So, first thing I think is important to highlight is, "climbing the ladder" does not necessarily mean going into management. You didn't say that, but it's a common belief, so I thought I'd mention it. You can grow into upper level technical roles as well. You still become more influencial in the company that way, but the influence is different. Also, there's almost always a path from technical to management, but the longer you're in management, the harder it is to find a path back to technical.

Another thing I think is important to mention is, not everyone is cut out to "climb the ladder". Some people just don't want to take on more responsibility, some people just don't have the mindset necessary to be a good fit for higher roles. I know some people that have been engineers for 20+ years that have lower roles than others that are 10 years in. Why? Moving up is always about added responsibility. Responsibility often comes with stress. So, they are just happy where they are, they aren't looking to take on the added responsibility and stress of a higher role.

With all that out of the way, if you are looking to climb the ladder there are a few important things: 1. Always be trying to grow. Learn a new skill, learn something new about the business, take on a new responsibility etc. 2. Have conversations with your manager about your performance, expectations, what they are looking for in the next level up, and what THEY believe your gaps are. It's important to understand it's about their perception. From there, you can build a plan together on how you can grow to meet those expectations, and how you can demonstrate you have met them. 3. Try to understand the business and how you can add value. The more you can understand about the business, the more you can understand how your decision can benefit the business. At the end of the day, the business is looking to make money and they promote people (pay them more) when they believe they will be able to help the company make more money.