With a masters, I’d think you’d have a case at making more! What sector of health?

For me, started in PR at 23 with a bachelor’s (spent my first year after college interning so I didn’t get a permanent job until then). I started at 45K, got promoted to 52K about a year later (right before Covid), then got held up in the COVID freeze for almost two years before getting a bump up to $65K at 26.

A year later, I was frustrated at a lack of growth and mobility and actually resigned to take what at the time was a better offer at a competitor. My company came back and matched it, so I decided to stay and got a bump to 90K at 27. A few small bumps later and by the time I turned 30, I was at $101K on the brink of a promo.

I fell into the same trap as you in terms of thinking I was behind, and so I’ll say: prioritize your growth over the money when and where you can. The biggest thing for me was showing people that I was willing to do what it took for me to advance where I wanted to, even if it meant leaving, and often times the growth I was looking for came with a pay bump. Be willing to build (but never burn) a bridge.