Is 80k a decent salary for a degree holder in his 30s?

[Anonymous]

If you don't make enough in gross that exceeds your 4 year degree cost. You are screwed and chose poorly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't make enough in gross that exceeds your 4 year degree cost. You are screwed and chose poorly

OP. Most of it was paid by a scholarship, but OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a cpa, I would expect to earn more. It is very easy to get a masters part time. You could do that easily and increase your pay.

It is a decent salary but not much to raise a family in the dmv.

OP and partner make around 150k a year. That's considerably higher than the average household income in the area. Some of you have exoensive lifestyles and are out of touch.

Eh. Factor out Anacostia and poor single moms, for a couple in the DMV 150k is going to be a basic middle class income.

[Anonymous]

It's not a spectacular salary nor a great salary. You're basic middle class. In the DMV it means an apartment or a modest townhouse in the exurbs.

Up to you if you want to make more and figure out how to make more. Some people who have six figures+ income lucked into it, most figured out how to make it happen and pushed their way into it. They made that choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After 6 years into my career, I started making around 80K which took a huge pressure from my partner, who is making 70K. We were both happy about our income increase, but hearing about all these people talking about six digit incomes makes me feel self-conscious, like we're failures. We're both in our 30s and hold bachelor's degrees. Are people making 6 digits a minority or we really did something wrong?

It might be lower than average in some professions or higher than average in some others, but overall, a 150K HHI is more than enough if you don't have very expensive tastes. Judging by your post, you seem to be more concerned with your status so it doesn't sound like your bills are the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a spectacular salary nor a great salary. You're basic middle class. In the DMV it means an apartment or a modest townhouse in the exurbs.

Up to you if you want to make more and figure out how to make more. Some people who have six figures+ income lucked into it, most figured out how to make it happen and pushed their way into it. They made that choice.

80k is actually the median or above the median in most professions. Most people will never make 6 digits because there are not enough jobs out there that pay that much. That night be average in YOUR circle, but not in the DMV at large. You're also talking like being middle class, which HHI is far lower by the way, is some kind of moral punishment. It's not. You're just an elitist giving advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a cpa, I would expect to earn more. It is very easy to get a masters part time. You could do that easily and increase your pay.

It is a decent salary but not much to raise a family in the dmv.

OP and partner make around 150k a year. That's considerably higher than the average household income in the area. Some of you have exoensive lifestyles and are out of touch.

Eh. Factor out Anacostia and poor single moms, for a couple in the DMV 150k is going to be a basic middle class income.

You clearly don't know what middle means or how statistics work. I mean, sure, 150k is pretty normal if you exclude poor people from the equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a cpa, I would expect to earn more. It is very easy to get a masters part time. You could do that easily and increase your pay.

It is a decent salary but not much to raise a family in the dmv.

OP and partner make around 150k a year. That's considerably higher than the average household income in the area. Some of you have exoensive lifestyles and are out of touch.

Eh. Factor out Anacostia and poor single moms, for a couple in the DMV 150k is going to be a basic middle class income.

Is this a bad thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a cpa, I would expect to earn more. It is very easy to get a masters part time. You could do that easily and increase your pay.

It is a decent salary but not much to raise a family in the dmv.

OP and partner make around 150k a year. That's considerably higher than the average household income in the area. Some of you have exoensive lifestyles and are out of touch.

Eh. Factor out Anacostia and poor single moms, for a couple in the DMV 150k is going to be a basic middle class income.

Is this a bad thing?

Yes, that's a crime against humanity on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a cpa, I would expect to earn more. It is very easy to get a masters part time. You could do that easily and increase your pay.

It is a decent salary but not much to raise a family in the dmv.

OP and partner make around 150k a year. That's considerably higher than the average household income in the area. Some of you have exoensive lifestyles and are out of touch.

Eh. Factor out Anacostia and poor single moms, for a couple in the DMV 150k is going to be a basic middle class income.

You clearly don't know what middle means or how statistics work. I mean, sure, 150k is pretty normal if you exclude poor people from the equation.

You're the one who doesn't know how statistics work.
Education and geography predict income.

Median global salary is under $10K/yr.

99% of people who post on DCUM are fabulously wealthy. Everything is contextual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a spectacular salary nor a great salary. You're basic middle class. In the DMV it means an apartment or a modest townhouse in the exurbs.

Up to you if you want to make more and figure out how to make more. Some people who have six figures+ income lucked into it, most figured out how to make it happen and pushed their way into it. They made that choice.

80k is actually the median or above the median in most professions. Most people will never make 6 digits because there are not enough jobs out there that pay that much. That night be average in YOUR circle, but not in the DMV at large. You're also talking like being middle class, which HHI is far lower by the way, is some kind of moral punishment. It's not. You're just an elitist giving advice.

You lack basic reading comprehension, which might partially explain your lower income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a spectacular salary nor a great salary. You're basic middle class. In the DMV it means an apartment or a modest townhouse in the exurbs.

Up to you if you want to make more and figure out how to make more. Some people who have six figures+ income lucked into it, most figured out how to make it happen and pushed their way into it. They made that choice.

What are you calling exurbs? $150 HHI is fine for a townhouse in Rockville, if you plan to work until 65 and have 2 kids or less.

[Anonymous]

Are you in DC/DMV? If not, it may be worth doing a COL comparison calculator and put in the 6 figure salaries thrown around here and compare to your own city.

I make $170k now in Savannah, GA. I would need to make $267k to move back to the DMV and maintain my lifestyle. I remind myself of that variance when I browse this board (plus the overall quality of life is just better where I am now).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a spectacular salary nor a great salary. You're basic middle class. In the DMV it means an apartment or a modest townhouse in the exurbs.

Up to you if you want to make more and figure out how to make more. Some people who have six figures+ income lucked into it, most figured out how to make it happen and pushed their way into it. They made that choice.

80k is actually the median or above the median in most professions. Most people will never make 6 digits because there are not enough jobs out there that pay that much. That night be average in YOUR circle, but not in the DMV at large. You're also talking like being middle class, which HHI is far lower by the way, is some kind of moral punishment. It's not. You're just an elitist giving advice.

OP and his partner do not make six figures. Their combined HHI is six figures. Low six figures.

In DMV that's probably the entry level income needed for a HHI to buy a very modest SFH in the outer suburbs or a small condo closer in. We're talking Columbia, Burke, Manassas.

You are out of touch with reality and the cost of living and what it takes to achieve basic middle class benchmarks, like owning your own house and having a decent 401k and savings.

FYI median HHI in metro DC is 111k and that is factoring in everything from singles on welfare to law partners: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/washington-arlington-alexandria-dc-va-md-wv#:~:text=Between%202020%20and%202021%20the,%24111%2C252%2C%20a%204.55%25%20increase.

Per capita income is $71k: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DC,US/PST045223 and OP and his partner are pretty much smack dab right in the middle. Which is why I said they are basic middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the question is very vague. If you want good answers, provide more information about your degree and job.
80k is ok for the dc area.

We're both accountants.

My wife is an accountant in her 30s and making 170k. 80k is like 2nd year Big 4 accounting salary so I would expect that at more like 25 years old, not 30s.

The average accountant salary in the US is around 78k and the top 25% starts at around 101k. 170k is an unusual salary in most professions. You're really out of touch.

Source: https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/accountant/salary

You're out of touch.
This is DCUM, not Arkansas.

Average in DMV is $101K. Average in DC proper is $110K.

And accountants can move in higher level roles thst pay more, later in career.