How can I get paid more?

Question

tl;dr: I don't think I'm paid enough but I can't find a better paying job. How can I change that?This thread is somewhere in the intersection of financial advice and career advice.A bit of context, I'm a 28 years old immigrant in France and a full-stack developer for around 5 years. I have I make about 2300&euro;/month (after taxes), of which 700&euro; goes to rent. With 20K&euro; in savings.I feel like I'm in paused state in life where I'm almost 30, I can't afford a car, I can't afford to buy a house and I feel like everyone around me is telling me I should get paid more but I'm not seeing anything in the market.I have ALWAYS gotten stellar performance reviews, however last year my manager got me a ~2% raise.I feel stuck, without options, and far from financial stability. Any and all feedback, opinion and help is much appreciated.throwaway account for obvious reasons.

Nextgrid · Accepted Answer

France is the problem and I doubt you'll be able to earn much more there. The problem isn't your skills or even your education credentials - software engineering just isn't that well respected in France even if you are the best developer with both excellent experience and education.The solution is to either go freelance/contracting, ideally for foreign companies, or to move abroad in a country where software engineers are paid more.

chrisbennet · Answer

[I'm a US resident so this may be culturally irrelevant for France.]
Working harder is not really the answer. I never found it useful to bust my hump to get a 5% raise when I could just go to another company for a 10-15% raise. I loved my work and the companies I worked for but business is business.
If they got you cheap initially, they will almost never reevaluate you and pay you a market rate. 5 years at the same company is forever in the developer biz.

Inkydog · Answer

To earn more, you have to become more. Increase your value and your service. Come in early and stay late. Never say no to an assignment. Don&rsquo;t go to your boss with a problem unless you also have a suggested solution. Be pleasant to everyone and make connections with people inside and outside your office. When it comes time for your review, ask for the amount of raise you are worth and have a list of your accomplishments (and maybe their monetary benefit to the company to back it up). If that doesn&rsquo;t get you the raise you deserve, start looking for a new job.