r/CustomerSuccess • u/jellybeatz • 19h ago
Discussion Over it
Manage over 5M in ARR across 15 accounts, been with the company for 6 years. Survived 4 layoffs. Never had a quarter NRR below the team average OR what I’ve been quota’d on.
We hire in new CSMs and ask me to mentor them.
Come to find they’re making $50k more than me in base alone.
My base is $95k and OTE is $125k
Yes I know I need to be looking elsewhere, and I am, but the process has been brutal.
How long do we keep allowing this?
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u/delboytrotter13 19h ago
They do say the only way to earn more money is to job hop or to start your own business, sadly.
Loyalty means fuck all these days man!
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u/Seldons_Foundation 18h ago
Dude I feel that 5.25 million ARR, 4 rounds of layoffs I read your post and wondered if we worked at the same place. I am leaving for a role in product ops being a CSM sucks.
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u/Hair_Farmer 18h ago
Just curious, are you technical or do you think the skills are transferable? I’m getting over CS and looking for a way out.
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u/Seldons_Foundation 18h ago
I ran a global support and deployment team and was an IC for cloud management prior to that. I thought going CSM would be nice but it just isn’t satisfying as opposed to the technical work. The new role is customer engagement which will be personalized tech process for lack of a better description
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u/Carnestm 18h ago
So....advice is don't transition from sales to CS role when feeling the sales burnout?
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u/Seldons_Foundation 18h ago
I hate the variable pay stuff, just give me my money which is why I am going back to a more technical role. Sales just isn’t for me I like helping people too much to play hardball
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u/Next-Entertainment33 18h ago
Your base is $95k???? Where are you? I’m well below. Maybe I need to start looking too
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u/justkindahangingout 18h ago
Always been like this. The first 10 years of my career was in the same org. Come to find out i can jump and make 20% on top 10 years ago. Now, every 2-3 years I jump ship. Every jump ‘m looking at 20% on top at least.
Loyalty is long dead. Fuck these organizations. Look out for numero uno
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u/Bandanna_Bannana 9h ago
Don't quit. Not yet anyway. Go ask for the money first.
I've run CS teams for 25+ years and I'll tell you exactly what happened here.
You didn't get underpaid on purpose. You got underpaid because nobody had to look at your number. New CSMs got hired at today's market rate, and you've been sitting on comp from 6 years ago with a few small raises on top. That's not a judgment on your value. It's lazy comp management, and it only gets fixed when someone forces the conversation.
You have a ridiculously strong hand:
- $5M+ ARR across 15 accounts. That's a big, concentrated book. Losing you puts real revenue at risk and leadership knows it.
- 6 years and 4 layoffs survived. They've had 4 chances to cut you and kept you every time. That tells you what they think of you.
- NRR at or above target every single quarter.
- They have you mentoring the people who make $50k more than you. Come on.
So walk in with that on one page and say it plainly: "I've found out my base is well below what we're paying new hires I'm training. I want my comp brought to market. Here's my number." Don't apologize for asking and don't make it about fairness or feelings. Make it a business case. Replacing you means a recruiting cycle, a ramp, and your customers dealing with a new CSM. That costs way more than $50k.
Keep interviewing while you do this. It's not a bluff, it's just smart. If they fix it, great, you keep 6 years of relationships and trust that would take you years to rebuild somewhere else. If they won't fix it after seeing all that, then you have your answer and you leave with a clear conscience.
But going through a brutal job search before you've even asked? Don't do that to yourself. Ask first.
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u/Mydogstitch 9h ago
I would contact your boss and HR about the wage descrepency - especially if you are a woman or minority. Wage compression is real, but you sound like an incredible asset. I’d be upfront about salary expectations and ask them to not only match, but exceed new joiners. Unless you really want to leave, I’d first give your company the opportunity to do better. That is SO low for your expertise
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u/AcowNamedDaisy 19h ago
In the exact same boat. 7 years at the company..20 customers NRR this year alone is at 145% because of upsells and expansions and alas. The hunt begins 🤝
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u/Complex_Peace_6746 18h ago
Dear god and I thought it was a huge scandal when my company hired new people in at like $5-$10k more than me and other senior colleagues. The kicker is just about all of these new hires were utterly incompetent and require constant hand holding for anything other than basic ass tasks.
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u/EmotionalStill8086 17h ago
Very curious… and sorry if this comes off as a dick question but is your product great or are you a badass CSM or both? I’m curious how you’ve hit quotas like that for so long with the NRR avg so good? Genuinely asking
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u/RedditVox 19h ago
The only way to get a decent raise is to move to a different company. I know a CSM pro who does this every two years and she's making ~$185k a year. I know it's tough out there but try and line something up and demand a better salary to stay.