What type of professions earned over $250k a year?

[Olaf]

Many retired senior military officers make over 250K, especially in the DC area.

 

[DMickey28]

Keep in mind as well that those are salaries you posted - many professions - especially sales - have large bonuses every year as well. DH is only salaried in software sales at $125K but brings home at least that if not more in bonus on top of that.

And yes, I happen to think he's extraordinary!!!

That's very true ... My Dh's base isn't quite as large but he gets monthly commissions which bumps up our income quite a bit, plus bonuses along the way.

 

[mikehn]

250K isnt hard to do especially in large coastal cities like DC, NY, LA, SF, etc.

 

[wilderness01]

Are you under pay for performance? If not, federal employees, including military, have gotten annual cost of living raises every year for at least the last 20 years. There have been no wage freezes that I'm aware of.

You are completely wrong. DH is a govt employee as well and I can assure you that his base pay has been frozen as well.

 

[froglady]

It seems to me that the service economy needs the well-to-do even more than the well-to-do need the service economy.

There are many things that I pay others to do that I could do myself. Perhaps not as well, but if someone of average intelligence can learn how to do it without going through years of training, I suspect I could, also.

I prefer to treat myself from time to time, and stay in a hotel, eat out in a restaurant, etc. I prefer not having to change my own oil, and have neither the time nor inclination to learn how to do all of my plumbing, electrical repairs, car repairs, etc. But if I absolutely had to, I could learn.

 

[lindalinda]

Are you under pay for performance? If not, federal employees, including military, have gotten annual cost of living raises every year for at least the last 20 years. There have been no wage freezes that I'm aware of.

YOU ARE WRONG. Yes, I am under pay performance, but the entire pay structure of my field was restructured over 2 years ago. EVERYONE IN MY FIELD at the time was then above pay grade. Everyone new hired in is at least 30% lower pay scale and everyone else's pay is frozen. Forever, or until Congress steps in. Our pay stays exactly the same. Annual cost of living increases are not added to salary. Performance pay is not added to salary.

 

[choirfarm]

Something to consider: cost of living.. I was floored several years ago when I went to San Jose California for a cousin't wedding. Their house which to me was an 80,000 dollar house where I live was worth 1.5 million dollars.. He said that the University where he was a an administrator (provost?? can't remember his title) had to give a living stipend to their professors that made under 200,000 dollars a year so they could afford to live there. So although 250,000 would be a VERY comfortable living here, it would be tough to live on there, it sounds like.. Just a thought. Oh yes, I have another cousin living in New York and his salary sounded extravagent coming out of college but then I heard what his rent was on his teeny tiny apartment and it took over half of his salary!!!

 

[Quiksilvr]

I am really not sure which is why I am asking.

I think it may be a combination of things: I think some people are confused by the idea of having a gross income of over $250,000 in a small business versus net profit. I do think some people are exaggerating and other people have explained that some of their income comes from royalties and trust funds. I also think there is some wishful thinking - maybe both spouses work and do have good paying jobs and make close to $100k each and feel that they are close enough to $250,000.

Based on the way you've been responding, it sounds like you're calling people out and stopping short of calling people liars. This is an anonymous internet message board, so of course it's your right to do that, but it's still bad form. I could give you my law firm website and my profile URL, but since you don't know me that wouldn't do you any good either.

You cite a bunch of average and median stats from the US government. That's interesting, but remember that the median is just that; it's the exact middle of the incomes. I know a lot of lawyers who make dirt because they do public defense or work for legal aid. I work for a large corporate law firm. You can check any statistics from NALP, which tracks legal employment, or from the American Law Journal, which tracks partner incomes, and find out how partners and associates at the top firms are doing.

I work at a firm that has much more than 500 lawyers (that's the line for a large law firm with NALP). The average partner makes well over $1 million and closer to $2 million per year, give or take a quarter-mil here and there. Senior associates (after bonus) make well over $300K. There's a lot of money floating around here. However, note that only like 1% of lawyers in America work at firms with more than 500 lawyers. So, it's an "extraordinary" group considering that almost every lawyer has an extensive education.

And yes, they don't get on the DIS. Why? Because most of them wouldn't be caught dead doing anything related to WDW because they view it as plebian and pathetic. I differ in opinion on that. I love Disney stuff, always have, and I enjoy posting on this forum. That's why I do it.

 

[Castlebound]

In the St. Louis area $250,000 is a VERY nice living. For the most part the cost of living here is much lower than coastal areas. My DH is in software sales and makes nowhere near $250,000 and he is the top salesman at his company. The fact is even if you live in a high cost of living area the majority of Americans make less than $250,000. You can complain about higher taxes if you want but in the end I think we will all pay higher taxes regardless of who wins next month. If you want to complain about paying higher taxes because you make a lot more than the average family you can but you will find few people who feel sorry for you. My parents will never clear $100,000 in a year, yet get taxed very heavily. They have no dependents, their house is paid off, and are a two income family. They get no tax breaks. Where is the uproar for them? They aren't alone. Many of their friends are in the same position.

 

[bunny]

I live in a low income area with a low COL. There are few people in our area that over $100,000 a year. I have an advanced degree and do make more than that but nowhere near $250,000 a year.

Let me preface this by saying I am a Christian and am looking at the situation from that point of view, but it makes sad when I read a lot of these replies. Nobody wants higher taxes and I don't think that is the answer to our economic problems, but I get the general feeling that alot of people who make more than $250,000 think that they are somehow better or have worked harder than people who don't. It is a sort of class warfare. My husband's friend is a dairy farmer and makes very little. He is barely hanging on to a farm that has been in his family for generations. He works 16 hour days, 365 days a year. My grandmother lives on $12,000 a year she gets from Social Security and a small pension. The teachers at my son's school (a private Christian school) make less than $30,000 a year. Our minister makes about $60,000 a year. Even though I make a lot more money than any of these people, I value them and think they are probably better people than I am. Our society esteems people that are wealthy. Princess Diana and Mother Theresa died in the same week. Princess Diana's face was on every major magazine.

I will not vote for Obama, but this thread is really making me sick. Instead of thanking God for all of your blessings, most of the people on this thread are calling themselves middle class and bragging about how they deserve it since they worked so hard. As a Christian I believe none of our money belongs to us anyway. And just remember, there are no pockets in a shroud.

 

[SereneOne]

My husband is a VP of a company -- and yes he makes over 250,000-- We are blessed, but we have also worked very hard for 20 years to be in the position we are now. We live a comfortable-- not excessive lifestyle. We drive our cars until they die, and then purchase a used car to drive until it dies. We save money every month for our vacation. We live in a nice house, not a mansion.

I believe that because we are blessed we should give back -- so we do-- we tithe to our church, we donate to various charities, we help support our son's school financially, I volunteer weekly at the school, at the church, for local charities, community events, and for our local symphony-- I probably donate around 25-30 hours a week. I give as much as I can financially and through volunteering my time.

However-- my husband does work an enormous amount of hours-- probably 60 hours at the "office" plus another 20 at home catching up on email and such. We moved to our current location ( away from all friends & family) in order for him to have this opportunity. I quit my job-- since it was a state specific job -not necessarily a bad thing but I do miss it. I run into people all the time who expect me to be their own personal bank-- again we are only making in the 250-260,000 range- not millions.

I guess my point is that I believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. I do not mind paying a little more in taxes to help others out-- what I do mind is bailing out companies and people who make bad decisions-- i.e. living beyond thier means-
I'm a hand up person-- not hand out. If our taxes are raised, my donations get cut back, that simple.

I also do not see anyone here who is upset that a NFL player can make millions for playing a game (although a tough one physically) or that an actor can make millions of dollars for simply providing entertainment-- while or teachers struggle to make ends meet. Our priorities as a nation are screwed up.

I agree. Same thing with nurses and social workers...

 

[mill4023]

Just curious, how old are you? I think that you must be young because your view on what a good salary is really isn't reality. NONE of our friend make less then $100K and we are not rich by any means and neither are they. What we are are couples that have worked hard over the years and moved up in our respective companies and with those moves have come raises, bonuses and other incentives. My DH made $16,000 with his first job right out of college and has worked his way up an now is part owner of his company. $100,000 was passed MANY years ago. I have been a stay at home mom for 14 years and just recently reentered the work force. With our combined incomes we will be way past $250K--again, we are not rich by any means but we are comfortable.

Your "reality" and your definition of a "good salary" are much much different from the vast majority of people in this country.
To be clear, I have nothing against rich people. And I certainly don't think you should have to pay anyone else's share. When it comes to taxes, I am very conservative. IMO, rich people are already paying way more than their fair share of this country's taxes and I find it extremely aggravating to hear liberals talk about how the rich need to pay their fare share. Are you kidding me? They're already paying the vast majority of the income taxes.

But to say that you make way past $250k and you're not rich is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Think about it for a minute. You're making WAY MORE than 98% of the people in this country, but you're not rich? I guess everyone has their own definition, but IMO, you're crazy if you consider being in the top 2% to be "middle class".

The median household income in the US is around 50k. You make WAY MORE than 5 times that amount, but you're not rich?

When it comes to a definition of a "good salary", I guess that's subjective too. The average salary in the U.S. is about 40k.

From what I've read so far on this thread, I think I need to start looking at sales and consulting positions in my field. I'm a senior software developer with 7 years of experience and I'm still pretty far below 100k. The only people I know in my field who make over 100k are in management or have started their own consulting companies.

 

[bunny]

If someone making over $250,000 does not think they are rich, something is definitely wrong with our society. I wish one of these so called "middle income" people would just once say, "I was really blessed. I got a lot of breaks and worked in a field where it was possible to make a lot of money. I worked hard, yes, but I was in a field where it was possible to make a lot of money for that." My grandmother raised 5 kids in poverty and worked until she was 75 years old. I don't know anyone who worked harder and yet she lives on $12,000 a year. But she is extremely happy and hasn't never taken government handouts.

 

[joviroxx]

I wish one of these so called "middle income" people would just once say, "I was really blessed. I got a lot of breaks and worked in a field where it was possible to make a lot of money. I worked hard, yes, but I was in a field where it was possible to make a lot of money for that." .

What makes you think that everyone that makes that much got breaks? How about they chose their field wisely and worked towards it? And its all relative. $250,000/yr for a family of 5 in New York City is not the same as $250,000 for the same family in another part of the country.

Regardless, how does that translate into, "so the government should take from them to give to those that don't have"?

 

[bunny]

I don't think the government should. I actually thinks the economy works best with little regulation and less taxes. But I just think some people think they are better than other people due to their economic status. I know a lot of people that work hard at jobs that are not financially rewarded and I am thankful for those people.

 

[Mom2Nick]

I live in a low income area with a low COL. There are few people in our area that over $100,000 a year. I have an advanced degree and do make more than that but nowhere near $250,000 a year.

Let me preface this by saying I am a Christian and am looking at the situation from that point of view, but it makes sad when I read a lot of these replies. Nobody wants higher taxes and I don't think that is the answer to our economic problems, but I get the general feeling that alot of people who make more than $250,000 think that they are somehow better or have worked harder than people who don't. It is a sort of class warfare. My husband's friend is a dairy farmer and makes very little. He is barely hanging on to a farm that has been in his family for generations. He works 16 hour days, 365 days a year. My grandmother lives on $12,000 a year she gets from Social Security and a small pension. The teachers at my son's school (a private Christian school) make less than $30,000 a year. Our minister makes about $60,000 a year. Even though I make a lot more money than any of these people, I value them and think they are probably better people than I am. Our society esteems people that are wealthy. Princess Diana and Mother Theresa died in the same week. Princess Diana's face was on every major magazine.

I will not vote for Obama, but this thread is really making me sick. Instead of thanking God for all of your blessings, most of the people on this thread are calling themselves middle class and bragging about how they deserve it since they worked so hard. As a Christian I believe none of our money belongs to us anyway. And just remember, there are no pockets in a shroud.

Not everybody believes what you believe. Religion is an individual choice. You should never take your beliefs and shove them at people in an effort to make them feel bad because they do not think like you do.

In my life - nobody has "blessed" anybody. My family is where they all are because we all made very wise choices and worked our tails off.

 

[eliza61]

A lot of doctors have to pay for malpractice insurance and I heard that it's quite costly. I don't know that for sure, but it's what I heard. Maybe that's why he doesn't clear $250k.

Yep, unfortunately they do. Dh recently retired from medicine because his insurance in NJ was over $110,000K a year. He now works for an oil company so his salary is still pretty decent. I'm a Research chemist for a chemical company.
I'd like to think we don't believe we are any better than anyone else and we definitely consider ourselves firmly middle class. Yes I believe I'm very blessed but I don't consider money a blessing. I consider my health a blessing, I consider the love of my family a blessing. Money is a tool, nothing more. I would consider myself just as blessed if I was only making 50K a year.
Higher gas, food and utilites have taken a bite out of our finances just like every one else. I hate when my taxes go up, but I hate it even more when I see the morons in Congress blowing my money


I hang out on the dis for no other reason than I like disney world.

 

[NotUrsula]

You cite a bunch of average and median stats from the US government. That's interesting, but remember that the median is just that; it's the exact middle of the incomes. I know a lot of lawyers who make dirt because they do public defense or work for legal aid. I work for a large corporate law firm. You can check any statistics from NALP, which tracks legal employment, or from the American Law Journal, which tracks partner incomes, and find out how partners and associates at the top firms are doing.

I work at a firm that has much more than 500 lawyers (that's the line for a large law firm with NALP). The average partner makes well over $1 million and closer to $2 million per year, give or take a quarter-mil here and there. Senior associates (after bonus) make well over $300K. There's a lot of money floating around here. However, note that only like 1% of lawyers in America work at firms with more than 500 lawyers. So, it's an "extraordinary" group considering that almost every lawyer has an extensive education.
...

All very true. But even median is a moving target depending on location and area. The thing is, NALP and NLJ index a self-selected group. DH has been in practice in this market for 25 years, and none of the local firms that practice in his area are listed in NALP.

For jollies I did an open search on NALP for my metro area of 2.4 million. There are at least 400 law firms of various sizes in this area, but only 10 are indexed on NALPDirectory. If you were to use the numbers for those 10 as your evidence, you would assume that the average starting salary for a new associate in this market is $120K, and you would be *really* wrong. The "average" firm here has fewer than 100 attorneys and starts new associates in the high $40's. The government jobs start in the mid-$30's.

 

[Quiksilvr]

I live in a low income area with a low COL. There are few people in our area that over $100,000 a year. I have an advanced degree and do make more than that but nowhere near $250,000 a year.

Let me preface this by saying I am a Christian and am looking at the situation from that point of view, but it makes sad when I read a lot of these replies. Nobody wants higher taxes and I don't think that is the answer to our economic problems, but I get the general feeling that alot of people who make more than $250,000 think that they are somehow better or have worked harder than people who don't. It is a sort of class warfare. My husband's friend is a dairy farmer and makes very little. He is barely hanging on to a farm that has been in his family for generations. He works 16 hour days, 365 days a year. My grandmother lives on $12,000 a year she gets from Social Security and a small pension. The teachers at my son's school (a private Christian school) make less than $30,000 a year. Our minister makes about $60,000 a year. Even though I make a lot more money than any of these people, I value them and think they are probably better people than I am. Our society esteems people that are wealthy. Princess Diana and Mother Theresa died in the same week. Princess Diana's face was on every major magazine.

I will not vote for Obama, but this thread is really making me sick. Instead of thanking God for all of your blessings, most of the people on this thread are calling themselves middle class and bragging about how they deserve it since they worked so hard. As a Christian I believe none of our money belongs to us anyway. And just remember, there are no pockets in a shroud.

Do we all feel adequately chastised now?

No one on this thread who makes $250K+ is acting as if they are better than other people. Most of us have taken our stand based on the following: we are paid for our time at a rate higher than a lot of other Americans. This happens because our skills are in high demand and companies are willing to pay high salaries. The skillsets we developed to earn that money came about via education and other experience. Because of all of the above, we believe that we earn the money we are paid and thus have first priority right to the money. If you want to earn the same amount of money, go get an education and experience similar to ours, and call our companies. Be willing to move to a highly populated area and pay higher living expenses, and be prepared to be in the office from 9-8. But, if you're cool with all that, I'm sure we could find a spot for you.

I thank God every day for the blessings in my life, including my good job and my great income. Don't presume that we're all moneygrubbing greedy devils destined for Hell. That's just as arrogant of a presumption as us thinking we're better than other people.

Do I deserve my income? According to my firm I must because otherwise they wouldn't pay me that much. I don't see what anecdotal evidence about your grandmother and preacher have to do with that. Thanks again for a comment in which you start off by telling us all that you're a Christian and then accusing us all of acting unChristian.

 

[Quiksilvr]

All very true. But even median is a moving target depending on location and area. The thing is, NALP and NLJ index a self-selected group. DH has been in practice in this market for 25 years, and none of the local firms that practice in his area are listed in NALP.

For jollies I did an open search on NALP for my metro area of 2.4 million. There are at least 400 law firms of various sizes in this area, but only 10 are indexed on NALPDirectory. If you were to use the numbers for those 10 as your evidence, you would assume that the average starting salary for a new associate in this market is $120K, and you would be *really* wrong. The "average" firm here has fewer than 100 attorneys and starts new associates in the high $40's. The government jobs start in the mid-$30's.

I cited NALP and the American Law Journal for statistics based on "large" law firms, not law firms in general. I also noted that 1% of lawyers work at firms of 501+ lawyers.

Of course NALP is self-selected; that's why it's relevant for my point. My point is that lawyers at top law firms get paid a lot of money, and I can prove it via the statistics reported through NALP. If I recall correctly, I get paid better than any judge in America (and I've got less then five years of experience). Big law firms pay big bucks. That was my point. The OP keeps challenging everyone and I provided that information as evidence that lawyers in my world get paid lots of money.

Finally, NALPdirectory is used primarily by law students at the best law schools. A kid who goes to... I dunno... Thomas Jefferson School of Law wouldn't get a sniff from 90% of the firms listed on NALP if he was the top graduate in his class. There's a lot of class snobbery in big law firms and NALP plays into that.