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

[LisaZee]

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.

Well, I'm 35 and the spouse and I have worked hard and moved up in our respective fields, and I think the almost $100k we make together is an amazing salary. I don't know ANYONE who makes $250k. Maybe it's a regional thing??

 

[BuckNaked]

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.

They're also the group that will get the most in handouts from the people whose taxes will be raised.

 

[Amirah95]

Yo Joe!!!! Is he talking about Joe Six Pack????

 

[golfgal]

Well, I'm 35 and the spouse and I have worked hard and moved up in our respective fields, and I think the almost $100k we make together is an amazing salary. I don't know ANYONE who makes $250k. Maybe it's a regional thing??

That could be--a dual income here of $100K wouldn't be all that great but then again the average home price is close to $400K. If you live in Texas you could buy that same home for $100K and then a salary of the same would be very good. In some place like San Francisco, $100K almost qualifies you for food stamps because a 1000 sq foot house costs about $1,000,000.

 

[Amirah95]

Wow flat line for McCain's healthcare plan!!! WOW!!!! Flat line and below. Dang.

 

[perla75]

Well, I'm 35 and the spouse and I have worked hard and moved up in our respective fields, and I think the almost $100k we make together is an amazing salary. I don't know ANYONE who makes $250k. Maybe it's a regional thing??

I totally agree. We are 33 and 35 years old and make a little under 100K combined/year. We both have advanced degrees & professional certifications. We both work VERY hard. But for me anyways, I am in education/psychology, not a sales or executive profession. The salary range in my profession will never hit even half of $250K/year. I'm fine with that, but I guess my point is, to me-being aware of my field of work, the thought of making 250K seems really wealthy to me!! I guess maybe it's state of mind with your profession & it's range of salaries.

I also live in the northeast & in a lower cost of living area, which is why we live comfortably & can afford our yearly or bi-yearly trips to WDW. Most of the people I know also make less than 250K/year.

 

[bluesaturn]

I totally agree. We are 33 and 35 years old and make a little under 100K combined/year. We both have advanced degrees & professional certifications. We both work VERY hard. But for me anyways, I am in education/psychology, not a sales or executive profession. The salary range in my profession will never hit even half of $250K/year. I'm fine with that, but I guess my point is, to me-being aware of my field of work, the thought of making 250K seems really wealthy to me!! I guess maybe it's state of mind with your profession & it's range of salaries.

I also live in the northeast & in a lower cost of living area, which is why we live comfortably & can afford our yearly or bi-yearly trips to WDW. Most of the people I know also make less than 250K/year.

Are you a school psychologist?

 

[DizneeMommy]

Hmmmm. . .I'm wishing teachers were paid as well as lots of you are! I've been teaching for 15 yrs. and have a Master's degree and I'm making $58,000 a year. (Then all the insurance, retirement, etc. comes out! ) My DH is a pastor and makes about half of what I do!

But, we love our jobs, so it's worth it even though we may never even hit the "comfortable" mark!

 

[Island_Lauri]

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.

And you do realize that people who work on those farms where your farmers* "take home" more than $250,0000, or people clean hotel rooms or take care of children in day care also work very, very hard for their money.

People earning federal minimum wage earn just $262 a week gross and people who earn $250,000 annual earn $4807 a week. I am just not quite sure that people who earn $4807 or more a year really work that much harder than people who earn minimum wage.

It is just the other side of the card - WHY do people that earn over $4800 a week "have it in" for people that earn $30,000 or less annually.

You do realize that not everyone can earn $250,000 a year - no matter how hard they work. The well-to-do need all those service people who make so much less than them - they need them to clean the hotel rooms, wait on them at the restaurants, service their cars, stock the grocery store shelves, etc....




*By the way, do any of those farmers happen to get government subsidies?

"In the past five years alone, the U.S. government has handed out more than $95 billion in agricultural subsidies."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/interactives/farmaid/

And some well-to-do people begrudge tax rebates for people earning $262 a week.

 

[BuckNaked]

People earning federal minimum wage earn just $262 a week gross and people who earn $250,000 annual earn $4807 a week. I am just not quite sure that people who earn $4807 or more a year really work that much harder than people who earn minimum wage.

I'm sure they do, but they aren't working in jobs that require a great deal of skill. It's all about supply and demand - a hiring manager for a low skill position has a much larger pool to draw from than a hiring manager looking to fill a high skill position.

It is just the other side of the card - WHY do people that earn over $4800 a week "have it in" for people that earn $30,000 or less annually.

Who has it in for them? I don't see anywhere asking to pick the hard-earned money from their pockets the way many of them want to do from those of us that have more.

You do realize that not everyone can earn $250,000 a year - no matter how hard they work. The well-to-do need all those service people who make so much less than them - they need them to clean the hotel rooms, wait on them at the restaurants, service their cars, stock the grocery store shelves, etc....

Absolutely - and they get paid for that work. Why should I be expected to give them even more when they're already being paid for the work they do?

*By the way, do any of those farmers happen to get government subsidies?

"In the past five years alone, the U.S. government has handed out more than $95 billion in agricultural subsidies."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/interactives/farmaid/

And some well-to-do people begrudged tax rebates for people earning $262 a week.

I have no problem at all ending farm subsidies - cut 'em out now.

And when the "tax rebates" (welfare handouts) inhibit my ability to look out for my own family, yeah, I do begrudge them that welfare.

 

[perla75]

Are you a school psychologist?

I'm a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA). I work for a public school district conducting behavioral assessments, writing behavior plans, and developing curriculum for students with Autism spectrum disorders. Much different than a school psychologist, though I'm sure some of our job responsibilities overlap.

I have two masters degrees, two professional certifications, work my butt off, and take home somewhere in the low 50K's annually. I want to stress though, I am comfortable with my income & happy with my job. Sure, I'd love to make more (and get paid for the endless hours I work "off the clock"), but we live in a rural area with a lower cost of living, so maybe it's all relative.

 

[Island_Lauri]

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.

I think I can agree with some part of this statement. Not that Obama is leaning towards Socialism (with a capital S) though I do believe that Obama is interested in leveling the playing field. I do though agree that there are a number of people who believe that one day they too will earn $250,000 if they just work hard enough and they don't want to share the wealth if that happens.

 

[rie'smom]

I think I can agree with some part of this statement. Not that Obama is leaning towards Socialism (with a capital S) though I do believe that Obama is interested in leveling the playing field. I do though agree that there are a number of people who believe that one day they too will earn $250,000 if they just work hard enough and they don't want to share the wealth if that happens.

I guess I should have said share more of the wealth. We already share the wealth by paying taxes.

 

[BuckNaked]

I think I can agree with some part of this statement. Not that Obama is leaning towards Socialism (with a capital S) though I do believe that Obama is interested in leveling the playing field. I do though agree that there are a number of people who believe that one day they too will earn $250,000 if they just work hard enough and they don't want to share the wealth if that happens.

We're already sharing the wealth, big time. And taking money from one pocket to place it via a refundable credit handout isn't "leveling the playing field". It's legalized theft.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I work at a very large law firm. I'm not going to say which one.

First year associates (those who graduated from law school in 2008) at my firm are paid $160,000/yr. Eighth year associates are paid roughly $265,000 /yr. We generally receive bonuses annually that are between $30,000-$85,000 depending on class year and hours.

Partners at my firm average well over $1 million per year.

Most of this information can be verified by checking with nalpdirectory.com, which is a site that lists a number of law firms and provides data to those seeking legal employment. The "standard" salary for a first year at a NYC or DC big firm is $160,000 plus bonus. Once you get into later class years, the firms vary on compensation.

EDIT: I just checked NALP for my firm, and it lists first year comp but not the rest of the class years through partnership. That should still be enough info though.

I think the other thing that Quiksilvr and others haven't mentioned is that many of the higher paying positions require college degrees and further schooling. I also work for a very large NYC law firm, with offices in DC and only the top students at top law schools will be asked to become associates at the firm. When you are going to top 10 colleges and law schools, you incur huge amounts of debt which needs to be paid back, so their debts are commesurate (sp?) with their salaries.

 

[gaelic grace]

And you do realize that people who work on those farms where your farmers* "take home" more than $250,0000, or people clean hotel rooms or take care of children in day care also work very, very hard for their money.

People earning federal minimum wage earn just $262 a week gross and people who earn $250,000 annual earn $4807 a week. I am just not quite sure that people who earn $4807 or more a year really work that much harder than people who earn minimum wage.

It is just the other side of the card - WHY do people that earn over $4800 a week "have it in" for people that earn $30,000 or less annually.

You do realize that not everyone can earn $250,000 a year - no matter how hard they work. The well-to-do need all those service people who make so much less than them - they need them to clean the hotel rooms, wait on them at the restaurants, service their cars, stock the grocery store shelves, etc....




*By the way, do any of those farmers happen to get government subsidies?

"In the past five years alone, the U.S. government has handed out more than $95 billion in agricultural subsidies."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/interactives/farmaid/

And some well-to-do people begrudge tax rebates for people earning $262 a week.

I think that most people who are in that income range have spent years to get to that stage. My husband and I are both in education. The only way we will hit 250,000 a year is after we have put 25 years in at our state jobs. We are both well educated - at our own expense- MA's and PhD's don't come cheaply. If I'm fortuntate enough to be able to draw retirement and work a second job for several years to help make up for all the years of low pay then I feel like I have earned that right. I shouldn't be compared to someone in a low wage job at the beginning of their career. Minimum wage jobs weren't intended to raise families on. Most people are going to work their way up from that. I have worked for minimum wage. It was one of the best experiences I have had and I don't look down on anyone who is making that but even as a HS and college student working unglamorous jobs I never lasted more than 2 or three months without getting a raise. Granted it was .10 or .15 an hour but it was slow, gradual upward movement. It also quickly taught me that I was working hard but I wasn't necesarily working smart. I learned that finishing a degree would open opportunities for me. I have friends in skilled trades that don't have a degree but did the same thing in their chosen area. One of my friends who is a builder started off cleaning job sites and worked his way up to part owner. He spent alot of years learning and then saving to buy his own equipment and then finally taking the risk to go out on his own. Darn straight he should be able to enjoy that hard work and risk taking if it pays off.

 

[bsnyder]

I think I can agree with some part of this statement. Not that Obama is leaning towards Socialism (with a capital S) though I do believe that Obama is interested in leveling the playing field.

So why not just completely level it? Have everyone earn the same amount, no matter what the job. What do you see as the downside to that?

 

[Island_Lauri]

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.

I doubt you would consider me young but then again I don't know how old you are.

I come from very a very middle class family - one of six children. I put myself through college and worked for other people for close to 15 years before I went into business for myself. After a few years in business, my husband was able to join me in it. We now run a successful small business together -- bringing in about $500k or so a year in gross income. We pay our employees a very fair salary and make a decent salary ourselves but nothing near $250k a year.

 

[Kathi OD]

DH and I live in what is considered to be a high COL area. We make nowhere near $250,000 and are comfortable. We live in a fairly new home (10 years old), on a one acre lot. If we were making anywhere near $250,000, we'd have no financial worries at all, as long as we continued to live the same as we do now. However, it generally seems that as your income increases your lifestyle gradually changes. After a time you get to a place where you still think you are just average, when in fact, you're not.

Personally, I don't want to see anyone pay more taxes so that I get to pay less. I honestly believe that most people, regardless of their financial situation, are hard workers. If they are fortunate to make more than me, that's great and I'm happy for them. However, I'm also sympathetic to those who work hard, but can't make ends meet due to their low salaries and the high costs of food, housing, utilities, and transportation. I really wish there was an easy solution.

 

[Island_Lauri]

We're already sharing the wealth, big time. And taking money from one pocket to place it via a refundable credit handout isn't "leveling the playing field". It's legalized theft.

Like government subsidies for businesses or bailing out wall street firms and banks?