37-year-old single mom went from just $10,000 in savings after her divorce to earning nearly $1 million a year at AI job
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Going through a divorce is never easy, and financial uncertainty only adds to the stress. In 2021, Venus Wang found herself in exactly that situation — newly divorced, unemployed and with less than $10,000 in savings.
“I took a really hard look at my personal finances,” Wang told CNBC Make It.
“I started to realize that up until that point, I had managed my personal finances really terribly.”
At 37, Wang described her divorce as a major wake-up call. She had prioritized raising her daughter over building a career, but she suddenly realized that securing a stable future for both of them meant making a change.
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Wang reentered the workforce in 2021 with a role at Google, overseeing software quality and operations. But stability wasn’t her end goal — she was focused on growth. That mindset led her to pivot into AI, where she nearly tripled her income, reaching close to $1 million in just a few years.
But, it wasn’t easy for Wang to turn what had seemed impossible into reality.
Wang grew up in Kaifeng, a small city in central China, where societal expectations pushed her toward a traditional path. In 2013, she moved to the U.S. to earn her MBA at Duke University. Just two years later, she landed a six-figure job as a sourcing manager in the hardware division of a Seattle-based tech company.
Wang took time off to raise her daughter, but when her marriage ended, she was suddenly faced with an uncertain financial future.
Divorce isn’t cheap — most Americans spend between $15,000 and $20,000 on legal fees and related costs.
On top of that, Wang relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area where the average home sells for $1.1 million, according to Realtor.com.
With expenses piling up, life didn’t cut her any slack — but instead of letting financial stress hold her back, she found a way to grow her income.
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Wang’s new job at Google came with a big paycheck, around $300,000 a year, a figure that towers over the average American salary of $66,622, according to the Social Security Administration.
But, she didn’t stop there. After transitioning into Google’s AI division, Wang took an even bolder step in 2024, leaving the tech giant to join a startup. The move paid off, tripling her income and bringing her earnings close to the $1 million mark.
“The market is very competitive,” she says. “Everyone is trying to get the best talent.”
While climbing the income ladder, Wang remained just as strategic about her finances as she was about her career. She took a disciplined approach to saving, ensuring her growing paycheck also fueled her long-term financial goals.
Wang didn’t let a nearly seven-figure salary lead to lifestyle creep.
Instead, she prioritized investing in her future and her daughter’s financial security, contributing an average of $35,000 annually to her investment accounts. She maxed out her 401(k) and individual retirement account IRA, set aside $1,000 for her health savings account (HSA) and dependent flexible spending account, and made sure every dollar worked toward long-term wealth.
You don’t need Wang’s paycheck to take a page from her playbook. One way to get started is to review your budget and determine what you can realistically invest — no amount is too small if you’re consistent with it.
At the end of the day, wealth-building isn’t just about how much you make — it’s about how well you use the resources that you have.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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