- pay\ one's\ way
- v. phr.1. To pay in cash or labor for your expenses.
He paid his way by acting as a guide.
2. To be profitable; earn as much as you cost someone; be valuable to an employer; to yield a return above expenses.The bigger truck paid its way from the start.
We had to offer our new manager a large salary, but he was a capable man, and paid his way.
Compare: worth one's salt••to produce enough money to cover or pay one's operating or running expenses
Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". Оригинал: A.Маккей, М.Т.Боткер, Дж.И.Гейтс. 1997.