Disclaimer: This is not a get rich quick scheme. I worked hard to get where I am today so I wanted to share my story.

I never really thought about money when I was a kid. I grew up in an upper middle class family with parents who both came from low-income situation. They worked their asses off to get where they were and I took that for granted. I’m the first to admit that I was spoiled. So when I went to college, I wasn’t thinking what could earn me the most money later on but I got lucky – I was interested in something that would pay very well once I graduated.

College

I studied Computer Science and when college was ending, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My friends were getting jobs but I just didn’t feel like I knew enough to do that yet. What kind of job did I want? What area? I had no idea. I decided to make two plans – the first being to apply to graduate school. If I didn’t get in, I would start applying for jobs.

My friends started getting offers and their salary was ranging between $50-60K. This sounded like a lot of money to me but like I mentioned above, I never really had to struggle for money, so that wasn’t the first thing on my mind. I figured I wasn’t going to get into any grad schools (my grades weren’t stellar) so I started resigning myself to the idea that I would have to figure out what kind of industry I wanted to work in.

But then I got the letter.

Graduate School

I got accepted into my top choice Master’s program and I immediately accepted. The program was tough but it was exactly what I needed – I found a passion for Computer Science that I never had before. At the end of my first year, I noticed everyone was applying for internships, so I started too. I had no prior industry experience which many people in a Master’s program have – I didn’t even work in my field during undergrad (I chose other jobs that were more with my interests).

I started interviewing but no one seemed to want me. When I thought I would have to give up on the idea, one interview actually went really well – and they offered me an internship for that summer. They offered me $2112 bi-weekly, or an annual salary of  $59,136. I also ended up getting another offer but the salary was much lower – I believe it was around $1428 bi-weekly – so of course, I accepted the higher paid position (also, it was more in line with what I wanted to do).

The Internship

I feel really lucky with the internship I landed – I had a great experience with the people, I learned a lot and I loved my manager. Also, getting paid for the first time was exhilarating. I had never had this much money before! All of my jobs in college had been low-paying ones: I was a computer tutor for $10/hour, a writing tutor for $12/hour, etc. Now, I was making approximately $26 an hour! If you are still in school, I cannot recommend internships enough – but make sure it’s an internship that allows you to learn a lot and actually do the job you’ll want to do once you graduate.

When I finished the internship, my manager offered me a work study position during the school year so I would continue working there part-time while still attending school. I asked if they could give me a raise but he said the program I was in didn’t allow it – it was a program specifically for people still in school. I was conflicted because I had been offered a TA position of an Engineering class and I was really curious to see what being a TA was like. The TA position would pay about $1600 a month plus give me a tuition waiver of $2000/quarter.

I decided to take the TA position because I wanted the experience – I had plenty of time to work in the “real world” once I was done with school. I don’t regret this decision at all but I do regret one thing. At this point, I should have cancelled my student loans because my tuition was being waived anyway. But since I didn’t really know much about financial stuff, I still accepted the loans – which gave me a lot of money but also a lot of debt.

The Real World

As graduation approached, I started interviewing for full-time jobs. I got one offer at $75,000 + up to 16% bonus (it was consulting work) and also received an offer from the company I interned with – they offered me $83,000. I asked the consulting firm if they could go up at all but they stood firm so I asked the other company if they could do anything. They said they couldn’t raise my salary but they would give me a starting bonus of $2500. I knew I wanted to work with them, so I immediately agreed.

Things started off really well at that company. My position was still stable and I loved the project I was working on. I was put on a project that was just starting and because of that, I was able to become the expert on it. It was a really high profile project so it got me a lot of attention, which I thrived in. About a year in, I got a promotion with a 5% raise, making my salary $87,150. A few months later, I got another raise of 3% so I was sitting at $89,764.

However, the company wasn’t doing well. During this whole time, I felt really lucky to be getting raises because there were a lot of layoffs happening. Morale was at an all time low and it was just a depressing environment to be in. Another problem is that I knew a coworker’s salary (warning: never do that) and I knew we were similarly compensated but that I was doing a lot more work than he was. So when I found out that I got a 3% raise and he got a 5% raise, I was really upset.

I talked to my manager about it who told me it was more a seniority thing – he had been there longer – which I thought was total BS. I wanted my raise to be based off how much effort I put in, not how long I’ve been someplace. I started putting minimum effort in because I felt like it didn’t really matter anymore. I didn’t want to become satisfied with putting in the minimum (that’s not who I am) so with all that in mind, I started looking for a new job.

My Current Situation

I interviewed for a bunch of jobs but couldn’t find one that I really liked – until I found this one. They offered me the job on the spot at $95,000. I wanted a little more but I know that my pay is higher than average already, for how little experience I have. Remember, I only have 2 years experience and a Master’s degree. Most people going into a Master’s program already have 3-4 years experience.

I tried to negotiate but they didn’t seem willing to change the offer and I really wanted the job so I accepted. They told me that around February, I’ll be considered for a raise so I should be able to increase my salary at that point. Well, raises are coming up and I’m excited! I know it won’t be much but I’m hoping to get at least a little bump.

To supplement my income, I also rent one of the rooms in my house out and I live with G who also contributes to the household bills. From both of them, every month I receive $1285 which works out to $15,440/year. This means, my annual income is actually $110,440 which I am extremely happy about since, as the title says, I’m only 25 years old.

What This Means

I didn’t write this to “brag” in any way. I wanted to explain how I’m making a nice amount of money – by putting in A LOT of hard work. I suffered through my 4 years in college. Grad school was surprisingly easier than undergrad but it was still a lot of time and effort. I worked hard at my internship which paid off with the full time job offer once I graduated. I worked extremely hard at that job which helped me get my current position.

Of course, I make mistakes too. As I mentioned before, I wish I hadn’t taken out so many student loans. At the moment, I’m wishing that I didn’t have a mortgage and could be renting a cheaper place right now – although I’ve learned so much from buying a house. I’m still trying to cut expenses so I can save more. Having more money definitely doesn’t mean more happiness but it can mean more financial security. I’m still learning now – and I’m still working hard. Do I hope to make more? Of course! Do I want to save more? Definitely! Life is a learning process and I’m excited to continue my journey.

If you want to see how I spend my money, check out my current budget.