Back in 2019, I was working as a Property Manager for a nationwide estate agency (Real Estate) managing a portfolio of 1000 rental properties. I was earning £18,000 ($22k) a year, for a 40 hour work week.
Our lowest rent on a property was £900, the most was around £2,500 – so the branch was bringing in over £900,000 per month. The company took anywhere between 10% and 20% depending on the landlords package, which means at absolute minimum the branch was making £90k a month.
I worked hard, often did overtime (unpaid) and made sure the tenants had everything they needed.
I asked for a pay rise as, on my income, I didn't even pass reference checks for our cheapest properties. I was told I was on the top pay level for my job role. I asked about a potential promotion and was told that there was absolutely no chance of advancement within the company without a degree.
That weekend, I called a university clearing line and registered for a Bachelors in Photography. I went into the office on Monday, handed in my resignation and pointed out that the reason I was leaving was to get a degree so I could further my career. My manager managed to make a substantial pay rise magically appear, but I rejected it.