Non random poll: What is your educational background, and what is your income?

[Anonymous]

Me (35yo): BS (chemistry) MS (geography) both from Penn State, government environmental analyst, ~$115,000

DH (33yo): BA (arts) Penn State, government IT specialist, ~$120,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me (35yo): BS (chemistry) MS (geography) both from Penn State, government environmental analyst, ~$115,000

DH (33yo): BA (arts) Penn State, government IT specialist, ~$120,000

Your job sounds interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why oh why do I read these posts? It makes me feel so damn poor.

Once the economy finally goes bust, you'll be better off than most b/c you're used to watching your pennies! The rest will suffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me:
BA from a top 50 university (sometimes top 25, depending on the year), Master's degree from a local state university. Work PT currently and make @$37,500. Never broke $50K working FT (quit 3 years ago to work PT).

Hubby:
barely graduated HS, 5 years in the military, got his BS after 10 years of going to school part-time while working full-time. Currently makes $90K.

Moral of the story - I should have majored in science or math. This doing good BS got me nowhere in life.

Grass is greener thinking. There are a lot of unemployed, underemployed and grossly underpaid folks in the math, science and engineering fields. Follow your passion and you will find success. Being too practical is a lot of times for robots.

[Anonymous]

Me: Undergrad at a Jesuit school as well as my Master's in education- I make about $43K as an elementary school teacher. I have no DH so that's it. No wonder it is so damn expensive to live around here when everyone makes so much money. I feel quite comfy on my salary though. I have one elementary school-aged child too.

[Anonymous]

BS from a state school. 65-70K HR Field

But I'm also 27.

[Anonymous]

I wish OP had asked about student loan pay off. Those high salaries seem appealing but I bet the school bills were a beast!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish OP had asked about student loan pay off. Those high salaries seem appealing but I bet the school bills were a beast!

I'm the OP. A lot goes into salaries, including experience (for me, it's 16 years POST graduate degree). I've paid off my student loans, but yes, it was a long time I was paying for school.

[Anonymous]

Me: BA from top-20 LAC, MA and PhD from state university: $105,000

Husband: BS from state university: $140,000

[Anonymous]

Frostburg Univ (top 20%). $85K accountant

[Anonymous]

BSBA- small private liberal arts school, CPA making $85k

[Anonymous]

myself: Boston College 65k as a teacher who works about 32 hrs away from home a week (grading is another story)

DH: BS/MS at a top engineering school and JD from a top 50 law school school 320k as a patent lawyer + bonus.

very comfortable in chevy chase with kids in public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:myself: Boston College 65k as a teacher who works about 32 hrs away from home a week (grading is another story)

DH: BS/MS at a top engineering school and JD from a top 50 law school school 320k as a patent lawyer + bonus.

very comfortable in chevy chase with kids in public school.

top 50 law school??? wow.

[Anonymous]

me: state school college drop out. EVP for a non profit doing campaign work / policy / advocacy. 15 + years experience - 140K with full benefits with part-time schedule.

hubs: BS from prestigious liberal arts college, circa 60K with no benefits, also working part time.

We've made conscious choices to get where we are. Except the dropping out part. I ran out of money, started working full time meaning to go back, and never did. No regrets, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:me: state school college drop out. EVP for a non profit doing campaign work / policy / advocacy. 15 + years experience - 140K with full benefits with part-time schedule.

hubs: BS from prestigious liberal arts college, circa 60K with no benefits, also working part time.

We've made conscious choices to get where we are. Except the dropping out part. I ran out of money, started working full time meaning to go back, and never did. No regrets, though!

BTW, for us I guess the "get where we are" is a comfortable life without feeling like we are bumping against golden handcuffs or trapped by constant work schedules. We live modestly but enjoy ourselves, have a home that's almost paid off and we're in our mid thirties, have a comfortable amount of money for private school, max out retirement savings, vacation, etc. But we drive old cars, don't spend extravagantly, etc.

Works for us! but I could totally see another family having different priorities.