28 and a teacher at about 65 k. Sometimes a bit more w overtime. Will likely never break 100 unless I leave the field which, given my age, I probably will. I love teaching but not sure I can be in a classroom for 30+ more years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I'll never make six figures. I'm a legal secretary.

Our experienced legal secretaries can make $87 plus overtime for trials.

I'm corporate, not litigation. I make $80.

I am 33 and only make around $65K per year. I doubt I will ever see the $100K amount. Some days I am sad about this and feel like I should put more into my career. But then I remember how lucky I am to be able to have a comfortable, flexible job with very low stress so I can WAH. My kids are young (under 2) and I am able to drop off and pick up early and get everything done around the house, bills, etc so our lives aren't too stressful during the weekends.

Plus DH is a high earner (over $250K) so my salary is mostly for daycare, retirement and health insurance.

71K, age 32. Husband now make almost 110K at 34, though. I think he cracked 100 a couple years ago.

I'm 43 and make $80k. Fantastic work-life balance. I could easily make $125k but then my time would not be my own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

DC Opens Doors and the low income tax abatement (I was making under 65k then and qualified), and I bought in a cheap but safe neighborhood. I could just barely afford to buy my house now, but instead I have a comfortable mortgage payment and I got really lucky with neighbors. You don't have to make 6 figures to live comfortably in DC, you just need to be prudent.

My child is also in elementary school, so daycare expenses are much lower.

That's awesome, nice work!

Thanks! I love my little house!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

DC Opens Doors and the low income tax abatement (I was making under 65k then and qualified), and I bought in a cheap but safe neighborhood. I could just barely afford to buy my house now, but instead I have a comfortable mortgage payment and I got really lucky with neighbors. You don't have to make 6 figures to live comfortably in DC, you just need to be prudent.

My child is also in elementary school, so daycare expenses are much lower.

That's awesome, nice work!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

DC Opens Doors and the low income tax abatement (I was making under 65k then and qualified), and I bought in a cheap but safe neighborhood. I could just barely afford to buy my house now, but instead I have a comfortable mortgage payment and I got really lucky with neighbors. You don't have to make 6 figures to live comfortably in DC, you just need to be prudent.

My child is also in elementary school, so daycare expenses are much lower.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

How did you afford a house in DC?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ooo me! I make $85k as a non-profit accountant at 34. I could definitely make more, but the schedule is great (9-5, one day wfh, absolutely no after hours expectations) and the work is easy. Great mom job!

Yes, just talked about the work-life balance above. (OP here.) I'm always home by 5:30 p.m., dinner on the table by 6:30 p.m.

+1000! Especially when the kid is under 5 or even 10. My boss casually mentions that if I want to put in more hours at work, boss could give me substantial raise. Well............ I make about 85K after deduction and all is good for me for now.

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I'll never make six figures. I'm a legal secretary.

Our experienced legal secretaries can make $87 plus overtime for trials.

Lol, I'll never make six figures. I'm a legal secretary.

I'm a fed. GS11, making around $70k. I'm a single parent and bought a home a few years ago in DC. We're doing just fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my early 50's. Moved across country to became first year Fed months ago with a salary under 100K so we could take several vacations a year traveling 1st/business class overseas.

If you're making under $100k, how are you affording to fly first-class?

By using the money I made before I became a Fed.

What kind of work do you do? I would have thought if you made that much pre-gov't, you should have at least started at GS-14/15. But good for you if you're all set.

OP here, checking in....

Glad to see there are so many in the sub-$100k (or just slightly above it). In fact, I just started this thread this morning, and we already have more posts than the "I reached $100k thread at 22!" bragging thread started two days ago. I was starting to feel like an anomoly among all the high-earning DCUMers - and glad to learn I'm among so many "normal" earners!