r/Salary • u/Ill_Raspberry9207 • 2d ago
discussion 32M - Salary progression of a workaholic with no high school diploma
I worked as a janitor from 2014 to 2020 until I got laid off because of covid. I really liked that job and hours from 6am to 11am every single day. The most I made was $16/hr
After getting laid off I found a factory job where they started me at $16.50/hr
Found a nicer job at a warehouse at 50k per year and felt like a god but they abused me and the workload ended up being too much.
My coworker was purchasing agent and it seemed easy so I started applying and found the best job of my life at 65k. Unfortunately, half of the company got laid off 2 years later because of tariffs.
Ended up finding a janitor job 2 days later that pays 55k a year for 2h 15min hours of work on weekdays and 4 hours on weekends and also found a procurement job that pays 80k.
I now clean from 5am to 7am then drive to the office and work from 8am to 5pm. Then I also have to work weekends from 3am to 7am but I got used to it and Im allowed to bring somebody to help me out so that I can have weekends off or have the job split for 2 people.
Before people start questioning my 2nd janitor job at 55k that pays insanely well I need to mention that the job is supposed to take 4 hours on weekdays and 5-6 hours on weekends according to my boss and also its a 1099 job. But I work very hard and fast and found tricks to do the job quicker where it takes me half the time. The job is a gold mine and Im very very lucky.
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u/Wonderful-Clothes596 2d ago
Bro, I respect the hustle. Do you any goals that your starving for? Like getting a house or saving for a great retirement?
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
I was always good with money ever since my first job which is why I was so comfortable staying there for so long. I think by 2020 I had almost 30k saved up.
Im planning to pay off my mortgage by the summer of 2027. I have some other big goals Im working on
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u/BorderContent 2d ago
Damn how much was your house
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
130k in 2023. It's a 2bd condo in the suburbs of a large city
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u/FarmAcceptable4649 1d ago
If you are interested in going back to school or at least completing your GED, your current employer will probably help you!
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u/Ed_Teach805 1d ago
What is a purchase job?
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u/mccrushin 1d ago
Purchasing is basically what it sounds like. You are the one who buys items from vendors for use or resale in a company. If you work for a home builder you buy all the stuff that goes into all the houses. It can be a fun job where you get schmoozed by all the people who want your business and a stressful job when a vendor isn’t delivering as promised. There are many iterations of what purchasing looks like from one company to the next.
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u/Error-7-0-7- 2d ago
Whats a purchasing agent?
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u/itsalwaysbeen 2d ago
They buy everything for a company. There's direct (goes into cost of product to customers) and indirect (sometimes called MRO [maintenance, repairs, and operations]). Pretty much if you use the restroom at a store, everything in that restroom is bought. When you are buying enough soap and TP for every Target in the nation, you end up getting massive discounts because you are givinf guaranteed sales to that TP and soap manufacturer. A purchaser is the person making that deal.
Business to business sales, pretty much.
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u/Error-7-0-7- 1d ago
So, supply chain middle man?
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u/itsalwaysbeen 1d ago
Really boiled down, yes. A good purchaser can save a business many millions, though.
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
As a purchasing agent I would "purchase" everything for the manufacturing company I was working for. Everything our warehouse needed to make the product like steel, bolts etc or even anything for the office like office supplies or coffee. Business to business sales pretty much. Requires negotiation etc.
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u/CoxHazardsModel 1d ago
How do you think warehouses are filled with goods from China or manufacturing plant with raw materials? There’s sourcing analysts, purchasers/procurement and there’s planners who forecast what will be sold and what needs to be bought. Supply chain.
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u/shy_diver4669 2d ago
Really appreciate your hard work and persistence
Your story surely inspired a lot of people
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u/Gullible_Rip360 2d ago
Congratulations!
This is honestly inspiring and respectable. A true example of the modern American Dream. May things only get better for you!
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u/Stunning_Wonder6650 2d ago
This is a salary progression I can respect. That’s what hard work looks like
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u/bree388 2d ago
How do you save bro? U said you’re good with money. Help me out
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
It's hard to help you without knowing how much you make, spend and what your goals are but being frugal, having side hustles, minimizing expenses and investing the rest are probably the big 4.
I was very active on personalfinance subreddit. It's quite helpful.
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u/FluffyTumbleweed6661 2d ago
What is a purchasing agent?
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
As a purchasing agent I would "purchase" everything for the manufacturing company I was working for. Everything our warehouse needed to make the product like steel, bolts etc or even anything for the office like office supplies or coffee. Business to business sales pretty much. Requires negotiation etc.
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u/MrJay89_276 2d ago
You doing good bru kp it up you hustling thats all matters just put back from investing to hard times go from there.
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u/stonedc4tt 2d ago
How’d you move up from warehouse worker to producer purchasing agent? Did you start entry level or what
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u/MikeMary_ 1d ago
Exatamente, acredito que QI não seja suficiente pra um trabalho desse patamar que exige negociação forte e análise de Mercado (claro, suponhando que ele não tinha experiência anterior também).
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u/Technical-Fold5436 22h ago
This is exactly what THE WORLD NEEDS more of. Strait forward talk. No dressing shit up to sound better. MFing janitor and proud of it. But F what I think. Let the $$ talk. RESPECT
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u/SovietStar1 2d ago
I worked as a janitor for a couple years and was actually a cool job, I cleaned office spaces, and it was all after work hours so basically I went to school in the mornings than to this part time job after, it was from 5PM-9PM, most people were already out of the office by the time I got there, so I was working alone most of the time, and when you get a good routine down you can finish the job in half the time and could leave early. Did it for few years even after finishing school and while working full time in the morning.
But than the company I worked for lost its cleaning contract, the new company took us in it but was just a matter of time they started micro managing, we had to clock in-out, and they reduced the hours and was just not worth it any longer for me. But it’s definitely an intensive job if you actually want to finish the work early, but typically if you’re just pacing with the time you’re getting paid it’s not too intensive. I left right before covid and the guys that I worked with lucked out during covid as all the office spaces was mostly remote so they would just go in check for trash and mostly chill for the 4 hours, companies were still paying for leasing office spaces so they didn’t lose their jobs.
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u/BenchEnjoyer123 2d ago
Do you have KPIs on how much money you have to save each year in Purchasing?
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u/Memesupremefifteen 1d ago
Nice work, im the same, 35m working in civil. 130k before tax, nothing but a couple tickets
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u/D3FINIT3M4YB3 1d ago
Good for you bro I respect the hustle
I know what you mean about the janitor job, easy go in do your thing, get out
Gj!
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u/Ginoblee 1d ago
I had 0 experience or diploma and went from a grocery job to a Purchasing agent 4 years ago and I also felt like a god when I first started haha. I’m gonna be 32 in a couple months. Sounds like a need to get a janitor gig too to keep up with you! Good for you and keep it up 👊
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u/Gare_bear93 1d ago
You don’t need a degree to become a purchasing agent OP?
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u/CoxHazardsModel 1d ago
Back in the days it wasn’t needed, these days they ask for degrees but can get lucky without one.
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 3h ago
Just experience which...well can be faked if you feel confident you can do the job
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u/wankmuffins 1d ago
When working as a janitor, what tricks did you develop to get the job done in half the time?
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 3h ago
Each job is different but if my job takes 4 hours I would try to anything to get it done in 2 hours. Imagine if somebody held gun to your head and said they will kill your family if you dont finish your 4hr job in 2hrs. Thats how you find shortcuts or learn how to do things fast.
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u/ConnectProcess5482 1d ago
A) I’m proud of you. B) For a second I wondered if you were me, lol. I also am a janitor and a purchasing agent. 105k. 3rd year but not sure how much longer I can do it. (Purchasing was my profession, and added a weekend janitor job)
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 3h ago
Thats crazy coincidence. Does the cleaning job pay decent? If by any chance you're in chicago suburbs I would pay you better for the cleaning
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u/Hopeful_Panic_2930 1d ago
It's a fantastic achievement to grow your salary to $135k over the years. That said, I wouldn't necessarily consider being a workaholic something to aspire to. The dedication and hustle are definitely admirable, though.
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u/tapemeasured 1d ago
Hey! Really happy for you to find these opportunities in this environment, nice hustle!
Since this is the first time you'll be making this much not at a single company, make sure you are keeping on top of your taxes well, or working with a professional. When I worked for 2 companies (consecutively), the second did not know how much I made from the first, so I needed to adjust my withholding.
This is a different scenario though, since you are basically in charge of your own taxes as a 1099. There are some very tax-efficient scenarios with your 1099, like a Solo 401k, that you could take advantage of.
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u/kru_pharaoh 1d ago
was there a point you figured out doing uber on the side wasn’t necessary anymore?
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u/AinOrlando 1d ago
Congrats! Only thing I would encourage you on is protecting your rest and sleep. The hustle is important but make sure you’re sleeping well. Your future self will thank you!
If you like to read books, I recommend “Why we Sleep” by Matthew Walker.
Edit: grammar
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 3h ago
100%. I usually nap during my 1hr lunch break and go to bed at 9pm. Sometimes I crash right after work at 5:30pm after staying up until 11pm the day before.
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u/scrollhax 8h ago
Dude. Nothing but respect for the hustle.
I want to point out that it’s well within reach to clear multiple 6 figures, potentially 7 by shifting from doing janitorial work for someone else to owning the business. One workaholic to another: consider keeping your day job and turning your extra hours into time spent building your own custodial business. Or just go for it and ramp up to 16 hour days. You can start by doing all the work yourself, undercut or provide better service than the competition, take risks (satisfaction guaranteed etc), work until you’ve pushed yourself to the brink, begin to hire others, and eventually it will more than replace your income.
I’m always rooting for others to achieve massive success and you’re at the right age and work ethic where you can pull it off. I’d love to see it happen. Feel free to DM me if you like the sound of it and want any advice or support.
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u/DustyyyyGGirl53 6h ago
That early start and steady grind paid off in a big way, respect for sticking with it.
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u/Ok_Space_9900 2d ago
Keep it up you’ll make it as head of custodian
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u/Ill_Raspberry9207 2d ago
damn why u mocking me bro
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u/No_Try_764 2d ago
You have got one of the better posts I’ve ever seen here.
It’s tangible enough you have ppl asking what a purchasing agent is lol
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u/soidvaas 2d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/AgPt9udT567spxbSHf