Early career: 60-120+
Late career: 20
(Physician)

Anonymous wrote:The mantra always seems to be work hard early on so you can relax more once higher up.

How true is that?

It's true for me. The more authority, autonomy and money, the less hours.

First job out of college: exactly 40 hours a week.

Now: 70 hours a week. But i went from $24k to $2.2m.

Teacher. Years 1-2, 65-70 hours a week
Years 3-30, 50-60 hours a week
The last 3 years? 40. It took me 30 years to learn to not spend my life working. And according to the test data, my students perform well, no different than before.

I worked more hours once 24x7 contact became technically feasible.

60 early on, but because I didn't have choice. 20 now with 6 months off a year. Nothing to do with climbing the ladder.

I worked 55 hours a week when young

I've always worked either 40 or 37.5 per week. Depends on the law firm. Right now I'm 48 and work 37.5 hours per week.

The mantra always seems to be work hard early on so you can relax more once higher up.

How true is that?