i have made very little progress wage wise over the last 10 years. so i have mainly focused on “upgrading' my comfort levels.. better schedules, less physical work, less stressful environment etc..
but you really cant escape the poor wages any more. i have not been able to “climb rank” in any of my recent jobs. the few raises i did get have been so minor the cost of living quickly made them irrelevant.
and with how quick and easy companies fire/lay off, etc there is zero job security.. so uprooting and trying to relocate is extremely risking.