From $116K at Amazon to $450K externally in 3 years - How to Increase My Salary

When I was at Amazon I had an incredible direct report that was being grossly underpaid when I joined ($116k).
I told him that even though I’d love to keep him on my team in the long run, it wasn’t beneficial for his career and that I was going to help him 4x his salary in 2 years by teaching him the game.
The first thing I did was write a letter to another manager who had an open product management role (so he could get out of the lower paying business analyst job family).
The letter was so convincing, that he got the job.
I was sad as hell to have him leave, but my role as a manager was to lift him up and teach him the game.
Then, 1.5 years later I checked in and told him it was time to seek Senior titles outside of Amazon to maximize his salary.
When a recruiter from a competing company asked his salary range he scrambled to call me for advice...
My response: “tell them you won’t leave Amazon for anything less than $450k - it’s time to make what I said to you 2 years ago a reality”
He got the job at $450k.
Key takeaway: Most managers will never expose whether you are getting underpaid or not so it’s up to you to always pressure test what you’re worth - it’s all a game
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✅ Connect with me on LinkedIn: / johnrmarty

[@oherra]

Speaking the language is so important! I went from $72k a year in a state government role to $175k in a FAANG company primarily by learning how to put my achievements in star format. It’s not as big as the jump in your example but it’s life changing for me.

[@dcjohnson2490]

That's awesome nonetheless!

[@kellyqian7035]

Absolutely amazing and absolutely life changing!

[@JBS440]

Love it! All facts! Similar story for me, started at 85k in supply chain food and beverage to 145k at a FAANG

[@TheAnthonyGonzales]

The fact that you helped your subordinate level up is so rare in todays world. Everyone is in it for themselves I’m definitely subscribed to the channel after that. Great content!

[@francisa6036]

Thanks for sharing this Matt. Very insightful. Could you do a video on top tech salaries in non-hub areas like Nashville, Houston etc.

[@bperez8656]

Just started following you. But I appreciate you John.

[@jaimedpcaus1]

Excellent video!!! I have to watch it 10 more times. ✋️

[@HollyLeeCoaching]

Excellent video, John!

[@mohamedbashir157]

Hey John I appreciate sharing this video

[@Synoopy2]

More power to you. Just finished watching several videos on how amazon treats their warehouse employees.

[@richarde1355]

What a great story! I love it! Great for you, John, in helping your coworker realize their worth.

[@hrishikeshjadhav7010]

Thank you John sir. In sea of sham videos yours give knowledge based on reality. Appreciate it.

[@venkyvin]

@John - Very nicely said and feels like you are talking the truth and what most people should know. The problem in most of the people is - Fear of loosing the job, Fear of crossing the chain of communication, Fear of what others might think about him/her. Changing the "SYSTEM" is important by the "PEOPLE"

[@rimstimbs6993]

Great content sir. I’m trying to switch industries from Aerospace to Big Tech within supply chain. I’ll definitely be using some of the knowledge you have shared to my advantage

[@murugesanmahalingam6965]

nice video John, you wake up so many professionals to find their way to financial freedom

[@NaijaCINE]

Thanks for the info John. I'm currently on the same trajectory; transitioning from a business analyst role to a senior product management role. Thanks for all your tips and advice, it's really helps to reframe my mindset. Do you have a coaching program?

[@JoeZoch]

Finally! A job consultant speaking what we all think, but are told not to!

[@vishalamle8330]

You are pure gold man…!!! 🙏🙏

[@tigerrx7]

Hey John, I’m interviewing at Amex for Senior PM role in NYC, what should I be expecting in terms of salary? Background: Senior Software Engineer to Senior PM (AI product)

[@daywithdelta7645]

Do you have a video on top paying roles in tech?

[@TheRaviManikandan]

Thanks a lot

[@Robertking1996]

And salary data is on most jobs now posted. It's very achievable.

[@becktj]

Yeah, the best way to increase your salary is to change the company. I went from $80K to $330K. If you ask your company for a raise, most likely they will give you around 10% increase. I also find that “know your worth” websites where they tell you how much you should be earning give you very low numbers. I ask 50% more than what those websites give, so far it is working.

[@Zeegoner]

Did you go from PM > Senior PM like in the video? Curious about your story!

[@becktj]

@@Zeegoner No, I am software engineer, only changed companies when I needed the raise.

[@marin1419]

@@becktj do you ever wait for the company to give you a raise, or do you job hop every other year?

[@becktj]

@@marin1419 I look for other opportunities passively without waiting for my current employer to give me a raise. If I can negotiate a higher rate with a potential new company, pass their interview and secure a job offer, then I switch companies.

[@winterheat]

I know... I go for interviews and they asked me super tough questions, and when I joined them, I asked that same person this and that about the project, and he didn't know this, didn't know that. His programming skills were not better than mine. He was just holding the 12 pages of solutions that was refined in 10 years and asked me to spit out all the details in 30 minutes as if I could memorize everything, and him appearing like God in the interview

[@jonasf4065]

How do I switch careers to go into tech product management?

[@TP-bc2pt]

@John - Would like to hear your perspective on Non Tech Sr PgM Mgr salary range at Amazon? I’m being offered TC 240 Nashville. I have 15+ yrs exp

[@ab7472]

I’ve been following you over the years John! You’ve given great feedback from tech side. What about from Operational side? Currently L6 in operations, what would you feel is my best option to leverage my salary? I have a business degree, external L5 promoted to L6 within 8 months of joining.

[@jcmichel5768]

Can you share the salary range for L6 Operations Manager?

[@ahsanmohammed1]

What was his education?

[@tigerbear3038]

How can the company verify that you actually achieved what you claim you did ?

[@omarmk3420]

Awareness is the biggest leverage. I was working at a company where engineers who were much smarter and more experienced than me were only making 120-130k where I was making about 100k. I started to hear about how much FAANG companies were making and I simply couldn’t believe it, I started the leetcode grind and learning system design and I interviewed at 3 FAANG companies, got a decline from google, an offer from Amazon and I actually ended up declining the final loop for Facebook because they take an unbelievable amount of time. So in 10 days I’ll be moving to SF working completely virtual from my apartment and enjoying the weather while making 5 times more money.

[@No.Service]

Did you get laid off by chance? If not that’s great I’m just trying to see Amazon’s stability

[@MakaylaWesson]

My question is: How does one find out what “level” they’re at when it comes to skills and experience. I have 8+ years of retail management experience in the California market, and I think i am selling myself short.

[@ebendus]

Hi John! I am really enjoying your videos, I have just passed the Amazon assessment and I will be moving on to the phone screening this week! Can you be on any help in the finance space? I am interviewing for a Sr. Finance manager role! I know you almost exclusively talk about tech and if that is your wheelhouse that is completely fine! I will also connect on linkedin! I am wondering if you might know an Amazon interview coach that can guide me through the process that was a recruiter in corporate finance? or worked/works in finance?

[@JohnMarty-uncommon]

Hey Emily - thank you! Congrats on getting through the assessment. The interview for anyone in finance at Amazon is the same as it it for all other non-engineering roles - all behavioral. Happy to work with you on refining your stories.

[@ebendus]

@@JohnMarty-uncommon Thanks John! I have my phone screen next week, I am going to schedule it for as soon as Tuesday, it tells me to pick 3 dates...problem is the e-mail doesn't even tell me how long to schedule it for! I am going to schedule it for 1 hour? I am assuming if that is not correct somebody will fix it. I tried to e-mail the person I am working with so far 1x before and he never responded..he is a "sourcer" I don't know...It let's me pick the duration of the appointment...I do see you have a phone screen video! I will for sure check that one out to prepare :) If I make it farther in the process I will want to have the guidance from an amazon recruiter that is now offering coaching! I am hoping with the free resources I have found I can do well on the phone screen! Thanks for your response John! I have also connected on LI! I will be in touch depending on the results!

[@celsoalbertoromeropalomo788]

I'm here just because of the awesome Voltron in the back 😂

[@michaelthetrent]

What people should take away from this video is not "how to triple your salary", it's "it's who you know, not what you know".

[@arkasarkar3901]

Don't care about Linkedin much John .Linkedin is slowly becoming the next facebook

[@dr.1956]

I'm a data scientists with 2 years experience, earning 220k, how can I scale up, or should I switch to product manager.

[@alabsinatheer]

where are you based?

[@dr.1956]

@@alabsinatheer Chicago

[@kendallcampbell8539]

Voltron Lions!!!!

[@makenziezastoupil2180]

Not me making 60k at Amazon in a analyst position with a year experience 😳

[@coog2011]

As an engineer, what sort of path do I have to making $300,000+ base salary ? A lot of the offerings I see tap out around $180,000 base and anything else would be RSUs. I see you talk about product managers a lot is that the only route to those type of figures?

[@JonathanIvy221]

You need to start looking at this from a total comp (base + equity + bonus) perspective, and not just a base salary number. The 450k mentioned in this video is not all from base. It’s a total package.

[@coog2011]

@@CyberTechFreedom thanks for this. I am only one year in the field as a cloud engineer so it’s nice to know what my options are. I know experience plays a big part

[@Zeegoner]

@@CyberTechFreedom What was your entry level job, before you became an NSE?

[@ChouDaphne]

@@coog2011 leet code is the way to go. Get a fang referral, pass the leet code and then team matching

[@Kate-gx5yc]

👍

[@thepedestrian0]

I guess being in HR means I am screwed. hahaha I dont see anyone anywhere, talking about HR positions at 450K.

[@bperez8656]

I’d love to work with you. Do you offer career consulting even if only a few sessions? I’m a pivotal point where even a few paid sessions with you could be life transforming. Hope you see this! - Bryan P.

[@JohnMarty-uncommon]

Hey Bryan Send me an email [e-mail] and we can take things from there.

[@bperez8656]

@@JohnMarty-uncommon sure thing. Will do!

[@nands4410]

@@bperez8656 did you have a syncup with him?

[@glidelife]

you are part of the problem. there's so much disparity in all of these subfields, that top end execs are asking for a lot of money and disrupting all of that below them. now the people who actually do the hard work won't get nearly what they're worth because some douchebag executive is going to get that salary.

[@Ricocase]

They make millions on what he knows, why so upset? 450 is a deal. Know your worth.

[@ahsanmohammed1]

Bell DISLIKE sorry

[@snehabhat4876]

I also follow you on LinkedIn