I Thought My Salary Was Fine — Until I Took This Quiz

The wake-up call I didn’t know I needed.

I Thought I Was in a Good Spot

For the past few years, I’ve been working as a marketing manager at a well-known Fortune 500 company. I won’t name it here, partly to avoid unnecessary drama, but let’s just say it’s the kind of brand that impresses people when you mention it at dinner parties. My team was solid. The projects were challenging in a good way. I was good at what I did, and I thought I was being paid accordingly.

I wasn’t actively looking for a new job. I wasn’t plotting an exit. I genuinely thought I had landed in one of those rare, balanced professional spots where the stress was manageable and the compensation was fair. That’s what made what happened next feel so strange.

The Casual Comment That Got to Me

It started over a casual weekend lunch with a friend. She had just accepted a new role in a different company, also in marketing. Similar responsibilities. A bit less experience. When she mentioned her salary, I froze for a second.

She was making significantly more than me.

I smiled and said something like “nice one” and changed the subject. But that number sat in my mind like a pebble in a shoe. It wasn’t jealousy. It was confusion. I kept thinking, if she’s getting that, then what does that say about what I’m worth?

Maybe It Was Just a One-Off

I tried to brush it off. Every company has its own pay structure. Maybe her new employer was overpaying. Or maybe I had accepted a lower offer back when I joined and never caught up. I didn’t want to turn one anecdote into an existential crisis. But something had shifted. I couldn’t un-hear it.

So I Did What Most People Do First

That night I opened my laptop and Googled “average salary for marketing manager.” I clicked on a few calculators, some company review sites, a couple of Reddit threads. The numbers were all over the place. Some seemed wildly optimistic. Others looked like they hadn’t been updated in years. Most of them didn’t take location, company size, or actual experience into account.

After an hour, I was more confused than when I started. Nothing I found felt specific to me. And without something solid, I wasn’t about to bring this up at work.

Then I Found Something Different

A few days later, still feeling stuck, I came across something better. It wasn’t just a calculator, it was a quiz — and not the gimmicky kind that tells you what kind of cheese you are. It asked focused, relevant questions: my current title, how many years I’d been in the role, where I was located, what size company I worked for, what kind of projects I’d led, and even which tools I used on a regular basis.

It felt like something that actually understood what a modern marketing role looks like today.

The Quiz Didn’t Tell Me What I Wanted to Hear

When I got the results, I was honestly stunned. According to the data, I was earning about $15,000 less per year than the market average for someone with my background. It wasn’t just a small gap. It was a wake-up call.

It made me think about how easy it is to fall behind without realizing it. Especially when you’re not actively looking. Especially when you trust that your company is looking out for you.

I Finally Had the Data I Needed

Instead of sitting with that feeling, I got to work. I pulled together a one-page document. It included three current job listings offering higher salaries for similar roles, in similar-sized companies. I added the salary data from the quiz results. Nothing emotional. Just facts.

Then I scheduled a meeting with my manager.

I told them I enjoyed the work and the team, but I had come across some market data that suggested I might be behind where I should be. I showed them what I had gathered and asked if we could revisit my compensation.

This Time, the Conversation Was Different

It didn’t turn into an argument. There were no dramatic pauses. Just a quiet moment of acknowledgement. I think what made the difference was that it wasn’t a vague request or a bluff about another offer. It was structured, specific, and backed by real data.

A week later, HR followed up with a revised offer. My salary was adjusted upward. Not just a symbolic bump. A real one.

That one quiz ended up changing how I value my work — and how my employer does too.

Want to Know If You’re Being Underpaid Too?

If you’re wondering where you stand, take the same quiz I did. It’s free, takes about three minutes, and gives you a clear picture of your actual market value — not based on guesses, but on data that reflects what people like you are actually earning right now.

You don’t need to be job hunting to want clarity. Sometimes, a small dose of honesty is the nudge you didn’t know you needed.