When Cinneah El Amin walked into her first job earning $72,000 in 2017, she had already set her sights on a much bigger financial future.
Just five years later, she had nearly tripled her salary to $186,000—and now makes approximately $190,000 as a senior product manager for the federal government, all while running her career and finance education platform, Flynanced.
El Amin, now 30, is a shining example of how intentional career strategy and side hustle savvy can generate real financial growth. For those looking to save for a home, retire early, or just boost their income in a meaningful way, her journey provides a roadmap.
1. Leverage Transferable Skills and Align with High-Value Work
El Amin did not begin her career with a technical background—yet that didn’t stop her from identifying high-paying, high-impact opportunities within her workplace. Early on, she networked with product managers and aligned herself with cross-functional teams in marketing, engineering, and legal to learn what mattered most. When a management role opened on the product development team, she was already prepared.
“I was intentional about positioning myself, even at my early career, for a career path that was going to lead to salary and career growth,” she told CNBC’s Kamaron McNair.
She now encourages others to look within their own organizations to pivot into technical or leadership roles. Skills like project management, event planning, and leadership—often honed outside of work—can open the door to roles like product or program manager, which tend to command higher salaries.
2. Move Up—or Move Out
For El Amin, job-hopping wasn’t a risk—it was strategy. Starting in 2019, she began switching jobs every 18 to 24 months, each time with a clear goal of increasing her salary and sharpening her skills.
That strategy paid off. After her first major job move, she increased her compensation by $50,000 in just one year.
“We should not stay in companies beyond our expiration date,” she advises. Even in a tight job market, El Amin says professionals should regularly assess the landscape and be ready to make a move when opportunity knocks.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, workers who switch jobs tend to see faster wage growth than those who remain with one employer. That’s something El Amin proved through personal experience.
3. Monetize Skills Outside Your 9-to-5
El Amin launched Flynanced in 2020, initially as a side hustle. For two years, she ran it full-time before returning to a government role with a lucrative salary. But she still runs her business on the side, showing that multiple streams of income are both possible and powerful.
And it doesn’t have to be content creation. El Amin encourages people to consider the value of existing skills—like accounting, content strategy, or data analysis—that others might already be asking them for help with.
“Don’t sleep on monetizing your skills outside the 9-to-5,” she says. “The things that come naturally to you are probably things people will pay you for.”
Through Flynanced and her social media channels, El Amin regularly shares tips, salary negotiation advice, and career hacks for professionals—especially women and people of color—looking to gain financial independence and confidence in the workplace.
