AMA I’m 4 years out of college and here’s my salary progression.
I thought it would be fun to talk about my experience so far as an early career person.
Salary
2026 - $105k + bonus - changed jobs
2025 - $69k + bonus
2024 - $60k + bonus - changed jobs
2023 - 18.72/hr $38,937
2022 - 18.50/hr $38,480 - first job
I have a BS in Chemistry and started off in a lab. Did not enjoy lab work so I left that for environmental compliance in 2024 and have been enjoying compliance work until now. I will say I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career and only got so far, because employers loved my lab/technical experience.
I see a lot of posts about how entry level jobs pay low and I totally agree, but they really do give you a good foundation. I hated my first job out of college with a passion, but I’ve been able to reflect on it and don’t think I’d be in the position without it.