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

[HOGFAN]

My sister is a regional manager of a home decorating company. She pulls in about $250,000.

 

[BuckNaked]

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

I'm not a fan at all of the bailout, and if it weren't for the fact that destruction on Wall Street would have meant even worse problems for the economy, I would have said let 'em all fail, and that includes the boneheads that signed for a $350,000 on a $50,000 mortgage.

 

[ladycollector]

After a time you get to a place where you still think you are just average, when in fact, you're not.

I agree. You upgrade your cars, your house, save more, invest more, etc.. but to you your lifestyle would still be "middle class."

I'm not out of college yet, but I know my parents never even came close to breaking $100,000 combined income and I grew up in a fairly expensive vacation area, so to me, $250,000 is definitely a bit higher than "upper-middle class."

I'm in my junior year and am studying to be an Accountant... so we'll see if later on my opinion of this changes.

Love reading everyone's opinions.

 

[skuttle]

I think it depends more on where you live. I'm an attorney and my DH is a teacher...together we don't even clear $150K much less $250K. People always think attorneys make tons of money. Sure, the potential is there in certain fields and in certain areas of the country. None of the attorneys my age that I know in this area make anywhere near $250K. That's a lot of money down here. I could make a decent amount more than I do, but I would have to work A LOT more hours and that's not worth it to me.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I don't. My boss does. He's the number 2 name on a major law firm in my state. A lot of our clients make more than that.

That being said, $250,000 a year is nothing in the hometown I was brought up in. My parents, who made between $150-$200 combined were considered fairly low on the economic totem pole. There are places out there, in the real world, where most people make over $250,000 per year easy. And trust me, they don't care about the middle class. They consider themselves the middle class.

 

[chris1gill]

I am curious as to how many CEOs of major corporations spend their time around the DISboards. I have noted a number of posting where people have stated that they earn over $250k a year. What line of work are people in that is earning them over $250k adjusted gross income and how do they have so much time to post on this board?

"Obama says he would hike several taxes on people making more than $250,000, including the amount they pay on capital gains. Currently, the top income tax rate is 35 percent. Under Obama, that would go back up to 39 percent. Obama's staff told the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center he would raise the rates for people in the top two brackets -- about 2.5 million filers out of 100 million-plus. People in those high tax brackets would see the tax rate on their capital gains hiked from the current 15 percent to 20-28 percent."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1031268,CST-NWS-tax30.article

Are you one of the 2.5 million filers that would be affected and what do you do to earn your income?

Doesn't every occupation make more than 250K per year?

 

[FINFAN]

I only read the title of this thread, none of the replies, but I just had to post ...it was made public last week that the Superintendent of our school district earns just shy of $270,000 a year...NOT including any bonus, pension, just his straight salary! And this is a guy Kentucky school system didn't renew a contract for , as they were so disappointed in him. Yep, 270,000 a year on TOP of his agreement from Ky! I'm SO happy about our taxes, let me tell ya...NOT! Did I mention he has a 3 year contract? He's bullet proof tot he tune of over 3/4 of a million. Yep, and my kids books look like they've been thru a war, and keeps telling me that they have to share handouts becasue there isn't enough $ for the paper needed, the imbalance of things just makes me nuts!

 

[rparmfamily]

(I haven't read any replies)
We live in a very high cost of living area (HI), and counting ALL the extra perks we get for living here (like our housing money and COLA we get) we are still under $100K. Maybe it's how we live (I'm a SAHM) but it's enough for us, we save, we travel, we invest, we own a home,etc.

I don't know anyone in DH's field of work that makes around that. Perhaps an admiral maybe?

My father made much more than $250K when he owned/ran his own trucking company.

 

[Planogirl]

Does anyone know what percentage of people in their area actually make over $250,000? Just saying that they know lots of people doesn't mean much IMO because certain income levels seem to normally hang together. I do wonder if it's as many as some of you seem to think, even in expensive areas.

 

[manning]

Many small business owners make over $250,000.

Not according to Obama tonight. According to him there would be very few affected with his increase.

 

["Got Disney"]

I am a retired Labor and Delivery Nurse that left at $106,000 a year. I am a SAHM...

DH sells tools and equipment all over the US...mostly to the Military. Our income ranges between $200-250,000 a year......would have been 300-$350,000 if i stayed working.

It took 30 years to build up his accounts and me 22 years in Specialized Nursing with a Masters to reach that amount. Was up for a raise when I left....

I am almost 51 and DH is 53.....did not happen over night and took a lot of hard work. We also chose not to settle for anything less. We wanted to make it to upper middle class....and we strived to do so.

DH works out of the house also. He is an independent contractor. And is also asked by companies for him to come in and teach them how he works his business so well. Yes we have been blessed. And DH has the gift of gab and is honest in his work so his customers stay with him forever.....

 

[SereneOne]

WOW, I feel poor now and I thought I was middle class....lol

My husband is a credit manager for a corporation and he makes about $50,000 a year. I am a SAHM and am back in college to pursue a higher degree, but have worked as a social worker, starting in the low twenties and worked up to the mid thirties. I plan on going back to work soon and want to work with Hospice, so I probably will be back to making in the twenties.

 

[goofysully]

this thread should be retitled class warfare. we are a 1 income union household, that makes over 100k a year, i work very hard in a dangerous profession, but dont think im above a 30k a year person or below a 250k a year person. its all relative to where you live and what you do. so many folks want to say lower wage earners are getting government handouts, but ive seen many who work 2 jobs many hours just tryng to make it and support their kids. lower income folks pay a bigger portion of their salaries to supposed entitlement programs. social security is taxed at just over 6% on up to 102k so if you make over that your tax rate for ss is lower than the person who does not. gas taxes cigarette taxes etc impact lower income folks because those taxes have a higher impact on lower wage earners. the ceo of lehman goes before congress and is confronted by wondering how someone can make over 500m over 8 years and lead a company to bankruptcy, and still keep his dough but us shareholders lose out and then taxpayers have to bail out wall street after they took their dough and went home. i just think of myself as an American who served his country and wants all to have an opprutunity to make it here however you define that for yourself.

 

[BuckNaked]

this thread should be retitled class warfare. we are a 1 income union household, that makes over 100k a year, i work very hard in a dangerous profession, but dont think im above a 30k a year person or below a 250k a year person. its all relative to where you live and what you do. so many folks want to say lower wage earners are getting government handouts, but ive seen many who work 2 jobs many hours just tryng to make it and support their kids. lower income folks pay a bigger portion of their salaries to supposed entitlement programs. social security is taxed at just over 6% on up to 102k so if you make over that your tax rate for ss is lower than the person who does not. gas taxes cigarette taxes etc impact lower income folks because those taxes have a higher impact on lower wage earners. the ceo of lehman goes before congress and is confronted by wondering how someone can make over 500m over 8 years and lead a company to bankruptcy, and still keep his dough but us shareholders lose out and then taxpayers have to bail out wall street after they took their dough and went home. i just think of myself as an American who served his country and wants all to have an opprutunity to make it here however you define that for yourself.

It's not a supposed entitlement, it is an entitlement.

And yes, our SS taxes are capped, but then again, so are our benefits. Raise my benefits and I'll have no problem paying tax on over $102,000.

 

[joviroxx]

i just think of myself as an American who served his country and wants all to have an opprutunity to make it here however you define that for yourself.

I agree, we all want to have the opportunity. I guess we just disagree in the way you define that for yourself.

 

[KirstenB]

Does anyone know what percentage of people in their area actually make over $250,000? Just saying that they know lots of people doesn't mean much IMO because certain income levels seem to normally hang together. I do wonder if it's as many as some of you seem to think, even in expensive areas.

I'm glad you said this. We have some friends, a married couple, where the dh maybe makes $250k, and there are a few husband/wives at church where both are doctors, but I'm really stretching to come up with folks who make that kind of money out here.

DH was offered a job several years ago at $150k, which would have doubled his salary back then. He's an electrical engineer and the job was way up north. The headhunter told him the salary was higher because it was hard to attract candidates willing to move that far north. DH turned it down.

Currently, he makes enough money for us to have a great life. We're DVC'rs, have a nice home, and I'm a SAHM.

I guess this thread goes to show how much diversity there is in salaries, and also it depends on where you live.

 

[Galahad]

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....

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

 

[Island_Lauri]

Interesting trend - it appears that a number of the over $250k crowd work or have worked for the government (federal or state) and some are in sales position where there is room for big commissions (such as pharmaceuticals, mortgages, software sales). Definitely a big split between educators.

 

[golfgal]

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 never said I had it in for people making minimum wage. What I DON'T like is the "because you have it you should share it" attitude that is coming across. We have what we have because we went to college (paid for entirely on our own-no help from parents) worked hard and succeeded. I was a teacher and I see kids that goofed off in class, never turned in homework, had big attitudes and barely graduating now working in those minimum wage jobs--do you think there MIGHT be a connection there? Every single person in this country has the opportunity to get to $250K+, some make it, some don't. Some choose jobs that can't make it there, like teaching, and are very satisfied with that. Others won't make it because they don't have the work ethic and then there are some that just are not capable of getting there due to mental challenges or whatever the PC word is this day for the mentally handicapped.

You seem to think that just because others have worked their way up they should have to pay more into the system to supplement those that don't. I say, if you want to make more money DO something about that--go to school, get a second job, but don't expect handouts.

Yes, I am fully aware that farmers receive subsidies and while people begrudge those, do people realize how expensive food would be without them???

 

[keagansmom]

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.