Are You Paid What You Deserve? Average Income By Work Experience

At some point in your career, you’ll wonder: Am I getting paid enough?

The answer depends on what other people in your role actually earn, and how experience shifts those numbers. Below, we break down median salaries for 150 of the most common professions by years of experience, from just starting at a job to 20-plus years in. If the data suggests you’re underpaid, we lay out the steps to take to do something about it.

What Are People Actually Getting Paid?

Typically, your pay increases as you gain more experience, but that can vary by profession.

For the first year of your job, you’ll be earning the lowest salary of your career. Those entry-level earnings might not be much, but your learning curve will be steep.

The next big jump typically happens a few years in, after you’ve made it past your early career growth and received your first big pay jump. By year 10, you’re mid-career, ideally accelerating your growth and sharpening your expertise.

After that, many progress into a senior contributor role or management, eventually reaching your peak earnings.

We identified the 150 most common professions using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, then pulled median salary ranges for each experience level from Payscale.

What To Do If You Suspect You’re Underpaid

Here are a few questions to ask if you think you might not be getting what you’re worth:

• Are you below the average for your experience and role?
• Has your pay grown meaningfully over the past two to three years?
• Have you changed jobs recently (which is a major driver of raises)?

Priya Rathod, Workplace Trends Editor at Indeed, recommends these steps:

1. Talk to a co-worker you trust.

“Even if you don’t exchange exact numbers, comparing notes about salary ranges or benefits can help you gauge whether there are inconsistencies,” Rathod says.

2. Research your local market.

The salaries above are nationwide medians—your pay may be justifiably lower if you live in a lower-cost area, or if you recently switched fields and are effectively early-career again.

3. Think beyond base salary. 

“If the base salary isn’t where you need it to be, consider negotiating other valuable components like RSUs (restricted stock units), signing bonuses, learning and development stipends, additional PTO, flexible work arrangements, or a shorter performance review cycle that could put you on a faster track for promotion,” Rathod says. “Sometimes these benefits can translate into real dollars that get you closer to your desired total compensation by different means.”

4. Document your accomplishments, skills and impact.

You’ll want evidence to demonstrate your value. Make sure to include “any new responsibilities you have taken on without extra pay,” Rathod says.

5. Set a meeting.

“Stick to the facts, not emotions,” Rathod says. “Walk in with a well-informed salary range so the discussion stays productive and grounded in reality, with an actionable goal at the end.” 

6. If your employer won’t budge, that’s a signal.

“If your employer is not receptive to negotiating, it may be a sign to consider looking for a new role where you feel your skills will be fairly compensated,” Rathod says.