I’m 42. Since college I’ve had 6 jobs.

Job1: 2 years
Job2: 1 year
Job3: 3 years
Job4: 9 years
Job5: 0.5 years (bad fit, bad boss)
Job6: 6 years (current)

4.
1- 7 years and moved up a lot.
2- 4 years in the same field and moved up a bit.
3- 6 months. Tried something new to make more money and it was absolutely miserable.
4- 9 years and counting after taking time off for a new degree for a completely different field.

5 jobs, 4 different fields. Retired at 40 and became a full time SAHM of 2.

4, in 35 years

48 and 5 jobs since college. Two were very short stints right out of college to kill time before law school. Post law school, I had one for 7 years, the next for two years (after my son was born, I purposefully took something short term with bad pay to bridge a gap until I was ready to gear up again), and then my current job for 12 years. So really just 2 jobs where I was trying and cared about it.

My first job in 2000 was $24k. I currently make around $1.5m. Hoping to ramp to $3m in 3 years.

I’m 52. I’m in my fifth job now, with a long stretch of consulting in the middle when my kids were little. My salary has not gone up that much. Started around $50 and now I’m $150. I could be making more but I’d rather do a job I love at an organization I respect.

Anonymous wrote:13 jobs since college. 49 yo woman. Layoffs, volatile industries, frustrating orgs/culture and bad bosses, but also some great experiences. I tell my kids, I’m a survivor. In between various jobs, I always freelanced, so I was never not hustling. I have been at my current org for 4 years, which is the longest tenure so far!

Same here. A dozen jobs since finishing undergrad due to all the above. Always hustled. Been at my cutest job for five years, longest I’ve lasted anywhere but it’s due to the great salary, nice management team, interesting work, great colleagues and decent raises. Wouldn’t be surprised though if things shift at some point due to volatility and increasing use of AI. Management loves it.

I've been working about 35 years since graduating from college. I've had 3 jobs, spent 1 1/2 at 2 law firms as a paralegal and been at my current job for 32 years. Have gone from 19k to 240k. Spent some years mommy tracked and kinda stuck now especially with the economy and jobs as they are but pretty much happy with where I am and plan to stay until retirement. I do counsel younger women to move around and experience life a little more than I did and not to become complacent. I would do my work life over again in a minute if I had to.

5 in six years, which is a lot, or four in five years if you look at my career post-grad school. I’ve also just gone back to work a previous employer.

2020-2021 (8 months): Worked at a scaling startup in an emerging industry. Family-run company, very political, I got caught in the crosshairs and was canned. (I was essentially demoted after six months and then fired on a minor policy violation.)

Finished grad school, was unemployed 4 months.

2021-2024 (2.5 years) Stable analyst role, moved into IT a year in but essentially did the same work. No growth/limited visibility.

2024-2025 (14 months) Big jump: 25% increase in pay, manager-level, got to work on complex projects. High visibility. A gossipy, unprofessional, mediocre culture, and my boss was a total narc.

2025-2025 (5 months) Got a job in consulting, first six-figure job (!). Bro culture, another family owned startup - never again, laid off after five months.

Unemployed four months.

2026 - Still at six figures, really good team and experience so far. Back at employer #2 (I’m in a smaller market).

I’d like to be in this job for 2-3 years and then transfer internally. I got a late start to my career - was something of a free spirit before - and I really just want stability and consistency at this point. I’m well-connected at my company, which I think will help.

I'm 45 and same place for 29 years. From 55k to 250k. Close to topped out, but I'm ok as it's 40 hrs a week and not too stressful.

I'm 55, and I've had 3 jobs, but I've been at my current job for almost 30 years.

6

22-54 3 companies total.

9 years at J1
21 years at J2
2+ years at J3 (hopefully through retirement)

40 and 3 jobs. Was at job 2 for 15 years and increased my salary 6-fold but I'm sure it took longer than if I had moved around more

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42 and at 5. Numbers are approximate.

8 years-38k left at 90k
2 years- 150k
3.5 years- 180k
5 month layoff
4.5 years- 190k
1 year- 250k

Oh, not counting HS and college jobs that were unrelated to overall career.