I earn $200,000 at Google after starting my career earning under $40,000. The reality is that money does buy happiness.

• Khayla McCoy quadrupled her income over 10 years and now makes over $200,000 annually.
• She started with a $39,000 salary in NYC, facing financial challenges and strict budgeting.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Khayla McCoy, a 33-year-old business analyst who more than quadrupled her income over 10 years. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Madisonville, Tennessee, where many people live below the poverty line. The only conversations we had were those around lack. Having enough money for basic needs felt far-fetched.

I always knew that I wanted to achieve financial freedom. I graduated in 2013 with a degree in biology and landed my first job in NYC as a sessions assistant, making $39,000. I was the first person in my family to make that much money.

By 2019, I was making $90,000. Now, I make over $200,000 annually in total compensation. Having more money has truly made me happier.

My first salary was tight for living in NYC

When I moved to NYC, I had two roommates and had to stick to a strict budget to afford my expenses, from rent, around $1,250, to student loans and every day costs.

My salary barely covered my bills, but I was committed to finding ways to afford living there. I knew my first job would be a stepping stone to bigger roles and higher-paying salaries.

I took a lot of personal finance courses

I enrolled in a personal finance course from Ellevest and attended different events I found on Meetup. I learned financial discipline, thinking ahead for unforeseen expenses, and developing a method for organizing my money. I set up different cash accounts for recurring bills, emergency savings, and everyday spending needs.

I hesitated to take risks with my money. At first, I deferred investing in stocks and a 401(k). Shortly after I turned 24, I finally felt like I was finding my financial footing and began investing around 5% of my salary in my 401(k).

I started to understand the benefits of investing in the market. As I obtained higher salaries, I invested more in my 401(k) and other investment accounts.

I was always stressed about money

My family was proud of me, and I lived many people's dreams of working in NYC, but I had this deep paralyzing fear that I would mess up my career and end up with no money.

I stayed at my sessions assistant job for two years, and my salary grew to $42,000. In 2015, I had a family emergency and left the workforce for two years. When I could work again, I moved back to NYC, decided to pause my career in healthcare, and pivoted.

I invested money to help me make career jumps

I enrolled in an associate degree program from FIDM in beauty industry merchandising and marketing, which cost $30,000. I took out further student loans for this degree.

In 2017, I landed a job in consumer packaged goods, making $50,700. After two years there, I decided I needed a better-paying job.

I took a data science course at General Assembly to learn how to use, analyze, and drive insights from data. The course cost $4,000, which was covered by a tuition reimbursement program at my former company.

In 2019, I got a job at BlackRock as a data analyst, which doubled my former salary. I was proud of myself, but I still had recurring anxiety about losing the job and the money.

In 2021, I landed a job at Google, bumping my salary up again. That's when my finances seriously changed, and so did my happiness.

A high-paying job came with the benefit of having peace of mind

When I started at Google, my base salary was $132,000. I felt financially calm for the first time. I knew I had the money to pay for whatever was thrown my way.

When I faced a health scare this year, I had health insurance and a savings account to help me pay for those expenses without taking on medical debt. My total medical expenses were over $60,000 — I never could've covered them without my current salary and benefits.

Earning six figures changed how I approached finances, but it didn't happen quickly

When you come from a lower socioeconomic background, you become accustomed to believing many things you need are actually wants, like going to the dentist for an annual teeth cleaning. I'd convince myself to skip it because I thought I needed to stretch my cash to see how far it could go.

It took a while to redefine my budget. When I was 30, I felt like I finally figured this out, only because I had seen myself change my circumstances and create a much different life than the one I grew up in.

In my experience, the more money I've made, the less stressful the job has been

When I was making less money, I felt like I had to be perfect at that job because I never wanted to be in a position where I was disposable to the company. Now, I don't want to lose my job, but I would have a cushion if that happened.

The other reason work feels less stressful is that my mindset has become more peaceful now that I'm not always thinking about money.

I'm passionate about helping other women change the relationship they have with money

I became the person everyone came to for financial advice in my friend group, so I started an online community that helps women define their relationship with money. I hope to use my money lessons to help others make better financial decisions.

When people say money doesn't buy happiness, I tell them I disagree and give examples of how healthcare, safe shelter, and the ability to engage in hobbies and take healthy risks all support health and happiness. If I can't afford to make doctor's appointments or get my car fixed, those things directly impact my ability to show up in the world how I want.

I always had a voice in my head that said if you want to have a chance to live a comfortable and productive life, you'll need to make a lot of money. That's the reality of it for me.