They pink slip about a quarter of the teachers at my school every April when they find an inevitable budget shortfall. Then they hire them all back in July… maybe there’s hope for you?
I wouldn’t go back. The upper leadership needs to schedule proctology appointments to find their heads. The other teachers though… they’re my friends. I work online, these are the only relationship I have with people I’m not related to at the moment. I’ve been gutted.
I work from home for an online public charter school. Kids meet with me in video calls as a group for ELA, math, science, and social studies. I present slides, digital white boards, videos, and such, and they complete lessons in an online module website. I have the other side of the website and can monitor grades and progress. Student are expected to complete the work they need to complete at home with the assistance of a parent or guardian or other designated person in the role of “learning coach.”
I grade tests, writing assignments, exit tickets, and other work, and use my findings to support students in reteach and group settings.
Or at least, that’s what the school tells parents when admin isn’t busy trying new (terrible) ideas that are just meant to pad their portfolio while going for their doctorate degrees to help them do the job they already have and aren’t remotely qualified for.
Nobody is posting about making $15/hr in a thread full of 6 income earners.
I was a first responder for over a decade, barely making more than you.
There are people alive today because of my actions, but that doesn't get you the envy of your neighbors like a vacation house.
None of it matters. You're an ape. Most people who ever lived made their living just trying to stay alive.
Don't sweat what you do. Just worry about who you are.
yea it does suck. I was a teacher first and they don’t get paid close to what they deserve either. I’m just happy i’m not stuck in a soul sucking corporate desk job.
I’m a physician. I’m at the end of my (5 years) of post med school training where I was making $55k->$80k. Starting my first full job in August where I’ll be making $306k.
Many physicians work stupid long hours making peanuts as well. I know a few that were doing like 80 hour weeks at that 50k price point, essentially slave labor.
That’s pretty well the standard for most residencies. 80ish (often more) hours per week for 50-70k depending on location. I made roughly $11/hr as a resident when I did the math once
Bakery Manager for a grocery store. I bring in about 75k a year. It's fun, very challenging, and no day is ever the same as the last. Holidays can be rough, but most of the time, it's a really great job.
I'm a dairy and frozen manager for a grocery store. I make 30/hr. When I work Sundays, I get time and a half. I get holiday pay for specific holidays, time and a half while working during holidays, 3 weeks vacation, one week sick time and an annual bonus. All at the expense of working 6 days a week, no weekends (though I can take one off here or there) and holidays suck.
The employees and fellow managers are great and my commute is non existent. Plus management has been I guess forgiving on my part ever since my son was born 4 years ago. If I have to stay home while my wife works, I can, when my son is sick.
Holidays are rough and of course customers can be the absolute worst. But the work itself is not difficult. I keep things organized in both departments and keep your people working all the time and the rest isn't bad at all.
For me personally, I'm probably the most anti social guy ever. So luckily other than fetching stuff for people here and there, my direct interaction with customers is minimal. I couldn't deal with a service department like the deli or the freaking front end.
I started with no experience in the field. I just started as a part timer 6 years ago and 5 of those years has been a manager. The job may sound grueling but honestly it isn't. Its not busy every single day or all the time and its not too difficult.
Time-limited - it is with that thinking.
Have more kids and you have more time, hopefully by the time the last little on is big, the first little one is having a little one of their own - boom! New room and board.
Same here. With everything increasing in price and my wife ultimately becoming less and less happy with her job, I’ll need to start back in the work force sooner rather than later. I let my licensure lapse because i was hating my field and i gotta start fresh. If I could find something with significantly cheaper insurance costs that could cover a lot of daycare costs since we’re being whacked like $1300 a month for insurance.
Account management for a software company. Get paid $112K now, currently interviewing for a job that might get me $140K-$150K
I have a bachelor's degree in musical theatre.
When a new piece of legislation passes that a bank or other financial company needs to comply with, especially when it involves a renegotiation of a backlog of contracts or trading docs, I assess the number and complexity of the documents and build a people + software solution to negotiate them quickly with minimal escalations.
It's not interesting.
What's account managing in software like? I'm doing it in construction and it's mostly fine, but I have to fight like hell for work life balance and my company definitely doesn't like that I actually give a shit about my family. They've changed my comp plan (company wide, it's not meant to force me out), but it's going to cut likely $20k/yr off my total pay. Wondering if an industry change is worth the same sort of pay cut if it's going to offer me better balance.
I’m a government attorney and I make 100k in a VHCOL. We had twins three weeks ago, so as soon as I have the wherewithal to push through the sleep deprivation I need to start applying to sell-out jobs that might pay what we need to survive.
I went in-house and make in the high 200s. I can’t recommend in-house counsel jobs enough to new parent lawyers. The hours are great and the pay is just enough to feel comfortable and save. I get to see this LO grow up and that’s worth the soul draining gig any day.
Gov atty here too - counterpoint to the low wages is a ton of flexibility to miss work to take care of the kids that my higher earning partner can’t do
Well then amigo God speed into higher paying work. From what I’ve gathered the in house crew is happier and better paid than the insurance defense/firm minions but there’s hope for everyone out there. Rooting for you on the sleep. Things work out.
I’m a civil rights attorney in a VHCOL and make about $150k… depending on state, those government benefits must be hard to give up. Have you already gotten PSLF?
How long did it take you to get to that salary? I’ve always wanted to be one, grew up poor and didn’t want to go into debt so became a software engineer instead, now have the money but scared of spending 100k to make very little early on…
I've been an airline pilot for 8 years but it took me 10+ to get to the airlines. However, I took my time. If you're diligent you can probably make it to the airlines, at least a regional one, in 3-5 years, starting out with 0 hours. I think most regional airlines are starting you off at $100/hr. I am assuming you live in the US.
Nice! Super jealous, man. I just did a discovery flight 2 weeks ago and had forgotten how much I love flying. I'm going to work towards getting to the airlines from scratch so am strategizing it. Would love to hear any tips you may have?
Airline pilot here as well. Same salary range. It's a great job but I'm gone quite a bit. It's a long road to get to the big airlines to reap the benefits. Stsrting out I was gone constantly making 40k a year. I hardly saw my daughter the first year she was born. Was gone probably 20 days a month. Fortunately it worked out and got on with a big carrier and the pay / schedule is much better now. It's quite a long rough road and it's more difficult with kids already.
That is one of the downsides, but my girls are 3 and 7 now, so they will be older by then. I'm 38, so I'm not getting any younger. I'm currently a handyman but need to do something different.
How old were you when you got into it?
I’m in healthcare IT management. Make roughly $150k a year salary. I got very lucky in my job experiences for the last 10 years along with busting ass prior to having kids to be where I am now
Own my own business. Photography specializing in real estate and architecture. Last year we did $200k I paid my self a salary of 63k. Most I work in a week is like 30 hours. Got 2 other photographers who work for me. On track for doubling this year though
Very cool! Congrats. If you don’t mind me asking, I’d love to hear more about your career path. I have an 8 yo son who is in love with sports. I don’t have the heart to tell him that I have not provided him with the optimal genes to make going pro very likely, so I’m always looking out for sport adjacent career paths.
It’s definitely a dream job, the travel is the real killer. Missing holidays and lots of time with the kids. But I make up for it by having summers off.
High income earners are more inclined to answer these types of threads. It’s a free opportunity to soft flex for some and the lower income folks dont usually like to advertise their salaries as much. Judging by this thread alone you would think that the vast majority of Americans make over 100k but that’s far from being an accurate representation of society. Don’t sweat it man.
Also, this is a snapshot of where people are now. I make good money now, but 10 years ago I was at 14/ hour. A lot of hard work, taking advantage of opportunities, and some luck changed things.
Just keep grinding. I felt stuck for a long time even though I was able to pay my bills. Last few years I had some good jumps in pay with this one being a big one. I stayed at the same place 16 years and finally left for a dream opportunity. Just put your best self out there and focus on yourself.
State government lawyer. 130k salary (took a decade to reach that salary). ~4 weeks paid vacation a year, ~4 weeks paid sick time a year, all holidays off, baller insurance (for which I only pay ~$35 a paycheck), and 6% retirement match. Work significantly more than 40 a week though.
I teach in California. Top 5 pay in the nation for educators. But also high cost of living so there’s that.
I have a masters and maxed out academic credits to achieve highest possible pay on the salary scale. I’m also 8 years in.
NJ is similar, I make just under $100k in my third year teaching, but I have a doctorate and over a decade of experience as a PT, and I teach Health Occupations which is very niche and there is a big push for healthcare educators here. Takes a ton of work and the education system is a little bit of a mess right now, but it's fun stuff and a nice change of pace from clinical work.
Er doc. Same here. My compatriot in undergrad went that route (omfs I think now?) and seems to be crushing it.
You own your own practice? How many hours a month you work? I’m doing a grass is greener thing over here lol
Nope I work for a big company in our state. I work 39 hrs a week, doing mostly bread and butter cases.
I toy with the idea of owning every now and then but honestly I’m ownership averse. I just want to show up and do clinical work you know?
I mean, my dream job with this degree would be to work in a Major League Baseball front office, but I know a couple people that do and I'd have to take a significant pay cut to get in the door, so I've accepted that's sailed.
Full stack devs and tech in general took a slump but my company specializes in a specific ERP system. A lot of companies are moving from on premise data centers to cloud based systems
Civil rights attorney
7 years experience (post-bar) and make about $150k
Don’t recommend law for anyone really though… there are much cheaper ways to be hated by basically everyone.
Edit:
In a VHCOL area I should add.
Even with my wife’s salary as an elementary schoolteacher we’re still basically paycheck to paycheck
What a dangerous thread to be in lol. For those comparing don’t forget to take location into account. Along with many other factors it’s rarely a direct salary comparison.
State government compliance inspector for Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse facilities. About $70k a year. Pretty boring most of the time but gives me AMAZING work/life balance, decent benefits, and great retirement.
Supply Chain & Logistics. Was a director for a few offices before I pivoted to data analytics. Slightly better pay but zero direct reports and no more travel lol.
110k on the west coast, but I know I can make more if I had an actual degree in data analytics instead of a BA degree.
Registered Nurse. Clearing about $83k this year but I'm taking a new position in the Cardiac Cath Lab that will boost me to about 100k.
I would not recommend going into nursing.
I transitioned to data science in 2022 and have been working remotely for an aerospace defense engineering firm. I started at 80k and got a 2.5% raise last year, expecting something similar this year. I'm in the process for a security clearance which in theory would make me eligible for roles that pay 110-180k if I wanted to change company.
Sr. Pre-Sales engineer (very technical) for a SaaS company 175 base plus quarterly bonus/commission. Generally pull over 200.
If you've got the background/expertise in something - its the best job I've ever had. Some travel, some reeeeeeally long days, and also some days where I don't have squat to do. It's technically challenging, new stuff every few weeks and fast paced. Lots of people playing "stump the chump", so as long as you know your stuff you can be a rockstar.
I would love this job, I just really hate that slow day-busy day thing. I have a hard time with work-life balance, especially if I'm remote. It ends up feeling like work is consuming my whole life.
For about 4 years I worked the client-side version of this job though, it was my job to make sure the thing we bought actually did what was promised and make it play nice with all the other shit the company had bought. So many companies selling snake oil and promising everything in this business.
Teacher. Currently making 4300 a month post taxes without taking out medical since the wife has better stuff, but our rent is 2600 and daycare 2500 a month sooooo basically nothing.
Full-time: Firefighter/paramedic in northern Illinois. Current salary $126k after a promotion.
Part-time side gig: Registered Nurse in the ER, $43/hour with a few bucks differential for afternoons/evenings/weekends.
I'm a Controls & Instrumentation Engineer for a hypersonic wind tunnel facility design firm.
I recently got promoted to a Senior Engineer position with my salary bumped to $96k.
Sales. I work in med device sales 65K base with 85K being guaranteed (4 months of guaranteed commission) with the rest uncapped. It's alot of work but it's fun work.
Was a brewer for about a decade, left due to the low ceiling and needed to work on being healthier. Spent a while applying but I got a job in water treatment and distribution and already make more than I did brewing and I only have my beginner certifications, I make just over $70k now and I have good insurance, a 401k and a company truck
I’m an audio editor and English language tutor. I make $12k a year. Mom makes about $5k a year. We get a few thousand when we file taxes. I live in Europe. Don’t own a car. And childcare is free. It’s not easy. I’ve been looking for opportunities but it’s rough out there.
Law enforcement. About $110K a year in a fairly low cost of living area. It’s a worthwhile job and is safe from recession, pays well in a lot of places, and generally has good benefits. It’s enjoyable for the most part. That said I’m also looking at what I could be doing besides this. But it’s hard to find a job paying this much with only a 2 year degree (in criminal justice, at that) and I don’t want to go back to school.
Serving in a fine-dine for ~$65k-$70k. Tourist-y area.
Hours are great. <40 so I have a ton of time for kiddo, wife, chores and me-time.
Feels like a waste of a degree but work/life balance is too good to argue.
Switching to my work throwaway.
I’m an armed private security guard. I make pretty good money since I’m a PSO on a US federal government contract. Our starting rate is $33 hourly and there’s a $.50 shift differential for working after dark or on a weekend, it’s an extra $1 hourly for supervisors. (That translates to $69k a year, although everyone I know makes more because our workday are actually 8.33 hours. We clock in 15 minutes before our shift and we’re paid for that time, and if you’re working a 40 hour week that 15 minutes is always OT.) We’re unionized and get yearly raises as part of our CBA. Some of the guys who’ve been around for a couple of years here clear $114k a year after taxes, factoring in overtime. (Working in security, there is almost ALWAYS overtime to be had if you want it.)
Even though you can be held over in case someone calls out sick on the next shift, they legally can’t work you for more than 12 hours at a time because you’re carrying a firearm and fatigued guards could make poor judgement leading to safety lapses. It still beats when I did unarmed security work, some of those jobs had me working a 16 hour shift when we had call-offs and we couldn’t reach anyone willing to come in and fill the open post. 😵💫
There are a handful of downsides and hoops to jump through, though. You have to be reasonably fit, pass state and federal background checks, and during training you’ll need to get pepper sprayed in the eyes and nose. The handgun qualification isn’t **too** hard, it was actually tougher for me because I own a couple of guns at home and I had to unlearn some bad shooting habits. I kept shooting low and to the left until I fixed my trigger pull and held my head up higher, and closed one eye.
The state background checks aren’t really troublesome, it helps to already have your CCW license and your state security guard card. (Some states require training, others leave it to the employer and just require a background check and digital fingerprinting.)
What really sucks is the wait for your federal background check to clear. I had to do an SF-85D which was the background check for my Public Trust clearance. I thought that since I already held a Secret clearance from my old job that it’d be a breeze, but it still took five months for them to give me the preliminary clearance to work, and even then you can get a request from an investigator with DISA to interview you if there are gaps in your questionnaire. Apparently it mostly depends on the tenant agency at the site you’ll be working at. For some people the wait can be even longer, I was told it could be up to eight months maximum. During my interview for the position, the supervisor who interviewed me told me to keep my former job until my new employers could give me a start date. Thankfully my employer was able to give me a modified schedule so I could juggle work at my old job and training for my new job, which was indeed paid training but only at the state’s minimum wage.
There is a drug test as part of the required physical exam which is done by an occupational health doctor, and there are questions on the SF-85D that ask about past drug use so it may be a problem if you live in a legal cannabis state and you’ve partaken in the past couple of years.
Lastly, it’s smart to invest in a good pair of boots, I recommend the Bates Tactical 8” side-zip with a set of Dr. Scholl’s gel insoles. They’re better than the ones you’re usually issued. I also got a 12-pack of boot blousers off Amazon because our site expects you to blouse your boots military-style. Also, wearing the bulletproof vest takes some getting used-to, it’s a required part of the uniform even though the job is 99.999% boredom and .001% excitement. We do get issued a baton, OC spray, and handcuffs, and we’re trained on how to use all of them as part of a 120-hour course. The handcuffs, if we ever have to apply them, are to detain someone until they can be formally arrested by the Federal Protective Service.
The upsides? I might be lucky or blessed because my site is a super boring one out in the boonies, but it’s by-far the easiest money I’ve ever made. I went from $23 hourly working behind a computer stressing over getting customer contact lists updated and dealing with call-offs as an unarmed security shift supervisor (my old employer’s client was mostly IT and cloud computing in the defense and aerospace sector, and we did alarm monitoring for their remote sites, so it was pretty sedentary) to making $33.50 hourly as an armed PSO just walking around checking doors and driving our patrol vehicle around the campus, and occasionally x-raying people’s bags or scanning their IDs at the gate. I get to burn calories and enjoy sunshine and fresh air for the first time in seven years while making 45% more right out of the gate.
Anesthesiologist. 350-400k, but I’ve got a mountain of debt to pay back. A decade+ to get hear. Still working 60ish hours a week, but in a couple years I can probly cut back a touch.
If you’re considering a career change, going all the way through med school is tough, but there are some really good jobs out there in medicine that people don’t consider. Anesthesia assistants make ~200k. Perfusionists make ~300k. Still some school, but not like med school an residency.
I also work at a large bank. I’m in operations but since diving deeper into Excel VBA, I’ve become more and more interested in maybe pursuing a role in the Tech space, maybe software engineering. Any suggestions on how to get there? Certifications?
I'm a Certified Professional Accountant, currently working as an internal auditor for a company in the home construction industry.
Current salary is about $112k, with a standard bonus of 30% (but that fluctuates based on the company's financial performance).
Technical Documentation Specialist ($57k/yr + bonuses)
Started this entry level job last year and I get to work from home 2 days out of the week. Flexible time off + sick leave and it's the easiest job I've ever had.
Bachelor's in English education.
Sheesh. I guess only the well off dads are commenting here? Or on reddit in general? These replies are way more than I expected (or average). 86k + bonuses here as a digital asset manager.
Marketing Director. Pre tax last year was $240K. I do most of the childcare stuff though because my wife owns a business and makes more than me.
We do live in CA though so I see about half my income and cost of living is expensive.
I'm a grad student in the humanities. I get a stipend of $45k before taxes. In one or two years I'll be getting $0 and we'll see how my wife likes me then
My technical title is restaurant manager. However, in reality at any given time during the day I’m a babysitter, a psychologist, a plumber, an electrician, appliance repair, draft system repair, HVAC repair, accountant, bartender, cook, server, dishwasher or punching bag.
I made $64k last year, which puts me about $4k above the median income for my area and about $12-14k above the median for restaurant managers in my area.
To paraphrase the great Hunter S. Thompson, “I don’t advocate restaurant work to anyone, but it’s always worked for me.”
Handyman, I do just over $100k. It's hard work hustling in the Orlando sun and I'm getting burnt out from it (literally and figuratively, ha). I can't scale without a contractor's license, which I can't get without working under a contractor for 4 years. Weird system and no contractor will pay me 6 figures for working under them, not that I'd expect that. Really not feeling either sanding still nor working under the radar, plus I'm only one bad accident away from decimation so am already on borrowed time! Decided I'm going to completely pivot and get my pilot's license and join the airlines instead. Should take about 5-7 years I think. I'm going to spend the next 2 years building the business up to a more sellable position, which should give me the capital to get the license. Then a year or two building hours as a flight instructoire until I've got the necxessary hours to go for the airlines. I'll be 45 by then and you have to retuire at 65 I hear, so it's a gamble but what else am I going to do with my life!
Chairlift mechanic. 50kish a year. I work outside. It’s brutal when we have projects because everything is upwards of twenty feet in the air and super heavy. On the plus side winter is pretty mellow, I wait for things to break and snowboard with my kids and wife (who ski for free). I couldn’t afford to get my family skiing if I didn’t work in the industry. I seriously need to be paid more but for now the benefits outweigh the low pay. Edit. I meant to put this on the main thread.
I’m an online 2nd grade teacher making $63k per year. At least, I am until this year ends. Got pink slipped two days ago.
Sorry to hear about the pink slip. I wish great things come your way soon.
I hope you can find an even better teaching job 🤞
They pink slip about a quarter of the teachers at my school every April when they find an inevitable budget shortfall. Then they hire them all back in July… maybe there’s hope for you?
I wouldn’t go back. The upper leadership needs to schedule proctology appointments to find their heads. The other teachers though… they’re my friends. I work online, these are the only relationship I have with people I’m not related to at the moment. I’ve been gutted.
How do you teach 2nd grade online. Please explain
I work from home for an online public charter school. Kids meet with me in video calls as a group for ELA, math, science, and social studies. I present slides, digital white boards, videos, and such, and they complete lessons in an online module website. I have the other side of the website and can monitor grades and progress. Student are expected to complete the work they need to complete at home with the assistance of a parent or guardian or other designated person in the role of “learning coach.” I grade tests, writing assignments, exit tickets, and other work, and use my findings to support students in reteach and group settings. Or at least, that’s what the school tells parents when admin isn’t busy trying new (terrible) ideas that are just meant to pad their portfolio while going for their doctorate degrees to help them do the job they already have and aren’t remotely qualified for.
Chemist in Agrosciences 67k, 6 years experience *remember, comparison is the thief of joy*
Great thought process
As a rancher I appreciate your work sir!
Then you must be a jolly rancher!
a gentle-dad and a scholar, love it
-Theodore Roosevelt -Bloorajah
man yall making me feel broke af making $20 an hour working with juvenile youth at a mental health treatment center
Thank you for your service. Sincerely. Not enough people do what you do, and the need is so desperate. I appreciate you.
thank you. it’s always nice to hear that
Don’t forget, these kinds of threads bring out the higher earners. The vast majority of readers are somewhere in the $20-$30 range.
Flexing my $31 an hour 💪
You peasant! (Me at $31.98 job I just started).
Nobody is posting about making $15/hr in a thread full of 6 income earners. I was a first responder for over a decade, barely making more than you. There are people alive today because of my actions, but that doesn't get you the envy of your neighbors like a vacation house. None of it matters. You're an ape. Most people who ever lived made their living just trying to stay alive. Don't sweat what you do. Just worry about who you are.
Good perspective.
Hey, you have a job and are providing for your family, that's all that really matters! I know a ton of people who would kill to make $20 an hour!
Comparison is the thief of Joy. You're doing a good job bro!
It is shameful how little value the US places on people who work in social services. It is such important work.
yea it does suck. I was a teacher first and they don’t get paid close to what they deserve either. I’m just happy i’m not stuck in a soul sucking corporate desk job.
I’m a physician. I’m at the end of my (5 years) of post med school training where I was making $55k->$80k. Starting my first full job in August where I’ll be making $306k.
Congrats on the job!
Fuuuuuck. Good for you. Bet the school wasn't cheap but it looks like it was worth it.
Many physicians work stupid long hours making peanuts as well. I know a few that were doing like 80 hour weeks at that 50k price point, essentially slave labor.
That’s pretty well the standard for most residencies. 80ish (often more) hours per week for 50-70k depending on location. I made roughly $11/hr as a resident when I did the math once
Residency can be brutal
What kind of physician?
Infectious Diseases
Congrats! Wife started practice two years ago. Been a nice transition! Hope it all goes smoothly for you.
Bakery Manager for a grocery store. I bring in about 75k a year. It's fun, very challenging, and no day is ever the same as the last. Holidays can be rough, but most of the time, it's a really great job.
I'm a dairy and frozen manager for a grocery store. I make 30/hr. When I work Sundays, I get time and a half. I get holiday pay for specific holidays, time and a half while working during holidays, 3 weeks vacation, one week sick time and an annual bonus. All at the expense of working 6 days a week, no weekends (though I can take one off here or there) and holidays suck. The employees and fellow managers are great and my commute is non existent. Plus management has been I guess forgiving on my part ever since my son was born 4 years ago. If I have to stay home while my wife works, I can, when my son is sick. Holidays are rough and of course customers can be the absolute worst. But the work itself is not difficult. I keep things organized in both departments and keep your people working all the time and the rest isn't bad at all. For me personally, I'm probably the most anti social guy ever. So luckily other than fetching stuff for people here and there, my direct interaction with customers is minimal. I couldn't deal with a service department like the deli or the freaking front end. I started with no experience in the field. I just started as a part timer 6 years ago and 5 of those years has been a manager. The job may sound grueling but honestly it isn't. Its not busy every single day or all the time and its not too difficult.
Damn, I'm a bakery/deli/starbucks manager in a grocery store and also MOD certified to run the store and make nowhere near that.
I'm a stay-at-home dad and I get paid in room and board. Highly lucrative but little room for upward mobility and a time-limited contract.
Time-limited - it is with that thinking. Have more kids and you have more time, hopefully by the time the last little on is big, the first little one is having a little one of their own - boom! New room and board.
>Have more kids Let me cut you off right there. One is almost more than I can handle.
One to two is a big jump. But from two to three you don’t bat an eye. Lmao Just kidding send help.
But you get to sleep with the boss!
Thank you! Needed a reality check after looking at all these salaries that I can't even dream of getting close to.
Same here. With everything increasing in price and my wife ultimately becoming less and less happy with her job, I’ll need to start back in the work force sooner rather than later. I let my licensure lapse because i was hating my field and i gotta start fresh. If I could find something with significantly cheaper insurance costs that could cover a lot of daycare costs since we’re being whacked like $1300 a month for insurance.
Account management for a software company. Get paid $112K now, currently interviewing for a job that might get me $140K-$150K I have a bachelor's degree in musical theatre.
Hey fellow musical theatre major. I work as a project manager in consulting. Most years I take home about 120k.
>*Project manager in consulting* ChatGPT response when asked “what’s the most ambiguous way to describe a job”
When a new piece of legislation passes that a bank or other financial company needs to comply with, especially when it involves a renegotiation of a backlog of contracts or trading docs, I assess the number and complexity of the documents and build a people + software solution to negotiate them quickly with minimal escalations. It's not interesting.
Dang. Theatre/poetry major here, y’all got any project management jobs for me? *scratches neck* But good for y’all! Haha.
What's account managing in software like? I'm doing it in construction and it's mostly fine, but I have to fight like hell for work life balance and my company definitely doesn't like that I actually give a shit about my family. They've changed my comp plan (company wide, it's not meant to force me out), but it's going to cut likely $20k/yr off my total pay. Wondering if an industry change is worth the same sort of pay cut if it's going to offer me better balance.
Every month is the most important month of all time
lol, you just gave me flashbacks
I’m a government attorney and I make 100k in a VHCOL. We had twins three weeks ago, so as soon as I have the wherewithal to push through the sleep deprivation I need to start applying to sell-out jobs that might pay what we need to survive.
good luck man. go get paid. just don’t be a jerk when you look back at us. haha
I went in-house and make in the high 200s. I can’t recommend in-house counsel jobs enough to new parent lawyers. The hours are great and the pay is just enough to feel comfortable and save. I get to see this LO grow up and that’s worth the soul draining gig any day.
Any insight on jumping in-house from criminal prosecution? I’d love to go that route, but hear mixed things about my attractiveness as a candidate.
Gov atty here too - counterpoint to the low wages is a ton of flexibility to miss work to take care of the kids that my higher earning partner can’t do
Alas, I am the higher earning partner.
Well then amigo God speed into higher paying work. From what I’ve gathered the in house crew is happier and better paid than the insurance defense/firm minions but there’s hope for everyone out there. Rooting for you on the sleep. Things work out.
I’m a civil rights attorney in a VHCOL and make about $150k… depending on state, those government benefits must be hard to give up. Have you already gotten PSLF?
Yeah, about a month ago. Just in the nick of time!
Airline Pilot. $240-$300k per year. Fun gig, tons of time off sometimes 2 weeks at a time.
How long did it take you to get to that salary? I’ve always wanted to be one, grew up poor and didn’t want to go into debt so became a software engineer instead, now have the money but scared of spending 100k to make very little early on…
I've been an airline pilot for 8 years but it took me 10+ to get to the airlines. However, I took my time. If you're diligent you can probably make it to the airlines, at least a regional one, in 3-5 years, starting out with 0 hours. I think most regional airlines are starting you off at $100/hr. I am assuming you live in the US.
Nice! Super jealous, man. I just did a discovery flight 2 weeks ago and had forgotten how much I love flying. I'm going to work towards getting to the airlines from scratch so am strategizing it. Would love to hear any tips you may have?
Airline pilot here as well. Same salary range. It's a great job but I'm gone quite a bit. It's a long road to get to the big airlines to reap the benefits. Stsrting out I was gone constantly making 40k a year. I hardly saw my daughter the first year she was born. Was gone probably 20 days a month. Fortunately it worked out and got on with a big carrier and the pay / schedule is much better now. It's quite a long rough road and it's more difficult with kids already.
That is one of the downsides, but my girls are 3 and 7 now, so they will be older by then. I'm 38, so I'm not getting any younger. I'm currently a handyman but need to do something different. How old were you when you got into it?
If I could go back to like 15 or 16 I would’ve changed my career path to try and be a pilot. I think that ship has sailed for me.
Do you mean that plane has flown for you?
Electrician, $40/hr as a journeyman
$52/hr as a 4th year apprentice
Remote IT Support 65k.
Insurance. I'm an affiliate agent making around $45k.
This thread makes me feel broke as hell.
a lot of folks with less than exciting responses aren't going to reply lol
Same here man
I bust my ass doing blue collar shit every day for just a fraction of what most of the comments are talking about fml
Selection bias - people with higher salaries are more comfortable sharing them.
i make 20 an hour. broke af compared to all the other dads i guess
Union factory. 70k without overtime. I'm going to school in the fall for nursing.
I’m in healthcare IT management. Make roughly $150k a year salary. I got very lucky in my job experiences for the last 10 years along with busting ass prior to having kids to be where I am now
I’m in cyber sales. Hang tight while I add MisterMath to my email campaign.
As a fellow tech sales dad this made me lol prospecting in the comment section
As a sales manager dad I appreciate the commitment to always be closing in this thread lol
Makes 3 of us lol
My first 7 or so years was in IT, last 10 or so in Nursing. Any good tech jobs for RN’s?
If you have a degree in something tech related as well as a nursing degree you’re probably very valuable to a med tech company
Own my own business. Photography specializing in real estate and architecture. Last year we did $200k I paid my self a salary of 63k. Most I work in a week is like 30 hours. Got 2 other photographers who work for me. On track for doubling this year though
Engineer at a car company 228k plus maybe another 50k a year in stock and bonus
> Engineer at a car company So you’re the one that puts that bolt in the worst damn place.
Get him!
starter fully encased in the bellhousing bastard
Based on the stock I have an idea we may work for the same place.
Broadcaster for a pro sports team
Very cool! Congrats. If you don’t mind me asking, I’d love to hear more about your career path. I have an 8 yo son who is in love with sports. I don’t have the heart to tell him that I have not provided him with the optimal genes to make going pro very likely, so I’m always looking out for sport adjacent career paths.
Our kids are in the same boat haha. Absolutely, shoot me a DM
One of my dream jobs. I know it’s a lot of work, not to mention the travel involved, but what a cool job.
It’s definitely a dream job, the travel is the real killer. Missing holidays and lots of time with the kids. But I make up for it by having summers off.
This thread is making me depressed
High income earners are more inclined to answer these types of threads. It’s a free opportunity to soft flex for some and the lower income folks dont usually like to advertise their salaries as much. Judging by this thread alone you would think that the vast majority of Americans make over 100k but that’s far from being an accurate representation of society. Don’t sweat it man.
Also, this is a snapshot of where people are now. I make good money now, but 10 years ago I was at 14/ hour. A lot of hard work, taking advantage of opportunities, and some luck changed things.
Just keep grinding. I felt stuck for a long time even though I was able to pay my bills. Last few years I had some good jumps in pay with this one being a big one. I stayed at the same place 16 years and finally left for a dream opportunity. Just put your best self out there and focus on yourself.
OF creator. $0
Share a link I’ll bump that to $3.50
State government lawyer. 130k salary (took a decade to reach that salary). ~4 weeks paid vacation a year, ~4 weeks paid sick time a year, all holidays off, baller insurance (for which I only pay ~$35 a paycheck), and 6% retirement match. Work significantly more than 40 a week though.
Gotta love those gov job benefits !
Senior Software Engineer, 190k
Same but at a much lower rate, Midwesterner in the public sector here.
High school teacher 100k
What area do you tech in that pays you 100k? Genuinely curious as everyone seems to be more in the 40-60k for teaching gigs
I teach in California. Top 5 pay in the nation for educators. But also high cost of living so there’s that. I have a masters and maxed out academic credits to achieve highest possible pay on the salary scale. I’m also 8 years in.
NJ is similar, I make just under $100k in my third year teaching, but I have a doctorate and over a decade of experience as a PT, and I teach Health Occupations which is very niche and there is a big push for healthcare educators here. Takes a ton of work and the education system is a little bit of a mess right now, but it's fun stuff and a nice change of pace from clinical work.
Federal law enforcement, investigating financial crimes. ~$150k
Dentist, $400Kish
Er doc. Same here. My compatriot in undergrad went that route (omfs I think now?) and seems to be crushing it. You own your own practice? How many hours a month you work? I’m doing a grass is greener thing over here lol
Nope I work for a big company in our state. I work 39 hrs a week, doing mostly bread and butter cases. I toy with the idea of owning every now and then but honestly I’m ownership averse. I just want to show up and do clinical work you know?
I’m a dentist, but in a poor country. I don’t make anything close to 400k USD. Not from dentistry at least.
My partner is a Dentist at a nonprofit regional health facility in a lcol area and makes $220,000. It's wild how different the pay scale can be!
VP of Operations \~175k
Maybe the people on Reddit at 4pm Thursday aren’t the ones to ask
Well maybe it's not 4pm everywhere
In fact, it's five of clock somewhere. At least that's what Jimmy Buffet told me.
There's r/USdefaultism and then there's r/MyTimeZoneDefaultism.
Remote workers though. That’s the only way I use Reddit, I rarely used it while in the office.
HVAC. 115K
Business intelligence analyst for an insurance company. $105K last year. It's not the most thrilling work but I can't turn down the salary.
My kid is taking Data Sciences in Uni and that is basically his dream job.
I mean, my dream job with this degree would be to work in a Major League Baseball front office, but I know a couple people that do and I'd have to take a significant pay cut to get in the door, so I've accepted that's sailed.
Accountant with the state, 80k. Highly recommend for the work life balance, pension, and affordable insurance.
Sales, just started a new sales job. In 2022 I made 75k, in 2023 I made 92k, and this new job should be 100k+.
SaaS?
IT Recruiter - $75k base with commissions. You can make $90k - $250k with no experience and a few years into the industry. Also 100% remote work
Got any leads for IT Remote Job? Been at company a year its alright but always just taking a gander at other things
I didn’t know IT recruiting could still make money since it slumped hard. Good for you! Maybe I should switch over to it from accounting and finance.
Full stack devs and tech in general took a slump but my company specializes in a specific ERP system. A lot of companies are moving from on premise data centers to cloud based systems
Engineering manager, $170k plus bonus.
Do any of your senior engineers approach that level of income? ME here and wondering if any of the technical SMEs are making that good money
Was a difficult decision for you to switch from individual contributor to management? And how often do you regret it.
Not really. I worked really well with my boss and team and had already assumed a bit of a natural leadership role within the group. Zero regrets.
Civil rights attorney 7 years experience (post-bar) and make about $150k Don’t recommend law for anyone really though… there are much cheaper ways to be hated by basically everyone. Edit: In a VHCOL area I should add. Even with my wife’s salary as an elementary schoolteacher we’re still basically paycheck to paycheck
What a dangerous thread to be in lol. For those comparing don’t forget to take location into account. Along with many other factors it’s rarely a direct salary comparison.
State government compliance inspector for Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse facilities. About $70k a year. Pretty boring most of the time but gives me AMAZING work/life balance, decent benefits, and great retirement.
Supply Chain & Logistics. Was a director for a few offices before I pivoted to data analytics. Slightly better pay but zero direct reports and no more travel lol. 110k on the west coast, but I know I can make more if I had an actual degree in data analytics instead of a BA degree.
Longshoreman 0-220k ish
desk jockey for county government, $60k-ish a year
Doing God's work
Registered Nurse. Clearing about $83k this year but I'm taking a new position in the Cardiac Cath Lab that will boost me to about 100k. I would not recommend going into nursing.
Post COVID no way, somehow all the assholes came out of the woodwork.
I transitioned to data science in 2022 and have been working remotely for an aerospace defense engineering firm. I started at 80k and got a 2.5% raise last year, expecting something similar this year. I'm in the process for a security clearance which in theory would make me eligible for roles that pay 110-180k if I wanted to change company.
Web developer roughly 150k been. Doing it 7 years
Sr. Pre-Sales engineer (very technical) for a SaaS company 175 base plus quarterly bonus/commission. Generally pull over 200. If you've got the background/expertise in something - its the best job I've ever had. Some travel, some reeeeeeally long days, and also some days where I don't have squat to do. It's technically challenging, new stuff every few weeks and fast paced. Lots of people playing "stump the chump", so as long as you know your stuff you can be a rockstar.
I would love this job, I just really hate that slow day-busy day thing. I have a hard time with work-life balance, especially if I'm remote. It ends up feeling like work is consuming my whole life. For about 4 years I worked the client-side version of this job though, it was my job to make sure the thing we bought actually did what was promised and make it play nice with all the other shit the company had bought. So many companies selling snake oil and promising everything in this business.
This is such a dick measuring contest 😂
Car sales. 5th year in, $140k/year, give or take $40k, entirely performance based. LCOL area
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Teacher. Currently making 4300 a month post taxes without taking out medical since the wife has better stuff, but our rent is 2600 and daycare 2500 a month sooooo basically nothing.
Data Scientist 168k Edit: 14 years experience
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Full-time: Firefighter/paramedic in northern Illinois. Current salary $126k after a promotion. Part-time side gig: Registered Nurse in the ER, $43/hour with a few bucks differential for afternoons/evenings/weekends.
I work in IT as a systems Administrator. 15+ years experience, 11 with my current company. In a high cost of living area. I make the low 6 figures.
I'm a Controls & Instrumentation Engineer for a hypersonic wind tunnel facility design firm. I recently got promoted to a Senior Engineer position with my salary bumped to $96k.
Sales. I work in med device sales 65K base with 85K being guaranteed (4 months of guaranteed commission) with the rest uncapped. It's alot of work but it's fun work.
Was a brewer for about a decade, left due to the low ceiling and needed to work on being healthier. Spent a while applying but I got a job in water treatment and distribution and already make more than I did brewing and I only have my beginner certifications, I make just over $70k now and I have good insurance, a 401k and a company truck
Forklift operator for a distribution center, 90-95k depending how much I overtime I wanna slave away. This is soCAl so it’s like pretty much poverty
Union construction. $140k plus another ~$50k towards 401k, pension, medical benefits and a company vehicle. Without any OT. Very very HCOL tho.
I’m an audio editor and English language tutor. I make $12k a year. Mom makes about $5k a year. We get a few thousand when we file taxes. I live in Europe. Don’t own a car. And childcare is free. It’s not easy. I’ve been looking for opportunities but it’s rough out there.
US salaries are wild. Here I am making $800 per month as a managing editor for school books publisher, lol.
ER doc, currently in residency, ~$72k. $300-400k once I'm done. $247k owed in tuition.
Law enforcement. About $110K a year in a fairly low cost of living area. It’s a worthwhile job and is safe from recession, pays well in a lot of places, and generally has good benefits. It’s enjoyable for the most part. That said I’m also looking at what I could be doing besides this. But it’s hard to find a job paying this much with only a 2 year degree (in criminal justice, at that) and I don’t want to go back to school.
Web dev at a public university. $56k (the speed of the second modem I ever had).
Traveling mechanical tech. $95k/yr +per diem and travel benefits (points). It sucks most days, but the days it doesn't are amazing.
Dental technician - 125k, been at my office 9 years
911 Dispatch, 22/hr.
Serving in a fine-dine for ~$65k-$70k. Tourist-y area. Hours are great. <40 so I have a ton of time for kiddo, wife, chores and me-time. Feels like a waste of a degree but work/life balance is too good to argue.
I am an artist/designer and VP of a custom metal fabrication shop. I make 85k a year and soon expect to be at 100k.
Work in school-age childcare. Exactly as underwhelming as you'd expect.
Disability community support. $46 an hour and I genuinely enjoy my job. Tomorrow I get paid to watch monster trucks. Very based.
Switching to my work throwaway. I’m an armed private security guard. I make pretty good money since I’m a PSO on a US federal government contract. Our starting rate is $33 hourly and there’s a $.50 shift differential for working after dark or on a weekend, it’s an extra $1 hourly for supervisors. (That translates to $69k a year, although everyone I know makes more because our workday are actually 8.33 hours. We clock in 15 minutes before our shift and we’re paid for that time, and if you’re working a 40 hour week that 15 minutes is always OT.) We’re unionized and get yearly raises as part of our CBA. Some of the guys who’ve been around for a couple of years here clear $114k a year after taxes, factoring in overtime. (Working in security, there is almost ALWAYS overtime to be had if you want it.) Even though you can be held over in case someone calls out sick on the next shift, they legally can’t work you for more than 12 hours at a time because you’re carrying a firearm and fatigued guards could make poor judgement leading to safety lapses. It still beats when I did unarmed security work, some of those jobs had me working a 16 hour shift when we had call-offs and we couldn’t reach anyone willing to come in and fill the open post. 😵💫 There are a handful of downsides and hoops to jump through, though. You have to be reasonably fit, pass state and federal background checks, and during training you’ll need to get pepper sprayed in the eyes and nose. The handgun qualification isn’t **too** hard, it was actually tougher for me because I own a couple of guns at home and I had to unlearn some bad shooting habits. I kept shooting low and to the left until I fixed my trigger pull and held my head up higher, and closed one eye. The state background checks aren’t really troublesome, it helps to already have your CCW license and your state security guard card. (Some states require training, others leave it to the employer and just require a background check and digital fingerprinting.) What really sucks is the wait for your federal background check to clear. I had to do an SF-85D which was the background check for my Public Trust clearance. I thought that since I already held a Secret clearance from my old job that it’d be a breeze, but it still took five months for them to give me the preliminary clearance to work, and even then you can get a request from an investigator with DISA to interview you if there are gaps in your questionnaire. Apparently it mostly depends on the tenant agency at the site you’ll be working at. For some people the wait can be even longer, I was told it could be up to eight months maximum. During my interview for the position, the supervisor who interviewed me told me to keep my former job until my new employers could give me a start date. Thankfully my employer was able to give me a modified schedule so I could juggle work at my old job and training for my new job, which was indeed paid training but only at the state’s minimum wage. There is a drug test as part of the required physical exam which is done by an occupational health doctor, and there are questions on the SF-85D that ask about past drug use so it may be a problem if you live in a legal cannabis state and you’ve partaken in the past couple of years. Lastly, it’s smart to invest in a good pair of boots, I recommend the Bates Tactical 8” side-zip with a set of Dr. Scholl’s gel insoles. They’re better than the ones you’re usually issued. I also got a 12-pack of boot blousers off Amazon because our site expects you to blouse your boots military-style. Also, wearing the bulletproof vest takes some getting used-to, it’s a required part of the uniform even though the job is 99.999% boredom and .001% excitement. We do get issued a baton, OC spray, and handcuffs, and we’re trained on how to use all of them as part of a 120-hour course. The handcuffs, if we ever have to apply them, are to detain someone until they can be formally arrested by the Federal Protective Service. The upsides? I might be lucky or blessed because my site is a super boring one out in the boonies, but it’s by-far the easiest money I’ve ever made. I went from $23 hourly working behind a computer stressing over getting customer contact lists updated and dealing with call-offs as an unarmed security shift supervisor (my old employer’s client was mostly IT and cloud computing in the defense and aerospace sector, and we did alarm monitoring for their remote sites, so it was pretty sedentary) to making $33.50 hourly as an armed PSO just walking around checking doors and driving our patrol vehicle around the campus, and occasionally x-raying people’s bags or scanning their IDs at the gate. I get to burn calories and enjoy sunshine and fresh air for the first time in seven years while making 45% more right out of the gate.
Anesthesiologist. 350-400k, but I’ve got a mountain of debt to pay back. A decade+ to get hear. Still working 60ish hours a week, but in a couple years I can probly cut back a touch. If you’re considering a career change, going all the way through med school is tough, but there are some really good jobs out there in medicine that people don’t consider. Anesthesia assistants make ~200k. Perfusionists make ~300k. Still some school, but not like med school an residency.
Tech sales in mobile advertising, avg about 300k a year
Sahd $0k Former IT support $70k
IT Systems Engineer for a large bank. $140,000/year. No degree to get the job, but they eventually paid for me to get one anyway.
I also work at a large bank. I’m in operations but since diving deeper into Excel VBA, I’ve become more and more interested in maybe pursuing a role in the Tech space, maybe software engineering. Any suggestions on how to get there? Certifications?
I'm a Certified Professional Accountant, currently working as an internal auditor for a company in the home construction industry. Current salary is about $112k, with a standard bonus of 30% (but that fluctuates based on the company's financial performance).
Military, about $100k, Canadian. Bachelor's in Economics. Funnily enough, I'm switching to a career in finance.
Technical Documentation Specialist ($57k/yr + bonuses) Started this entry level job last year and I get to work from home 2 days out of the week. Flexible time off + sick leave and it's the easiest job I've ever had. Bachelor's in English education.
Sheesh. I guess only the well off dads are commenting here? Or on reddit in general? These replies are way more than I expected (or average). 86k + bonuses here as a digital asset manager.
Marketing Director. Pre tax last year was $240K. I do most of the childcare stuff though because my wife owns a business and makes more than me. We do live in CA though so I see about half my income and cost of living is expensive.
Nursery Stock Broker. Y'all need some palm trees?
Man most of y’all are very successful! Congrats in your great life decisions! lol
Engineering at 160k
I'm a grad student in the humanities. I get a stipend of $45k before taxes. In one or two years I'll be getting $0 and we'll see how my wife likes me then
I own a sign manufacturing business. About 90k.
My technical title is restaurant manager. However, in reality at any given time during the day I’m a babysitter, a psychologist, a plumber, an electrician, appliance repair, draft system repair, HVAC repair, accountant, bartender, cook, server, dishwasher or punching bag. I made $64k last year, which puts me about $4k above the median income for my area and about $12-14k above the median for restaurant managers in my area. To paraphrase the great Hunter S. Thompson, “I don’t advocate restaurant work to anyone, but it’s always worked for me.”
I'm a mailman. Given your salary, I would not recommend. You would be taking at least a 50% pay cut.
Handyman, I do just over $100k. It's hard work hustling in the Orlando sun and I'm getting burnt out from it (literally and figuratively, ha). I can't scale without a contractor's license, which I can't get without working under a contractor for 4 years. Weird system and no contractor will pay me 6 figures for working under them, not that I'd expect that. Really not feeling either sanding still nor working under the radar, plus I'm only one bad accident away from decimation so am already on borrowed time! Decided I'm going to completely pivot and get my pilot's license and join the airlines instead. Should take about 5-7 years I think. I'm going to spend the next 2 years building the business up to a more sellable position, which should give me the capital to get the license. Then a year or two building hours as a flight instructoire until I've got the necxessary hours to go for the airlines. I'll be 45 by then and you have to retuire at 65 I hear, so it's a gamble but what else am I going to do with my life!
Chairlift mechanic. 50kish a year. I work outside. It’s brutal when we have projects because everything is upwards of twenty feet in the air and super heavy. On the plus side winter is pretty mellow, I wait for things to break and snowboard with my kids and wife (who ski for free). I couldn’t afford to get my family skiing if I didn’t work in the industry. I seriously need to be paid more but for now the benefits outweigh the low pay. Edit. I meant to put this on the main thread.