If you want to get a raise that's $1,000 more than ordinary, you're going to have to be a major contributor to an idea that will generate at least $10,000 in additional net profits for your company. It's what I call "the 10-for-1 rule." It means that if you want to increase your current income by, say, $25,000, you re going to have to find a way to increase business profits by abut a quarter of a million dollars. And that's not just $250,000 once. It's $250,000 this year and next year and every year thereafter that you expect to maintain that much-higher-than-average salary.

In general, you'll have the best chance of having that kind of impact on your company's bottom line if you are working in one of several key, profit-generating areas: sales, marketing, product creation, and profit management.

Yes, some engineers, attorneys, and corporate administrators earn $150,000 or more. But in companies where such functionaries earn big money, the marketers, salespeople, and profit-center managers are earning $250,000 to $500,000 - sometimes more!

I'm not saying you should abandon your trade if you've been trained as a computer analyst, engineer, or accountant. I'm just saying that if you want to make a super-high income, you have to become a super-significant contributor to your company's bottom line. And that means you have to figure out a way to become an influential force in product creation, marketing, sales, or profit management.

Michael Masterson has developed a loyal following through his writings in Early to Rise , an e-newsletter published by Agora, Inc. that mentors more than 160,000 success-oriented individuals to help them achieve their financial goals.