If you want to continue with your existing job, you can ask your boss for a raise. If you have been performing consistently and have maintained a good track record, then you might get it without pestering your boss much.

Be sure to look for a day when your boss is in a good mood to ask for a raise.

Work Overtime

If your boss does not agree to increase your salary, you can start working overtime.

Not many companies are very happy with overtime costs, but if you are productive, they may not mind.

Take an Extra Job

If your paycheck is not sufficient, you can also take on an extra job at nights or on the weekends.

If you are not working presently and you need to stay at home with your child, why not babysit for your neighbor's child as well?

Change Your Job

If there is no hope for a raise in your present job, the only way to increase your income without working overtime or taking on an extra job is to make an employment change. Search for every possible arena you could work in. Do so in your spare time, so that it does not interfere with your current job.

When you are selected for a new job, you need to do a few things so that you can get a good salary from the very beginning.

Prove How Worthy You Are

The most convincing way to negotiate your salary with the hiring manager is to highlight your accomplishments and results.

It is good to name a few specific clients who have appreciated your work.

Provide Strong References

Often, your references play a major role in deciding your salary. Provide names of people who know you well and whom you have spoken to at length. Provide references along with a brief list of your projects, highlighting your successes.

Know Your Worth in the Market

It is necessary to know your worth in the market. You need to know how much people in the same profession as you are being paid. You can acquire this information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics or industry websites.

Often, if you are honest with your current employer and show them an offer you have received from another company, the chances of them extending an equivalent or higher offer are good. This is a very effective way to negotiate.

If nothing works and the hiring manager is stuck on the original salary they offered you, and if you want the job desperately, then you can at least ask for a review after six months and a salary hike if you deserve it. Until then, work efficiently, meet deadlines, and maintain good rapport with your employer.