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

[Papa Deuce]

How exactly is it MIDDLE CLASS when it is only 2.5% of tax payers?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21272238/page/2/

It's middle class BECAUSE some people live in expensive areas to live in... some people don't.

I live near Philly... I pay $2500 a year just to park my car near work. Do you think people in Iowa or Kentucky have that expense? I'm sure many people in NYC, Boston, San Fran ALL pay that or more.

I have not ever been in a car accident that I caused, and have never had a moving violation... I pay $1300 a year for car insurance. Do people in Arkansas pay that?

My home taxes are nearly $7000 a year.... I wonder if many people in Mississippi pay that much. I live in a fairly average 10 year old home.

It is all relative... I'm sorry you can't see that.

 

[Island_Lauri]

Island Lauri , reference your list. Air Traffic controllers are listed as making 140,000. This would be at O'hare or Atlanta or New York. On the old pay scale. (Very busy airports.) New hired controllers start at most places at around 35,000 and after full certification (several years training) can make about 80,000. If Obama is elected that may change (hopefully) since the staffing is critical now and they are hiring people "off the street" for training.

I did reference my list but it is in the middle of the long post so here it is again:

My statistics came from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_35620.htm#b00-0000

US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics:
May 2007 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

Please note that I purposedly use the NY Metro Area as I figured that would provide the high end of wages in the US.

Personally I can't vouch for any of the information compiled or released by the Bush Administration but that is where my statistics are from.

 

[dvcgirl]

It's all relative... $250K a year where I live is upper middle class, but not wealthy by any means.

Same here....in NJ.

 

[rie'smom]

So do you really think that it is just a matter of hard work and 'putting in your time' that gets you to an annual income of $250,000 a year? I guess it is helpful if a judge marries a surgeon. Is that how so many of the posters on this board earn over $250,000 or are they just extraordinary?

The fact that we get over $250,000/ year is not extraordinary.
Both my husband and I get oil royalties. Myroyalties are close to or over $100000 and his are about the same.

I have money from a trust fund set up by my grandparents.

My husband works extraordinarily hard as a sugar cane farmer.
He's at work at 6 am and comes home about 6 pm. During his busy season, he's at work about 5 and home about 7 or 8.

 

[Island_Lauri]

It's middle class BECAUSE some people live in expensive areas to live in... some people don't.

I live near Philly... I pay $2500 a year just to park my car near work. Do you think people in Iowa or Kentucky have that expense? I'm sure many people in NYC, Boston, San Fran ALL pay that or more.

I have not ever been in a car accident that I caused, and have never had a moving violation... I pay $1300 a year for car insurance. Do people in Arkansas pay that?

My home taxes are nearly $7000 a year.... I wonder if many people in Mississippi pay that much. I live in a fairly average 10 year old home.

It is all relative... I'm sorry you can't see that.

I know it is all relative. I happen to live in the northeast also.

It is just strange though that the majority of the people that are most against Obama's tax plan will not be affected by it while the areas that have the higher income are decidedly pro Obama. I'm sorry you can't see that.

 

[TaraPA]

So do you really think that it is just a matter of hard work and 'putting in your time' that gets you to an annual income of $250,000 a year? I guess it is helpful if a judge marries a surgeon. Is that how so many of the posters on this board earn over $250,000 or are they just extraordinary?

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!!!

 

[Island_Lauri]

The fact that we get over $250,000/ year is not extraordinary.
Both my husband and I get oil royalties. Myroyalties are close to or over $100000 and his are about the same.

I have money from a trust fund set up by my grandparents.

My husband works extraordinarily hard as a sugar cane farmer.
He's at work at 6 am and comes home about 6 pm. During his busy season, he's at work about 5 and home about 7 or 8.

It is nice to know that your husband works hard for some of your money.

And yes it is extraordinary to get oil royalties and money from a trust fund. I do have the statistics on that but I am sure that it is a very small percentage of people that get oil royalties and have a trust fund setup by their grandparents.

 

[BuckNaked]

It is just strange though that the majority of the people that are most against Obama's tax plan will not be affected by it while the areas that have the higher income are decidedly pro Obama. I'm sorry you can't see that.

How do you figure I'm not being affected it by it when my taxes will go up thousands of dollars per year?

 

[clarabelle]

Island Lauri
I am not sure what you are getting at.
You think people are lying or exaggerating?

 

[Island_Lauri]

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!!!

I agree - especially if his salary is $125k and he brings home bonuses of at least another $125k. Definitely extraordinary!!!

 

[Barbossa]

The 2.5% doesn't take into account the cost of living in different parts of the country. Surely you don't believe that someone making $250,000 in DC, NYC or SF are going to be living the same lifestyle (which is just as big a factor in "middle class" as actual dollars) as someone in say Wheeling, WV or Slapout, Alabama. Or do you?

I live in San Diego, CA, one of the most expensive cities in the country. $250K/year would be upper middle class around here. You'd need to pull down around $100K/year to be in "the middle" of the middle class in this town. A lot of it is timing. If you've owned a home for > 20 years, you're in good shape. I couldn't afford to buy the home that I currently own, for example.

 

[Island_Lauri]

How do you figure I'm not being affected it by it when my taxes will go up thousands of dollars per year?

Brenda, I was referring to the "relativeness" of it.

Meaning that the states where McCain is leading in are typically the states where the average income is not affected by Obama's tax plan and the states where Obama is leading in have a higher percentage of people whose average income would be affected by it.

Just an interesting observation....

 

[BuckNaked]

I live in San Diego, CA, one of the most expensive cities in the country. $250K/year would be upper middle class around here. You'd need to pull down around $100K/year to be in "the middle" of the middle class in this town. A lot of it is timing. If you've owned a home for > 20 years, you're in good shape. I couldn't afford to buy the home that I currently own, for example.

I'm in a suburb of DC, and I agree 100%. Believe me, I'm not asking for sympathy - we make a good living. At the same time, I get tired of being told that I'm rich, and therefore other people deserve to be given our money more than we deserve to keep it.

Island_Lauri talks about us not being affected by it - while she's certainly welcome to her opinion, handing over thousands of dollars a year (on top of the many thousands we're already paying) will affect us. We're told to save for our future? Sen. Obama's plan will severely inhibit our ability to save for our future as well as for our children's future (college). And for what? So that someone else can have it for doing nothing more than waking up and taking a breath?

Sorry, but Sen. Obama's claim of "this is fair" is falling on deaf ears in this household. I'm sure it's met with glee in the homes of many of the famlies that will benefit from our hard work, but not here.

 

[BuckNaked]

Brenda, I was referring to the "relativeness" of it.

Meaning that the states where McCain is leading in are typically the states where the average income is not affected by Obama's tax plan and the states where Obama is leading in have a higher percentage of people whose average income would be affected by it.

Just an interesting observation....

Ah, got it, thanks for the clarification.

Just a note, I mentioned this in my post above (before I saw this), so please disregard that part of my comments.

 

[golfgal]

I agree - especially if his salary is $125k and he brings home bonuses of at least another $125k. Definitely extraordinary!!!

No offense but you have NO idea what you are talking about. I can think of well over 100 people who receive more in bonus income then salary and WELL over $250K. It is not all that extraordinary at all. Any company that is sales oriented is going to be this way. I know that at DH's old company most of the sales people made about $50K as a base but most of them made close to $350K with bonus/commission and many of them over $500K--this was a small town, rural MN company too.

In this same rural community, most of the farmers made $250K or more--TAKE HOME after expenses. Most of these were grain/corn farmers who worked from April to Sept and had most of the winter 'off'.

90% of the people in my company that have been there over 3 years make over 250K-none of them are included in the 100+ in my first paragraph.

Just because you don't see this happening doesn't mean it doesn't.

I also don't understand WHY people have it in for others that make a good living. They work for that money. One of the top sales guys at DH's old company started as a college intern making about $7/hour and has worked his way up to making close to $600K/year. Why would someone dislike that? His first house was 400 sq feet-one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and a VERY small living room.

 

[Island_Lauri]

Island Lauri
I am not sure what you are getting at.
You think people are lying or exaggerating?

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.

 

[clarabelle]

Well the Dis has a higher than average income.
People that travel to Disney are probably ahead of the curve

 

[golfgal]

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.

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.

 

[bluesaturn]

Brenda, I was referring to the "relativeness" of it.

Meaning that the states where McCain is leading in are typically the states where the average income is not affected by Obama's tax plan and the states where Obama is leading in have a higher percentage of people whose average income would be affected by it.

Just an interesting observation....

Isn't McCain leading in states that historically vote majority Republican regardless, and Obama leading in Democratic states. Because I think that has more to do with it than anything. Or are you only talking swing states or something?

 

[rie'smom]

I know it is all relative. I happen to live in the northeast also.

It is just strange though that the majority of the people that are most against Obama's tax plan will not be affected by it while the areas that have the higher income are decidedly pro Obama. I'm sorry you can't see that.

It's true that areas with highest income are pro obama. However, it's also true that these are large metropolitan areas and in these areas there's a larger population of people that depend on the gov't for housing, medicaid, food stamps, disability. These people are more likely to vote Democrat, according to CNN. There's also a large minority population and they tend to vote Democrat as well.

Brenda, I was referring to the "relativeness" of it.

Meaning that the states where McCain is leading in are typically the states where the average income is not affected by Obama's tax plan and the states where Obama is leading in have a higher percentage of people whose average income would be affected by it.

Just an interesting observation....

It's not whether or not the income is affected so much as it is his leaning towards Socialism. Many people still believe in the American Dream. Obama's share the wealth hinders the dream.