Finances & Money

The money is rolling in. I got a raise

When it rains, it pours. I just posted that I got my $4,949.80 tuition reimbursement direct deposit, but while I was typing that up, my boss called me over to tell me the results of my performance review. We sat down last Friday to review my performance since my 6-month review. I actually had my 6-month review at about 9 months, so my 1-year review was at 14 months. Go figure.

Anyway, I know that I have areas of improvement, but apparently I’m more critical of myself than my boss is of me, and I got a 4% raise at my first review. He, and the team, recognize that I’m the leader of this project (but I don’t have that title), and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now if only my eye would stop twitching.

Today, I found out that my boss submitted me for a 2.67% raise (actually a flat amount, but I can’t give that out, so I converted it to a percent), and heard back today from HR that it was approved. For the year, that’s just shy of a 7% raise!

It’s nowhere near the 13% raise I got in my first year at my first job out of college, but it almost matches year two of that job. I feel like I’m peaking at the top of the pay range for my age and experience (in my field. I’m above it compared to other fields), so I don’t know if I can expect high raises like this in the future. Overall, I’m almost making double what I started at a little over 6 years ago. However, my boss informed me that I’m a different pay scale because of my specialty. Once I get my Masters degree, I’m unstoppable!

Granted, I couldn’t be making what I am now had I stayed at my first employer, but I have them to thank for my foundation. I gained those pay increases through a series of job changes, which you can read about in “In a pay raise slump? Sometimes you just need a new job“. Right now I’m making 35% more than the day I left that company 2 years ago. But I sure do miss the benefits! (adoption and tuition mostly)

This is a good way to close out a mediocre week.