From $14/hr to $100k/year in 3 Years

Until recently, Kaila VanSumer’s Twitter bio noted that she’d gone from earning $14 per hour to $100,000 per year in just 3 years 📈

I got in touch to learn more about her story.

Turns out she is a self-taught product designer working 100% remotely.

Kaila’s background…

I started out in customer service after earning my Bachelor’s in Psychology. I moved into a career in design in 2019… All skills I learned online.

Aside from the skill of product design, Kaila has developed the skill of negotiating raises at the companies she works for…

My salary history across 2 companies: $14/hr > $19/hr > $55k > $65k > $90k > $100k (+15% annual bonus)

Again, that’s within 3 years 😎

The best resource Kaila recommends for salary negotiation is this guide by Ramit Sethi.

Kaila’s advice for getting a remote job…

Apply to jobs that are already remote. That sounds obvious, but people underestimate how much easier it is to just go work for a company that’s already fully remote instead of having to negotiate remote work options at an in-office company. 

Also, certain industries are friendlier to remote work than others. Software and tech have a ton of remote jobs. And you don’t have to be an engineer. I’m a product designer, and there are plenty of fully remote project management, customer service, analyst, etc. positions at tech companies. It’s just about going where the remote work is.

Related: 7 ways to get a remote job