Jobs that pay a reasonable income and aren’t too stressful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Acting, singing, fashion modeling, jewelry designing, weather forecasting, physician's assistant etc.

You can struggle as actor, singer or model or sleep around and use your oral skills. It finally comes down to that.

[Anonymous]

“Pleasant” and “restful” jobs that pay well exist but don’t last. People eliminate them by taking them for lower wages or merging positions or creating a layoff situation. If you see someone with one, don’t go for it. By the time you’re qualified there’s a good chance it’ll disappear. (Teachers beware: you may be envious of that mom who seems to have an easy, plush work from home gig, but you’re only seeing one year of her life, and she may be hiding some stress. The career is not as a whole easy and plush).

So you can’t find something permanently restful. The best you can do permanently is find something meaningful or fun.

Also you can stack a career with periods of hard work and rest. For example, you can do a residency and then take a part-time job as a doctor, or you can do a few years of banking, then take a lower stress job in a family office until that’s over and then go into something higher stress again. You can take a big risk financially and if it pays off, you can have a restful period afterwards. You can save a lot in a high-stress career, which can afford you periods when you can take more risks with less stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I chose poorly in this regard (corporate lawyer and teacher.) How to advise our kids? We obviously don’t want them to struggle financially but don’t want them to live a life of stress.

I’ve stepped back to half day preschool and DH has had jobs that are better/worse for stress but it’s always a challenge. We are frugal and our long term goal is just early retirement but not having such a stressful job in the first place seems like an easier plan.

Thoughts?

Onlyfans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I’m a teacher and I think it’s a relatively low-stress job. Takes a few years to find your footing but if you’re at a good school with a strong union, the pay is usually good, and you get a LOT of time off. I teach secondary, core subject at a title 1 school.

You are very fortunate. That’s not the case for many of us. I am also a secondary teacher. I have to actively plan ahead of time to take a Saturday off for family. There’s too much grading, too much planning, and too much mental stimulation. I’ve already cut every corner I can, and it’s still too much.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. I’d say in 2024 in this area a “reasonable” HHI would be $300k or $150k pp but it’s not always split evenly like that. It’s obviously not in our family.

If DH and I had it to do over again, I’m not even sure what we would pick. Hybrid office jobs seem cushy, but maybe the stress is just hidden.

[Anonymous]

I think you’ll have less control or sway over this than you think you will. I’m pretty sure our kids will seek out their own occupations without following what their parents think is best for them. Just help them learn to invest and to not be super spendy (aka don’t model a Starbucks/DoorDash habit for them to see as the norm) and then sit back and let them decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dental hygienist

Repetitive. Boring. Unappreciated. Constant pressure to hurry. Constant pressure to cut corners. Constant pressure to increase production. Often abused by professional supervisors and staff alike. Physically taxing. Repetitive motion disorder. I could go on, but . . ..

[Anonymous]

Stress is relative and in the eye of the beholder. Approached from that perspective, the answer may not be to find a job where you can loaf along and still get paid, but to ensure the development of healthy coping skills. Different personalities perceive and react to stress differently. Something one person finds debilitating may be energizing and exciting to someone else. For example, firefighting and law enforcement are extremely stressful at times, but firefighters and LEOs live, in part, for the adrenaline rush the job sometimes provides.

Or, plan to run your own business, where you control every aspect of the work you do. Even then, you'll not be able to control external forces like whether customers want your product or service, so stress may result if income proves inadequate.

It's better to learn to deal with stress through adaptation, flexibility, and other healthy personal characteristics than it will be to hope to find a stressless environment for one's working life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stress is relative and in the eye of the beholder. Approached from that perspective, the answer may not be to find a job where you can loaf along and still get paid, but to ensure the development of healthy coping skills. Different personalities perceive and react to stress differently. Something one person finds debilitating may be energizing and exciting to someone else. For example, firefighting and law enforcement are extremely stressful at times, but firefighters and LEOs live, in part, for the adrenaline rush the job sometimes provides.

Or, plan to run your own business, where you control every aspect of the work you do. Even then, you'll not be able to control external forces like whether customers want your product or service, so stress may result if income proves inadequate.

It's better to learn to deal with stress through adaptation, flexibility, and other healthy personal characteristics than it will be to hope to find a stressless environment for one's working life.

Nope, sorry, do not own your own business. I love owning mine, but I definitely tell people I am the shield to my employees. There’s a lot that can’t be controlled in the world, but I need to create a controllable environment within it so that my employees can have predictability, a regular pay check, and benefits. Do you go to your students with your stress on your sleeve? I go to my employees with a bright smile and a can-do attitude. But investors and debt are no joke, and even with full ownership, you need things like lines of credit. Managing a cash conversion cycle requires a strong stomach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was abused at work from age 19-30. For that reason, I wanted working to be optional for my kids.
I invested my minimum wage salary and retired early. Now I'm investing for my kids. I do want them to get a job, but also have their 'fuk you' money from the start.
Both are into computers, but I'm unable to give them any career advice.

How are you investing with such returns? I am really curious and want tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I’m a teacher and I think it’s a relatively low-stress job. Takes a few years to find your footing but if you’re at a good school with a strong union, the pay is usually good, and you get a LOT of time off. I teach secondary, core subject at a title 1 school.

Teaching at elite privates and international schools pays well and so many perks because of wealthy and connected parents and alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pharmacist?

Will AI eventually take this over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Scientist at a large corporation. I make 300k/yr and work 20-40 hrs/wk from home or the office, when im inclined to go in. I can basically do my job in my sleep after 20 years, because I have ZERO interest in climbing the corporate ladder. That would have made me more money but the cost would be my integrity (toxic company) and time (every one that rises sacrifices family time).

This BUT I have two neighbors both scientists (one MD/ PhD) and both were recently laid off. One got another job a week later, but the other took a couple months and a big pay cut.

I would say science, math, or business degrees are good ideas because you can pivot and do different roles.

I changed careers awhile ago and I had to take a step down, which was fine, but I think if I had someone who knew where I should head for a good career that would be helpful. I grew up with a single parent who worked all the time and didn't know anything about college or jobs after college so I had to do it on my own. I saw parents get their kids internships or make a call so that adult child could get a good position out of college. I see now how having those connections are important in some sectors.

Low stress is how you handle it? A relative owned his own businesses and had relative no stress until 2008 when a bunch of them went under. It was awful.

I have friends who are tenured professors at Ivys and have really sweet gigs but getting a tenured position let alone at a top school is very difficult to get now and only so many are available.

[Anonymous]

this all depends on what they're good at and what their assets are.

Some people don't deal with stress well. I used to be in federal govt, and there'd be single people without kids working 9-5 losing their hair from "stress". I work in big law and it's only stressful when i'm working 12 hours a day. Less than that and I don't find it stressful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I’m a teacher and I think it’s a relatively low-stress job. Takes a few years to find your footing but if you’re at a good school with a strong union, the pay is usually good, and you get a LOT of time off. I teach secondary, core subject at a title 1 school.

You are very fortunate. That’s not the case for many of us. I am also a secondary teacher. I have to actively plan ahead of time to take a Saturday off for family. There’s too much grading, too much planning, and too much mental stimulation. I’ve already cut every corner I can, and it’s still too much.

Same. It’s bad. I too tech secondary, a core subject and at a title 1 school. It’s mentally draining. Just yesterday a student told me to suck his d!ck. Another student zoomed in and took a picture of my breast through my clothes. I had to watch a fight and not break it up (not allowed to), and a parent told me that their kid is my problem while in school. I am tired. I am sad. Every Teacher I know is medicated in some capacity.