Unless there is potential for big salaries at your place of work (e.g., a sales position), you need to job hop. It's the only way to get a real raise.

Anonymous wrote:Well you're probably doing really interesting, satisfying, meaningful work, right?

A lot of jobs that pay more - finance, BigLaw, accounting, certain types of tech like coding, etc. etc. are boring AF.

Sure you make more but is it really worth it? I'd rather enjoy what I do all day for 8-10 hours then be alternately bored and stressed.

This is so true. Currently at a law firm making $400k with great benefits. Seriously considering an offer for a non-profit at $190k with no benefits. On the one hand, it seems nuts to walk away from $400k/year. On the other hand, I'm simultaneously bored and stressed.

The only thing anyone should be embarrassed by is caring about money much beyond it giving you the means to have a place to sleep and enough food to eat. I know a few folks who care a lot about money and they are literally the worst, most vapid, boring, soulless bunch. I have the most fun with my "dc poor" friends and they seem to live the fullest lives.

Anonymous wrote:Where are y'all on the rest of DCUM? I'm feeling so...normal. As long as I forget that the thread title is "terrible salaries."

We really do need our own forum! (Though as a DINK with a husband whose salary is in the low $100s, I guess I'd feel like a real jerk calling ourselves "normal" - we are in the top 5% or thereabouts for American households. It is literally only on this board here that I ever feel like we haven't been graced with incredible fortune to find ourselves where we are, even if I am still paying off student loans in my mid 40s, unable to swing a European vacation every six months.)

Anonymous wrote:Well you're probably doing really interesting, satisfying, meaningful work, right?

A lot of jobs that pay more - finance, BigLaw, accounting, certain types of tech like coding, etc. etc. are boring AF.

Sure you make more but is it really worth it? I'd rather enjoy what I do all day for 8-10 hours then be alternately bored and stressed.

+ 1

All the smart people who choose to go into low paying but interesting or "glam" jobs like public policy, publishing, magazines, museums, journalism, etc. had a chance to go for the finance internships or law school too but wisely passed on those opportunities for a reason.

They're dull!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just depends on your degree. I made more than that in 2000 (my second year out of school) with an accounting degree.

What?!! Whose accountant are you? That’s crazy. And I’m a CPA. Graduated in 2003 and did not make that.

I graduated in 2001 and made more than that too. It really is degree dependent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just depends on your degree. I made more than that in 2000 (my second year out of school) with an accounting degree.

What?!! Whose accountant are you? That’s crazy. And I’m a CPA. Graduated in 2003 and did not make that.

You are doing something wrong then. I worked in public accounting/audit and then went to be an assistant controller at a public company.

+1. I made 47k my first year at a Big 4 in 2001.

Well I didn’t go Big 4 because I didn’t want to work those hours and am at over 400k now so I’m not sure how “wrong” I went.

Well you're probably doing really interesting, satisfying, meaningful work, right?

A lot of jobs that pay more - finance, BigLaw, accounting, certain types of tech like coding, etc. etc. are boring AF.

Sure you make more but is it really worth it? I'd rather enjoy what I do all day for 8-10 hours then be alternately bored and stressed.

If you are a project coordinator you can up your salary if you get your PMP.

Where are y'all on the rest of DCUM? I'm feeling so...normal. As long as I forget that the thread title is "terrible salaries."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I make $50k in a public policy job. Since I work somewhere with a well known name people think I make much more. It makes things tight with 2 kids in daycare and a husband who makes $80k. I’m 36.

Brookings without a PhD or Pew without being a lawyer or lobbyist?

Np. I'm thinking Brookings. Pew pays better.

I interviewed at Pew coming out of grad school with directly relevant experience. I asked for $50 and my interviewer all but laughed at me. A few weeks later I landed a job at $48 with frequent opportunities for raises so I surpassed $50 quickly.

Now 40...finally promoted this year to a higher level / close to $100 but was stuck around $75 for years. For much of that time was the sole income (apart from a small stipend) while DH earned his PhD.

Anonymous wrote:I am 38 and make 70k. However, I am finishing an advanced degree and looking at pivoting sectors to make more. Currently I think with my degree I can jump another 15 to 20k with the next job and try to crack 6 figures in a few years. I got mommy tracked in my current position and basically am just going to never mention my kids in my next job.

So smart. I want to have another kid before I jump ship so that I don’t burn myself with maternity leave at wherever I end up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I make $50k in a public policy job. Since I work somewhere with a well known name people think I make much more. It makes things tight with 2 kids in daycare and a husband who makes $80k. I’m 36.

I think most people overestimate how much other people make.

Most people on the real Estate forum are saying they make 300k.

And I make 750K, except not really because this is an anonymous forum and I can say whatever I want

My husband makes 1 million, I SAH and pay our nanny 75K.

Just 1 million? Sad! My husband makes $5 million per year working from home 25 hours a week. Luckily we have my considerable family fortune to live off of otherwise I don't know how we'd manage. My $200k salary is just fun money that we use for gambling when we stay at our little place in Macau

I am 38 and make 70k. However, I am finishing an advanced degree and looking at pivoting sectors to make more. Currently I think with my degree I can jump another 15 to 20k with the next job and try to crack 6 figures in a few years. I got mommy tracked in my current position and basically am just going to never mention my kids in my next job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I make $50k in a public policy job. Since I work somewhere with a well known name people think I make much more. It makes things tight with 2 kids in daycare and a husband who makes $80k. I’m 36.

I think most people overestimate how much other people make.

Most people on the real Estate forum are saying they make 300k.

And I make 750K, except not really because this is an anonymous forum and I can say whatever I want

My husband makes 1 million, I SAH and pay our nanny 75K.

Now I know you are lying, because the SAHMs in my neighborhood pay their nanny $30k, max