Nobody cares at all if you are a good employee!

The only time people bring it up is if you are a terrible employee and they are looking for reasons why you are never around or don't care about your work.

I work at a non-profit and my spouse works at a company that's turning quite a bit of profit, so yes, our HHI is higher than my boss. I know there are other people with highly paid spouses at my org, though. It's kind of a known thing that non-profits have a lot of people who can afford to work for less because they have access to money from a spouse or family inheritance.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I have always been worried it would be subtlety used against me in terms of getting promotions. I mommy tracked myself for a decade before going for management. I am now a director, so it did not hinder me thankfully. But our HHI is closer to $700,000 whereas my boss and bosses boss HHI is probably more like $300-$400K. Obviously all very high HHI but I sometimes feel awkward when people learn what my husband does for a living. Like we were 30 and bought an expensive house and my work colleagues were surprised we could afford a house so young, etc.

Seriously, you already answered your own questions and concern!

OP here - I have always been worried it would be subtlety used against me in terms of getting promotions. I mommy tracked myself for a decade before going for management. I am now a director, so it did not hinder me thankfully. But our HHI is closer to $700,000 whereas my boss and bosses boss HHI is probably more like $300-$400K. Obviously all very high HHI but I sometimes feel awkward when people learn what my husband does for a living. Like we were 30 and bought an expensive house and my work colleagues were surprised we could afford a house so young, etc.

I don't think anyone pays any real regard to that dynamic and corporate people are too busy TBH, to be jealous of your spouse.
However, I have heard comments like... Well, she doesn't really need to work/ doesn't need the job. Or her husband is the chief of surgery, I heard she's been talking about going part-time for a while... usually it's in the context of staffing issues or underperformance.

PP here. Also, my industry tends to attract some women at the lower levels who come from wealthy families.

Yes, it is very common in my company/industry because of who the job attracts at different levels.

Male bosses with SAHM wives but who have lower HHI than their direct reports, who tend to be women married to men in biglaw, investment banking, tech, or medicine.

Anonymous wrote:Uh no, that doesn't happen in the corporate world.

I hope you're very young and inexperienced, to write that idiocy.

Inheritance. Stock portfolio/real estate investments. Successful business/start-up. Marriage to a wealthy spouse.

All these things can and do happen.

My husband has always had more wealth than his bosses, but he's been very discreet about it, and until recently, no one realized.

I downplay what my husband does and make no mention of my finances. I occasionally get a look when someone asks what HS my kids will be going to (public but in a known "good" area so it reveals where we live). But I am very careful to not flaunt a thing. They don't need to know so I don't have to feel weird.

Anonymous wrote:Uh no, that doesn't happen in the corporate world.

Of course it does. If you and your spouse are both C suite and your boss makes more than you but has a stay at home spouse, your income would be different up to a point (like if you work directly for the CEO who makes like $200M/year).

Yes, mine is much higher. Different life choices. Whatever - everyone gets to do their own thing. My salary is based on my work and my experience, not my household "need."

Uh no, that doesn't happen in the corporate world.

No? Why would you feel weird about it? Legit asking. Life is full of a lot of factors including HHI. Are you inflating the importance of your higher HHI? Are you making a value determination?

If it is do you feel weird about it? My last boss and now my current boss are both dual feds so I ballpark know how much their HHI is. My HHI is much higher than theirs. Do you feel weird about that? I assume they know since they know my husband is a law firm partner. I work because I like working and would be a horrible stay at home mom.