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Don’t most people wish they earned just a little bit more than they do? The average yearly salary in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is just a bit short of $60k. Of course, it varies state by state: in California, for example, it’s over $70k, and in New York and Massachusetts, it’s $74,870 and $76,600, respectively.
But what’s life like for those who earn even more than the average? One person online was curious, too, so they asked: “For those that make over $200k a year, what do you do?” Many fortunate folks shared what career path they took to earn this much and revealed what their lives are really like.
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#2
$240k plus discretionary annual bonus.
Michelin Starred private Chef. Left the industry for this one family. They are no one important. No NDA’s. They just have a cyber security company in the Bay Area. 25-40 hours a week.
#3
Electrical Engineer. To you young people… YOU NEED TO CHANGE COMPANIES. Whenever you feel like you are 1) taking on new roles without your pay increasing significantly or 2) if you feel ready to take on new roles. You will never keep pace with inflation or get ahead at one employer.
#4
Voice director for cartoons.
Edit: For all the folks sending me DMs and asking for advice about how to break into voice acting, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I've never been an actor and I don't know how you go about getting signed with an agent or how to break into the industry. The entirety of my job is working with actors in the studio after they've been hired. As for how to get hired in the first place, all I can say is you need to be better than all the other people who are auditioning. Voice acting is an incredibly competitive industry, and very few people make a living doing it. Those who do have a magical combination of amazing pipes, incredible range and character creation skills, and impeccable acting chops. It's a rare combination, there's a good reason you see the same names over and over again in the cartoon VO world.
#5
It’d be nice if we also knew where people were from. 200k in a place like Mississippi is not the same as 200k in California or New York.
#7
Airline pilot. Been flying professionally since 1997. Was an aircraft mechanic before that. I grew up at an airport. Was flying before I could legally drive. Unlike some people I know, I love the job. I can’t believe I get paid to do it. I own an antique plane and I fly warbirds for a couple museums doing rides and airshows. I’ve also been an electrician and electrical contractor. Flying is the best damn way to make a living I can imagine.
#8
I decided not to take the job but I was offered a job @250-300k range travelling the world watching bulk export ships unload and ensuring that everything gets completed strictly according to contracts. Mostly the job is making sure buyers don't cheat and try and fraudulently lower purchase price.
Reasonably low entry requirements I guess in terms of formal training for refrence I had about 6-12 months in the industry without college education - was small additional section of my existing role.
Just wanted to post it since its an interesting out of left field job that doesn't require a degree and isn't IT.
#9
Not consistent but I make between 180-220 depending on the year as a crane operator.
#11
Software Engineer at a FAANG company. Dont really feel qualified but I don’t plan on leaving until they fire me.
#14
Landman in the oil and gas industry. I make around $300k/year.
I do mostly title work, which is basically researching the history of a piece of property and creating a report that shows everything that ever happened with it. It's a lot of fun, just crazy high pressure at times because the companies are pretty demanding. Worth it, though.
#15
Somehow I make more than $200k doing UX content strategy. I don't understand how it happened, really, and I'm very lucky. Biggest advantage was learning how to future pace in interviews/sales conversations by focusing on the problem the company is hiring to solve, then doing some quick mental math about how much money that would be worth to them.
"What problem are you trying to solve?" (Usually "want to increase conversions from the blog," or, "redesign our site so it's easier to find stuff for our customers.")
"Okay, and what's your average customer lifetime value?"
"So if we were able to increase blog conversions by 5 new leads per month, it would be worth (5xLTV) for your company every month, right? Wow what a surprise, my salary requirement is only a fraction of that amount even if it's higher than anyone else."
Create a category of one, don't try to compete on the same terms everyone else is.
Maybe growing up as an undiagnosed ADHD kid who never quite fit in no matter how hard I tried led me to that approach...
#16
Photolithography researcher at Intel. Nearly 300k this year. All it took was over a decade of higher education* and being in the right place in contact with the right people. I have no idea what I'm doing half the time lol, but I'm told nobody actually does.
*BSc Electrical engineering (5 years), MSc Computer engineering(3 years), PhD semiconductor physics(4 years). All that, and I had to look up Ohm's law yesterday.
#17
Corporate lawyer. (I make substantially more than $200k but it is a miserable, miserable gig.).
#18
Inflation is really taking it's toll. I remember when this question would be posted at $100,000.
#20
It goes up and down from year to year but I’ve been doing a bit north of 200k for 3 years and might hit 300k in 2024. I am a commercial photographer working mostly in advertising and commercial fashion. It’s probably gonna keep going up and then reeeaaaaaaaally slow down in 5-10 years when the industry will be tired my work. Weird business but fun.
#23
I don’t, but my wife does. ED physician. Great money but like most ED docs, she was burned out by 35 and then had to deal with Covid and all its insanity. Were saving as much money as possible to retire early and travel around the country in a RV.
#28
I make around $170K, but my wife's target compensation is around $1.8 million ($700K base plus stock and bonus which varies).
She's a C-Level executive at a Fortune 500 company. I'm a Software Engineer.
#29
I make far more than that, however our income varies from year to year. This year our total income will hopefully be around 1.2 million after taxes.
It's divided into several streams.
First and foremost, we own a decently sized company that does trim carpentry. Our projects range from mass produced homes, basic MDF baseboards and hollow doors, to more high end finishes in production homes for a higher end spec, and a little bit of the super high end custom stuff- home libraries, exotic wood railings, baseboard, crown molding, etc. The business has its ups and downs, including 2020 where we actually lost a lot of money. But typically I am able to pay myself and wife around 250-500k/yr.
My wife has a part time gig as a medical translator, which while lucrative she has been winding down as frankly we do not need the money.
Beyond that we have significant traditional investments that yield generous dividends.
We also have accumulated a significant amount of income properties, both residential and commercial, which are divided into two separate companies, and all are managed by a property management company that we own a 50% stake in.
We have a minor silent ownership stake in several construction related businesses, some of which we receive income from while others are investments we will eventually cash out
We are in our mid forties and plan to retire within the next year.
I certainly didn't start this way, I once was a rookie framer then finish carpenter driving around the country job to job living in my pickup truck. My wife grew up in the slums city in Mexico.
#30
I might clear 200 this year depending on my bonus... I'm a senior level construction manager .
What do you think ?
ByeFelicia 4 months ago
$250k + discretionary bonus. Global creative director for a Fortune 500.
rorschach-penguin 4 months ago
Find me a lawyer who isn't unhappy and I'll trade you a unicorn for 'em. -an unhappy lawyer
Load More Replies... ByeFelicia 4 months ago
$250k + discretionary bonus. Global creative director for a Fortune 500.
rorschach-penguin 4 months ago
Find me a lawyer who isn't unhappy and I'll trade you a unicorn for 'em. -an unhappy lawyer
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