What's a "decent" salary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PhD Scientist, 23 year experience, earring 180K. IMHO, that is a good salary for doing what you like

Sounds great, where do you work? Do they hire master's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just reading in the nanny forums about a nanny who demands $61,000 per year. I find this insulting on so many levels. I made $38,500 per year in my first associate position out of law school. The most I've ever made is $95k per year. Several of my friends who have grad degrees make between $65k-$100K per year.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/331647.page

Ok...i have never even completed my undergrad and make 240k/yr.

College clearly doesn't teach you how to be resourceful.

I would be so depressed if i spent as much time and effort in school as yourself and had a below average income years later to show for it.

I really wonder what went wrong for some of you people. Especially the poster up thread who went to Harvard, that is just incomprehensible. Don't you all see opportunity? We're surrounded by it. What kind entrepreneurial skills did your parents teach you, if any? Were you expected to work as a young adult/teen? Ever have to just figure life out or was everything spoon fed to you?

I can't tell if this is a serious question, but in case it is: I have two degrees, one from Harvard, and never aimed to make a ton of money - not my priority. My education has allowed me to do really cool things.

What I don't understand is people who are just targeting $ - seems so strange to me. To be honest more for-profit professions seem so pointless.

[Anonymous]

Bachelors and masters. 11 yrs experience, professional license and other certifications. $105k plus bonus.
Most in my profession don't break six figures before 40. I make more than anyone +\- 3 years from my age (35) in same field. I'm in "an olds man profession"- you don't make bank until you have gray hair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel pretty decent as a social worker making 71K (after nearly 10 years in the field). That's a lot for social work. I would have a tough time surviving on it (live in the city, have a kid in daycare) if I wasn't married to DH who makes 110K. With those together we're comfortable.

I agree. I am a social worker - 15y in - and making 80k. I feel like it is a great salary for social work - but I would be struggling if I was single parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PhD Scientist, 23 year experience, earring 180K. IMHO, that is a good salary for doing what you like

Sounds great, where do you work? Do they hire master's?

Yes, but..I am at the high end of the salary scale. Because I not only do good work, I bring in several million in revenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol @ a JD being a master's degree!!

Well, it's not a bachelor's degree or a Ph.D. What do you consider it if not a master's degree?

It's considered a professional degree.

There is no such category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol @ a JD being a master's degree!!

LOL @ JDs always thinking 3 years of graduate education makes them a PhD.

LOL at you both for being so underpaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think 100K anywhere in the US is a very good salary. If you cannot have a good life in that much money and build wealth then you are a dunce. I am not seeing anyone buying or affording anything worthwhile with more money than that, be it work-life balance, housing, education, marriage, relationship, raising children, health or even looks.

We are a HHI of 300K right now and additional money has only meant that our personal time has become more dear.

I am not advocating that one should live with less money. You should have enough for your needs and for savings. More than that means that you are paying with your time.

You don't live in DC do you? How much is your mortgage, and how much do you spend per month on childcare? How old do you plan to be when you retire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just reading in the nanny forums about a nanny who demands $61,000 per year. I find this insulting on so many levels. I made $38,500 per year in my first associate position out of law school. The most I've ever made is $95k per year. Several of my friends who have grad degrees make between $65k-$100K per year.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/331647.page

Ok...i have never even completed my undergrad and make 240k/yr.

College clearly doesn't teach you how to be resourceful.

I would be so depressed if i spent as much time and effort in school as yourself and had a below average income years later to show for it.

I really wonder what went wrong for some of you people. Especially the poster up thread who went to Harvard, that is just incomprehensible. Don't you all see opportunity? We're surrounded by it. What kind entrepreneurial skills did your parents teach you, if any? Were you expected to work as a young adult/teen? Ever have to just figure life out or was everything spoon fed to you?

I went to college to learn to read, think and analyze, not to make money. I don't care if I ever make six figures. Don't you ever wish you had at least completed a bachelor's degree? Plumbers and electricians and auto mechanics make great money but they are still blue collar, like you.

I think a person who figured out how to make $240K without a college degree can think and analyze way better than you, a person who claims to be above making money (really, this means incapable). I would much sooner have my daughter marry a man who had enough brains to make decent money than to a nitwit who claims to know how to think.

[Anonymous]

Goal is for DH to hit 7 figures someday. Aim high.

[Anonymous]

I am not as crass as a PP, but I also wonder what some people were thinking taking on very expensive MS, PhD and JD degrees and not getting a decent paying job. I can understand if there are two spouses and one is following their passions, has work-life balance, flex time, etc. and the other is taking home a decent salary to make up for it. But as a single parent or single income household, I don't understand it. Didn't you know the cost of housing, health insurance, child care, etc. when you decided to go down this path? It is fascinating to me and I'd love to hear from some of you who have chosen this career trajectory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not as crass as a PP, but I also wonder what some people were thinking taking on very expensive MS, PhD and JD degrees and not getting a decent paying job. I can understand if there are two spouses and one is following their passions, has work-life balance, flex time, etc. and the other is taking home a decent salary to make up for it. But as a single parent or single income household, I don't understand it. Didn't you know the cost of housing, health insurance, child care, etc. when you decided to go down this path? It is fascinating to me and I'd love to hear from some of you who have chosen this career trajectory.

I have an MS & PhD. I am a pp earning 180K. I did not pay for my degrees; rather I received small stipends and tuition waivers.

Some people do JD because the are interested in the law, not for the $$. In my experience, making life decisions based on $$ makes people unhappier than those that pursue passion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not as crass as a PP, but I also wonder what some people were thinking taking on very expensive MS, PhD and JD degrees and not getting a decent paying job. I can understand if there are two spouses and one is following their passions, has work-life balance, flex time, etc. and the other is taking home a decent salary to make up for it. But as a single parent or single income household, I don't understand it. Didn't you know the cost of housing, health insurance, child care, etc. when you decided to go down this path? It is fascinating to me and I'd love to hear from some of you who have chosen this career trajectory.

I was a dumb 21 year old in college who, while always excelling in crap they wanted to test you on in school, wasn't really taught the rest of the crap about real life. My parents were pretty uninvolved. I had very little idea what practicing law was really about but I did score in the 99th percentile so I figured I could handle it. Oh yeah, and I got into top schools before the economy collapsed in 2008.

I am not a troll and that's not an uncommon narrative, folks. It's also not the end of the world to be where I am - fancy degree, potential to go places. I'm not complaining, just that you asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just reading in the nanny forums about a nanny who demands $61,000 per year. I find this insulting on so many levels. I made $38,500 per year in my first associate position out of law school. The most I've ever made is $95k per year. Several of my friends who have grad degrees make between $65k-$100K per year.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/331647.page

Ok...i have never even completed my undergrad and make 240k/yr.

College clearly doesn't teach you how to be resourceful.

I would be so depressed if i spent as much time and effort in school as yourself and had a below average income years later to show for it.

I really wonder what went wrong for some of you people. Especially the poster up thread who went to Harvard, that is just incomprehensible. Don't you all see opportunity? We're surrounded by it. What kind entrepreneurial skills did your parents teach you, if any? Were you expected to work as a young adult/teen? Ever have to just figure life out or was everything spoon fed to you?

I went to college to learn to read, think and analyze, not to make money. I don't care if I ever make six figures. Don't you ever wish you had at least completed a bachelor's degree? Plumbers and electricians and auto mechanics make great money but they are still blue collar, like you.

This is wrong on many levels. Bill Gates never finished his degree, next you will tell us he is blue collar. I am sure that PP is far more enterprising and resourceful compared to some bookworms, who have 60k to show after 10yrs and a Ivy League degree.

[Anonymous]

Love how people here throw around "Ivy League" degree like it's some kind of magical unicorn designation. I've met a lot of very capable and intelligent people from Ivys. I've also met some really, really dumb people. This one woman I know has an undergrad degree from Columbia. Turns out, she's the biggest dishonest flake on the planet who can't seem to keep a job or write a decent CV. With all the diversity admissions and snowflakes with anthropology degrees, an Ivy League degree is no longer all that it is cracked out to be.