By: Marci Bryant, MBA
I found out I was pregnant just one week after being released from a contract at the end of 2017. As fearful as I was about unemployment, I was even more worried about returning to the workforce as a new mother. I was concerned that I would have no work-life balance, and based on my recent earnings, I was worried that I would never earn enough money to pay bills, reduce debt, save money, parent, and invest.
After nearly two years without work, I hired a business coach that focused on building a personal brand and articulating my value to earn more money. Within two weeks, I landed a new job with my previous employer in a new contract earning $20K more than I previously made. In 18 months, I was promoted to a direct-hire position with the company and offered more than $30K over what I asked for in total compensation.
I now make six figures in a non-management remote role that offers a wonderful work-life balance and allows me to be home with my daughter. My compensation is more than double the median for my role, due to my years of experience and expertise in my niche.
Women fighting for equal pay is an ongoing battle, and some of us have still found ways to become high-earners. Read the stories below to get tips from Human Resources (HR) executives, Diversity – Equity – Inclusion (DEI) leaders, and recruiters on how to achieve significant growth in your career and finances.
Five years ago, BIE AWEH was making $70k in an entry[1]level role, and today she makes a $200k base salary, with total compensation of $345,000 as an HR Business Partner.
To reach her multi-six-figure compensation, Aweh focused on building high-value relationships with senior leaders who had the power to advocate on her behalf. Her previous manager once sponsored her for a Career Accelerator Program (CAP) and negotiated a $33k pay increase on her behalf when she expressed concern about salary increases. Aweh now receives an automatic $30k quarterly as a vested employee, which has allowed her to pay off debt quickly and acquire long-term investments such as real estate.
In her current role, Aweh is committed to helping professionals understand how to build relationships to leverage career growth, and teaching them how to negotiate to get the compensation package they deserve.
Global DEI Leader MAIYA WINSTON has received an $80k increase over the last 5 years and currently enjoys a total compensation of $120k-150k including bonuses and RSUs (registered stock units), unlimited PTO, and a remote work environment. In order to get the salary range she desired, she had to change employers and industries. She also invested in certification programs in project management, data & analytics, and DEI to enhance her skill set.
Winston leads DEI initiatives focused on increasing the number of women in leadership and working with STEM educators to expose girls and women to tech careers. She also partners with the finance and compliance departments to manage pay equity audits, which are completed annually to ensure there are no discrepancies in pay among colleagues.
CAROLINE HILL-THOMAS, a tech recruitment manager, believes that candidates have more leverage to negotiate in the current market, but they must learn to not sell themselves short if they want to become high earners. She recommends that candidates always aim high when negotiating a compensation package, and be ok walking away from the table if the counter offer is beneath their minimum salary requirement.
Hill-Thomas recommends applying to companies in California, Oregon, NY, and Illinois to find your six-figure offer, as the cost of living is higher in those states. You should also be open-minded about industries for your chosen profession. You may not be able to make six figures in your role within the manufacturing industry, but it could be possible for the same role in the tech industry.
Head of Talent GLORIA DALLAS provides DEI recruiting for small startups. Although the salary range is lower than what candidates might see at a big company, her highest-paid requisitions have a base salary of $250k – $300k with equity and plenty of additional benefits. Data scientists often make a minimum of $200k with a Ph.D. while engineers get paid the most depending on their expertise and experience. Non[1]technical salaries for product managers, marketers, and salespeople can be upwards of $200k.
Dallas says that candidates should also consider additional benefits such as free childcare, extended parental leave, gym memberships, 401k matching, phone plans, a work-from-home stipend to buy office furniture, free internet, therapy benefits, free meals, free commute, education reimbursements, additional certifications and a WeWork membership for the remote workers who need an office outside of their home as part of their total compensation.
PTO (paid time off) is highly valued in tech and Dallas recommends that candidates negotiate for unlimited PTO with a built-in minimum of at least three weeks annually. All of these total compensation benefits contribute to an employee’s work/ life balance, and they greatly help with employee retention.
Dallas supports equal pay for women in her company by being transparent about salary ranges from the beginning. She believes that some companies use a lack of transparency to their advantage, and this is why women are often paid less than what they’re worth. If she has a role with a salary range of $160k -$180k and a woman says that she is looking for $130k, the candidate is notified of the minimum salary and given the opportunity to negotiate from there.
Her biggest tip for successful negotiations is to be polite throughout the process. If hiring managers are turned off by the idea of working with you, they will rescind your offer very quickly.
BRITNEY FIELDS, an E-Commerce Sr. Global Recruiter, says to focus on your passion and the money will come. She recommends that you highlight transferable skills, and add “willingness to learn” to your resume. After you have been offered the job, you should engage in one round of negotiations if the hiring manager makes an offer that doesn’t meet your expectations. If you are still dissatisfied after that conversation, it’s a sign to move on.
To ensure women get equal pay, Fields works directly with compensation leadership to gain insight on fair ranges, strictly measuring compensation based on experience to make sure the wages and benefits are fair to all candidates and internal employees.
Now that you’ve unlocked the secrets to six-figure success, what will be the first step in your quest to becoming a high-earning woman?
x Marci Bryant, MBA is a B2B Digital Marketing Coach, Customer Experience Strategist, and Amazon Best[1]Selling Author. Connect with Marci on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcibryantmba.
