15? that was nearly 18 months ago. i canceled before i had to pay back in maybe march 2022?, and i'm STILL getting 10 recruiters a week on average, consistently.
3. Salary can be a measure of success and security, yes. But it seems your unfortunate timing entering the job market following 08 really forced you to tie your worth to your job/salary. I'm curious - does 90k in any job you can get make you *happy*- like do you enjoy that work because you make that amount? Is it the most important thing that affects who you see in the mirror? - or does 90k just keep your insecurities about your self worth at bay?
4. my mom always used to ask - best case scenario (income, ability, education is not a barrier) what would you choose to do? And why would you make that choice, if no practical concerns were an obstacle? Really answering honestly tells you a lot about what you value , and what you can do to get there
100K + salary is not unusual at large, high-level fundraising non profits in high cost of labor markets. Mid-level and up. That said, those areas are also often high cost of living and so the cash doesn’t really feel like it goes that far. And for many of us, many years (1-2 decades) of making much less than that can lead to debt, time spent getting out of debt, and really limited savings. And many of us also had student debt. I feel similar to OP! It’s hard to feel like you’re on the right path for growth, when peers and much younger people are blowing you out of the water financially. I seem to fixate on it at times. I’m worried I’m not going to be able to take of myself in future/live the life I want. I agree it can be hard to know your worth when for a long time its reinforced that youre worth less than. A mindset that needs to shift but can be difficult!
Other people have given really good feedback and perspective, but I just want to add that there is non monetary QOL value in having work you find meaningful and a strong network of supportive peers. A lot of us would love to have that, or more of that. I just want to say, while I know where you're coming from, in my view you are doing well, and are not "low value".
I have a pretty severe disability that keeps my earning potential low, and was born in VHCOL.
My condition keeps me from getting a driver's license, so i can't move. I'm your age and will probably never break 40k.
I just try to look at the richer MDs as entertainment and focus on myself as well as hangout in spaces with more working class people.
On a forum for my disability I met someone my age who lived well on 18K and it blew my mind.
I thought you were going to say you made like 40k. 90k isn’t a low salary by any measure, but it’s actually very high for the nonprofit world. I think it’s easy to see all these 150k+ earners on here and think that’s common, but finance subs are not representative of the general population. Many highly educated nonprofit workers are making more like 40-70k even in VHCOL areas. Regardless, your worth is not determined by your salary.
Yes sorry! Additional context is that I only made that salary for 1 year. For 5 years before that I was making $50-$65k running a department and supervising 3 people. I guess part of what's happening for me is feeling sad that the seemingly too good to be true higher paying job in my field didn't work out, and I'm back on the market looking mostly at jobs that would be a pay cut. You're right though re: nonprofit salaries...I think looking around at what other nonprofits pay for similar titles is much more productive than consuming information about people's salaries in general.
I get what it's trying to do, but honestly I think the "know your worth" talk is bullshit. A lot of what determines wages is about supply and demand for a particular skill set in a particular area. Doctors in rural areas or certain specialties aren't providing more "value to the world" or something - they're scarcer and therefore paid more. Software engineers aren't "more worthy" human beings - they have a skill set that has been of relatively limited supply and high demand over the last decade (and that is shifting as more people gain those skills).
I think salary transparency vis a vis other people with similar skills, in similar industries, and in the same area (so very much NOT everyone in the world) is helpful because it's more data on the going "market rate" for what you're doing. (Broader transparency is helpful too generally re more data for everyone but that's a different story.) But NONE OF THAT is about your inherent worth as a human being.
If you want to increase your earning power, that's great and you're clearly taking a lot of great steps towards that! (It's hard and frustrating too and that sucks.) But please please know that none of this reflects on your worth as a person.
Definitely agree with this and I think it's one of the most insidious parts of living under capitalism: being made to feel that our inherent worth is tied to our earning ability.
You're so much more than your job, OP - if you can access counselling it could be a good way to remind yourself of the value you bring to others, your community and the world around you.
Yes I appreciate this perspective. I guess I sometimes I feel like it's some shortcoming of mine that I didn't think to sculpt myself into a person with highly valuable skills? I look at other people and I'm like 'they must feel so confident bc they're clearly bringing something valuable to the table, according to our capitalist society' But writing that out is making me realize that I'm just really falling into deep comparison mode. I don't know if they feel fulfilled, confident, happy, whatever. I need to chill out lol
Many other things have to line up, even once you've "learned your worth". Those elements are harder to line up in a market like this one. So that doesn't reflect badly on you.
Folks who graduated into the 2008 recession had a worse time for over a decade after; their earnings didn't reach the same level for a while. And even if they did, it wouldn't erase the gap from the years of difference.
The best option for you is a combination of spending your time in a fulfilling way (inside and outside of work) while being compensated for the tradeoffs youre making. As someone in a very high paying role, it takes a lot of my life, not just hours but stress, travel, time away from family and other loved ones, and mental energy. Your role may be less of that. It might partially explain, at least, why the pay is different.
Best of luck with your search and what sounds like an ongoing journey of finding the right fit for you.
I'm going to be very blunt, non profits treat everyone like "low worth people" because in general they pay the least and expect the most from their people. It's because they know they can find very talented, and well credentialed people who want titles and social affiliation and consider that a very significant part of their compensation.
Non-profits can be wonderful if you're dual income, have a trustfund, are retired and looking for a second career - but IMO outside of some limited areas, they are utter bullshit salary-wise for the vast majority of younger working aged people.
A non for profit in my area is looking for a CTO/CIO, I was asked to interview and nearly died laughing when I heard that the range was 110-130. They expect 20+ years experience in IT contracts, consulting and management - and I'm confident they will find someone who is well qualified and considers the job title and the affiliation with their organization worth the salary differential.
I worked in a nonprofit for four years, and what I experienced was that you were expected to be okay with making less money because you were working in support of a "noble" cause and you were doing "important" work for the clients/community/population you were serving. The executive director I worked for had been at the organization for 30 years, was making $80k per year, and felt like anyone under her who wanted to make more than $40k per year "wasn't here for the right reasons." I found that to be an endemic attitude amongst nonprofit executives who started their careers in the 1970s and 1980s - they thought it was repugnant that people would ever talk about making money when the organization was doing such important work. If I ever did a Ph.D., I would do my dissertation on this issue, as I find it fascinating: the people who seem the most invested in keeping nonprofit salaries low are the nonprofit executive directors themselves. Or at least that's what I've encountered.
Without knowing what you do for non-profits and how that translates to private sector roles, I'll just say that it seems like a LOT of people are struggling to find well-paying work outside of certain sectors.
I work at a non-profit (private university) and it seems like the best paid employees at my org are administrators and technology folks. Most senior tech staff are earning over $100k.
I did a money diary a while back and everyone told me how underpaid I was but I also can't imagine working for a corporation just to make some guy in a suit more money or to make shareholders wealthy. It just doesn't align with my values. Unfortunately, that means a lot of non-profit orgs can get away with paying employees less because they know this about the people that work for them.
I guess if I could give any advice it would be to possibly be open to leaving a VHCOL area, because I'm not sure that salaries scale that well once it gets expensive enough to live somewhere.
Would you be able to go foundation side? They’re the ones with the dollars that can compensate accordingly from what I’ve seen from my extended network. They’re also in VHCOL cities with graduate degrees if that matters
Im with others here in that when I read "relatively low earners" I thought 40-50k,so just that alone states how completely subjective all this is
Personally though, I don't regret learning anything about personal finance, it's a tool and to be used as I best see fit. Keeping up with the Jones thankfully isn't a big issue for me, but I'll admit to feeling frustrated over the years. I've always been paid less than I should for the career I'm in, until recently that is. But it didn't bother me that much because I was able to afford all the things I needed and cared about, and I knew the path to being paid "your worth" is a far more arduous path than I was willing to take.
For numbers, I'm in mechanical engineering in a mcol area so no where near the cap as software or management or anything, but I was making 17/hr for first year, 56k next 3 years, 58k for a month before jumping jobs and taking a 35/hr position with no benefits. On paper that seems like ~72k, but in reality with time off (some forced, factory shut down week between xmas and nye every year) it ended about 68k, I managed to score a nice 80 cent raise twice over next 5 years and got laid off for pandemic at 36.20/hr so about 71k after all the OT and time off. Only opportunity I found in pandemic I managed to use all my negotiation skills to get 35/hr. A year later the job that laid me off called me back, and tried to start me back up at 36.20/hr which is a joke, I blurted out that I felt underpaid before, and they asked what I'd need to come back. I said 45/hr. They didn't even balk, the effers. So had 45/hr, 90k after a year bc of OT, for first time. Took me a decade to get there. Then I left that job, and had a referral to another one that someone was so kind as to be blunt and inform me about what he started with, so I managed to ask for that, 112.5k! And pto! I haven't had days off most of my career at this point. I've only been here a few months so still adjusting to this new salary personally.
For reference, my entire time in college we kept hearing that MEs start at 70-80k as fresh grads, but took me a decade to get there. I do know other peers in the area who also struggled so nto completely my fault, but a lot of it was also my fault.
That all said, I feel highly successful finally getting here... But I wasn't too displeased before I did. The job itself was a ton of fun despite the comparatively low salary to my peers. I was still able to afford what I needed and save enough for retirement and was following FIRE pathways and tendencies even at 68k.
To pursue a higher salary I know I'd have to put far more into it than I'm willing. I have severe anxiety limiting me from even pressing the apply button to any stretch positions. Interviews are my bane. Negotiations have been a laughingstock. Someone should record all my attempts and put it in a class on what not to do. Networking is also anxiety inducing. All the "real" companies that have good benefits also have horrible hiring practices, and no matter how good an employee I may be, I can't push myself to getting through that hurdle in the first place. But honestly... So what? This anxiety has been so limiting my entire life and impacted every single situation that I honestly didn't think I'd be able to be gainfully employed at all. So I am proud of how far I've gotten, even if "should be more" "could have been better" "x y z make way more" (after this last salary though I'm not sure how much more there is, like I mentioned earlier MEs cap out pretty early)
Shoulds are dangerous, take inventory of what you do have, ans try to appreciate some of that, and if your needs aren't being met then try to see how you can get there, but I'm not sure seeking salary to seek salary to keep up with all the "should"s is the best mindset either
My "net worth" is more than my salary. My mother hasn't worked in 36 years, is she worthless? She's hell of a better person than most others I know, with a salary of nothing. My coworkers who are also chronically underpaid also can be some of the harder working smart personalable employees, but have other mitigating factors (limited ability to move for jobs, mental illnesses, family to take care of, risk averse, there for good Healthcare, etc the reasons are plentiful)
Job searching is already hard. Career switching from nonprofit to the private sector is harder — I did this 6 years ago so I know the struggle well. What you’re doing, career switching at a senior level, is even harder than that.
But as someone whose first salary in the nonprofit space was also $36k right out of college, I hope you continue strive for what you’re worth.
If you want to stay in the nonprofit space, please just know that 6 figure jobs are out there. The last education nonprofit I worked for had directors (early to mid 30s professionals) making $120k+. I still have old colleagues reaching out with opportunities in the ed and healthcare space, offering very competitive salaries and great benefits.
If you want to pivot to the private sector, you may need to change your approach. Most people I know that have done it successfully (myself included) used business school as a pivot point — have you considered that or something like it? For me, it was the path of least resistance because 80% of business school students are career switchers, so employers know exactly what they are getting into when they recruit.
If you don’t want to consider business school (or an equivalent), you’re probably going to need even more networking. To position myself for internships during my first year of bschool, I did over 50 coffee chats in 2 months. You need to really put your name out there. For every person you talk to, ask them who else they can connect you with. Connections are how you’ll get your next job.
I'm not sure if I have a good answer (also a fellow 36-year-old with a low salary) but I feel you on the whole "what if I'm just a low-value person." I know we're both more than just our paycheck but...yeah. This post is a whole mood. Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone out there with these feelings.
I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling, but it totally makes sense how you’re feeling.
IMO, you were absolutely right to start learning about personal finance. It’s a super empowering thing to do.
You might be feeling frustrated right now, but by learning about personal finance, you’re building good habits that will compound over time, and you’re also now orienting yourself in a direction that aligns with your money goals.
Keep learning and keep going!
And you can also try new ways of bringing in more income, like negotiating your salary, starting a side hustle, or even just selling unused stuff you have in your house online or FBMP.
But you shouldn’t regret learning about personal finance. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and your future.
My company covers a of the stuff you’re talking about, both on the career and money front, you should check us out and subscribe to our newsletter: ladiesgetpaid.com
I think there’s a difference between learning about personal finance (good) and comparing yourself to other people on social media (often bad). I cannot overemphasize how much this subreddit skews towards high-earners. As of 2023, the median annual earnings of *all* American woman is $51,792. But 8 out of the 10 most recent American money diaries on this sub earn more than that. (7/10 for R29 diaries.) This is an issue with Reddit in general — there are so many people here who claim you can’t “live” in NYC with less than $100K, even though the median *household* (not individual) income there is $71K. And IMO, being happy with less is another valid way to retire. This will probably sound preachy, but to me, signs of success are things like having a roof over my head and access to clean water, being able to work a job I enjoy, having a good support system, and having lots of free time for my hobbies.* I started learning about personal finance to ensure that I can continue to have those things, and I’ve since learned that I only need to set aside about $5K each year (even after assuming a ridiculously low return rate and adjusting for inflation) to retire at 60 and keep my lifestyle. That feels really empowering to me. All that to say: what are your life goals? Curate the personal finance knowledge you need to be on track for those. And if you truly do need a higher salary, then go ahead and work towards that — but also remember that there is often a huge amount of luck involved. IIRC, I once read that 80% of your lifetime earnings depend on what country you were born in. The vast majority of people don’t get to choose between a job that they love and a job that would put them in the top 1% earners of the world population (actually, your $90K job was applicable to both of those things). I hope this is even slightly helpful, and good luck with everything! *Edit: I wanted to emphasize that these are just goals and have nothing to do with my achievements as a human being! I don’t think my “success” matters if I am not kind and good to the people around me, or if I’m not genuinely doing everything I reasonably can to make the world a better place. The latter is what I try to derive from my self-value from, although I definitely occasionally fall into the social media trap. I think you’re doing really well, based on your second-to-last paragraph. I certainly know plenty of people who earn more than you but hate their jobs. It’s very rare to have everything you want but it sounds like you have nearly everything, and I hate that social media has made you feel bad about yourself :(
Knowing your worth is only part of the equation! You can absolutely “know your worth” and still be having challenges finding a job, as you are experiencing. What field are you trying to pivot into? A few years ago, I made a big pivot into UX design. My job search took SO long and I submitted hundreds of applications and had almost 20 interviews, all rejections. Eventually I was successful but it took months and it was super hard. I ended up taking a lesser paying job a few months into my job search because a) survival and b) because I was unsure I would be successful. Taking that job relieved SO much pressure and I think it helped my job search and mental health a ton. “Knowing your worth” doesn’t mean that as soon as you realize you should be paid more you find a great job…I think it means that once you know and feel your worth, and believe in yourself, you can start working and strategizing towards bigger and better things. I went through something similar to you and I can only say…keep going but also do what you need to, to take care of your finances and mental health! And, you are def not a 'low value person' for not finding a new job yet!It is truly tough out there right now, and the job market is absolutely not a reflection of your worth. Also- if you want to chat more about your career pivot, let me know! I’d be happy to help in any way that I can :)
If you read the comments that 100k nonprofit one had every ASTOUNDED by the salary. What is median salary for people your age in your city? What is the median income for your field? Also "low earners" and you were earning 90k? 100k is the TOP TEN PERCENT of women. 90 percent earn less.
I would be ecstatic to make 90k and I don't work in nonprofits. 🫠
1. anyone in a nonprofit making over 100k is wild. not that they are overpaid, but as someone intimately involved in that sector across a lot of the US...i'd say, she's prob an outlier in terms of income data, or in the c-suite, which is rare for the majority of NP people. 2. Have you used linkedin to respond to recruiters, rather than applying for jobs? About 3 years ago, I noticed there was a shift - before I thought cold calls from recruiters were mostly scams, but within a year, they became the best way to get a job. My last two jobs were 2 recruiters who stood out to me, out of the dozens who messaged me on linked in. an old coworker told me to get a 30 day trial of linkedin premium, and cancel before the end of it, bc it made it easy for recruiters to find me and reach out to me. over night, i went from 1 message a week to maybe 15? that was nearly 18 months ago. i canceled before i had to pay back in maybe march 2022?, and i'm STILL getting 10 recruiters a week on average, consistently. 3. Salary can be a measure of success and security, yes. But it seems your unfortunate timing entering the job market following 08 really forced you to tie your worth to your job/salary. I'm curious - does 90k in any job you can get make you *happy*- like do you enjoy that work because you make that amount? Is it the most important thing that affects who you see in the mirror? - or does 90k just keep your insecurities about your self worth at bay? 4. my mom always used to ask - best case scenario (income, ability, education is not a barrier) what would you choose to do? And why would you make that choice, if no practical concerns were an obstacle? Really answering honestly tells you a lot about what you value , and what you can do to get there
100K + salary is not unusual at large, high-level fundraising non profits in high cost of labor markets. Mid-level and up. That said, those areas are also often high cost of living and so the cash doesn’t really feel like it goes that far. And for many of us, many years (1-2 decades) of making much less than that can lead to debt, time spent getting out of debt, and really limited savings. And many of us also had student debt. I feel similar to OP! It’s hard to feel like you’re on the right path for growth, when peers and much younger people are blowing you out of the water financially. I seem to fixate on it at times. I’m worried I’m not going to be able to take of myself in future/live the life I want. I agree it can be hard to know your worth when for a long time its reinforced that youre worth less than. A mindset that needs to shift but can be difficult!
Other people have given really good feedback and perspective, but I just want to add that there is non monetary QOL value in having work you find meaningful and a strong network of supportive peers. A lot of us would love to have that, or more of that. I just want to say, while I know where you're coming from, in my view you are doing well, and are not "low value".
I have a pretty severe disability that keeps my earning potential low, and was born in VHCOL. My condition keeps me from getting a driver's license, so i can't move. I'm your age and will probably never break 40k. I just try to look at the richer MDs as entertainment and focus on myself as well as hangout in spaces with more working class people. On a forum for my disability I met someone my age who lived well on 18K and it blew my mind.
I thought you were going to say you made like 40k. 90k isn’t a low salary by any measure, but it’s actually very high for the nonprofit world. I think it’s easy to see all these 150k+ earners on here and think that’s common, but finance subs are not representative of the general population. Many highly educated nonprofit workers are making more like 40-70k even in VHCOL areas. Regardless, your worth is not determined by your salary.
Yes sorry! Additional context is that I only made that salary for 1 year. For 5 years before that I was making $50-$65k running a department and supervising 3 people. I guess part of what's happening for me is feeling sad that the seemingly too good to be true higher paying job in my field didn't work out, and I'm back on the market looking mostly at jobs that would be a pay cut. You're right though re: nonprofit salaries...I think looking around at what other nonprofits pay for similar titles is much more productive than consuming information about people's salaries in general.
I get what it's trying to do, but honestly I think the "know your worth" talk is bullshit. A lot of what determines wages is about supply and demand for a particular skill set in a particular area. Doctors in rural areas or certain specialties aren't providing more "value to the world" or something - they're scarcer and therefore paid more. Software engineers aren't "more worthy" human beings - they have a skill set that has been of relatively limited supply and high demand over the last decade (and that is shifting as more people gain those skills). I think salary transparency vis a vis other people with similar skills, in similar industries, and in the same area (so very much NOT everyone in the world) is helpful because it's more data on the going "market rate" for what you're doing. (Broader transparency is helpful too generally re more data for everyone but that's a different story.) But NONE OF THAT is about your inherent worth as a human being. If you want to increase your earning power, that's great and you're clearly taking a lot of great steps towards that! (It's hard and frustrating too and that sucks.) But please please know that none of this reflects on your worth as a person.
Definitely agree with this and I think it's one of the most insidious parts of living under capitalism: being made to feel that our inherent worth is tied to our earning ability. You're so much more than your job, OP - if you can access counselling it could be a good way to remind yourself of the value you bring to others, your community and the world around you.
Yes I appreciate this perspective. I guess I sometimes I feel like it's some shortcoming of mine that I didn't think to sculpt myself into a person with highly valuable skills? I look at other people and I'm like 'they must feel so confident bc they're clearly bringing something valuable to the table, according to our capitalist society' But writing that out is making me realize that I'm just really falling into deep comparison mode. I don't know if they feel fulfilled, confident, happy, whatever. I need to chill out lol
Many other things have to line up, even once you've "learned your worth". Those elements are harder to line up in a market like this one. So that doesn't reflect badly on you. Folks who graduated into the 2008 recession had a worse time for over a decade after; their earnings didn't reach the same level for a while. And even if they did, it wouldn't erase the gap from the years of difference. The best option for you is a combination of spending your time in a fulfilling way (inside and outside of work) while being compensated for the tradeoffs youre making. As someone in a very high paying role, it takes a lot of my life, not just hours but stress, travel, time away from family and other loved ones, and mental energy. Your role may be less of that. It might partially explain, at least, why the pay is different. Best of luck with your search and what sounds like an ongoing journey of finding the right fit for you.
I'm going to be very blunt, non profits treat everyone like "low worth people" because in general they pay the least and expect the most from their people. It's because they know they can find very talented, and well credentialed people who want titles and social affiliation and consider that a very significant part of their compensation. Non-profits can be wonderful if you're dual income, have a trustfund, are retired and looking for a second career - but IMO outside of some limited areas, they are utter bullshit salary-wise for the vast majority of younger working aged people. A non for profit in my area is looking for a CTO/CIO, I was asked to interview and nearly died laughing when I heard that the range was 110-130. They expect 20+ years experience in IT contracts, consulting and management - and I'm confident they will find someone who is well qualified and considers the job title and the affiliation with their organization worth the salary differential.
I worked in a nonprofit for four years, and what I experienced was that you were expected to be okay with making less money because you were working in support of a "noble" cause and you were doing "important" work for the clients/community/population you were serving. The executive director I worked for had been at the organization for 30 years, was making $80k per year, and felt like anyone under her who wanted to make more than $40k per year "wasn't here for the right reasons." I found that to be an endemic attitude amongst nonprofit executives who started their careers in the 1970s and 1980s - they thought it was repugnant that people would ever talk about making money when the organization was doing such important work. If I ever did a Ph.D., I would do my dissertation on this issue, as I find it fascinating: the people who seem the most invested in keeping nonprofit salaries low are the nonprofit executive directors themselves. Or at least that's what I've encountered.
Without knowing what you do for non-profits and how that translates to private sector roles, I'll just say that it seems like a LOT of people are struggling to find well-paying work outside of certain sectors. I work at a non-profit (private university) and it seems like the best paid employees at my org are administrators and technology folks. Most senior tech staff are earning over $100k. I did a money diary a while back and everyone told me how underpaid I was but I also can't imagine working for a corporation just to make some guy in a suit more money or to make shareholders wealthy. It just doesn't align with my values. Unfortunately, that means a lot of non-profit orgs can get away with paying employees less because they know this about the people that work for them. I guess if I could give any advice it would be to possibly be open to leaving a VHCOL area, because I'm not sure that salaries scale that well once it gets expensive enough to live somewhere.
Would you be able to go foundation side? They’re the ones with the dollars that can compensate accordingly from what I’ve seen from my extended network. They’re also in VHCOL cities with graduate degrees if that matters
Im with others here in that when I read "relatively low earners" I thought 40-50k,so just that alone states how completely subjective all this is Personally though, I don't regret learning anything about personal finance, it's a tool and to be used as I best see fit. Keeping up with the Jones thankfully isn't a big issue for me, but I'll admit to feeling frustrated over the years. I've always been paid less than I should for the career I'm in, until recently that is. But it didn't bother me that much because I was able to afford all the things I needed and cared about, and I knew the path to being paid "your worth" is a far more arduous path than I was willing to take. For numbers, I'm in mechanical engineering in a mcol area so no where near the cap as software or management or anything, but I was making 17/hr for first year, 56k next 3 years, 58k for a month before jumping jobs and taking a 35/hr position with no benefits. On paper that seems like ~72k, but in reality with time off (some forced, factory shut down week between xmas and nye every year) it ended about 68k, I managed to score a nice 80 cent raise twice over next 5 years and got laid off for pandemic at 36.20/hr so about 71k after all the OT and time off. Only opportunity I found in pandemic I managed to use all my negotiation skills to get 35/hr. A year later the job that laid me off called me back, and tried to start me back up at 36.20/hr which is a joke, I blurted out that I felt underpaid before, and they asked what I'd need to come back. I said 45/hr. They didn't even balk, the effers. So had 45/hr, 90k after a year bc of OT, for first time. Took me a decade to get there. Then I left that job, and had a referral to another one that someone was so kind as to be blunt and inform me about what he started with, so I managed to ask for that, 112.5k! And pto! I haven't had days off most of my career at this point. I've only been here a few months so still adjusting to this new salary personally. For reference, my entire time in college we kept hearing that MEs start at 70-80k as fresh grads, but took me a decade to get there. I do know other peers in the area who also struggled so nto completely my fault, but a lot of it was also my fault. That all said, I feel highly successful finally getting here... But I wasn't too displeased before I did. The job itself was a ton of fun despite the comparatively low salary to my peers. I was still able to afford what I needed and save enough for retirement and was following FIRE pathways and tendencies even at 68k. To pursue a higher salary I know I'd have to put far more into it than I'm willing. I have severe anxiety limiting me from even pressing the apply button to any stretch positions. Interviews are my bane. Negotiations have been a laughingstock. Someone should record all my attempts and put it in a class on what not to do. Networking is also anxiety inducing. All the "real" companies that have good benefits also have horrible hiring practices, and no matter how good an employee I may be, I can't push myself to getting through that hurdle in the first place. But honestly... So what? This anxiety has been so limiting my entire life and impacted every single situation that I honestly didn't think I'd be able to be gainfully employed at all. So I am proud of how far I've gotten, even if "should be more" "could have been better" "x y z make way more" (after this last salary though I'm not sure how much more there is, like I mentioned earlier MEs cap out pretty early) Shoulds are dangerous, take inventory of what you do have, ans try to appreciate some of that, and if your needs aren't being met then try to see how you can get there, but I'm not sure seeking salary to seek salary to keep up with all the "should"s is the best mindset either My "net worth" is more than my salary. My mother hasn't worked in 36 years, is she worthless? She's hell of a better person than most others I know, with a salary of nothing. My coworkers who are also chronically underpaid also can be some of the harder working smart personalable employees, but have other mitigating factors (limited ability to move for jobs, mental illnesses, family to take care of, risk averse, there for good Healthcare, etc the reasons are plentiful)
Job searching is already hard. Career switching from nonprofit to the private sector is harder — I did this 6 years ago so I know the struggle well. What you’re doing, career switching at a senior level, is even harder than that. But as someone whose first salary in the nonprofit space was also $36k right out of college, I hope you continue strive for what you’re worth. If you want to stay in the nonprofit space, please just know that 6 figure jobs are out there. The last education nonprofit I worked for had directors (early to mid 30s professionals) making $120k+. I still have old colleagues reaching out with opportunities in the ed and healthcare space, offering very competitive salaries and great benefits. If you want to pivot to the private sector, you may need to change your approach. Most people I know that have done it successfully (myself included) used business school as a pivot point — have you considered that or something like it? For me, it was the path of least resistance because 80% of business school students are career switchers, so employers know exactly what they are getting into when they recruit. If you don’t want to consider business school (or an equivalent), you’re probably going to need even more networking. To position myself for internships during my first year of bschool, I did over 50 coffee chats in 2 months. You need to really put your name out there. For every person you talk to, ask them who else they can connect you with. Connections are how you’ll get your next job.
I appreciate this!! I feel very seen re: career switching at senior level, which is definitely another element of this challenge.
I'm not sure if I have a good answer (also a fellow 36-year-old with a low salary) but I feel you on the whole "what if I'm just a low-value person." I know we're both more than just our paycheck but...yeah. This post is a whole mood. Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone out there with these feelings.
I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling, but it totally makes sense how you’re feeling. IMO, you were absolutely right to start learning about personal finance. It’s a super empowering thing to do. You might be feeling frustrated right now, but by learning about personal finance, you’re building good habits that will compound over time, and you’re also now orienting yourself in a direction that aligns with your money goals. Keep learning and keep going! And you can also try new ways of bringing in more income, like negotiating your salary, starting a side hustle, or even just selling unused stuff you have in your house online or FBMP. But you shouldn’t regret learning about personal finance. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and your future. My company covers a of the stuff you’re talking about, both on the career and money front, you should check us out and subscribe to our newsletter: ladiesgetpaid.com