SAHM’s who used to work - what salary did you leave behind?

[Anonymous]

PP - I should add I left in 2008 and was making 42k at the time - fabulous job at a non-profit, but stopping was definitely the right choice. Three kids doing so well now, and we’re not far from college so with any luck I’ll have time to think up an act 2.

[Anonymous]

60k in 2007

Journalist

Turns out I couldn't have left at a better time anyway! Pretty much nothing would have been in my family's financial and emotional worst interest than having me stay in that job while having kids.

[Anonymous]

60k in 2012- I was a teacher. Financially it was definitely the right call. My husband can work long hours and really focus on his job. He now makes 7 figures, which we never dreamed he’d do, but here we are.

I do miss teaching, but get more fulfillment from my family than I did from working. In another few years I’m going to need more purpose (I work part time now, but it doesn’t give me purpose). No idea what that will look like.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

[Anonymous]

$300k. Within 2 years we were even better off between tax treatment, husband’s raises, spending less on convenience taxes, and not needing a nanny anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

Because biglaw lawyers like to talk about income so they always jump on these kinds of threads.

[Anonymous]

50k in 2001. Re-entering work force now at 60 years old (divorced) and will probably make the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My income wasn’t very high - 56,000 as an academic. I liked my job, was good at it, and had spent a lot of years getting my PhD. I left 12 years ago, stepping back slowly and then eventually leaving the workforce entirely. I have regrets about not picking a higher paying profession and one that didn’t take so much schooling to be qualified to do. If I could go back, I would be a speech pathologist or an OT, or some other profession that has flexibility but only requires a Masters.

But, I also don’t regret my choice. It has worked out for me because DH is in a high paying profession (big law) and his income ceiling was always much higher than mine. He is also a wonderful person whom I love very much. We are all far richer because he has leaned in and I have leaned out. It works because we are really a team and he knows that his ability to work the way he does is built on the fact that I am taking care of basically everything else in our lives. It also allowed us to have three kids. That would have been harder if I kept working.


We met at an Ivy and I certainly didn’t expect to be a SAHM, but sometimes that solution is best for the family unit as a whole. Sometimes I hate the tedium, but I also hated some of the tedium of working.

I have a Masters but wish I had a PhD as I think I could have gone back to work easier.

To the OP - I quit in 2001 at 60k but I was in the Midwest. Probably equivalent to close to 100k on the East Coast at that time. Could have been making 500k by now, but I had health problems and then became a SAHM. I do wish I had a career but glad I was able to be home for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$60k. No regrets. Went back to work when my kid was in high school.

Same scenario.. 62K when I left working.

Which field are you in currently?

[Anonymous]

125k in 2017. I don’t regret it for a second. But that’s easy for me to say because my husband’s increase and salaries over the years more than made up for me not working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

Because being a big law lawyer in DC kind of sucks. Most everyone I know hates or hated it. It's a grind, and for many people, it's not sustainable for any sort of work-life balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

Because being a big law lawyer in DC kind of sucks. Most everyone I know hates or hated it. It's a grind, and for many people, it's not sustainable for any sort of work-life balance.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

Because being a big law lawyer in DC kind of sucks. Most everyone I know hates or hated it. It's a grind, and for many people, it's not sustainable for any sort of work-life balance.

Even worse, DC is one of the best places to be in biglaw. Much more humane than NY or SF/SV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, the proportion of posters who say biglaw is out of wack. Why is that?

Because despite the money, it is hard to sustain long term if you are not the primary job in your house.

[Anonymous]

I left in 2007 and was making about $120k. I was 32. No, I've never regretted it. My salary was irrelevant to our HHI.