Five ways to increase your income

There is a good chance that you will look at your payslip at the end of the month and conclude that the pay is very meager. Now you have nothing to complain about if your wage is about 20% higher than the average, but in many cases, you are, as it is called, rewarded in line with the market.

That sounds nice, but you may find that the relationship between your performance and the reward is a bit skewed. You are not the only one who thinks this way, but you can do a lot yourself to improve your income.

How can I increase my income?

If you work as an employee, you will probably be satisfied with what you get every month. If you can make some extra hours, that is an excellent addition, but nothing more. The good news is that you do have the opportunity to earn more. It just depends on which decisions you do or do not want to make.

Choose another profession

This is probably the most confronting question. If you have worked in the same position for many years, there is a good chance that you will like the work. In that case, you will have to tinker with your negotiation skills.

If, on the other hand, you are a starter in the labor market, you always have the opportunity to opt for a different challenge. So don’t feel limited only to fulfill the position for which you were hired, but look further at the possibilities you have with your background.

Track your achievements

While your employer probably keeps a record of all employees, you can too. Your employer would like to document as much as possible about your performance because they can substantiate their choices. That promotion can pass you by because you have built up too many days of absence. These are all matters that are included in the personnel file.

The downside is that you can also build a file about your performance. Performance is often something that is not always included in the file by your manager. You can do that and thus achieve an excellent negotiating position.

Therefore, it is wise to write down important achievements and indicate in such a way that your added value for the company is not (yet) reflected in the salary.

Learn from your colleagues

In many cases, salary is a topic of discussion among colleagues. That is not to say that your remuneration should be comparable, but it is helpful to critically look at the functioning of those who earn (considerably) more.

If you want to take a big step forward, make sure that your performance is not inferior to your direct colleagues. Especially if you are new to a particular position or department, it can be a good idea to ask for advice from those who have been doing the work for a more extended period.

An additional advantage is that you show that you are eager to learn and do not shy away from your initiative.

Look for new skills

The easiest way to make good arguments about why you should earn more is to increase your value. Of course, you can hope for better pay the longer you work in a particular position within the company, but the reality is that you are a few years further.

You may not have that time, so you will have to look for it to increase your knowledge. In short, you will have to ensure that you have a clear added value through further training.

Research your market value

In a few cases, you will notice that you earn a lot less than your friends in a similar position at another employer. That isn’t very pleasant because it could make you feel like you’re undervalued.

So the solution is simple: inform yourself about a typical salary in a similar position. Mainly if you have built up quite a few years of experience, this should be reflected in your paycheck.