Sometimes you have to find the benefits in not getting the raises or promotions and go with it. Give it your best for a few years and see what happens.

My experience:

I've been at my job for nearly a decade. I work for a very large and powerful media corp doing web design. I've never been promoted despite the empty promises and I've gotten a raise about 4 or 5 times with the excuse that the company hasn't been doing well, despite the fact that I'm still employed and about "average busy" (I often find an hour or two to work on my own projects -- probably used to be 3-4 hours). This year as well, the pandemic was used as the excuse to not issue anyone any raises, and they let over a hundred people go in the first few months. We get bought by another company every few years which was the excuse last year, and this year, is the COVID-19 pandemic excuse. Next year, it'll be something else.

My salary hasn't changed much from when I first started... I've probably increased about $15k in the decade I've worked there, so $2k per year? Sounds like it sucks and it does. I cried about it and then I was totally over it because I found other ways.

Anyways, despite the fact that it is a dream job, though I have to deal with an arrogant supervisor I trained that keeps trying to fire me at least once or twice a month, I love the job and the work. And despite my menial average wage, I look at it a few ways:

1. The more you make, the more they take.

At the beginning of my career per se, I was earning nearly $100,000 from two jobs and was slapped with a nice tax bill because of the second job. I noticed that whenever I make more money, such as working overtime or taking up extra work, it backfires and it all goes to taxes. So I very rarely volunteer for overtime anymore. It does nothing for me. It hasn't gotten me promoted, hasn't gotten me any raises, and about the only thing it ever did was got me a "thanks for working." So it's not worth my time.

2. Learning about your company's empty promises

Honestly, after working at a company for nearly a decade, you learn about all its drama, office politics, etc. "Empty promises", boss after new boss, new promised direction, etc. Hardly anything actually changes, and its always for that person who is aspiring to get the promotion and raises they want and then they usually move on. To the general herd, it doesn't affect everyone. I remember when I used to care a lot more and try harder because I thought I was working for something that would get me ahead in life. Turns out... if you have someone stopping you from getting there, it will never happen. So... I found ways around it. And it didn't involve ever asking for a raise or a promotion -- I did that once when I was 20.. at the time, working for a security contract company, my boss gave me a penny raise, so I don't ask for raises anymore.

No matter what I do, how much I try, how great I do, the mistakes are always remembered, and pointed out in reviews, not anything good I ever did. So I take it all in stride, nod my head in agreement, and smile until I can move on with my life.

3. Health benefits

Lets be honest here. Obamacare was meant to help people, and for sure, those who can't afford healthcare or are literally in poverty line or below get free healthcare. Everyone else has to pay for it. So the health benefits offered by the company are amazing -- health coverage, eye care, and dental care.

Healthcare in general is expensive and not everyone has it. If you don't have healthcare, as you get older, life can be a bit interesting -- Walgreens becomes your pharmacy and the guy going to pharmacy school becomes your free doctor.

4. 401k w/company match up to 6%

Yup, its nice to invest extra money into the stock market, but lets be real: if freelancing is your main job, unless you're really good at what you do, there is no extra money. So having your company match your 401k, in order to help you save extra for retirement can help a lot. This usually means an extra $1,500 - $5,000 extra a year that is basically "free money" and your 65 year old retired self will thank you for doing it.

So having your company offer this is great. Trying to start a plan if you are on your own comes with its own fees and taxes.

5. Working Close To Home

Before the pandemic, I was riding my bicycle or driving to work. Either way, it was no more than 10 minutes to get there, saving on gas, and being so close to home.

After the pandemic: boss basically said everyone can work from home indefinitely. This may change after the pandemic is over, but for now... wee.

About $20 per week as an estimate, or $1040 per year, in gas costs, not even going to get into car maintenance and car insurance -- both of which have now been reduced by 90%. Saving the planet too by not driving!

6. Company Cell Phone

Lets say you are an individual with a cell phone plan. $15. $25. $30. $50. Depending on the plan you want and use. $180+ a year.

My company has paid my cellphone bill for the past decade.

I'll take a reasonable plan at $50 a month which gives you unlimited texting and calling is a savings of $600 a year.

7. PTO

After you work for a company for so long, you're entitled to some amazing time off... in my case, I get 6 weeks a year that is paid including sick days, vacation days, and personal floating holidays.

6 weeks is 2 and a half months that are PAID.

This equates to about $6k a year after tax and I didn't do anything for it but take my paid time off.

8. Working on my own side projects and other projects.

Company doesn't care what I do as long as I respond to emails and get the job done.

I have worked for about 10 different companies, whether contract, part-time, full-time, or freelance, all while working my day job. All very nice editions to my resume and portfolio as well. And I do get job offers every now and then -- sometimes they want me to quit, but I go with the ones who will contract me or allow me to freelance.

A majority of these jobs were under the table and often helped bring me to make close to 6 figures a year.

I even started my own web development business which has seen some profits.

I started a popular website which started from horror stories about my jobs. (https://confessionsoftheprofessions.com)

I wrote a book (https://mylifeasawomanproject.com) in which I interviewed over 500 women from every country in the world while working my day job. (downtime during the pandemic when we weren't busy for like 2 months)

Gotta change the world for the better in your own way!

9. Prestige and Loyalty

There is something to be said about someone who has been able to keep a steady job at the same company for nearly a decade. At most, you find the majority of people work at their jobs is about 5 years. When you work for a well known company, your bound to learn some things, especially secrets, and these secrets you can take with you and use to your advantage in other companies that hire you. It is like going to Harvard or working at Google. The next company and hiring manager will notice it.

10. Knowledge and Experience

Okay, not going to lie, I still get questions on some of the things I do, but for the most part, been doing it so long, why are you even questioning me? Sure, lets learn some new things, but... the job gets easier the longer you stay with it.. its a flow of my life nowadays.

I won't even get into the company mostly keeping the refrigerator stocked with drinks while we were working in an office. But that was an awesome thing to have.

Note: I love my job. I take pride in what I do. I accept that there are just some things that won't change and although I tried to change them, I choose to stay because I like what I do and find other benefits instead of begging and pleading for "more money". More money never led to anyone to be that much happier at their jobs anyway.

You should find other benefits that you can take advantage of if you can! During this pandemic, its only been 2 years for you.. the company has their reasons. If you are unhappy when the 3-year mark approaches... start looking for a job, learn all you can while leading up to it, but don't leave before having something new. And lastly, if you really do feel strongly about it and want your raise, then ask for it, with the expectation that its not going to happen, but ask the next company for above what you wanted, and you may just get it there. All depends on where you want to be in 5 years or 10 years. Take time to really calculate the costs and the pay you aren't seeing upfront in your paycheck. For my company, I was asked that question... and thats just another empty promise and a joke.