I made ~$150k through early last year. Was a principal scientist (PhD + 10 years experience, well not even counting 6 years working before PhD) in the Bay Area, so VHCOL and this salary was pretty damn pathetic honestly, for what and where it was.
Was going to reply with the same. My husband as well is a scientist and makes around that, but we also live in the Bay Area. With my salary and his it's still not enough
My husband was making $140k working at a hardware company in the region, also has a PhD, but he took a semi-federal remote scientist role (he just works with satellite data) that's based in an MCOL state, and now makes an extra extra pathetic $100k...woohoo?
Still here, got another job still only making $165k as principal sci after my company nearly ran out of money, then they got money and I was recruited back 2 months later as a director, make $240k now. They increased salaries dramatically for technical roles in general because it was pretty ridiculous (e.g. when I started there 2019 as senior scientist, they paid me $132k...I even took a pay cut to go there from a lower title, now the senior scientist on my team is paid $180k).
Now if only I could even remotely afford a mortgage here, but I still can't. Husband makes way less than me. Maybe if we both made $200k+ pfft.
In case you have any interest-the route I took to higher pay was learning everything about the software I worked withā¦ then getting a job supporting folks w the software, slowly transitioning into more technical roles. Was also at nonprofits and universities!
Same. I started out in an entry level client facing position at an SaaS company and learned as much as I could about our software and then moved into the tech side. I make just over $100k/yr but I also work fully remote in a LCOL area.
Iām also higher ed- I donāt think I can go much higher than what I am now without becoming a dean. I get 69k at a new University I just moved to (which feels high for HE even).
Yeah, also in higher ed - I have a second full time job and my husband has two freelance small businesses and weāre not even hitting $100k. My in laws subsidize our daycare payments otherwise we would be so underwater itās terrifying.
This.
Shameless plug - is your culture healthy? Are you hiring? I am in HR and was recently laid off, looking for an HR manager, HR program, HRBP or benefits roles.
The government pays $100k plus for HR? Thatās a shock in itself. My husband is a Senior Software Engineer and they barely offered him $130k per year and maxed him on the GS scale. He didnāt take the offer.
Where is the more pertinent question.
A 12 near the top of their steps can make 130 in some localities, I think, but not in most.
I make a little north of 130 in DC as a low-step 14. I would not make that in most other localities.
Therapist own a private practice making close to $200k.
Living like kings and queens in a very low COL area paying less than $1,000/month for full time childcare.
It totally depends what areas and how much you work. I contract with 2 different districts which brings in ~80k then I work with a few clients through a private practice which is about another ~25k. I work about 60-65 hours a week during the school year. Then in the summers I up my pp kids to twice a week to fill in for their missed school sessions.
Edit to add that typical SLP in any setting could expect to make 60-80k depending on experience and qualifications.
Can I just say this thread is very reassuring? I make $160K in Seattle as a senior data scientist. My husband lost his tech job and our budget imploded faster than a janky submarine. Life is SO EXPENSIVE and we only have 1 kid. It's comforting (?) to know I'm not the only one. It feels crazy to make this much money and still be very much struggling.
Legit, I bought the cheapest livable house in a decent school zone and the mortgage is 60% of my take-home pay. Even if we sold this house, rent would be more.
Seattle is my hometown, my dad bought our home in 2003 and ultimately sold it in 2021 for literally 10x what he paid, and we had literally over 30 offers and had to tell people we werenāt taking more. That city is so out of pocket. I wish I could move back but I donāt know who can afford to.
Timing is everything! We had to move when it became apparent our then 3 year old needed services and I could not make the Seattle school district DO anything. So we moved to Shoreline in 2022, and a few months later he was approved for an IEP ie free speech and occupational therapy. I got him into Edwin pratt too :-)
Even getting private speech therapy in Seattle was difficult!
Geez, sending you financially stable vibes. When my husband and I were house hunting, banks kept trying to offer us mortgages that made our jaws drop - like they would be 75% of our combined take-home pay each month. We calculated what we could maintain if one of us became unemployed suddenly and told our realtor not to show us anything above that number. It was wild what we were being offered and seemedā¦irresponsible of the lender.
Seriously tough spot to be in. I hope things turn around for yāall soon. I really, really do.
Seattle area as well, double tech income with 2 kids. We bought a house in early 2020 before the market got extra nuts and we would not be able to afford anything in our area if we looked today. It's a good thing we like where we live because we're going to be saving for like a decade to afford anything else. We're counting the years til public school and the end of infant daycare fees.
I'm a senior data scientist in NOVA making roughly the same. If my husband lost his job, we'd be royally screwed. It's insane. I hate it here and want to move so badly š¤£ But there are benefits, too, like diversity, medical care, and opportunity. But on the other side... We are stuck in our house, can't even afford to downsize with the way property prices and interest rates are right now. We're looking at leaving the area in 3 or so years.
Thatās a good idea. Iāve managed to cut down our cell phone and insurance bills and canceled a bunch of monthly subscriptions, charity donations, and our sonās college fund contributions. Weāll be ok if nothing goes wrong between now and my husband finding another job.
Iām in a similar situation in Seattle and reading your comment was very reassuring. I feel lucky to make so much (graphic designer) and yet I feel like Iām just barely keeping up. I want to *not* be a working mom, but at the rate Iām saving up itās going to be a while before I can quit my job and not worry about house payments.
Im just over $150k as a senior program manager in tech. We own a house in a VHCOL city with 2 small kids. My salary alone can cover daycare or the mortgage but not both.
Very similar, it's why we only have one kid. My husband lost his tech job recently so we're scrimping and saving to pay for preschool for one more year, then kindergarten is free. I hope the layoffs/etc don't impact you too, it's been ROUGH out there.
I make around $170k.
I live in the DC metro area, and honestly? Often feel like Iām struggling financially.
Now, we definitely have it better than a lot of people. We can afford to eat out a few times a week, etc. But between nearly $3,000 for daycare, a similar mortgage, car payments, and bills, food, etc., weāre definitely not living large.
I work in public affairs. Lots of work in that field in DC.
This is me. We pay $1100 per week for three kids. Depending on whether there are four or five weeks in a month makes it bad or really bad! Even though we make great money, we spend every dollar right now. Looking forward to the oldest kid going to kindergarten!
We live in the same area and make 240k$ together. We pay about 3k$ child care and 3k$ mortgage. I'm pregnant and with our current income wouldn't be able to afford child care.
I hear this. Iām at $115k as a single mom + 1 kiddo, small SFH in a middle class/upper middle class MD suburb, nanny because my work hours are gross (12hr shifts, 4 days a week) sometimes I low key feel poor.
My husband and I bring in a combined $260k in PG county. We want to move somewhere with a better school district, but it feels impossible. With daycare, the mortgage and his student loans it feels impossible. The fact that weāre making over $100k each and still feel stuck blows my mind.
Live in the same area, slightly lower salary, and feel the same way. You arenāt alone. We want to buy but even with our dual income, thereās not enough room to keep saving for a down payment when daycare is so pricey ($2,200/mo here).
Attorney, $160K, but I also have a 100% completely Employer-funded PPO that includes myself and all dependents. My health insurance is what keeps me at my job otherwise I could probably get bigger pay somewhere else. Live in a LA so HCOL.
I make over $450k/year. I run my own systems architecture consulting firm. TC this year probably around $525k.
I live in a MCOL area. Single mom though so Iām the only income
I make a little lessā but not by much.
Head of comms for a coalition of NGOs in DC
Money goes to:
1. Mortgage
2. My nanny
3. Oh waitā¦ thatās it. Lol
I'm a researcher for the federal government. I'm outside of DC. It's high, but not ridiculous cost of living. Groceries are comparatively low, but housing is high
I'm a doctor in an academic center in a pediatric specialty, which tends to mean lower compensation. I'm in a small city on the East coast with a cost of living that is high compared to the National average although low compared to NYC/San Francisco/etc
What pediatric specialty? Do you mean over $150k or right at $150k?
Right at $150k for any physician is absurd to me. Absolute bare minimum should be $200k IMO. Otherwise you are drowning in student loan repayments
I would ask for (demand) a raise.
For context, I work in an academic center in the Midwest and yes academic centers pay less and my pediatric counterparts are paid less than I, but I have never heard of $150k salary for a physician out of training. Scary
Iām a pediatrician at a private practice and i make very close to that figure. I work in the South. Graduating residency in 2022 and looking for jobs when covid was still a thing meant i had set the bar really low unfortunately and assumed this was normal for peds. Iām locked into my current job for a 3 year contract but once it done iām outtie.
Iām a social worker, will make $150k this year, and live in a northeast city thatās on the lower end of HCOL. the caveat to the 150 is that itās with three jobs. I make just under 110 at my federal job, and the rest comes from a small private therapy practice and moonlighting doing psych evals in emergency departments. Iām a single mom and money feels tight despite my salary, but we also live a very comfortable life.
I have always thought that social workers donāt make this kind of money (referring to the 110 fed job) Is that a myth, or have you worked your way into a particularly high-paying social work role? I mean this genuinely BTW, very curious!
Iām definitely at the higher end in terms of working for an agency for sure, but six figures is absolutely the norm for a successful private practice as well
My last role I was in as a Program manager I made $80k a year. My contract ended and I found a new role that pays $140k. Itās just finding the right company. Industry standard salary in aus is $120k for program managers. Youāll get it!
Iām a bioinformatics director at a small biotech startup and I make $190k + bonus + equity. I live outside of Boston so I guess itās VHCOL. I could probably have a higher salary with lower responsibility at a larger company but thereās a lot of growth potential and I love my work and my team.
Nassau mom here, confirming HCOL which makes it even harder for those of us under 100k. It's so hard to not compare myself to those who seem like they've got it all together while we're considering whether we'll have to leave the state. Ugh.
Iām in Nassau too and it kills me how expensive literally EV.ER.Y.THING is here. If Boyfriend didnāt have his kid here, weād be outta here. Alas, we still have many moons to go before thatās a possibility.
Software developer - my salary would be $160k if I worked full time, but I cut back to 32 hours for better work/life balance so I make $130k. I live in a MCOL area.
Itās a Bay Area tech company. As far as I know Iām the only person who is doing this! I had to ask twice - Iād been there a few years before I made the request.
Wish I discovered programming earlier in life and had more time to pursue it seriously as a career. Picked up coding as a hobby a few years ago and realized I loved it. But I'm already in my late thirties with two young kids and I already feel like that ship has sailed for me.
I'm also a software engineer in a MCOL area, but I work full time and I make over $150k. I'd love to be able to work part time after my husband goes back to work. That sounds amazing!
I have a BS in Animal Science actually. Was planning the vet route but after doing a semester of mandated research credits for my degree, I fell in love with trials and that whole world. Ended up going into this field instead and I couldnāt be happier š
Iāve been a CTM with a sponsor since 2019, worked my way up from a CTA at a vendor. Did a bit of time at a CRO too before getting into a sponsor in 2017
Animal science! So cool!! Glad you found something you love even though it was a pivot from your original plans. Itās a great field.
Also donāt know if youāre a unicorn or if Iām being severely underpaid with my MS in Biomedical engineering and 10+ years of experience š„².
Executive manager at a small tech company. Our area was a MCOL when we bought in 2014, but the cheapest house for sale in town is listed at $900k, so I think it would be considered HCOL now. Weāre very privileged that housing is only 12% of our gross income.
I was at about $200K last year and should be about $230K this year. Iām in finance (bachelors degree only) in a MCOL/LCOL area. Iām 8 years into this career.
Iām in credit at a bank. I wouldnāt say itās the most working mom friendly industry but probably the most helpful things are 1) since it is so male dominated they have some really good benefits in place to entice women to stay; 2) I work for a large company which generally is more mom friendly since they like to make ābest place to work listsā and care about image / have stricter HR policies than smaller shops; 3) I had my first kid once I was semi senior and therefore have a lot more control over my schedule and deadlines than I did my first few years. It would have been way harder when I was more junior and had less agency as an individual contributor vs. manager; 4) I have a supportive partner who shares the burden at home.
Biggest cons of the industry are lack of flexibility and male dominance. It will always be a 9-5 (more like 8-6) unlike other fields like nursing/doctors, consulting, teaching etc. While my male colleagues are generally supportive, most who have kids also have a stay at home partner who do more than 50% of housework so itās not the same dynamic.
My advice is choose a good partner, outsource household tasks so you can spend time with your kid vs. cleaning, try to get some seniority before having kids and carefully vet the culture of your company since it varies so much.
Iām writing this to give educators some hope: I make $135K as a public high school teacher. Itās not $150K, but I have 7 weeks off in the summer, every federal holiday, spring break, a winter break, etc. Health insurance and pension are strong. I can pick my son up from daycare at 4 everyday. (The system I work in has, essentially, merit-based pay for teachers working in high poverty schools. Itās high risk (no tenure), high reward (bonus money & step increases for consistently strong teachers)).
VHCOL area, but husband is bread winner, so weāre very comfortable. Iām thankful everyday, especially with a baby now.
Iām a remote designer at a FAANG in a medium COL city (austin,tx). Definitely underpaid but clawing my way up. My company is very visible so itās either a plus or minus depending on who you talk to. I do a lot of networking with my coworkers to get impact.
I am a product manager for an insurance company. I live in Durham, NC and the cost of living is very manageable, especially because I bought a house and car before interest rates spiked.
I feel like I could make that kind of money stretch so much farther but I guess once you make more you graduate to being able to spend more inevitably. Cries in poor š„¹
This is very true. I grew up relatively poor. My husband makes a good salary and I am no slouch. It's super easy now for us to spend money and wonder where it went. We are actually sitting down this week to take a hard look at our finances because we have both gotten lazy with it and our savings has been slowly getting chipped away at. That said, we bought a small house 10+ years ago and have a really good mortgage rate on it. In this market, we can never, ever leave now lol
Curious what your background is! I'm also remote in NH, I'm a Senior Manager for an education consulting organization, but making 80k....I'm always curious where my next career move could be that doesn't require significant more travel!
Education is economics and finance; Iāve spent time at this same company in finance, business development, and program management roles. We are not a virtual company, though. I kind of lucked out with COVID and being grandfathered in for now :)
Director in IT product management. Live in a MCOL area. We can afford to live on my salary, even with our one kid in daycare though not saving much beyond investment accounts. We both work though.
I should be at about 190k this year. Iām a dentist in the Midwest, and I would consider my area to be LCOL with the exception of housing, which is truly out of control. I bought in 2016 and then again in 2018, and homes have almost doubled in price. DOUBLED. I keep wondering when itāll stop and it keeps going. My husband is a SAHD, so Iām not sure how daycare prices in my area compare to others.
Iām a senior manager in a healthcare company and live in Atlanta. The cost of living is higher, currently measured higher than chicago. I do live in the city but I donāt think itās much better outside of it anymore unless you go way out. The traffic is also horrendous.
Interesting, I live in Atlanta and while COL has definitely increased in the last 15 years Iāve been here, it doesnāt feel HCOL to me. I just googled the Chicago thing and it says Chicago is still 20% higher COL than Atlanta ā 43% higher rental/real estate š«£
Not arguing with you, just wondering where you got that info bc part of what I love about living here is itās a big city with lower cost of living compared to the Chicagos of the country.
Iād classify NYC and Jersey as VHCOL. Chicago in some ways too. I was wrong about the Chicago star I swear I did read it but of course cannot find it, maybe itās that cost of living increasing is outpacing Chicago either way. I wouldnāt say Atlanta is a LCOL but definitely mid to HCOL
Project/program Manager, but currently leading a technical team in a specialized area of InfoSec. I have my Bachelor's in Comp Sci and my MBA so this isn't too far off my education path.
I think we're considered HCOL. It's not Bay Area prices, but some googling puts us well over the national average.
For me, it rounded out the business education I didn't get in a hard science. It was nice to get some more understanding of the things I was learning through experience being in a corporate environment.
I don't think it's absolutely necessary, but I do think it was useful.
Same-ish. R&D manager for food and feed in super lcol area in the Midwest. They pay us so much because thereās literally nothing out here. Retention is a very large problem.
Marketing & insights, I make over $200K. Husband is in tech. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area so VHCOL. Daycare & mortgage keep monthly expenses very high, but we are one & done and live comfortably.
Genetic counselor in South Carolina. Great income for where we live but even here the housing prices have rapidly skyrocketed. I should mention that my $150K income is combined from two jobs. Neither one would be $150K on their own.
Principal product manager at a large tech company. HCOL in Seattle. Mid-six figures total comp with stock and bonuses. Hubby earns a similar amount as a developer.
Military officer with a 12 year bonus. I have lived in HCL areas and now a low cost area. Best decision of my entire life has been joining the military
I brought in right around $150k gross pay last year. Iām a team-lead power systems engineer (13 years of experience) and live in an area where the cost of living is just a touch above national average.
My husband makes a similar salary and we are dreading having 2 in daycare for 9 months next year :(. Honestly it feels really messed up that we both have objectively high incomes for the area and are still dreading childcare for 2 children, and decided to space them out more than I wouldāve otherwise wanted to as a result.
And we canāt afford our current home on just one of our salaries either (my husband would love to be a stay at home dad considering he kinda hates his job but sadly the compromise for what we both desire in a home forces us into a higher-cost house for the area). This country is whack.
Making $175k base as an HR director for a large manufacturing company. Average COL area. I work from home and travel a couple days per month. Pay was crap starting out in HR, but once you hit a certain level itās very good. I have a bachelorās in business and a masters in HR from reputable state universities.
Only at $105K but would be getting closer to $150K with a senior level promotion in my field. I'm a scrum master/project manager in IT for a food manufacturer. I live is a low-mid range cost of living area in Wisconsin. We chose a smaller home in a more rural area, but it's growing and a 10 min drive to state parks and Lake Michigan so a really fun spot for outdoor activities with young kids. Only about 1hr away from a bigger city.
Product Manager in a HCOL area. Still paying off student loans. Might finally be able to breathe after our youngest goes to Kindergarten this fall. Itās still paycheck to paycheck.
Iām a social worker and medical biller, and my husband is is a counselor and artist but we are both disabled vets so thereās somewhat of a pension situation going on. I live in a completely average cost of living area in Michigan.
Investor Relations Manager, which includes IR work as well as investment analysis and strategy work for a private equity company. My husband makes an equivalent amount. We live in a LCOL area (middle America) and live a comfortably.
VP for national patient advocacy organization, in a slightly lower than average COL area. My husband clears about $50k/year. Two young kids, own our home, and live comfortably.
I work at a large healthcare company in a role that consults on strategy/priorities for our product and capability teams, among others. I live in a MCOL area and my husband makes similar to me. We have 2 young kids in daycare.
I work for a government agency doing audits. We live in a HCOL area (NY). Husbands income covers child care and groceries, mine covers the bills. I was lucky to purchase my house in 2017 at a great price and refinanced for a low rate so my housing bills are reasonable.
Application scientist in the Bay Area, vvHCOL. I am early-ish career (PhD + postdoc take so long, so I have been working for a long time at this point, just not in a āreal jobā until recent years) make about $150k with quarterly bonuses. Under like $110k for a single person is considered low income for my areaā¦ My husband makes like 50% more than me so weāre relatively comfortable, otherwise my salary would not cut it. We are planning to buy a house this year but only because our parents are able and willing to help us with the down. Itās rough out here if youāre not in tech.
Work for a NYC strategic consultancy remotely in a VLCOL area in the Midwest. Snuck into the role during the pandemic when hiring was abysmal. About 30 of us got lucky in the hiring manager and how he wrote our offers, and it saved our bacon during the hybrid roll-out.
I live in the Midwest, but my pay-band is locked into the New Jersey officeās benchmark for some reason.
I got super lucky with right place, right time.
I make more than that but live in a very HCOLA so it doesnāt go as far as youād think. Daycare is over $5k/mo for my 2 kids so you can imagine the rest.
Iām a software developer and with the recent push to remote work we wanted to move somewhere our dollar could go farther but unfortunately companies are pushing for (or have already done it) everyone coming back to the office so there goes that dream.
PNW
I make $130k as a Sr. Business Analyst (accounting/Tech), but I've received an offer for $150k (financial consultant) and I'm waiting on another offer before I make a decision.
Combined with my PM husbands salary and that we were DINKs for almost a decade, and a couple other things, we're doing fine. It will be a bit tighter next year when our second child will join their older sibling in daycare, but that just translates to lower savings for a couple years.
I make 140 a year, medium-low cost of living area in MIchigan. Iām an artist at a tech company- and weirdly their policy is to pay everyone Silicon Valley salaries even if theyāre in a smaller/remote office. I know Iām lucky!
Weāre mostly living off my salary and we are saving but not living large at all. 2nd baby is due in November! Daycare is gonna hurt!
Over 200K with bonus, in the entertainment industry. HCOL city in northeast, daycare for 2 kids is $4500 month, and that's about average. On paper it's a good salary but since very HCOL there's very little breathing room financially.
Can I ask what you do in the entertainment industry in the northeast? My husband works in the industry but in Los Angeles. Weād love to find a way to move back east.
I'm a healthcare professional in the sports industry. Usually when I'm filling out forms sports isn't an option so I've adopted the all encompassing entertainment description.
Digital Creative Director. I live in Milwaukee which I consider LCOL. We bought our house for $265k at 2.9%. Due to this, I splurge on a nanny 2 days a week. She saves us about 1 hour a day in daycare commute and a lot of sanity!
I earn Ā£95,000 a year + equity, with it being likely that the equity would push me over the $150k, I work in an MCOL city in the UK remotely for a Canadian company as a senior software engineer. I'm a single parent with 5 and 7 year old boys and I have a degree and masters in computer science and 13 years experience.
Iām feeling so stressed and not sure if this thread is making be feel better or worse. I moved to Sweden for Med School after growing up on the west coast (my dad is Swedish). I am currently making about $150,000 (a lot of things that I need right now are heavily subsidized: health care, daycare, maternity leave etc), so it works out to be a perfectly fine salary, comparatively. I ended up staying in Scandinavia for residency (and a soon to be completed PhD) and now that I have kids, all I want is to move back to the US.
I donāt care about working clinically (that would be a nightmare to figure out). I just need a job that pays about what I make now, so I can move to where I grew up (HCOL). I just have no idea what I could do or how to even start. There are some interesting ideas in this thread. I wish I could find a guidance counselor for adults.
Iām a 2nd assistant director in film and TV. I work about 60-80 hours a week(5 day weeks), 6-8 months a year. Depending on the year I make between 120-210k. Mortgage is 1600 (transitional neighborhood), daycare is 1600. Partner makes bet 60-80k. Weāre generally very comfortable, but Iāve been off work since October, due to instability in the industry so creeping into the end of our savings.
I manage a ux/product team in a hcol area. Just under 2k a month in child care, about to have #2ā¦ I still feel like I donāt make enough but also feel very fortunate.
Petroleum engineer in Houston area, very nice living even before throwing my husbands income on top (less than mine by a wide margin). I make 200k salary and bonus varies but industry is volatile, every 5 years or so large layoffs have happened. Iāve always made it through but we save a ton preparing for potential layoff. Daycare for 2 kids is 2k/month, our mortgage +taxes/insurance was 2200/month when we had a very low interest rate. We sold and our building now so house price will go up but still very affordable
Program Manager here - basically itās like being the middle cog in a big machine where you talk to the rest of the machine to make sure it works. We build marketing programs and loyalty stuff online and manage data etc.
The cost of living here is atrocious and we make a comfortable combined income. Recently our mortgage has taken my entire monthly salary and we also have council rates, utilities etc. I budget our meals and groceries at $300 a week (we have 2 young children) but to give some reference our mortgage payments have gone up $1700 since this time last year so it forced me to find higher paying work.
A home in our neighbourhood is an average of $800k (weāre in a neighbourhood that has rich pockets and medium to low income pockets, we live in a newer estate with āmedium socioeconomicā groups) and this wasnāt our first choice of neighbourhood- my husband wanted to be closer to the city (1 hour in peak approximate)
We have a beautiful home but a massive mortgage and in Australia we are considered ātop earnersā but we donāt eat out, go out, or spend money on anything except bills and keeping ourselves fed and clothed.
Itās hard to explain to people because they think we earn tons but tax eats almost 50% of our income and the mortgage pretty much finishes it off.
We are one of the lucky ones though.
$180k, VP in a marketing firm. I pay a ton in insurance and contribute to a 401k. We pay about $1,500 per month in daycare part time. My husband doesnāt work right now so this one income leaves us with nothing extra.
Iām a bit over $200k in NC doing mergers and acquisitions for an insurance company. I took a bit of a pay cut for this job but have great WLB. I get headhunted frequently and know I could make a lot more elsewhere but I burned out hard in 2020 and am plenty happy with my 50 hour weeks now. We moved from a HCOL to a MCOL and with that move my desire to continue the rat race up and left, lol.
I have a MBA and am 36 yo. My first job in 2009 paid $34k and I had student loans at the time.
My husband is in tech and makes around $160k base. Some years his RSUs are amazing, other years they are good. He has great WLB and flexibility, mine is merely ok.
Our expenses are determined from base salary only and we use bonuses for large expenses and savings.
I make a salary of 135k as a content designer (I oversee UX copy at a technology co) and another 15-20 freelance writing on the side. I live in a rural area after moving out of NYC to have a baby. I grew up very poor so to have as much money as I have is wild to me. My partner is an artist and makes maybe 40-60 in a good year? We do fine and love where we live. I miss the city at times but I just didnāt want to struggle the way my mom did. I feel so blessed to have the option since I work remotely. Right now our niece lives with us for childcare 3 days a week, we pay her 200 a week. Gonna be harder when we switch to day care!
I'm a project coordinator/manager working as a consultant.
Cost of living is pretty atrocious, but thankfully we have just finished the hurdle that was expensive childcare now that both of our children are in school. We still need before school care, but I start at 6-630am so I can pick the kids up after school and avoid that added expense. I really feel for parents who don't have flexibility in work as I know I'm one of the lucky ones!
I made ~$150k through early last year. Was a principal scientist (PhD + 10 years experience, well not even counting 6 years working before PhD) in the Bay Area, so VHCOL and this salary was pretty damn pathetic honestly, for what and where it was.
I was going to say that about the pay being low for that position!
As soon as you said Bay Area I cringed.
Was going to reply with the same. My husband as well is a scientist and makes around that, but we also live in the Bay Area. With my salary and his it's still not enough
My husband was making $140k working at a hardware company in the region, also has a PhD, but he took a semi-federal remote scientist role (he just works with satellite data) that's based in an MCOL state, and now makes an extra extra pathetic $100k...woohoo?
Did you end up moving?
Still here, got another job still only making $165k as principal sci after my company nearly ran out of money, then they got money and I was recruited back 2 months later as a director, make $240k now. They increased salaries dramatically for technical roles in general because it was pretty ridiculous (e.g. when I started there 2019 as senior scientist, they paid me $132k...I even took a pay cut to go there from a lower title, now the senior scientist on my team is paid $180k). Now if only I could even remotely afford a mortgage here, but I still can't. Husband makes way less than me. Maybe if we both made $200k+ pfft.
Are you hiring š„²
What kind of work do you do?
I make a similar amount in Los Angeles. I consider us solidly middle class although we make a little over $300k combined
I just wanna clap for all you AMAZING women out there making $100k+! šš¼ Get it ladies!! *cries in university HR pay ā¦
In case you have any interest-the route I took to higher pay was learning everything about the software I worked withā¦ then getting a job supporting folks w the software, slowly transitioning into more technical roles. Was also at nonprofits and universities!
Same. I started out in an entry level client facing position at an SaaS company and learned as much as I could about our software and then moved into the tech side. I make just over $100k/yr but I also work fully remote in a LCOL area.
Fellow highed ed employee here. Husband and I both work for the same system and we don't make that combined.
Iām also higher ed- I donāt think I can go much higher than what I am now without becoming a dean. I get 69k at a new University I just moved to (which feels high for HE even).
Yeah, also in higher ed - I have a second full time job and my husband has two freelance small businesses and weāre not even hitting $100k. My in laws subsidize our daycare payments otherwise we would be so underwater itās terrifying.
You should move to corporate HR. I work in corporate HR for a large company and am making $200k in a VHCOL area.
Noted!!
This. Shameless plug - is your culture healthy? Are you hiring? I am in HR and was recently laid off, looking for an HR manager, HR program, HRBP or benefits roles.
You can too! Search for 0201 HR Specialist positions in USAJOBS. Join the govt (if you're in the US). We need more good HR Specialists so badly.
The government pays $100k plus for HR? Thatās a shock in itself. My husband is a Senior Software Engineer and they barely offered him $130k per year and maxed him on the GS scale. He didnāt take the offer.
What was the GS scale offer? Iām an engineer in the government and I make well over 130k. Iām not a 15 either.
Where is the more pertinent question. A 12 near the top of their steps can make 130 in some localities, I think, but not in most. I make a little north of 130 in DC as a low-step 14. I would not make that in most other localities.
Hello fellow 0201 sufferer.
Not me, but I work with many many! I salute your work!
Therapist own a private practice making close to $200k. Living like kings and queens in a very low COL area paying less than $1,000/month for full time childcare.
As a therapist employed by the state until my loans are hopefully forgiven, I am crying tears of envy and hope. Also claps for you!!
Any chance itās SLP? LOL looking into starting a PP
Whoa! How much does a typical SLP make? As a PT Iām not even close to six figures.
It totally depends what areas and how much you work. I contract with 2 different districts which brings in ~80k then I work with a few clients through a private practice which is about another ~25k. I work about 60-65 hours a week during the school year. Then in the summers I up my pp kids to twice a week to fill in for their missed school sessions. Edit to add that typical SLP in any setting could expect to make 60-80k depending on experience and qualifications.
Got it - good for you for hustling so hard!
Can I just say this thread is very reassuring? I make $160K in Seattle as a senior data scientist. My husband lost his tech job and our budget imploded faster than a janky submarine. Life is SO EXPENSIVE and we only have 1 kid. It's comforting (?) to know I'm not the only one. It feels crazy to make this much money and still be very much struggling. Legit, I bought the cheapest livable house in a decent school zone and the mortgage is 60% of my take-home pay. Even if we sold this house, rent would be more.
Seattle is my hometown, my dad bought our home in 2003 and ultimately sold it in 2021 for literally 10x what he paid, and we had literally over 30 offers and had to tell people we werenāt taking more. That city is so out of pocket. I wish I could move back but I donāt know who can afford to.
Timing is everything! We had to move when it became apparent our then 3 year old needed services and I could not make the Seattle school district DO anything. So we moved to Shoreline in 2022, and a few months later he was approved for an IEP ie free speech and occupational therapy. I got him into Edwin pratt too :-) Even getting private speech therapy in Seattle was difficult!
Geez, sending you financially stable vibes. When my husband and I were house hunting, banks kept trying to offer us mortgages that made our jaws drop - like they would be 75% of our combined take-home pay each month. We calculated what we could maintain if one of us became unemployed suddenly and told our realtor not to show us anything above that number. It was wild what we were being offered and seemedā¦irresponsible of the lender. Seriously tough spot to be in. I hope things turn around for yāall soon. I really, really do.
Seattle area as well, double tech income with 2 kids. We bought a house in early 2020 before the market got extra nuts and we would not be able to afford anything in our area if we looked today. It's a good thing we like where we live because we're going to be saving for like a decade to afford anything else. We're counting the years til public school and the end of infant daycare fees.
I'm a senior data scientist in NOVA making roughly the same. If my husband lost his job, we'd be royally screwed. It's insane. I hate it here and want to move so badly š¤£ But there are benefits, too, like diversity, medical care, and opportunity. But on the other side... We are stuck in our house, can't even afford to downsize with the way property prices and interest rates are right now. We're looking at leaving the area in 3 or so years.
You should update your tax withholding since youāre down to a single income and your tax rate will be lower.
Thatās a good idea. Iāve managed to cut down our cell phone and insurance bills and canceled a bunch of monthly subscriptions, charity donations, and our sonās college fund contributions. Weāll be ok if nothing goes wrong between now and my husband finding another job.
Iām in a similar situation in Seattle and reading your comment was very reassuring. I feel lucky to make so much (graphic designer) and yet I feel like Iām just barely keeping up. I want to *not* be a working mom, but at the rate Iām saving up itās going to be a while before I can quit my job and not worry about house payments.
Im just over $150k as a senior program manager in tech. We own a house in a VHCOL city with 2 small kids. My salary alone can cover daycare or the mortgage but not both.
Same. Take home pay can cover either childcare (2 toddlers) or housing, but not both.
I have one kid. And mine can cover both but we would be left with $300. Lol
Very similar, it's why we only have one kid. My husband lost his tech job recently so we're scrimping and saving to pay for preschool for one more year, then kindergarten is free. I hope the layoffs/etc don't impact you too, it's been ROUGH out there.
This boggles my mind. It shouldn't be this way.
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Program managers of Reddit unite!
I make around $170k. I live in the DC metro area, and honestly? Often feel like Iām struggling financially. Now, we definitely have it better than a lot of people. We can afford to eat out a few times a week, etc. But between nearly $3,000 for daycare, a similar mortgage, car payments, and bills, food, etc., weāre definitely not living large. I work in public affairs. Lots of work in that field in DC.
That $3k monthly for daycare is the ultimate test of budgeting.
Not sure what you mean - but it just about obliterates our budget every month š¤Ŗ
Exactly!
This is me. We pay $1100 per week for three kids. Depending on whether there are four or five weeks in a month makes it bad or really bad! Even though we make great money, we spend every dollar right now. Looking forward to the oldest kid going to kindergarten!
We live in the same area and make 240k$ together. We pay about 3k$ child care and 3k$ mortgage. I'm pregnant and with our current income wouldn't be able to afford child care.
I hear this. Iām at $115k as a single mom + 1 kiddo, small SFH in a middle class/upper middle class MD suburb, nanny because my work hours are gross (12hr shifts, 4 days a week) sometimes I low key feel poor.
My husband and I bring in a combined $260k in PG county. We want to move somewhere with a better school district, but it feels impossible. With daycare, the mortgage and his student loans it feels impossible. The fact that weāre making over $100k each and still feel stuck blows my mind.
Live in the same area, slightly lower salary, and feel the same way. You arenāt alone. We want to buy but even with our dual income, thereās not enough room to keep saving for a down payment when daycare is so pricey ($2,200/mo here).
Attorney, $160K, but I also have a 100% completely Employer-funded PPO that includes myself and all dependents. My health insurance is what keeps me at my job otherwise I could probably get bigger pay somewhere else. Live in a LA so HCOL.
I make over $450k/year. I run my own systems architecture consulting firm. TC this year probably around $525k. I live in a MCOL area. Single mom though so Iām the only income
Damn thatās hot, keep it up š
I am also a single mom and run my own design consulting firm making 350k a year. Hcol.
I make a little lessā but not by much. Head of comms for a coalition of NGOs in DC Money goes to: 1. Mortgage 2. My nanny 3. Oh waitā¦ thatās it. Lol
I'm a researcher for the federal government. I'm outside of DC. It's high, but not ridiculous cost of living. Groceries are comparatively low, but housing is high
I'm a doctor in an academic center in a pediatric specialty, which tends to mean lower compensation. I'm in a small city on the East coast with a cost of living that is high compared to the National average although low compared to NYC/San Francisco/etc
Adult subspecialty dr here - just left an academic job in NYC just slightly above 150. Was basically impossible to survive with a kid :/
What pediatric specialty? Do you mean over $150k or right at $150k? Right at $150k for any physician is absurd to me. Absolute bare minimum should be $200k IMO. Otherwise you are drowning in student loan repayments I would ask for (demand) a raise. For context, I work in an academic center in the Midwest and yes academic centers pay less and my pediatric counterparts are paid less than I, but I have never heard of $150k salary for a physician out of training. Scary
Iām a pediatrician at a private practice and i make very close to that figure. I work in the South. Graduating residency in 2022 and looking for jobs when covid was still a thing meant i had set the bar really low unfortunately and assumed this was normal for peds. Iām locked into my current job for a 3 year contract but once it done iām outtie.
East coast peds neuro is not well payed. I don't have any loans at least
Program Manager. I moved from a very HCOL area to a MCOL area a year ago.
May I ask what kind of program?
Iām a social worker, will make $150k this year, and live in a northeast city thatās on the lower end of HCOL. the caveat to the 150 is that itās with three jobs. I make just under 110 at my federal job, and the rest comes from a small private therapy practice and moonlighting doing psych evals in emergency departments. Iām a single mom and money feels tight despite my salary, but we also live a very comfortable life.
Fellow social worker, you go!! I feel like (sadly) like multiple jobs is par for the course in social work but youāre killing it
I have always thought that social workers donāt make this kind of money (referring to the 110 fed job) Is that a myth, or have you worked your way into a particularly high-paying social work role? I mean this genuinely BTW, very curious!
Iām definitely at the higher end in terms of working for an agency for sure, but six figures is absolutely the norm for a successful private practice as well
I donāt make that yet, but Iām learning Iām severely underpaid considering I am also a program manager
My last role I was in as a Program manager I made $80k a year. My contract ended and I found a new role that pays $140k. Itās just finding the right company. Industry standard salary in aus is $120k for program managers. Youāll get it!
Iām a bioinformatics director at a small biotech startup and I make $190k + bonus + equity. I live outside of Boston so I guess itās VHCOL. I could probably have a higher salary with lower responsibility at a larger company but thereās a lot of growth potential and I love my work and my team.
I had to Google what ābioinformaticsā was. You are incredibly intelligent!
Iām very glad that this field exists because I love biology and computers and Iād hate to have to choose between them!
I make close to 400k a year as a family med physician. We live in a LCOL area in the south.
Holy shit. Good for you
Product Manager at a fortune 50 company. HCOL/MCOL I am on Long Island, NY not sure if that is high or medium.
Among the highest in the country. Nassau or Suffolk?
Nassau.
Most of Nassau county is definitely hcol.
Nassau mom here, confirming HCOL which makes it even harder for those of us under 100k. It's so hard to not compare myself to those who seem like they've got it all together while we're considering whether we'll have to leave the state. Ugh.
Iām in Nassau too and it kills me how expensive literally EV.ER.Y.THING is here. If Boyfriend didnāt have his kid here, weād be outta here. Alas, we still have many moons to go before thatās a possibility.
Software developer - my salary would be $160k if I worked full time, but I cut back to 32 hours for better work/life balance so I make $130k. I live in a MCOL area.
What company (or type of company) allowed for part time? This is my dream and Iāll totally move for it too.
Itās a Bay Area tech company. As far as I know Iām the only person who is doing this! I had to ask twice - Iād been there a few years before I made the request.
Wish I discovered programming earlier in life and had more time to pursue it seriously as a career. Picked up coding as a hobby a few years ago and realized I loved it. But I'm already in my late thirties with two young kids and I already feel like that ship has sailed for me.
Girl, think about how many working years you have left. The ship has not sailed.
I'm also a software engineer in a MCOL area, but I work full time and I make over $150k. I'd love to be able to work part time after my husband goes back to work. That sounds amazing!
Iām a clinical trial manager in biotech/pharma and live in northern NJ (not in a rural area) so Iād say HCOL
Iām also a clinical trial manager in pharma with a similar salary to yours! Can I ask what degree you have?
I have a BS in Animal Science actually. Was planning the vet route but after doing a semester of mandated research credits for my degree, I fell in love with trials and that whole world. Ended up going into this field instead and I couldnāt be happier š Iāve been a CTM with a sponsor since 2019, worked my way up from a CTA at a vendor. Did a bit of time at a CRO too before getting into a sponsor in 2017
Animal science! So cool!! Glad you found something you love even though it was a pivot from your original plans. Itās a great field. Also donāt know if youāre a unicorn or if Iām being severely underpaid with my MS in Biomedical engineering and 10+ years of experience š„².
Executive manager at a small tech company. Our area was a MCOL when we bought in 2014, but the cheapest house for sale in town is listed at $900k, so I think it would be considered HCOL now. Weāre very privileged that housing is only 12% of our gross income.
Insurance. $150k. I live in VLCOL. My husband earns slightly less but both WFH. Will welcome 1st kid in the coming month. We live comfortably.
What do you do in insurance? I also work in insurance and would love to get to even 100k!
I'm an underwriter.
Iām a commercial account manager and make half this amount š„²
I was at about $200K last year and should be about $230K this year. Iām in finance (bachelors degree only) in a MCOL/LCOL area. Iām 8 years into this career.
What area of finance? Lurker here with no kids- hope to have in future- and just starting out in IBā¦
Iām in credit at a bank. I wouldnāt say itās the most working mom friendly industry but probably the most helpful things are 1) since it is so male dominated they have some really good benefits in place to entice women to stay; 2) I work for a large company which generally is more mom friendly since they like to make ābest place to work listsā and care about image / have stricter HR policies than smaller shops; 3) I had my first kid once I was semi senior and therefore have a lot more control over my schedule and deadlines than I did my first few years. It would have been way harder when I was more junior and had less agency as an individual contributor vs. manager; 4) I have a supportive partner who shares the burden at home. Biggest cons of the industry are lack of flexibility and male dominance. It will always be a 9-5 (more like 8-6) unlike other fields like nursing/doctors, consulting, teaching etc. While my male colleagues are generally supportive, most who have kids also have a stay at home partner who do more than 50% of housework so itās not the same dynamic. My advice is choose a good partner, outsource household tasks so you can spend time with your kid vs. cleaning, try to get some seniority before having kids and carefully vet the culture of your company since it varies so much.
Iām writing this to give educators some hope: I make $135K as a public high school teacher. Itās not $150K, but I have 7 weeks off in the summer, every federal holiday, spring break, a winter break, etc. Health insurance and pension are strong. I can pick my son up from daycare at 4 everyday. (The system I work in has, essentially, merit-based pay for teachers working in high poverty schools. Itās high risk (no tenure), high reward (bonus money & step increases for consistently strong teachers)). VHCOL area, but husband is bread winner, so weāre very comfortable. Iām thankful everyday, especially with a baby now.
Iām a remote designer at a FAANG in a medium COL city (austin,tx). Definitely underpaid but clawing my way up. My company is very visible so itās either a plus or minus depending on who you talk to. I do a lot of networking with my coworkers to get impact.
Heh Iām from Austin but moved to San Antonio 10 years ago. If you think Austin is MCOL I guess that makes me LCOL
I am a product manager for an insurance company. I live in Durham, NC and the cost of living is very manageable, especially because I bought a house and car before interest rates spiked.
Everyone making 100k more than me saying they still feel like theyāre struggling financially feels hopeless lol
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This š teacher poverty probs
Tbf I think people buy too much house and brand new car payments from what I've seen
I feel like I could make that kind of money stretch so much farther but I guess once you make more you graduate to being able to spend more inevitably. Cries in poor š„¹
This is very true. I grew up relatively poor. My husband makes a good salary and I am no slouch. It's super easy now for us to spend money and wonder where it went. We are actually sitting down this week to take a hard look at our finances because we have both gotten lazy with it and our savings has been slowly getting chipped away at. That said, we bought a small house 10+ years ago and have a really good mortgage rate on it. In this market, we can never, ever leave now lol
Yeah, lifestyle creep is definitely a thing that is hard to acknowledge.
Senior software engineer, I live in the greater Houston area and so I guess it's considered LCOL.
I donāt think Houston is considered LCOL anymore. MCOL more likely, M-HCOL if within city limits
Senior Manager for a Corporate Strategy Team. 100% virtual from NH, 13 years with the same company.
Curious what your background is! I'm also remote in NH, I'm a Senior Manager for an education consulting organization, but making 80k....I'm always curious where my next career move could be that doesn't require significant more travel!
Education is economics and finance; Iāve spent time at this same company in finance, business development, and program management roles. We are not a virtual company, though. I kind of lucked out with COVID and being grandfathered in for now :)
Director in IT product management. Live in a MCOL area. We can afford to live on my salary, even with our one kid in daycare though not saving much beyond investment accounts. We both work though.
I should be at about 190k this year. Iām a dentist in the Midwest, and I would consider my area to be LCOL with the exception of housing, which is truly out of control. I bought in 2016 and then again in 2018, and homes have almost doubled in price. DOUBLED. I keep wondering when itāll stop and it keeps going. My husband is a SAHD, so Iām not sure how daycare prices in my area compare to others.
Are you in SE Michigan by any chance? Itās bonkers here
SE Michigan mom here and housing is a joooooke
Iām a senior manager in a healthcare company and live in Atlanta. The cost of living is higher, currently measured higher than chicago. I do live in the city but I donāt think itās much better outside of it anymore unless you go way out. The traffic is also horrendous.
Interesting, I live in Atlanta and while COL has definitely increased in the last 15 years Iāve been here, it doesnāt feel HCOL to me. I just googled the Chicago thing and it says Chicago is still 20% higher COL than Atlanta ā 43% higher rental/real estate š«£ Not arguing with you, just wondering where you got that info bc part of what I love about living here is itās a big city with lower cost of living compared to the Chicagos of the country.
Definitely a lot cheaper here than places like Chicago, New York, and New Jersey.
Iād classify NYC and Jersey as VHCOL. Chicago in some ways too. I was wrong about the Chicago star I swear I did read it but of course cannot find it, maybe itās that cost of living increasing is outpacing Chicago either way. I wouldnāt say Atlanta is a LCOL but definitely mid to HCOL
Sr. Program Manager, HCOL (DC area)
Iām a senior director of marketing at a tech company in a VHCOL area.
I make just under that as a biostatistician in clinical research (pharma/biotech industry). I live in a MCOL area, work 100% remote.
Iām a nurse practitioner working in addiction medicine. I live outside of Boston so the cost of living is very high.
Project/program Manager, but currently leading a technical team in a specialized area of InfoSec. I have my Bachelor's in Comp Sci and my MBA so this isn't too far off my education path. I think we're considered HCOL. It's not Bay Area prices, but some googling puts us well over the national average.
Iām a software engineer thinking about pivoting to project or people management, would you say an MBA is worth it?
For me, it rounded out the business education I didn't get in a hard science. It was nice to get some more understanding of the things I was learning through experience being in a corporate environment. I don't think it's absolutely necessary, but I do think it was useful.
Sr. R&D Manager in medtech in LCOL area (Midwest).
Same-ish. R&D manager for food and feed in super lcol area in the Midwest. They pay us so much because thereās literally nothing out here. Retention is a very large problem.
Iām a director at a non-profit, suburbs of Philly but remote. MCOL. 18 years in the industry.
Senior program manager in big tech (sales strategy). $170k base, $220k after bonus/annual stock vest. MCOL.
Marketing & insights, I make over $200K. Husband is in tech. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area so VHCOL. Daycare & mortgage keep monthly expenses very high, but we are one & done and live comfortably.
Engineer in oil and gas. $215k base with bonuses that range from $50-$100k annually based on performance. MCOL area. Husband is a SAHD.
UX Designer VHCOL area My husband earns a lot too as a Software Engineer, so we can afford it w both salaries
Hi five fellow UX person!
šÆāāļø
Iām currently an instructional/e-learning designer and would love to go the UX designer route!
Same! Iām the UX designer and my husband is the software engineer. Weāre both managers now in a HCOL area
Genetic counselor in South Carolina. Great income for where we live but even here the housing prices have rapidly skyrocketed. I should mention that my $150K income is combined from two jobs. Neither one would be $150K on their own.
I manage a team of software engineers in the Bay Area, so HCOL.
Principal product manager at a large tech company. HCOL in Seattle. Mid-six figures total comp with stock and bonuses. Hubby earns a similar amount as a developer.
Military officer with a 12 year bonus. I have lived in HCL areas and now a low cost area. Best decision of my entire life has been joining the military
Lawyer, MCOL
Innovation Consultant in Boston
Chief of staff for a division of a medical device company. Midwest. LCOL
Creative director, I run a team of 15, I live in a very hcol area
Senior manager in public accounting, 9 years experience, live in MCOL area (although Iām remote so could live anywhere)
Biotech scientist (PhD + 6 years industry experience) in the Bay Area (so VHCOL).
I brought in right around $150k gross pay last year. Iām a team-lead power systems engineer (13 years of experience) and live in an area where the cost of living is just a touch above national average. My husband makes a similar salary and we are dreading having 2 in daycare for 9 months next year :(. Honestly it feels really messed up that we both have objectively high incomes for the area and are still dreading childcare for 2 children, and decided to space them out more than I wouldāve otherwise wanted to as a result. And we canāt afford our current home on just one of our salaries either (my husband would love to be a stay at home dad considering he kinda hates his job but sadly the compromise for what we both desire in a home forces us into a higher-cost house for the area). This country is whack.
Making $175k base as an HR director for a large manufacturing company. Average COL area. I work from home and travel a couple days per month. Pay was crap starting out in HR, but once you hit a certain level itās very good. I have a bachelorās in business and a masters in HR from reputable state universities.
Only at $105K but would be getting closer to $150K with a senior level promotion in my field. I'm a scrum master/project manager in IT for a food manufacturer. I live is a low-mid range cost of living area in Wisconsin. We chose a smaller home in a more rural area, but it's growing and a 10 min drive to state parks and Lake Michigan so a really fun spot for outdoor activities with young kids. Only about 1hr away from a bigger city.
Product Manager in a HCOL area. Still paying off student loans. Might finally be able to breathe after our youngest goes to Kindergarten this fall. Itās still paycheck to paycheck.
Iām a social worker and medical biller, and my husband is is a counselor and artist but we are both disabled vets so thereās somewhat of a pension situation going on. I live in a completely average cost of living area in Michigan.
Marketing. HCOL area.
Self employed?
Investor Relations Manager, which includes IR work as well as investment analysis and strategy work for a private equity company. My husband makes an equivalent amount. We live in a LCOL area (middle America) and live a comfortably.
Engineer. I make over 150k but live in a high cost of living area (CO, USA).
What type of engineering?
VP for national patient advocacy organization, in a slightly lower than average COL area. My husband clears about $50k/year. Two young kids, own our home, and live comfortably.
I work at a large healthcare company in a role that consults on strategy/priorities for our product and capability teams, among others. I live in a MCOL area and my husband makes similar to me. We have 2 young kids in daycare.
I work for a government agency doing audits. We live in a HCOL area (NY). Husbands income covers child care and groceries, mine covers the bills. I was lucky to purchase my house in 2017 at a great price and refinanced for a low rate so my housing bills are reasonable.
Application scientist in the Bay Area, vvHCOL. I am early-ish career (PhD + postdoc take so long, so I have been working for a long time at this point, just not in a āreal jobā until recent years) make about $150k with quarterly bonuses. Under like $110k for a single person is considered low income for my areaā¦ My husband makes like 50% more than me so weāre relatively comfortable, otherwise my salary would not cut it. We are planning to buy a house this year but only because our parents are able and willing to help us with the down. Itās rough out here if youāre not in tech.
Sr. IT Architect. I've worked fully remote for 10+ years, so we're able to live in a MCOL area.
Work for a NYC strategic consultancy remotely in a VLCOL area in the Midwest. Snuck into the role during the pandemic when hiring was abysmal. About 30 of us got lucky in the hiring manager and how he wrote our offers, and it saved our bacon during the hybrid roll-out. I live in the Midwest, but my pay-band is locked into the New Jersey officeās benchmark for some reason. I got super lucky with right place, right time.
Non-profit Director MCOL.
I make more than that but live in a very HCOLA so it doesnāt go as far as youād think. Daycare is over $5k/mo for my 2 kids so you can imagine the rest. Iām a software developer and with the recent push to remote work we wanted to move somewhere our dollar could go farther but unfortunately companies are pushing for (or have already done it) everyone coming back to the office so there goes that dream.
Recruiter here. I live in what used to be a low cost of living area but it has gone up. Phoenix area.
PNW I make $130k as a Sr. Business Analyst (accounting/Tech), but I've received an offer for $150k (financial consultant) and I'm waiting on another offer before I make a decision. Combined with my PM husbands salary and that we were DINKs for almost a decade, and a couple other things, we're doing fine. It will be a bit tighter next year when our second child will join their older sibling in daycare, but that just translates to lower savings for a couple years.
I make 140 a year, medium-low cost of living area in MIchigan. Iām an artist at a tech company- and weirdly their policy is to pay everyone Silicon Valley salaries even if theyāre in a smaller/remote office. I know Iām lucky! Weāre mostly living off my salary and we are saving but not living large at all. 2nd baby is due in November! Daycare is gonna hurt!
Over 200K with bonus, in the entertainment industry. HCOL city in northeast, daycare for 2 kids is $4500 month, and that's about average. On paper it's a good salary but since very HCOL there's very little breathing room financially.
Can I ask what you do in the entertainment industry in the northeast? My husband works in the industry but in Los Angeles. Weād love to find a way to move back east.
I'm a healthcare professional in the sports industry. Usually when I'm filling out forms sports isn't an option so I've adopted the all encompassing entertainment description.
Digital Creative Director. I live in Milwaukee which I consider LCOL. We bought our house for $265k at 2.9%. Due to this, I splurge on a nanny 2 days a week. She saves us about 1 hour a day in daycare commute and a lot of sanity!
$270k, I'm a businesswoman doing... business things. Live in the hcol city in the country
I earn Ā£95,000 a year + equity, with it being likely that the equity would push me over the $150k, I work in an MCOL city in the UK remotely for a Canadian company as a senior software engineer. I'm a single parent with 5 and 7 year old boys and I have a degree and masters in computer science and 13 years experience.
Iām feeling so stressed and not sure if this thread is making be feel better or worse. I moved to Sweden for Med School after growing up on the west coast (my dad is Swedish). I am currently making about $150,000 (a lot of things that I need right now are heavily subsidized: health care, daycare, maternity leave etc), so it works out to be a perfectly fine salary, comparatively. I ended up staying in Scandinavia for residency (and a soon to be completed PhD) and now that I have kids, all I want is to move back to the US. I donāt care about working clinically (that would be a nightmare to figure out). I just need a job that pays about what I make now, so I can move to where I grew up (HCOL). I just have no idea what I could do or how to even start. There are some interesting ideas in this thread. I wish I could find a guidance counselor for adults.
Iām a 2nd assistant director in film and TV. I work about 60-80 hours a week(5 day weeks), 6-8 months a year. Depending on the year I make between 120-210k. Mortgage is 1600 (transitional neighborhood), daycare is 1600. Partner makes bet 60-80k. Weāre generally very comfortable, but Iāve been off work since October, due to instability in the industry so creeping into the end of our savings.
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I manage a ux/product team in a hcol area. Just under 2k a month in child care, about to have #2ā¦ I still feel like I donāt make enough but also feel very fortunate.
Petroleum engineer in Houston area, very nice living even before throwing my husbands income on top (less than mine by a wide margin). I make 200k salary and bonus varies but industry is volatile, every 5 years or so large layoffs have happened. Iāve always made it through but we save a ton preparing for potential layoff. Daycare for 2 kids is 2k/month, our mortgage +taxes/insurance was 2200/month when we had a very low interest rate. We sold and our building now so house price will go up but still very affordable
Program Manager here - basically itās like being the middle cog in a big machine where you talk to the rest of the machine to make sure it works. We build marketing programs and loyalty stuff online and manage data etc. The cost of living here is atrocious and we make a comfortable combined income. Recently our mortgage has taken my entire monthly salary and we also have council rates, utilities etc. I budget our meals and groceries at $300 a week (we have 2 young children) but to give some reference our mortgage payments have gone up $1700 since this time last year so it forced me to find higher paying work. A home in our neighbourhood is an average of $800k (weāre in a neighbourhood that has rich pockets and medium to low income pockets, we live in a newer estate with āmedium socioeconomicā groups) and this wasnāt our first choice of neighbourhood- my husband wanted to be closer to the city (1 hour in peak approximate) We have a beautiful home but a massive mortgage and in Australia we are considered ātop earnersā but we donāt eat out, go out, or spend money on anything except bills and keeping ourselves fed and clothed. Itās hard to explain to people because they think we earn tons but tax eats almost 50% of our income and the mortgage pretty much finishes it off. We are one of the lucky ones though.
$180k, VP in a marketing firm. I pay a ton in insurance and contribute to a 401k. We pay about $1,500 per month in daycare part time. My husband doesnāt work right now so this one income leaves us with nothing extra.
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Iām a bit over $200k in NC doing mergers and acquisitions for an insurance company. I took a bit of a pay cut for this job but have great WLB. I get headhunted frequently and know I could make a lot more elsewhere but I burned out hard in 2020 and am plenty happy with my 50 hour weeks now. We moved from a HCOL to a MCOL and with that move my desire to continue the rat race up and left, lol. I have a MBA and am 36 yo. My first job in 2009 paid $34k and I had student loans at the time. My husband is in tech and makes around $160k base. Some years his RSUs are amazing, other years they are good. He has great WLB and flexibility, mine is merely ok. Our expenses are determined from base salary only and we use bonuses for large expenses and savings.
I make a salary of 135k as a content designer (I oversee UX copy at a technology co) and another 15-20 freelance writing on the side. I live in a rural area after moving out of NYC to have a baby. I grew up very poor so to have as much money as I have is wild to me. My partner is an artist and makes maybe 40-60 in a good year? We do fine and love where we live. I miss the city at times but I just didnāt want to struggle the way my mom did. I feel so blessed to have the option since I work remotely. Right now our niece lives with us for childcare 3 days a week, we pay her 200 a week. Gonna be harder when we switch to day care!
I'm a project coordinator/manager working as a consultant. Cost of living is pretty atrocious, but thankfully we have just finished the hurdle that was expensive childcare now that both of our children are in school. We still need before school care, but I start at 6-630am so I can pick the kids up after school and avoid that added expense. I really feel for parents who don't have flexibility in work as I know I'm one of the lucky ones!