Full-time Freelancer Earning $300,000/year

Welcome to another post in the $100k Club series. You can see the full series here. This is "My Morning Routine" for content marketing folks making six figures. The goal is to shed light on the skills and habits that enable people to achieve lucrative jobs and help get more people in this club.

These will be anonymous and updated regularly. If you make more than $100k/year and want to contribute, email Superpath.

For more info on content marketing salaries, check out our salary report.

If you'd like to see more info on salary by job title, check out these resources: Content Marketing Manager Salary, Content Strategist Salary, Head of Content Salary, and Content Director Salary.

What was your first full-time job in content? What was the salary?

I started out as a Marketing Operations Coordinator earning $47,500 a year.

List out your income by year for as long as you've been working in content marketing.

• 2016- $47,500 - Marketing Ops Coordinator
• 2017-2018 - Took off for maternity leave
• 2019- $55,000 - Director of Marketing
• 2020- $150,000 - First year of full time freelance
• 2021- $242,000 - Full time freelance
• 2022- $250,000 as of October - Projected to end the year around $300,000

How much do you earn today? What's your job title?

Today I'm a full-time freelancer and projected to end 2022 at $300,000.

What's the single biggest salary jump you've made? (either from job-hopping or a promotion/raise)

The biggest jump was from 2019 to 2020, going from being a director of marketing to a full time freelancer.

What is your most valuable skill?

Organization—I'm on top of it, I follow up, I deliver, and I'm persistent with my communication.

What's the best book you've ever read on writing, marketing, sales, business or productivity? (Feel free to suggest more than one!)

My top reads are: 

• Ann Handley - Everybody Writes
• Nancy Harhut - Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

Have you had a career mentor/coach? If so, how did you find them and what have you learned from them?

Yes, I'm currently in the Think Tank through The Copywriter Club with Rob Marsh and Kira Hug. I found them through a Facebook group. It's amazing!

What skills or habits help you thrive at work?

Organization, persistence, being research driven, and always wanting to know the why. I'm a marketer at heart and enjoy the strategy behind the content, connecting the dots, and understanding why each piece is being created.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to join the $100k club?

Don't focus so much on the number. Nothing changes when you hit six figures. There isn't some magical reassurance or sudden moment of relaxation once you hit $100k. Instead, focus on making what you need to be comfortable in your life. And know that even though it may be a scary number, you can do it. And once you get there, trust me, you'll never go back to making less.

Who are you?

I'm a 36 year old white woman living in Brewster, New York (Tri-state area).