8 Stories of People Who Doubled Their Income

He Took on More Responsibility To Build His Resume

Chris Browning, the founder and host of the personal finance podcast Popcorn Finance, started his full-time working career as a bookkeeper for a payroll department with a starting salary of just under $40,000.

“I was working for a school district, which is notorious for low salaries,” he said. “You are bound by a salary table which caps your maximum pay. I realized that I would never make more in my current position, so I started taking on more responsibility at work. One big task I took on was helping human resources with budget and labor issues. I also joined a professional organization for government accounts and became a member of their council to help organize the annual conference and bring in speakers. All of this helped increase my experience and boost my resume, making it easier for me to be hired for a new position, which increased my income by 50%.”

Why This Worked

“By keeping up those same habits and practices, I was able to grow in that new position and my salary grew with it,” said Browning, who now works as a senior analyst. “Over several years, my salary reached $80,000. I eventually obtained another position using my much stronger resume, bringing me to the $100,000 mark, a 150% increase from my starting salary.”