Bank Trainee at Prosperity Bank. Salary: $25,000 

All your hotshot finance friends took off for the Big Apple to become Wall Street bankers. However, you don't fancy that kind of nonstop stress, so you pick up a postgraduate scheme in Oklahoma City and start your training with a local bank.

Personal Banker at Prosperity Bank. Salary: $34,000 

Training is done, and now you have more responsibilities. You're gaining a reputation around Oklahoma City's banking elite for being a real go-getter—partly because when somebody tried to steal Jenny's name placard, you went and got 'em. That was dangerous, but also kind of cool.

Branch Manager at Prosperity Bank. Salary: $50,000-$60,000 

You've been the best employee at Prosperity Bank for three years now, and you know what that means: promotion to branch manager. Nothing like shouting, "Hey, you! Back to work!" to put a smile on your face.

Branch Manager at Bank of America. Salary: $70,000 

Your branch out-performed nearly every bank in the region, which caught the eye of senior officials at the Bank of America. They shot you an email, and you took the first chance to move up. The pay is better, the company is more smoothly run, and there's free coffee, milk, and sweetener in the back room. Sweet.

Regional Manager at Bank of America. Salary: $80,000 

You're killing it at work. After your branch broke all-time sales records, even in this economy, execs at Bank of America sent you a flower bouquet—and a card announcing your promotion to regional manager.