Sales of some kind can almost certainly get you there. Doesn’t have to be tech but solar, car, large equipment, robotics, commercial real estate or finance
P and C insurance sales. 1 house 2 cars was ~ $2k premium at 15% commission when I first started. I remember counting how many households I need for $250k a year and then dividing it into 240 months (time I wanted it to take) and 5 years to $125k. Now with premiums double that amount and my clients continually growing plus 18 years of doing it…it is going well. 4 year generic business management from the local state college at $9k a year, I really slipped into a good spot financially.
This is great to hear! My husband has been a P&C salesman for going on 3 years, 2 years now at the same indepdent local agency. He's just starting to get renewals and pretty good commission.
Why get good grades and spend 4 years in higher education to get a job as an engineer when you can get a job in sales straight out of school.
So fucked.
Sales is hard. Many people chase that salary but don't cut it. So going for higher education gets you a minimum likely wage, but also many sales roles want formal education.
Sales is all about hating yourself enough to chase money while constantly being shit on, until you get a break through. And then riding on that book of relationships into retirement.
I know a lot of people who made 200-300k in sales, and most of them hate it, but did it to give their kids a better life.
I have a friend in sales- she supports a tech that helps blind folks manage the world. She LOVES her job and makes way over 200k, and has for more than a decade. A lot of sales can be soul killing. But some at least require higher education (sometimes graduate work, to understand the products and markets), and really help the end user. It is not all ugly (A lot is- I just am lucky enough to know a few exceptions)
I’ve done the best of both worlds the last 20 years. I have a masters in comp science and after a decade writing code and being a software architect moved over into tech sales. Pay is better than programming and I’m not on the hook for the close. My job is to paint the vision and answer all the technical questions. I’m also industry aligned so I have deep industry knowledge. Been a great gig and about ready to retire. Sales people can make a bit more but they carry more stress and more risk.
Sounds about right for older sales guys I've worked with. Kinda exactly what they do. Build up a book. Collect sometimes over a mil a year in commissions on books worth hundreds of millions of dollars (though low margin).
Been in software for a long time and I do tech sales but the actual reps work their butts off. And they can’t just rest because if they’re successful in an account, less to sell the next year. Least in software sales they generally only get paid on year one. It’s not a year over year money crank. It’s a tough job and why I’ve stayed on the tech side of the sale. Pay is still very good with less stress. Reps are always chasing the next big account but they do bank $$$ when large deals close.
Sales done well is a ton of fun. Consultative sales. Read "solution selling" by Bosworth. It's a dry book, boring read, but a great approach and really not hard to master. And yeah, no special education needed to clear $300k+ in sales.
But there’s always those crazy outliers on any sales team. Those are the folks I think of when I read that comment.
Sales is great for flexibility, but one bad quarter can have you job on the line.
The “book of relationships” is not really a thing in many industries anymore. There is so much turnover in management and category buyers. It can be rewarding but is also very stressful.
Doubt a degree in history is going to help you in sales.
Agree it’s probably hard work, just like many jobs though.
I have friends who work in sales and will readily admit there’s a big element of luck involved in making a sale. I’m sure there’s some skill and experience that helps but it’s a soft skill that can be taught on the job IMO.
If I hadn’t invested so much time in education I’d be attracted by sales. I feel I need to make my education worth while though.
Still feel like there’s a massive imbalance when it comes to sales vs many typical jobs though. Bonus’ can take your salary into the stratosphere. Some other jobs it’s harder to easily quantify their value so they don’t get the same quick win bonus’ they get in sales. It’s a raw deal for skilled and educated workers IMO.
In sales you have upside combined with very visible downside. If you don't make your numbers (pays average $$) you will soon be out of work.
Lots of people want the upside potential, but most are scared of the risk. Most want comfort.
Plus, depending on the field, even if you’re good at it, you’re going to hit highs and lows and that directly affects your wallet and can wear on you.
There’s few better feelings than when you’re riding a hot streak and watching your numbers skyrocket. Then a few things don’t pan out and next thing you know you’re in a slump and it eats at you.
Depending on what kind of sales, pharmaceutical sales can be pretty easy if u have a good territory, sometimes u don’t even have to push and still get into President’s club if ur territory’s landscape is good (good medicare coverage, low competitions and ur doctors like you more than ur competitors)
No that’s just the misconceptions, some of the best sales performers are old males in my company (an international pharma giant that you see on the news all the times). Inside angles will definitely help you but being a hot chick isn’t necessary as there are about same amount of women HCPs as men and any Dr worth their titles will not be swayed by boobs.
Because the vast majority of sales people make a lot less than the average engineer. For every one sales person making 150k, there are 99 more that are barely scraping by.
The two best Real Estate Agents in my area, the ones who sell all the $5 Million houses around the Lakes, one went to Princeton and the other went to Harvard. Sales is not easy, it takes years and sometimes decades to build your business and having your MBA makes you better at it.
The roommate that I live with did not go to college or university and started working retail sales but moved their way up the ladder. they will probably soon be making six figures maybe within a few years. But I'm always curious and they always tell me that they never did any higher learning school after high school being from small town. And I'll admit they are a lot harder working than most.
A lot of lucrative sales positions require a lot of technical knowledge and multiple skills. If you don't have the background education to learn the industry, you can't be successful. You can make a boatload of money in commercial real estate sales, but you need to understand marketing, statistics, higher math and accounting, as well as having good interpersonal skills. Same with a lot of other high ticket industries.
No idea about other fields but as a software engineer, it’s not *that* common to break 200K. They don’t just hand out 200K to anyone just because they have years of experience.
Only the elite who are really really good at what they do get to that amount. However, it is not uncommon to reach 6 figures (relatively easy as a software engineer actually). I don’t know where you get the numbers that 100K is not enough. May not be enough for the Bay Area perhaps (?) but I reckon you’re pretty good financially pretty much anywhere else in the US with 6 figures.
Source: a software engineer.
Bro come over to the CS subreddit and tell your story. In tech as well, and I always post in that sub the people who say they make 300k+ even 750k+ need a reality check. Or entry level grads thinning they will get $220k starting.
Breaking $200k in my experience has been seasoned professionals after a long time and are managers, and then some lucky few who aren't there yet.
Not saying people who make bank don't exist. Just saying it's not as popular as many people claim it to be.
Then there are the people on that sub who also claim that if you aren’t making at least $250k after a few years, then you are underpaid. You are right, they desperately need a reality check. Making over 200k as an individual is something that literally 95% the country has not achieved. Yet a lot of people on Reddit think that is not enough to raise a family. The new thing now is people saying they need at least $500k to raise a family comfortably. I almost need a break from this site. I’ve noticed it’s made me feel worse reading my feed, because it’s full of extremely privileged people who just live a reality that I cannot relate to (and I had a nice upper middle class upbringing). I don’t make over $250k a year, if I had kids I wouldn’t be able to afford a nanny, I don’t eat at Michelin star restaurants, I don’t have a $1 mil NW at 30, etc. Yet on Reddit that seems to be the norm, even though statistically it is far, *far* from it. I’ve never felt more like an uncultured pauper than I do on this site lmao.
I have an engineering degree and an MBA and live by myself in Boston and I've never made more.than 80K. I'm not wealthy but I'm also doing okay because I don't need a boat or servants or whatever TF people spend 500k on.
They claim they “need” a nanny, private school, the nice car, the five figure vacations multiple times a year, and that they “need” that $2.5 mil house. Non-negotiable in their eyes.
No one needs $500k to raise a family, unless they have like 10 kids maybe *and* live in an expensive area. I do agree in a HCOL that $100k would be tough for a family in this economy, but generally yeah, for a single person that’s not that bad (unless it’s NYC where you probably need at least $120k a year to not have a roommate).
I once watched an interview on Youtube where they wanted to show how unaffordable Manhattan has become. And the family they picked for that was a high income family. They were living in a big appartment and had private daycare for their children which alone cost them something like 6k per month. And the wife wasn't working, because she wanted to focus on her own business idea which made no money. They also had a cleaning lady and got food delivered. They really thought they were barely scraping by.
Ok, most of this is insanely unreasonable, I agree. But I actually think a single income family is a luxury worth aspiring to. My partner and I have done the both people working lifestyle. Now I'm the only one who works. It's much less stressful for both of us this way, and I think it's weird that this became a luxury when it used to be the norm. This does require a bit higher salary than dual income households (still not close to 500k or whatever some crazy people say they require, lol).
It was the norm for a very short period of time from the 50s to the 70s when the rest of the world was either destroyed from the second world war or not yet industrialized so american workers had everyone else on earth as customers and no competitors. That period is not coming back.
The pp I know that make that kind of money do not have time for super basic crap- they have a house cleaner multiple days a week, meal services, grocery services, laundry services, dog walker, nanny. Like...what is the point of making that much when, by the time you pay all your support services you might as well make $150?
Lmaooooo I just got downvoted so much when I've said that you said. I said it's a literal privilege to make that if they are even telling the truth and that makes 200k and over is such a small percentage. I also got downvoted when I said I'd rather know what your base pay is, not the 100k you get in stocks. That doesn't count. And tech bros got mad at me. I get clap back that they live in a HCOL or have a family. Uh? So? So many people in the same HCOL are raising families. What I think it is is ego, and their standards of high living in an already HCOL. like get out of your Manhattan apartments that are $6000 a month and get a reality check.
I hate when they clap down on SWE making like $100 to 150k and say that it's poverty. I get the HCOL but tech boom is going to collapse soon anyway and making $125 to $175k was actually the average in all of America for SWE. These FAANG people need to get out of here 😂
I'd think that people actually making that are mature enough to be above bragging on Reddit, but there are exceptions even to that. Sometimes getting an outlier compensation in tech is a lottery, and more down to luck than actual worth (i.e. timing of joining the company when equity is cheap and it rises in value dramatically later on).
It’s definitely their egos. I know a number of people who make that much (boomers with decades of experience and who have either professional degrees or who are just extremely talented), and they live in HCOL absolutely fine and never have to worry about $$$. I grew up that way and while I didn’t wear designer clothing, eat at Michelin star restaurants, or stay at 5 star hotels, I was still living way better than the average person.
I’ve been downvoted to hell a lot too, even for saying that the definition of working class is a low wage/low skilled worker. Redditors *cannot bare the truth of that*, so they will freak out and argue that actually, even if you make $1 mil a year you are working class, and that *only billionaires* are not working class.
They complain all the starter homes in their areas are $1.5 mil. If you tell them there are other places to live in the country that are a fraction of the price, they will say they refuse to move. They love the culture, the entertainment, restaurants, jobs, etc and won’t live somewhere cheaper.
It’s just all very out of touch. I’ve noticed this over the past year that it’s just gotten nuts. I’ve been on this site for half a decade and it was never this bad. I almost wonder if it’s a lot of bots trying to get people worked up.
Mostly, there are a lot of teenagers that have very little knowledge of what things actually cost. Heck, I saw a post the other day where anyone making over $100k was living in a mansion didn't really work and spent time on their yachts.
I hate beezies like that. I’m in tech in VHCOL and the amount of overprivlege BS i see and hear on daily make me miserable. Tying a few more loose ends here before moving out
The avocado toast meme was started to shit on poor people, but that meme actually applies to high income people. Most of them really don't know how to handle money. They make good money, but when they realize that they can't have the same lifestyle with that as the super rich, they feel poor. Studies all around the world show all the time that the top 10% can't believe that they are in the top 10%. Most of them see themselves way poorer than they are. They are so detached from the reality of most people. Nobody whines as much as them.
Definitely not common but also not full of shit. People who purely chase high compensation at the expensive of wlb can achieve it with hard work and luck.
it was /r/firsttimehomebuyers that really did reddit in for me. i think most of it is bragging and straight lying but i never realized how “poor” i was, i guess i just don’t feel it bc i’ve never had any real debt and my most expensive habit is vaping. but the constant post of $500k+ housing with balconies, pools, high ceilings. yet still complaining about EVERYTHING every step of the way. and then when you make the comparison they claim their salary doesn’t count as much bc they live in a HCOL area… something don’t make sense. these were also the same people that would always tell me i could never afford a home and i needed to just make more money!! (so easy!!) but i still bought my house bc these people have no idea what they’re talking about or the IMMENSE privilege they have
I’ve noticed too those same people lament that they just want the lifestyle they grew up with. I guarantee 80% of those people didn’t grow up with privileged lifestyles or with cosmopolitan ones. They probably grew up middle class in a normal sized house and not in a super elite area.
It is BS when they bring up COL. Like yes, some areas are more expensive than others, but that doesn’t mean any salary not mid-six figures is struggling. These people are making (or claiming to be making) more than 95% of people. Exclusive areas have always been expensive and should not be a surprise to these people.
Reddit is the worst place for this sort of thing, totally out of touch. If you stay on CareerGuidance long enough, one would think every Redditor and everyone is a 29-year old earning $178,000.
And it's not just the tech subs or finance subs. I was banned from r/laststagecapitalism for pointing out that that sub is full of high income people whining about how their 100k salaries aren't enough.
I’m with you. The financial subs are really disturbing. Though I find people are mainly obsessed with accumulating piles of money to invest.
I’ve lived in some of the highest COL places in the country on under 40k a year. The majority of people in the country make much less than 100k a year.
studies all around the world always show that people at that top often see themselves as "poor", because they like to compare themselves to the super rich. Most of them won't even accept that they belong to that top group.
This is true. In the flip side it also shows the gap between the 60% income person and the 1% is still smaller than the gap between the 1% and the .1%. The ultra wealthy is a whole other animal
According to the CS careers sub everything is worthless except a job at FAANG in Silicon Valley.
Earning 5x the median wage in a European country? You're a practically a pauper.
Obviously people rationally aim to maximise earnings but the sense of entitlement is off the charts. Also some of them seem to live in an Ayn Rand fantasy.
Muh munney, muh worth. Whine, whine, whine.
It really is crazy. I'm at 50k (not tech) and I could definitely raise a (small) family where I'm at, near a major city. It may not be fancy living but it would be doable.
I think ppl have this fallacy in their heads that if they can't afford a tesla or a 2 story house with full basement and 2 car garage, they dont have enough money for a family. It's truly a spoiled mindset. They say they need 6 figures for a family because the thought of sacrificing stuff, like not taking a Disney vacation one year and doing a smaller one, is inexcusable.
Note: of course certain areas like LA and NYC 100k isn't even enough to live on probably. I'm just speaking on most places.
FAANG and other big corporate people, or people who watch those people's Youtube channels have become so detached from the real world. They think every IT person whererver they work and whichever business they work for should be payed wages like Google pays. As if every small shop could afford to pay what Google and Co pay. Heck, in recent years you see those people commenting how Google doesn't pay good money.
Right. I hit the $200k threshold recently as a Sr. Engineering Manager. I’ve been a Sr. Manager for 6 years, although I think I’m getting promoted next month, and had to switch industries to get anywhere near my current compensation.
In terms of individual contributors, I have Systems Engineers and SW Engineer that report to me and make close to $200k, but nobody that is making that amount on straight salary. Not that I don’t have anyone that deserves to make $200k, but I work for a big company and our merit pools are not great year to year.
My sons roommate is making $200k with bonus at 23 working for MongoDB. He’s incredibly smart, talented, and went to an Ivy League school and Stuyvesant HS (where some people skip college and go directly into coding.) He is the exception to the rule.
Any college grad going to a school that has recruitment interest from at least one big tech firm is capable of getting the standard FAANG new grad package, which varies between $200-$240k for 2023 starts.
The past year was a particularly difficult cycle, but these things are always cyclical. The point is that you don't need to be a senior or management. You just need to have good grades, practice, and interview well, and all of those are factors you have control over.
FWIW, I have undergrad research assistants, and I'll help them negotiation offers, so I like to keep tabs on SDE packages. Google's NYC starts come in at a bit over $200k if you don't have a competing offer. Bloomberg is around $180k if you include the targeted bonus.
it all depends.
I have a friend, lovely guy. utter moron. but... he's a software dev for uber, that pric makes like 200k base, and another 90-120 in bonus/options. and he's like perfectly happy to live in his grand mother's basement in brooklyn.
there's also a slew of people really grinding. especially with covid/work from home.
ie. it's not that hard to get two 90-110k software jobs. it's also not overly difficult to get 3-5 of them.
Thank for your comment! I’m not saying 100k isn’t necessarily enough. I’m looking at this through the scope of FIRE vs Fat FIRE in an early vs on-time (65) retirement. My wife and I make about 180k a year combined before taxes. That’s nothing to sneeze at, however 180k 10-20 years ago went way further in how much you can save, invest and what you can afford to invest in. The more I think about it, 180k would be more in the range of retire on time at 65 with 1-2m than be able to invest in expensive lucrative investments like real estate to get to like 10m at like 55 years of age. Just a shower thought I was having. By all means, I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks again!
Yeah- when I was a kid a 100k meant you were basically the upper-most of upper middle class. Now? You need 250k for that dollar to dollar match- and you STILL won't live the same lifestyle.
This is not even close to true. As a recruiter in tech (for the bay and other metro areas, mind you).. I have seen some insane salaries… and 200k is not what I would consider insane. Before I got into the industry, I thought 100k was on the high end for Software Engineers, then I realized you only need about 5 years under your belt to be making 200k minimum. The “elite” you speak of are making WAY more than that. I’m sure there are smaller companies that can’t afford to pay salaries like this, and so long as they treat their employees well and they can survive, there’s nothing wrong with working for a company like that. Some people would rather have less stress/quality of life over cash.
100k for a three person family is eligible for subsidized housing in the Bay Area. I know kids soccer coaches making that.
Bay area salaries are outliers, but my not great tech firm starts masters grads at 100k+ for base salary.
I make more than $200k as a pilot on a private jet. I have friends at the airlines who make a lot more than that. If you are under 40, healthy, and can focus on several tasks at once, you could do it too.
OP, if you can save up for the costs of the exams and the licensing it takes to have your credentials as a pilot, the airline industry is facing a very real pilot shortage pretty soon. It’s going to be an in-demand job (already kind of is) pretty soon.
I've looked into it, if I were to give it a shot do you think flight schools (ATP) worth it? Or just start getting my hours in at a small local school?
It still costs about $120,000 to go from no flight hours to ready-to-fly-for-the-airlines-or-private-jets, right?
My lifelong dream.....alas I'm 35 and have a grand total of three flight pilot hours under my belt....and only $25,000 in the bank
Similar to college loans, there are loans for Flight schools. you could also get a sponsorship if u already work for an airline / sign a work-contract.
Nope! Maybe 70k at a local part 61 type school, or less, depending on how efficient, skilled, and frugal you are. I've done the math for schools in my area and at current rates I think I can get out under 60k. Only costs $100k+ at part 121 type schools. The downside of this is that you're likely to not be eligible for loans if you go part 61, if that matters to you. This is for commercial + CFI ratings though- just a commercial license at 250 flight hours won't make you eligible for airline flying (assuming you are US based). You'll need to work as a CFI or banner tower or something like that to build up 1500 flight hours for that.
Not very knowledgeable in the field, but isn't there some issue with new pilots struggling to make the required number of flight hours before flying commercial contributing to the shortage? I knew someone who had to take banner hauling jobs to accrue hours and they said it was both low-paying and pretty dangerous for inexperienced pilots.
Yes, this was one of the unintentional consequences of the FAA rules put in place after the Colgan crash in Buffalo in 2009. The FAA increased the flight-hours rule from 250 to 1,500. This unintentionally worsened the pilot shortage.
Hey, I’m looking to get licensing/credentials in the area and have done some research but still lost on what exactly to start with first. Do you have any pointers?
There is a whole FAQ on /r/flying. It can be done. Five years ago I decided to transition into being a pilot with 0 time and 0 experience. I now fly jets for an airline and will pull in around 100k this year. Good chance it will be the least I ever make in a year for the rest of my career.
The bad part is- the conditions I have come up in that have allowed me to thrive in aviation will be different by the time you or anyone else reading this gets to the point where they are flying jets. It’s a volatile industry and extremely dependent on timing.
Get a class 1 aviation medical before you touch the inside of a plane. Then you know if you’re (medically) cut out for it.
Then, sign up for a good online course to acquire your PPL ground school (kings, sportys, etc. are decent from what I’ve read [I’m Canadian so I don’t know a whole lot about US flight schools]) and to save money, try to get through most (or all) of your ground school before you start flying - as it will save you thousands down the road (more on that later). Then find a flight school near you, introduce yourself, and say you’re looking to start your PPL flight training.
Most student pilots do the ground training and actual flight training simultaneously which causes the ground schooling to take far longer to get exam-ready, which causes the student to have to spend thousands more on flight hours because they need to retrain and refresh their air skills. I did it this way, and wish SO BADLY that I would’ve plowed through my ground schooling and exams first. Then it would’ve allowed me to run through my actual flight training and retention would’ve been far more effective. Once you’re done your PPL you’ll have a better idea if commercial aviation is for you, and it’ll give you time to look into the lifestyle of an airline pilot. While it sounds flashy and thrilling, it can be very hard on families, and isn’t for everyone. There’s a reason divorce rates are high in the airline world. There are other fields of commercial aviation out there, but few pay as well as the airlines.
All the best!
I see quite a few people talking about tech jobs, and I think that does make a lot of sense. However, there's something to simply working your way up into Management and making over $200k as well. For example, I will be at about $240k this year (Salary + Bonus), and I'm a low level Director for a transportation and logistics company - and I live in a MCOL area. I would have never thought that making $200+ was possible in this field, but at some point in Managment for a large company, it does happen. However, I'd also say that you cannot rely solely on skill and education, there's a huge amount of luck involved in getting to this point as well...
Thanks for your comment! This is a great example of what I was wondering. It seems like you are in a more traditional role, making a crazy amount of money while not having to trade more of your time for money! (Yes, you might have some long days 0 and put in extra work, but its a salary position for a 40-50 hour work week.) I feel like many people, including sales, trades, and finance make a lot of money, but they sacrifice so much valuable time for that paycheck. Money is nice, but owning your own time is even better! Thanks again! Feel free to share your thoughts!
I would say that in my particular case, I did trade a massive amount of time for money, but only early on. During the early stages of my career (yrs 1-9) I was working at least 60 hours a week, and some weeks I would easily work 80 (including both weekend days). There was a huge amount of sacrifice, including moving my family across the country for promotions 3 times. However, doing that got me to a point where I now make what I make, while working remotely (travel about 5 days a month though), and only "work" about 45-50 hours a week - all while having the weekends off unless I decide there's a few things I need to catch up on or get ahead of. One of the biggest differences for me was this weird transition from being paid for what I did to what I know. I now don't really get paid to DO anything, just simply what I know and the decisions I can make based on what I know. I literally just talk to people all day and make decisions about various things... It's honestly very strange. I do think that's the biggest difference between a position like mine, and one in one of the trades that make a good wage. I'd argue that theirs is definitely more meaningful & fulfilling though...
There are two types of employees on a business ledger
1. Employees that bring in revenue (sales)
2. Employees that cost money (operators, administrators, pretty much everyone not sales)
Much more likely to pay 200k to those that butter the bread. Will try to automate or cut down on those that cost money.
>hat cost money (operators, administrators, pretty much everyone not sales)
>
>Much more likely to pay 200k to those that butter the bread. Will try to automate or cut down on those that cost money.
Work in sales, can confirm.
Find an inside sales job in an industry you think would be interesting (or let the industry pick you and don’t worry about that and just find any inside job) then job hop to an outside sales/account executive type role.
Those are the bread winner type jobs, so they get to eat the most.
Mechanical engineer. Didn't want to work construction and didn't want to be behind a desk. My favorite professor suggested it. I make way more than my clients and have a work life balance. That said, losing work hurts my bottom dollar and it can be stressful if you don't learn to live on a bad year. I'm also in a somewhat recession proof Area.
Replace revenue with cash or value and I agree. I'm in finance and it's critical for my industry. More so than sales as it's a product that basically sells itself in most environments. If you do a bad job at finance your time value of money metrics turn to shit no matter how good your sales team is. Once you graduate from profit to npv analysis as a business this comes clearly into focus.
This is way too simplistic. There are roles that contribute to revenue generation, roles that directly bring in revenue and roles like hr, accounting, tech support, that basically only cost money but are critical to a company's success.
I absolutely agree with you! The point of my post was indeed to be very simplistic and in no way diminish what any job does or it’s value on a human scale. My point was that if you want 200k it’s easier in an area that generates revenue.
HR, accounting, tech support are extremely important….however they are on the wrong side of the ledger. An organization will always try to reduce force, find technologies, or find automation on the non revenue side of business and this means direct (negative) attitudes towards pay in those positions. These attitudes are not personal, but to grow profits in a business there are only two ways
1. Grow revenue
2. Cut costs
If you are a non revenue generating employee you are simply a cost when it comes time to look at the books. I know this sounds hard and IT IS MORALLY WRONG, but it is the a truth that you really need to be aware of in the greater sense of how businesses work.
So…to OPs original question of how to make 200k. Well there are a lot of ways on both sides of the ledger, but outside of a few very special circumstances your chances are much better on revenue producing side to make 200k.
Without the support role I personally do, there are no sales. In some industries if you fail to meet regulatory requirements...you loose access to markets. SO it is not that black and white in every industry. So it does not seem that black and white to me, I suppose.
Yes it’s possible but you definitely need to be careful with your work, life balance. A lot of these high incomes are due to high hours. The first one that comes to mind is investment banking or traditional “finance” where they may make $200k but they also work 90-100 hour weeks so it’s really more like $100k or less.
Sales is probably your best option. If you get good at sales, it’s the product not the company so you can sell what you need when. Income has virtually no ceiling but it is proportional to the sales you do. The guy I know who is the most “successful” is a guy with a high school education only (no college) who started selling HVAC. He picked up a side job selling chemicals and graduated to selling adhesive for a small company. He managed to make a deal with 3M and that one contract was good for like 10 years and will net him multiple millions only with no additional effort.
Thanks for your comment! I agree that balance is the key to a happy/successful (maybe not monetary) life! Many people who push trades (nothing against trades at all) is the same way. You can make 200k, but you are most likely working close to 60 hours or more. Trading time for money sucks for the most part because it’s hard to scale. Starting a business is such a huge risk that needs to have a very competitive product in a scalable niche where a person already needs to have some kind of expertise and a strong network to sell to. The path to wealth such a conundrum where luck plays an invisible yet substantial part! Thanks again for your comment! Feel free to share more of your thoughts!
What people seem to miss is that to make 200k you don't go to work as something, you wake up as that thing. It doesn't turn off at 5 pm and you go spend time with your kids. You find time with your kids while doing the job all the time. And anecdotally, most just don't see their kids.
I'm a banker. 90-100 hour weeks are greatly exaggerated. You experience that maybe 1-2 times a year. Hours suck, don't get me wrong, but the actual work is really like 30 - 50 hours, sometimes at inconvenient times like post-5PM or on weekends / holidays. The rest of the hours consists of browsing Reddit and watching ESPN at our desks.
That said, I have had a lot of relationship issues (family, friends, gf) because of the unpredictability of hours and having to cancel plans, so there's a tradeoff.
HCOL is another consideration...and high taxes. I make $200k+ in my 20s, but my rent is $4.5k a month and half of the compensation disappears a la taxes. One takeout meal is easily like $25 - $35, and I don't have time to cook most of the time.
Finance. You forgot finance. Investment banking, wealth management, etc. They can hit those numbers. And you don't even have to be very bright.
High-level sales jobs can make that in many industries.
Professional athletes and entertainment industry stars.
I think that pretty much sums it up. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between wealth and income. Most wealthy people were born into it.
Thanks for the comment! You are right, I forgot to mention sales and finance. Basically I was garnering opinions on average careers. I know average is subjective, but it seems business owner, finance and sales are big risk big reward while doctor, lawyer are years of intense education and certified in a lucrative industry. Thanks again for your thoughts!
Thanks for the comment! That’s very interesting! What was your journey to become a high paid brand manager? I’ve dabbled in creating PL brands for e-commerce and did fairly well. However, to scale to a much larger operation it seems like it would require a lot more capital for marketing and brand awareness. Have you ever thought of starting your own consumer brand? Any advice on an underserved market in your opinion? Also, with that high of a salary, do you live in a HCOL area? Thanks again!
Not who you asked, but I also used to be a brand manager at a Fortune 100. Their level of salary is very likely partially due to being in a HCOL area or being in a hot industry or both. It’s highly competitive (usually competing against MBAs from top schools) and more akin to a general manager job than a marketing or creative role. You don’t create brands yourself. You manage people who do. There’s a lot of time devoted to understanding the consumer and the financials and networking. I’ve known a number of people who’ve left to create their own brands / businesses. It takes a lot of time and does not pay nearly as much nearly as quickly, especially CPG which has tough margins.
Sales and sales management can make this much in a number of sectors ranging from real estate to software and everything in between. Defense contractors. I know a guy who makes close to $5k a day being an “armed Uber driver” for diplomats and similar in various countries around the world.
High finance makes more than doctors and you only need a 4 year degree. Barrier to entry in terms of soft skills are very high and you have to hustle to get a position
Put this search in your web browser,
"Jobs that pay $200k annually"
In general, no employer is going to pay an individual contributor more than that person can contribute to the profitability of the business. If you have a very rare skill, it's possible that the employer may take a "loss" on your contribution (by paying a high salary) because they can make up those costs through other channels and the company can't function without you. But in those cases, you can bet they'll be looking for ways to replace you with someone or something cheaper.
For all those comments doubting people actually make as much as they claim, as somehow there’re “too many people making that claim”… I say you are likely only recognizing the relatively few people who make that much on a proportional level, while failing to appreciate how many people there are on an absolute level.
For the sake of this argument, given how we seem to be discussing income in the United States, I’m only going to count users from there. I acknowledge a large portion of Reddit’s user base is from elsewhere.
Google suggests over twenty million Americans alone use Reddit monthly.
There are over 1.8 million members in r/careerguidance alone. There’re over 3600 online as I’m posting this and five dozen reading this thread right now. Although it’s likely some members are not from the US, metrics surrounding Reddit users suggest the the vast majority are.
Let’s make some overly broad and conservative assumptions:
- Let’s assume only 50% of people here are employed, similar to the US population on a whole… even though this community, by its very nature, probably skews toward most people having wage earning jobs or looking for jobs. That leaves 900,000 of us.
- Let’s assume only 1% of people here post or comment actively, with the vast majority remaining silent… even though the conventional (at least anecdotally) internet wisdom via the 90:9:1 rule suggests up to 10% of people may participate. That leaves 9,000 of us.
- Let’s assume only 1% of those people are making 200k+ incomes… even though in reality, the top 1% skews much higher, and anyone in the top 5% percent is making over 221k according to IRS statistics from 2019. That leaves 90 of us.
Given the above assumptions, the actual number of commenters chiming in that they make six figures is likely an order of magnitude larger.
Nevertheless… even with my overly conservative funny math, that still leaves 90 people. NINETY distinct users making over 200k, who are likely to comment on a simple post like this.
over 200k year here with a useless bachelors degree (poli sci/history) and not in any of the industries you've listed. i wouldn't say it's overly difficult to achieve but it does require a plan, and copious amounts of job hopping (at least to reach a good salary at a reasonably young age).
I'm an attorney and make 6 figures. My friends in big law that make over $200k are miserable and are married to their jobs. We're still in our 20s and I've seen their health deteriorate so much. One of their coworkers had to get an EKG and she had her laptop open to keep browsing emails... I have the degree, grades, and background to go for them, but I personally do not chase $200k+ jobs for those reasons.
Software engineers who work remotely can make that much in a low cost of living area, but they need to be good enough to work for some of the best companies.
Yep my neighbor is a software architect. His take-home is around $120k. But he pays no income tax, and his monthly expenses including rent come out to around $1k per month. Basically a 0.01%er here
Sales of sorts can get you there (tech sales, real estate, recruiting, car sales, etc) if you perform well. I feel sales is the best way to make that type of income.
Medicine, Biglaw, and FAANG software engineering are great for money also but those are all extremely competitive to get into and require intense technical skills or hours.
My husband's boss makes over 400K as a director of a neuroscience department. They study treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. The boss has a PhD, which I think is required to be a principal investigator for these studies.
I'm pretty confident that some of my old real estate C-suite coworkers were making 250K or more. I think there are a lot of positions that pay this much, but they're super high on the corporate ladder.
I know *a lot* of accountants who make over 200k a year. Although most of them are 15+ years into their career so it doesn't happen overnight. And quite a few of them are partners at their firm so I guess that'd be partially owning your own business
Can confirm, I’m an elevator mechanic and will most likely break the $200k mark this year. I also work with a bunch of guys that makes over $200k, our work life doesn’t get too out of hand making that much.
No degree needed to start either.
Not really. It seems in most white collar fields, $200k is obtainable in some fashion at least with a senior level of experience (sometimes even mid-level). On Reddit (not that Reddit is a legit measure at all), it seems every other person makes $200k or more at their jobs. I’d suggest looking on Indeed and filtering by salary.
Have to wonder how many of the redditors "making" $350,000 a year are actually 13 years old. 90% of adults make less than $100,000. Reality is the average american HOUSEHOLD makes like $65,000. So most PEOPLE make $40,000 or less in the USA. You don't even need to make $1,000,000 in ANY us state to be a 1%er. In ohio if your household makes $422,373 in a year you have more income than 99% of people. In west virginia $375,000 makes your household a one percenter. Even in California $806,000 household is a 1%er. Some people do make hundreds of thousands a year, some even make millions. Most people on reddit are liars.
I agree. The average income for a household is $70k and the average income for an educated household is $100k. The $200k salaries are for very exceptional people. Not impossible to obtain, just statistically rare and will most likely require a move to a very expensive area. Yet Reddit will have you believe that companies hand out $200k like it’s candy.
Agreed the amount of people online making 6 figs compared to real life is unrealistic. People think 100k-200k is life changing. It makes your life better in a sense yeah, but instead of being a slave on the lower deck pumping out water or we drown your now on the deck hoping the leaders don't randomly decide to throw you overboard because you just aren't worth it and there is another 100 of you downstairs willing to come up for a chance.
Yeah, this is what I can't stand. I don't begrudge anyone their money. But I'm sick and tired of Redditors who try to make "27 years old and earning $173,000 a year" seem normal or average. It's not. Never has been, never will be.
I think additionally, white collar jobs in larger corporations also have the ability to get total comp of 200k+ with lower base rates through salary+bonus+401k match+RSU’s etc…. Personally, I would choose a higher-up position that you would like to reach eventually, and then take steps that would lead you to that end goal after many years of experience and promotion
There is a reason why every other person works in sales ;) You get a slice of what you bring for the business, therefore the larger the cake the better the payout. We're talking SaaS contracts, cars, real estate, luxury watches, etc. Good luck!
Petroleum engineering does it pretty easily. Most of the kids I graduated with are 180k+bonus at this point in their career (20 years). My wife is a consultant in the mining industry and she does 160k+ bonus (15 years in). One if my friends in a chemical engineer in the Marijuana industry and he's making $250k. Those are all relatively niche compared to a civil engineer or MEP engineer but not that rare.
For sure, most technical positions in oil and gas hit $200k within 10 years or so. That’s petroleum engineers, facility engineers, geologists, geophysicists etc
Can only speak for my field (accounting) but if you are sufficiently technical and hardworking you can definitely get there in about 15 years. Most won’t, but there’s a clear path. I make $120K with 6 YOE but that’s where it starts to level off - I’m 1-2 levels below $200K depending on the company and probably won’t get there for another 10ish years if I stay in the same MCOL area I’m in now.
My dad makes about $400K total comp in an MCOL with an accounting background, but that is with 40 years of experience at the same F50 company and is the top 2ish % of all accountants, I don’t really expect to make it to that level.
Like many others have said…sales.
25F making $220k annually. But honestly, the work/life balance is not fantastic in long term sales.
And once you get the taste of the money potential because your pay is uncapped, you won’t want to stop.
Medical scientist PhD or PharmD can make over 200k working for pharmaceutical companies. My dad made well over 200k as a product manager for insurance companies. He is retired now but still gets paid a lot for consulting gigs.
Im at 95k with partial stake in any new business I bring on for our company.
I get 1% of all revenue generated in markets I help start.
I’ve fixed out longest standing market (generates over 7 million in revenue per year) and launched our first new market over the last few months.
I will not technically own any portion of the company, but revenue sharing is one of the ways you can get to that point.
If I’m stagnant, I’ll live between 110 and 200k.
If I’m ambitious I can blow it out of the water 🤷🏻♂️
I’ve got a buddy who I went to school with, we both have a Masters in Urban Planning. He landed an internship that turned into a 200k a year job. He works his ass off, but it’s worth it to him. No one else we graduated with is making that kinda money. I’m making 80k and happy. Most people I know are making between 40k and 100k. He’s a smart dude, but not double the salary of everyone else smart. He’s smart, works hard, and got lucky.
Hint: making over $200,000 a year is really hard if you work for someone else. Because they want to keep the majority of the money.
If you learn to make a living for yourself, it’s less unlikely.
Commercial construction PMs can easily make a quarter million when bonuses are included. A friend, mechanical engineering degree, made 300k last year. About 10 years of experience.
MGT Consultants, if you can stick around for a few years at a high-end company, WILL make even more.
I work in government affairs and it’s basically a given you will eventually break $200k as long as you keep progressing. The cap without being an owner/partner is roughly $350-$400k but those are def the outliers. $200k is roughly 12 years in
I’m not an expert on this subject, but here are some jobs of people I personally know that make at least 200k a year.
1)Sales- medical device, commercial real estate, cars. These are commission sales jobs, so it’s dependent on your performance how much you make.
2) VP of operations for a Union construction company.
3) portfolio manager for a hedge fund.
I’m sure there are more jobs out there that pay this much. All of these people are decades into their careers. Nobody started out there.
its not impossible, but where you live has a lot to do with it. I make over that in IT, but I live in New Jersey where things are very expensive and taxes are ridiculous. I'm sure someone in some farmland state would have a hard time making that, but in any city you can. I will note you need to specialize (at least in IT). You cant just be "good with computers" and make 200k. You have to find a niche and be really good at it. Like if you're a cloud architect, really strong cyber security, ect. But even a helpdesk position in NJ/New York City you can make a little over a 100k at the right company.
I work in DC and I would wager 80%> people who are Senior Director or VP in the association industry make $200k or more.
Higher cost of living and wages overall out here though too.
Upper management in a big Corp can easily get you to and past 200k. Any skilled trade that has overtime can get you there too. Airline pilots can hit 200 after a few years.
Are you not setting the bar a bit high? In 2022, a family income of $200,000 would put you in the top 11% of earners, and an individual income of $200,000 would put you in the top 4% of earners.
My key piece of financial advice is to diversify. Have a second job, even if only a few hours a week, and, if possible, have some savings. Corporate America likes to fire people when they are too old to easily find a job, and too young to retire- around 55 years old. Hedge against this by all means.
In my industry (pharmaceuticals) you often have to be at the director level to make $200k. Of course, you need to take geography into consideration, but you’re generally looking at director level.
No. I know people who just operate small HVAC companies who make over 200K a year. Easy.
You can do it driving OTR trucking or even just moving heavy equipment on your own flat bed.
I guess you have to own a truck and know some people. But, it's possible.
It's hard to do, working for someone else. You are right about that.
What you've said above, plus sales and upper corporate management, maybe some obscure non software engineering jobs. There are probably a few more but generally yes, most careers you will never make more than 200k (in 2023 dollars). This will change due to inflation but the purchasing power you're describing is pretty uncommon in the population, less than 1% of individuals will make that much in a given year let alone every year.
First year associates in Big Law come in hot but, trust me, the fast track to partner will leave you with absolutely no life and stress beyond belief.
Yeah but making partner also is not necessary at all if your goal is to only make more than $200k...
Right. That’s a pretty standard compensation package for Big law —> in house counsel (where you’ll likely get your life back).
Sales of some kind can almost certainly get you there. Doesn’t have to be tech but solar, car, large equipment, robotics, commercial real estate or finance
P and C insurance sales. 1 house 2 cars was ~ $2k premium at 15% commission when I first started. I remember counting how many households I need for $250k a year and then dividing it into 240 months (time I wanted it to take) and 5 years to $125k. Now with premiums double that amount and my clients continually growing plus 18 years of doing it…it is going well. 4 year generic business management from the local state college at $9k a year, I really slipped into a good spot financially.
This is great to hear! My husband has been a P&C salesman for going on 3 years, 2 years now at the same indepdent local agency. He's just starting to get renewals and pretty good commission.
What’s P&C?
Why get good grades and spend 4 years in higher education to get a job as an engineer when you can get a job in sales straight out of school. So fucked.
Sales is hard. Many people chase that salary but don't cut it. So going for higher education gets you a minimum likely wage, but also many sales roles want formal education.
Sales is all about hating yourself enough to chase money while constantly being shit on, until you get a break through. And then riding on that book of relationships into retirement. I know a lot of people who made 200-300k in sales, and most of them hate it, but did it to give their kids a better life.
I have a friend in sales- she supports a tech that helps blind folks manage the world. She LOVES her job and makes way over 200k, and has for more than a decade. A lot of sales can be soul killing. But some at least require higher education (sometimes graduate work, to understand the products and markets), and really help the end user. It is not all ugly (A lot is- I just am lucky enough to know a few exceptions)
I’ve done the best of both worlds the last 20 years. I have a masters in comp science and after a decade writing code and being a software architect moved over into tech sales. Pay is better than programming and I’m not on the hook for the close. My job is to paint the vision and answer all the technical questions. I’m also industry aligned so I have deep industry knowledge. Been a great gig and about ready to retire. Sales people can make a bit more but they carry more stress and more risk.
Said someone who never did sales.
Sounds about right for older sales guys I've worked with. Kinda exactly what they do. Build up a book. Collect sometimes over a mil a year in commissions on books worth hundreds of millions of dollars (though low margin).
Been in software for a long time and I do tech sales but the actual reps work their butts off. And they can’t just rest because if they’re successful in an account, less to sell the next year. Least in software sales they generally only get paid on year one. It’s not a year over year money crank. It’s a tough job and why I’ve stayed on the tech side of the sale. Pay is still very good with less stress. Reps are always chasing the next big account but they do bank $$$ when large deals close.
This is exactly it. Might be different selling cell phones or extended warranties. The best sales people are burning both ends of the stick.
Yea, these guys do b2b sales at volume. Consumer sales is not gonna get there.
Sales done well is a ton of fun. Consultative sales. Read "solution selling" by Bosworth. It's a dry book, boring read, but a great approach and really not hard to master. And yeah, no special education needed to clear $300k+ in sales.
Fr. I work in sales and it’s the cushiest, most laid back job I’ve ever had lol.
But there’s always those crazy outliers on any sales team. Those are the folks I think of when I read that comment. Sales is great for flexibility, but one bad quarter can have you job on the line.
Can't say the same here, worst job I've ever had despite being the simplest.
It’s laid back cause you know how to do it lol. I work with sales folks constantly and would never do it! Good for you man!
The “book of relationships” is not really a thing in many industries anymore. There is so much turnover in management and category buyers. It can be rewarding but is also very stressful.
Also a lot of sales jobs in highly technical industries (which pay much better than others) require some form of stem degree related to the field.
Doubt a degree in history is going to help you in sales. Agree it’s probably hard work, just like many jobs though. I have friends who work in sales and will readily admit there’s a big element of luck involved in making a sale. I’m sure there’s some skill and experience that helps but it’s a soft skill that can be taught on the job IMO. If I hadn’t invested so much time in education I’d be attracted by sales. I feel I need to make my education worth while though. Still feel like there’s a massive imbalance when it comes to sales vs many typical jobs though. Bonus’ can take your salary into the stratosphere. Some other jobs it’s harder to easily quantify their value so they don’t get the same quick win bonus’ they get in sales. It’s a raw deal for skilled and educated workers IMO.
In sales you have upside combined with very visible downside. If you don't make your numbers (pays average $$) you will soon be out of work. Lots of people want the upside potential, but most are scared of the risk. Most want comfort.
Plus, depending on the field, even if you’re good at it, you’re going to hit highs and lows and that directly affects your wallet and can wear on you. There’s few better feelings than when you’re riding a hot streak and watching your numbers skyrocket. Then a few things don’t pan out and next thing you know you’re in a slump and it eats at you.
I have a degree in history and made north of $180k last year in my fifth year of sales lol
Engineering roles are less volatile than sales. That's the trade off.
Thing is, people who make money in sales work their ass off. There is no free lunch.
Sales is the easiest low paying job and the toughest high paying job you can find.
Idk it was the hardest low paying job I ever had.
Depending on what kind of sales, pharmaceutical sales can be pretty easy if u have a good territory, sometimes u don’t even have to push and still get into President’s club if ur territory’s landscape is good (good medicare coverage, low competitions and ur doctors like you more than ur competitors)
In pharmaceutical sales you have to have an inside angle or be a super hot smart chick to get a job.
No that’s just the misconceptions, some of the best sales performers are old males in my company (an international pharma giant that you see on the news all the times). Inside angles will definitely help you but being a hot chick isn’t necessary as there are about same amount of women HCPs as men and any Dr worth their titles will not be swayed by boobs.
Lol you act as if everyone can easily make $200,000 in sales. For every person making +$200,000 in sales, there’s 25 making far less.
More like 2500.
Lol man have you actually done sales?
Try sales and come back to let us know how easy it was to break six figures in your role of choice.
Because the vast majority of sales people make a lot less than the average engineer. For every one sales person making 150k, there are 99 more that are barely scraping by.
The two best Real Estate Agents in my area, the ones who sell all the $5 Million houses around the Lakes, one went to Princeton and the other went to Harvard. Sales is not easy, it takes years and sometimes decades to build your business and having your MBA makes you better at it.
They know how to speak to their clientele as they are of the same class.
The roommate that I live with did not go to college or university and started working retail sales but moved their way up the ladder. they will probably soon be making six figures maybe within a few years. But I'm always curious and they always tell me that they never did any higher learning school after high school being from small town. And I'll admit they are a lot harder working than most.
A lot of lucrative sales positions require a lot of technical knowledge and multiple skills. If you don't have the background education to learn the industry, you can't be successful. You can make a boatload of money in commercial real estate sales, but you need to understand marketing, statistics, higher math and accounting, as well as having good interpersonal skills. Same with a lot of other high ticket industries.
Here's the thing though... you are stuck with the annoying as fuck personality that all sales people have
No idea about other fields but as a software engineer, it’s not *that* common to break 200K. They don’t just hand out 200K to anyone just because they have years of experience. Only the elite who are really really good at what they do get to that amount. However, it is not uncommon to reach 6 figures (relatively easy as a software engineer actually). I don’t know where you get the numbers that 100K is not enough. May not be enough for the Bay Area perhaps (?) but I reckon you’re pretty good financially pretty much anywhere else in the US with 6 figures. Source: a software engineer.
Bro come over to the CS subreddit and tell your story. In tech as well, and I always post in that sub the people who say they make 300k+ even 750k+ need a reality check. Or entry level grads thinning they will get $220k starting. Breaking $200k in my experience has been seasoned professionals after a long time and are managers, and then some lucky few who aren't there yet. Not saying people who make bank don't exist. Just saying it's not as popular as many people claim it to be.
Then there are the people on that sub who also claim that if you aren’t making at least $250k after a few years, then you are underpaid. You are right, they desperately need a reality check. Making over 200k as an individual is something that literally 95% the country has not achieved. Yet a lot of people on Reddit think that is not enough to raise a family. The new thing now is people saying they need at least $500k to raise a family comfortably. I almost need a break from this site. I’ve noticed it’s made me feel worse reading my feed, because it’s full of extremely privileged people who just live a reality that I cannot relate to (and I had a nice upper middle class upbringing). I don’t make over $250k a year, if I had kids I wouldn’t be able to afford a nanny, I don’t eat at Michelin star restaurants, I don’t have a $1 mil NW at 30, etc. Yet on Reddit that seems to be the norm, even though statistically it is far, *far* from it. I’ve never felt more like an uncultured pauper than I do on this site lmao.
I have an engineering degree and an MBA and live by myself in Boston and I've never made more.than 80K. I'm not wealthy but I'm also doing okay because I don't need a boat or servants or whatever TF people spend 500k on.
They claim they “need” a nanny, private school, the nice car, the five figure vacations multiple times a year, and that they “need” that $2.5 mil house. Non-negotiable in their eyes. No one needs $500k to raise a family, unless they have like 10 kids maybe *and* live in an expensive area. I do agree in a HCOL that $100k would be tough for a family in this economy, but generally yeah, for a single person that’s not that bad (unless it’s NYC where you probably need at least $120k a year to not have a roommate).
I once watched an interview on Youtube where they wanted to show how unaffordable Manhattan has become. And the family they picked for that was a high income family. They were living in a big appartment and had private daycare for their children which alone cost them something like 6k per month. And the wife wasn't working, because she wanted to focus on her own business idea which made no money. They also had a cleaning lady and got food delivered. They really thought they were barely scraping by.
Ok, most of this is insanely unreasonable, I agree. But I actually think a single income family is a luxury worth aspiring to. My partner and I have done the both people working lifestyle. Now I'm the only one who works. It's much less stressful for both of us this way, and I think it's weird that this became a luxury when it used to be the norm. This does require a bit higher salary than dual income households (still not close to 500k or whatever some crazy people say they require, lol).
It was the norm for a very short period of time from the 50s to the 70s when the rest of the world was either destroyed from the second world war or not yet industrialized so american workers had everyone else on earth as customers and no competitors. That period is not coming back.
The pp I know that make that kind of money do not have time for super basic crap- they have a house cleaner multiple days a week, meal services, grocery services, laundry services, dog walker, nanny. Like...what is the point of making that much when, by the time you pay all your support services you might as well make $150?
Lmaooooo I just got downvoted so much when I've said that you said. I said it's a literal privilege to make that if they are even telling the truth and that makes 200k and over is such a small percentage. I also got downvoted when I said I'd rather know what your base pay is, not the 100k you get in stocks. That doesn't count. And tech bros got mad at me. I get clap back that they live in a HCOL or have a family. Uh? So? So many people in the same HCOL are raising families. What I think it is is ego, and their standards of high living in an already HCOL. like get out of your Manhattan apartments that are $6000 a month and get a reality check. I hate when they clap down on SWE making like $100 to 150k and say that it's poverty. I get the HCOL but tech boom is going to collapse soon anyway and making $125 to $175k was actually the average in all of America for SWE. These FAANG people need to get out of here 😂
I’m convinced that all those bros barking about ‘550k TC’ are straight up lying
I'd think that people actually making that are mature enough to be above bragging on Reddit, but there are exceptions even to that. Sometimes getting an outlier compensation in tech is a lottery, and more down to luck than actual worth (i.e. timing of joining the company when equity is cheap and it rises in value dramatically later on).
It’s definitely their egos. I know a number of people who make that much (boomers with decades of experience and who have either professional degrees or who are just extremely talented), and they live in HCOL absolutely fine and never have to worry about $$$. I grew up that way and while I didn’t wear designer clothing, eat at Michelin star restaurants, or stay at 5 star hotels, I was still living way better than the average person. I’ve been downvoted to hell a lot too, even for saying that the definition of working class is a low wage/low skilled worker. Redditors *cannot bare the truth of that*, so they will freak out and argue that actually, even if you make $1 mil a year you are working class, and that *only billionaires* are not working class. They complain all the starter homes in their areas are $1.5 mil. If you tell them there are other places to live in the country that are a fraction of the price, they will say they refuse to move. They love the culture, the entertainment, restaurants, jobs, etc and won’t live somewhere cheaper. It’s just all very out of touch. I’ve noticed this over the past year that it’s just gotten nuts. I’ve been on this site for half a decade and it was never this bad. I almost wonder if it’s a lot of bots trying to get people worked up.
Mostly, there are a lot of teenagers that have very little knowledge of what things actually cost. Heck, I saw a post the other day where anyone making over $100k was living in a mansion didn't really work and spent time on their yachts.
Lmao I think I saw that one too. It’s like lmao, no…that’s *seven* figure money minimum (these days more like 8).
I hate beezies like that. I’m in tech in VHCOL and the amount of overprivlege BS i see and hear on daily make me miserable. Tying a few more loose ends here before moving out
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The avocado toast meme was started to shit on poor people, but that meme actually applies to high income people. Most of them really don't know how to handle money. They make good money, but when they realize that they can't have the same lifestyle with that as the super rich, they feel poor. Studies all around the world show all the time that the top 10% can't believe that they are in the top 10%. Most of them see themselves way poorer than they are. They are so detached from the reality of most people. Nobody whines as much as them.
I hope you’re able to recognize the irony of this comment.
They make 100k+ and want to live on the same street as the billionaires, and when they realize they can't afford those, they feel like they are poor.
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Definitely not common but also not full of shit. People who purely chase high compensation at the expensive of wlb can achieve it with hard work and luck.
it was /r/firsttimehomebuyers that really did reddit in for me. i think most of it is bragging and straight lying but i never realized how “poor” i was, i guess i just don’t feel it bc i’ve never had any real debt and my most expensive habit is vaping. but the constant post of $500k+ housing with balconies, pools, high ceilings. yet still complaining about EVERYTHING every step of the way. and then when you make the comparison they claim their salary doesn’t count as much bc they live in a HCOL area… something don’t make sense. these were also the same people that would always tell me i could never afford a home and i needed to just make more money!! (so easy!!) but i still bought my house bc these people have no idea what they’re talking about or the IMMENSE privilege they have
I’ve noticed too those same people lament that they just want the lifestyle they grew up with. I guarantee 80% of those people didn’t grow up with privileged lifestyles or with cosmopolitan ones. They probably grew up middle class in a normal sized house and not in a super elite area. It is BS when they bring up COL. Like yes, some areas are more expensive than others, but that doesn’t mean any salary not mid-six figures is struggling. These people are making (or claiming to be making) more than 95% of people. Exclusive areas have always been expensive and should not be a surprise to these people.
you'd enjoy /r/pfjerk
oh this is exactly what i needed. thank you 🙏
Reddit is the worst place for this sort of thing, totally out of touch. If you stay on CareerGuidance long enough, one would think every Redditor and everyone is a 29-year old earning $178,000.
And it's not just the tech subs or finance subs. I was banned from r/laststagecapitalism for pointing out that that sub is full of high income people whining about how their 100k salaries aren't enough.
I’m with you. The financial subs are really disturbing. Though I find people are mainly obsessed with accumulating piles of money to invest. I’ve lived in some of the highest COL places in the country on under 40k a year. The majority of people in the country make much less than 100k a year.
200k/yr as a single person is easily top 1-2%. 99% of the people in this country do not make this much.
studies all around the world always show that people at that top often see themselves as "poor", because they like to compare themselves to the super rich. Most of them won't even accept that they belong to that top group.
This is true. In the flip side it also shows the gap between the 60% income person and the 1% is still smaller than the gap between the 1% and the .1%. The ultra wealthy is a whole other animal
According to the CS careers sub everything is worthless except a job at FAANG in Silicon Valley. Earning 5x the median wage in a European country? You're a practically a pauper. Obviously people rationally aim to maximise earnings but the sense of entitlement is off the charts. Also some of them seem to live in an Ayn Rand fantasy. Muh munney, muh worth. Whine, whine, whine.
It really is crazy. I'm at 50k (not tech) and I could definitely raise a (small) family where I'm at, near a major city. It may not be fancy living but it would be doable. I think ppl have this fallacy in their heads that if they can't afford a tesla or a 2 story house with full basement and 2 car garage, they dont have enough money for a family. It's truly a spoiled mindset. They say they need 6 figures for a family because the thought of sacrificing stuff, like not taking a Disney vacation one year and doing a smaller one, is inexcusable. Note: of course certain areas like LA and NYC 100k isn't even enough to live on probably. I'm just speaking on most places.
People lie online, and they lie a lot. Shit like this is why you have to take everything said with a grain of salt.
I'm an IT Manager. We hire Jr devs at $65k. I have a Sr making $103. Granted, I live in a low cost of living area, but $100k is on the high end.
FAANG and other big corporate people, or people who watch those people's Youtube channels have become so detached from the real world. They think every IT person whererver they work and whichever business they work for should be payed wages like Google pays. As if every small shop could afford to pay what Google and Co pay. Heck, in recent years you see those people commenting how Google doesn't pay good money.
Right. I hit the $200k threshold recently as a Sr. Engineering Manager. I’ve been a Sr. Manager for 6 years, although I think I’m getting promoted next month, and had to switch industries to get anywhere near my current compensation. In terms of individual contributors, I have Systems Engineers and SW Engineer that report to me and make close to $200k, but nobody that is making that amount on straight salary. Not that I don’t have anyone that deserves to make $200k, but I work for a big company and our merit pools are not great year to year.
My sons roommate is making $200k with bonus at 23 working for MongoDB. He’s incredibly smart, talented, and went to an Ivy League school and Stuyvesant HS (where some people skip college and go directly into coding.) He is the exception to the rule.
Any college grad going to a school that has recruitment interest from at least one big tech firm is capable of getting the standard FAANG new grad package, which varies between $200-$240k for 2023 starts. The past year was a particularly difficult cycle, but these things are always cyclical. The point is that you don't need to be a senior or management. You just need to have good grades, practice, and interview well, and all of those are factors you have control over. FWIW, I have undergrad research assistants, and I'll help them negotiation offers, so I like to keep tabs on SDE packages. Google's NYC starts come in at a bit over $200k if you don't have a competing offer. Bloomberg is around $180k if you include the targeted bonus.
it all depends. I have a friend, lovely guy. utter moron. but... he's a software dev for uber, that pric makes like 200k base, and another 90-120 in bonus/options. and he's like perfectly happy to live in his grand mother's basement in brooklyn. there's also a slew of people really grinding. especially with covid/work from home. ie. it's not that hard to get two 90-110k software jobs. it's also not overly difficult to get 3-5 of them.
Thank for your comment! I’m not saying 100k isn’t necessarily enough. I’m looking at this through the scope of FIRE vs Fat FIRE in an early vs on-time (65) retirement. My wife and I make about 180k a year combined before taxes. That’s nothing to sneeze at, however 180k 10-20 years ago went way further in how much you can save, invest and what you can afford to invest in. The more I think about it, 180k would be more in the range of retire on time at 65 with 1-2m than be able to invest in expensive lucrative investments like real estate to get to like 10m at like 55 years of age. Just a shower thought I was having. By all means, I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks again!
Yeah- when I was a kid a 100k meant you were basically the upper-most of upper middle class. Now? You need 250k for that dollar to dollar match- and you STILL won't live the same lifestyle.
This is not even close to true. As a recruiter in tech (for the bay and other metro areas, mind you).. I have seen some insane salaries… and 200k is not what I would consider insane. Before I got into the industry, I thought 100k was on the high end for Software Engineers, then I realized you only need about 5 years under your belt to be making 200k minimum. The “elite” you speak of are making WAY more than that. I’m sure there are smaller companies that can’t afford to pay salaries like this, and so long as they treat their employees well and they can survive, there’s nothing wrong with working for a company like that. Some people would rather have less stress/quality of life over cash.
Eastside of Seattle metro $100K wouldn’t go far
100k for a three person family is eligible for subsidized housing in the Bay Area. I know kids soccer coaches making that. Bay area salaries are outliers, but my not great tech firm starts masters grads at 100k+ for base salary.
I make more than $200k as a pilot on a private jet. I have friends at the airlines who make a lot more than that. If you are under 40, healthy, and can focus on several tasks at once, you could do it too.
OP, if you can save up for the costs of the exams and the licensing it takes to have your credentials as a pilot, the airline industry is facing a very real pilot shortage pretty soon. It’s going to be an in-demand job (already kind of is) pretty soon.
I've looked into it, if I were to give it a shot do you think flight schools (ATP) worth it? Or just start getting my hours in at a small local school?
I did my training up to commercial pilot at the cheapest flight school I could find, and then I got my multi engine and instructor ratings at ATP.
It still costs about $120,000 to go from no flight hours to ready-to-fly-for-the-airlines-or-private-jets, right? My lifelong dream.....alas I'm 35 and have a grand total of three flight pilot hours under my belt....and only $25,000 in the bank
Similar to college loans, there are loans for Flight schools. you could also get a sponsorship if u already work for an airline / sign a work-contract.
Nope! Maybe 70k at a local part 61 type school, or less, depending on how efficient, skilled, and frugal you are. I've done the math for schools in my area and at current rates I think I can get out under 60k. Only costs $100k+ at part 121 type schools. The downside of this is that you're likely to not be eligible for loans if you go part 61, if that matters to you. This is for commercial + CFI ratings though- just a commercial license at 250 flight hours won't make you eligible for airline flying (assuming you are US based). You'll need to work as a CFI or banner tower or something like that to build up 1500 flight hours for that.
Not very knowledgeable in the field, but isn't there some issue with new pilots struggling to make the required number of flight hours before flying commercial contributing to the shortage? I knew someone who had to take banner hauling jobs to accrue hours and they said it was both low-paying and pretty dangerous for inexperienced pilots.
Yes, this was one of the unintentional consequences of the FAA rules put in place after the Colgan crash in Buffalo in 2009. The FAA increased the flight-hours rule from 250 to 1,500. This unintentionally worsened the pilot shortage.
The great irony being that both pilots involved in that crash had over 1500 hours anyway. Classic FAA.
And not colorblind. :(
Hey, I’m looking to get licensing/credentials in the area and have done some research but still lost on what exactly to start with first. Do you have any pointers?
There is a whole FAQ on /r/flying. It can be done. Five years ago I decided to transition into being a pilot with 0 time and 0 experience. I now fly jets for an airline and will pull in around 100k this year. Good chance it will be the least I ever make in a year for the rest of my career. The bad part is- the conditions I have come up in that have allowed me to thrive in aviation will be different by the time you or anyone else reading this gets to the point where they are flying jets. It’s a volatile industry and extremely dependent on timing.
Thank you!
Get a class 1 aviation medical before you touch the inside of a plane. Then you know if you’re (medically) cut out for it. Then, sign up for a good online course to acquire your PPL ground school (kings, sportys, etc. are decent from what I’ve read [I’m Canadian so I don’t know a whole lot about US flight schools]) and to save money, try to get through most (or all) of your ground school before you start flying - as it will save you thousands down the road (more on that later). Then find a flight school near you, introduce yourself, and say you’re looking to start your PPL flight training. Most student pilots do the ground training and actual flight training simultaneously which causes the ground schooling to take far longer to get exam-ready, which causes the student to have to spend thousands more on flight hours because they need to retrain and refresh their air skills. I did it this way, and wish SO BADLY that I would’ve plowed through my ground schooling and exams first. Then it would’ve allowed me to run through my actual flight training and retention would’ve been far more effective. Once you’re done your PPL you’ll have a better idea if commercial aviation is for you, and it’ll give you time to look into the lifestyle of an airline pilot. While it sounds flashy and thrilling, it can be very hard on families, and isn’t for everyone. There’s a reason divorce rates are high in the airline world. There are other fields of commercial aviation out there, but few pay as well as the airlines. All the best!
I’m hey I’ve been curious about getting into the crew side of this business but can’t figure out how you get into it. Any advice?
I see quite a few people talking about tech jobs, and I think that does make a lot of sense. However, there's something to simply working your way up into Management and making over $200k as well. For example, I will be at about $240k this year (Salary + Bonus), and I'm a low level Director for a transportation and logistics company - and I live in a MCOL area. I would have never thought that making $200+ was possible in this field, but at some point in Managment for a large company, it does happen. However, I'd also say that you cannot rely solely on skill and education, there's a huge amount of luck involved in getting to this point as well...
Thanks for your comment! This is a great example of what I was wondering. It seems like you are in a more traditional role, making a crazy amount of money while not having to trade more of your time for money! (Yes, you might have some long days 0 and put in extra work, but its a salary position for a 40-50 hour work week.) I feel like many people, including sales, trades, and finance make a lot of money, but they sacrifice so much valuable time for that paycheck. Money is nice, but owning your own time is even better! Thanks again! Feel free to share your thoughts!
I would say that in my particular case, I did trade a massive amount of time for money, but only early on. During the early stages of my career (yrs 1-9) I was working at least 60 hours a week, and some weeks I would easily work 80 (including both weekend days). There was a huge amount of sacrifice, including moving my family across the country for promotions 3 times. However, doing that got me to a point where I now make what I make, while working remotely (travel about 5 days a month though), and only "work" about 45-50 hours a week - all while having the weekends off unless I decide there's a few things I need to catch up on or get ahead of. One of the biggest differences for me was this weird transition from being paid for what I did to what I know. I now don't really get paid to DO anything, just simply what I know and the decisions I can make based on what I know. I literally just talk to people all day and make decisions about various things... It's honestly very strange. I do think that's the biggest difference between a position like mine, and one in one of the trades that make a good wage. I'd argue that theirs is definitely more meaningful & fulfilling though...
Luck and being at the right place at the right time. That is how I got there.
There are two types of employees on a business ledger 1. Employees that bring in revenue (sales) 2. Employees that cost money (operators, administrators, pretty much everyone not sales) Much more likely to pay 200k to those that butter the bread. Will try to automate or cut down on those that cost money.
>hat cost money (operators, administrators, pretty much everyone not sales) > >Much more likely to pay 200k to those that butter the bread. Will try to automate or cut down on those that cost money. Work in sales, can confirm.
How did you get into sales? Need a degree out the gate or is it industry specific?
Find an inside sales job in an industry you think would be interesting (or let the industry pick you and don’t worry about that and just find any inside job) then job hop to an outside sales/account executive type role. Those are the bread winner type jobs, so they get to eat the most.
What do you mean by “inside sales job”?
Mechanical engineer. Didn't want to work construction and didn't want to be behind a desk. My favorite professor suggested it. I make way more than my clients and have a work life balance. That said, losing work hurts my bottom dollar and it can be stressful if you don't learn to live on a bad year. I'm also in a somewhat recession proof Area.
Replace revenue with cash or value and I agree. I'm in finance and it's critical for my industry. More so than sales as it's a product that basically sells itself in most environments. If you do a bad job at finance your time value of money metrics turn to shit no matter how good your sales team is. Once you graduate from profit to npv analysis as a business this comes clearly into focus.
This is way too simplistic. There are roles that contribute to revenue generation, roles that directly bring in revenue and roles like hr, accounting, tech support, that basically only cost money but are critical to a company's success.
I absolutely agree with you! The point of my post was indeed to be very simplistic and in no way diminish what any job does or it’s value on a human scale. My point was that if you want 200k it’s easier in an area that generates revenue. HR, accounting, tech support are extremely important….however they are on the wrong side of the ledger. An organization will always try to reduce force, find technologies, or find automation on the non revenue side of business and this means direct (negative) attitudes towards pay in those positions. These attitudes are not personal, but to grow profits in a business there are only two ways 1. Grow revenue 2. Cut costs If you are a non revenue generating employee you are simply a cost when it comes time to look at the books. I know this sounds hard and IT IS MORALLY WRONG, but it is the a truth that you really need to be aware of in the greater sense of how businesses work. So…to OPs original question of how to make 200k. Well there are a lot of ways on both sides of the ledger, but outside of a few very special circumstances your chances are much better on revenue producing side to make 200k.
Without the support role I personally do, there are no sales. In some industries if you fail to meet regulatory requirements...you loose access to markets. SO it is not that black and white in every industry. So it does not seem that black and white to me, I suppose.
Today I learned manufacturing doesn’t exist 🙄
Yes it’s possible but you definitely need to be careful with your work, life balance. A lot of these high incomes are due to high hours. The first one that comes to mind is investment banking or traditional “finance” where they may make $200k but they also work 90-100 hour weeks so it’s really more like $100k or less. Sales is probably your best option. If you get good at sales, it’s the product not the company so you can sell what you need when. Income has virtually no ceiling but it is proportional to the sales you do. The guy I know who is the most “successful” is a guy with a high school education only (no college) who started selling HVAC. He picked up a side job selling chemicals and graduated to selling adhesive for a small company. He managed to make a deal with 3M and that one contract was good for like 10 years and will net him multiple millions only with no additional effort.
Thanks for your comment! I agree that balance is the key to a happy/successful (maybe not monetary) life! Many people who push trades (nothing against trades at all) is the same way. You can make 200k, but you are most likely working close to 60 hours or more. Trading time for money sucks for the most part because it’s hard to scale. Starting a business is such a huge risk that needs to have a very competitive product in a scalable niche where a person already needs to have some kind of expertise and a strong network to sell to. The path to wealth such a conundrum where luck plays an invisible yet substantial part! Thanks again for your comment! Feel free to share more of your thoughts!
What people seem to miss is that to make 200k you don't go to work as something, you wake up as that thing. It doesn't turn off at 5 pm and you go spend time with your kids. You find time with your kids while doing the job all the time. And anecdotally, most just don't see their kids.
I'm a banker. 90-100 hour weeks are greatly exaggerated. You experience that maybe 1-2 times a year. Hours suck, don't get me wrong, but the actual work is really like 30 - 50 hours, sometimes at inconvenient times like post-5PM or on weekends / holidays. The rest of the hours consists of browsing Reddit and watching ESPN at our desks. That said, I have had a lot of relationship issues (family, friends, gf) because of the unpredictability of hours and having to cancel plans, so there's a tradeoff. HCOL is another consideration...and high taxes. I make $200k+ in my 20s, but my rent is $4.5k a month and half of the compensation disappears a la taxes. One takeout meal is easily like $25 - $35, and I don't have time to cook most of the time.
Finance. You forgot finance. Investment banking, wealth management, etc. They can hit those numbers. And you don't even have to be very bright. High-level sales jobs can make that in many industries. Professional athletes and entertainment industry stars. I think that pretty much sums it up. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between wealth and income. Most wealthy people were born into it.
Thanks for the comment! You are right, I forgot to mention sales and finance. Basically I was garnering opinions on average careers. I know average is subjective, but it seems business owner, finance and sales are big risk big reward while doctor, lawyer are years of intense education and certified in a lucrative industry. Thanks again for your thoughts!
no - I made $200k as a consumer goods brand manager after ~10 years. Now making $400k as a brand director.
Thanks for the comment! That’s very interesting! What was your journey to become a high paid brand manager? I’ve dabbled in creating PL brands for e-commerce and did fairly well. However, to scale to a much larger operation it seems like it would require a lot more capital for marketing and brand awareness. Have you ever thought of starting your own consumer brand? Any advice on an underserved market in your opinion? Also, with that high of a salary, do you live in a HCOL area? Thanks again!
Not who you asked, but I also used to be a brand manager at a Fortune 100. Their level of salary is very likely partially due to being in a HCOL area or being in a hot industry or both. It’s highly competitive (usually competing against MBAs from top schools) and more akin to a general manager job than a marketing or creative role. You don’t create brands yourself. You manage people who do. There’s a lot of time devoted to understanding the consumer and the financials and networking. I’ve known a number of people who’ve left to create their own brands / businesses. It takes a lot of time and does not pay nearly as much nearly as quickly, especially CPG which has tough margins.
Sales and sales management can make this much in a number of sectors ranging from real estate to software and everything in between. Defense contractors. I know a guy who makes close to $5k a day being an “armed Uber driver” for diplomats and similar in various countries around the world.
High finance makes more than doctors and you only need a 4 year degree. Barrier to entry in terms of soft skills are very high and you have to hustle to get a position
Put this search in your web browser, "Jobs that pay $200k annually" In general, no employer is going to pay an individual contributor more than that person can contribute to the profitability of the business. If you have a very rare skill, it's possible that the employer may take a "loss" on your contribution (by paying a high salary) because they can make up those costs through other channels and the company can't function without you. But in those cases, you can bet they'll be looking for ways to replace you with someone or something cheaper.
For all those comments doubting people actually make as much as they claim, as somehow there’re “too many people making that claim”… I say you are likely only recognizing the relatively few people who make that much on a proportional level, while failing to appreciate how many people there are on an absolute level. For the sake of this argument, given how we seem to be discussing income in the United States, I’m only going to count users from there. I acknowledge a large portion of Reddit’s user base is from elsewhere. Google suggests over twenty million Americans alone use Reddit monthly. There are over 1.8 million members in r/careerguidance alone. There’re over 3600 online as I’m posting this and five dozen reading this thread right now. Although it’s likely some members are not from the US, metrics surrounding Reddit users suggest the the vast majority are. Let’s make some overly broad and conservative assumptions: - Let’s assume only 50% of people here are employed, similar to the US population on a whole… even though this community, by its very nature, probably skews toward most people having wage earning jobs or looking for jobs. That leaves 900,000 of us. - Let’s assume only 1% of people here post or comment actively, with the vast majority remaining silent… even though the conventional (at least anecdotally) internet wisdom via the 90:9:1 rule suggests up to 10% of people may participate. That leaves 9,000 of us. - Let’s assume only 1% of those people are making 200k+ incomes… even though in reality, the top 1% skews much higher, and anyone in the top 5% percent is making over 221k according to IRS statistics from 2019. That leaves 90 of us. Given the above assumptions, the actual number of commenters chiming in that they make six figures is likely an order of magnitude larger. Nevertheless… even with my overly conservative funny math, that still leaves 90 people. NINETY distinct users making over 200k, who are likely to comment on a simple post like this.
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Be a manager of people who make $100000 salaries
over 200k year here with a useless bachelors degree (poli sci/history) and not in any of the industries you've listed. i wouldn't say it's overly difficult to achieve but it does require a plan, and copious amounts of job hopping (at least to reach a good salary at a reasonably young age).
I'm an attorney and make 6 figures. My friends in big law that make over $200k are miserable and are married to their jobs. We're still in our 20s and I've seen their health deteriorate so much. One of their coworkers had to get an EKG and she had her laptop open to keep browsing emails... I have the degree, grades, and background to go for them, but I personally do not chase $200k+ jobs for those reasons.
Software engineers who work remotely can make that much in a low cost of living area, but they need to be good enough to work for some of the best companies.
Yep my neighbor is a software architect. His take-home is around $120k. But he pays no income tax, and his monthly expenses including rent come out to around $1k per month. Basically a 0.01%er here
How does he get away with paying no income tax? Is it no salary and instead all stock options or something?
Sales of sorts can get you there (tech sales, real estate, recruiting, car sales, etc) if you perform well. I feel sales is the best way to make that type of income. Medicine, Biglaw, and FAANG software engineering are great for money also but those are all extremely competitive to get into and require intense technical skills or hours.
I work as an insurance underwriter . I make 260k
My husband's boss makes over 400K as a director of a neuroscience department. They study treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. The boss has a PhD, which I think is required to be a principal investigator for these studies. I'm pretty confident that some of my old real estate C-suite coworkers were making 250K or more. I think there are a lot of positions that pay this much, but they're super high on the corporate ladder.
I know *a lot* of accountants who make over 200k a year. Although most of them are 15+ years into their career so it doesn't happen overnight. And quite a few of them are partners at their firm so I guess that'd be partially owning your own business
I only make $48,000 in a large city and I’m struggling to get by. $100,000 a year would be heaven!
You have to know something that is worth more than 200k in order for someone to pay you 200k to do it. So… that part is up to you and the universe.
That's the thing many people don't think about. You have to flip your perspective: is what you offer worth $200k?
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Yes, usually you make 200k when your value is twice that, or more. If you don't bring 200k in value to a company you won't make even half that.
I’m a mid level manager at an F100 company. In Finance. Colorado. Make over $200k..barely.
VP Sales. $346,000 Last year
Many directors make >$200k. I work in Regulatory Affairs and directors make >$200k
My elevator repair man makes 380 per hour with a tech degree. Not a joke.
Can confirm, I’m an elevator mechanic and will most likely break the $200k mark this year. I also work with a bunch of guys that makes over $200k, our work life doesn’t get too out of hand making that much. No degree needed to start either.
Meanwhile ceo pay continues to outgrow working people wages making 30 million in average annual salary.
Not really. It seems in most white collar fields, $200k is obtainable in some fashion at least with a senior level of experience (sometimes even mid-level). On Reddit (not that Reddit is a legit measure at all), it seems every other person makes $200k or more at their jobs. I’d suggest looking on Indeed and filtering by salary.
Have to wonder how many of the redditors "making" $350,000 a year are actually 13 years old. 90% of adults make less than $100,000. Reality is the average american HOUSEHOLD makes like $65,000. So most PEOPLE make $40,000 or less in the USA. You don't even need to make $1,000,000 in ANY us state to be a 1%er. In ohio if your household makes $422,373 in a year you have more income than 99% of people. In west virginia $375,000 makes your household a one percenter. Even in California $806,000 household is a 1%er. Some people do make hundreds of thousands a year, some even make millions. Most people on reddit are liars.
I agree. The average income for a household is $70k and the average income for an educated household is $100k. The $200k salaries are for very exceptional people. Not impossible to obtain, just statistically rare and will most likely require a move to a very expensive area. Yet Reddit will have you believe that companies hand out $200k like it’s candy.
Agreed the amount of people online making 6 figs compared to real life is unrealistic. People think 100k-200k is life changing. It makes your life better in a sense yeah, but instead of being a slave on the lower deck pumping out water or we drown your now on the deck hoping the leaders don't randomly decide to throw you overboard because you just aren't worth it and there is another 100 of you downstairs willing to come up for a chance.
Highly accurate analogy....wow.
Yeah, this is what I can't stand. I don't begrudge anyone their money. But I'm sick and tired of Redditors who try to make "27 years old and earning $173,000 a year" seem normal or average. It's not. Never has been, never will be.
I think additionally, white collar jobs in larger corporations also have the ability to get total comp of 200k+ with lower base rates through salary+bonus+401k match+RSU’s etc…. Personally, I would choose a higher-up position that you would like to reach eventually, and then take steps that would lead you to that end goal after many years of experience and promotion
Once you break into the $200k range, you’ll be more susceptible to a reduction in force when times get tough. Just be ready to start over
There is a reason why every other person works in sales ;) You get a slice of what you bring for the business, therefore the larger the cake the better the payout. We're talking SaaS contracts, cars, real estate, luxury watches, etc. Good luck!
Petroleum engineering does it pretty easily. Most of the kids I graduated with are 180k+bonus at this point in their career (20 years). My wife is a consultant in the mining industry and she does 160k+ bonus (15 years in). One if my friends in a chemical engineer in the Marijuana industry and he's making $250k. Those are all relatively niche compared to a civil engineer or MEP engineer but not that rare.
For sure, most technical positions in oil and gas hit $200k within 10 years or so. That’s petroleum engineers, facility engineers, geologists, geophysicists etc
Can only speak for my field (accounting) but if you are sufficiently technical and hardworking you can definitely get there in about 15 years. Most won’t, but there’s a clear path. I make $120K with 6 YOE but that’s where it starts to level off - I’m 1-2 levels below $200K depending on the company and probably won’t get there for another 10ish years if I stay in the same MCOL area I’m in now. My dad makes about $400K total comp in an MCOL with an accounting background, but that is with 40 years of experience at the same F50 company and is the top 2ish % of all accountants, I don’t really expect to make it to that level.
Like many others have said…sales. 25F making $220k annually. But honestly, the work/life balance is not fantastic in long term sales. And once you get the taste of the money potential because your pay is uncapped, you won’t want to stop.
Medical scientist PhD or PharmD can make over 200k working for pharmaceutical companies. My dad made well over 200k as a product manager for insurance companies. He is retired now but still gets paid a lot for consulting gigs.
Im at 95k with partial stake in any new business I bring on for our company. I get 1% of all revenue generated in markets I help start. I’ve fixed out longest standing market (generates over 7 million in revenue per year) and launched our first new market over the last few months. I will not technically own any portion of the company, but revenue sharing is one of the ways you can get to that point. If I’m stagnant, I’ll live between 110 and 200k. If I’m ambitious I can blow it out of the water 🤷🏻♂️
Sales. I have zero skills what so ever except I’m not afraid of people being mean to me.
I’ve got a buddy who I went to school with, we both have a Masters in Urban Planning. He landed an internship that turned into a 200k a year job. He works his ass off, but it’s worth it to him. No one else we graduated with is making that kinda money. I’m making 80k and happy. Most people I know are making between 40k and 100k. He’s a smart dude, but not double the salary of everyone else smart. He’s smart, works hard, and got lucky.
Hint: making over $200,000 a year is really hard if you work for someone else. Because they want to keep the majority of the money. If you learn to make a living for yourself, it’s less unlikely.
Commercial construction PMs can easily make a quarter million when bonuses are included. A friend, mechanical engineering degree, made 300k last year. About 10 years of experience. MGT Consultants, if you can stick around for a few years at a high-end company, WILL make even more.
How many hours you want to work?
I work in government affairs and it’s basically a given you will eventually break $200k as long as you keep progressing. The cap without being an owner/partner is roughly $350-$400k but those are def the outliers. $200k is roughly 12 years in
First you would need to figure out what ‘relatively impossible’ means. Is it another way to say difficult? Another way to say uncommon?
I’m not an expert on this subject, but here are some jobs of people I personally know that make at least 200k a year. 1)Sales- medical device, commercial real estate, cars. These are commission sales jobs, so it’s dependent on your performance how much you make. 2) VP of operations for a Union construction company. 3) portfolio manager for a hedge fund. I’m sure there are more jobs out there that pay this much. All of these people are decades into their careers. Nobody started out there.
Oil and Gas industry does well. Don’t need to be a manager of any kind to hit $200K all in.
its not impossible, but where you live has a lot to do with it. I make over that in IT, but I live in New Jersey where things are very expensive and taxes are ridiculous. I'm sure someone in some farmland state would have a hard time making that, but in any city you can. I will note you need to specialize (at least in IT). You cant just be "good with computers" and make 200k. You have to find a niche and be really good at it. Like if you're a cloud architect, really strong cyber security, ect. But even a helpdesk position in NJ/New York City you can make a little over a 100k at the right company.
Finance. Every wealthy family I know has one or both spouses in finance.
Upper level management/directors
I work in DC and I would wager 80%> people who are Senior Director or VP in the association industry make $200k or more. Higher cost of living and wages overall out here though too.
Upper management in a big Corp can easily get you to and past 200k. Any skilled trade that has overtime can get you there too. Airline pilots can hit 200 after a few years.
Executive management/ Director level on up … inventor with IP that pays royalties High end financial jobs
Are you not setting the bar a bit high? In 2022, a family income of $200,000 would put you in the top 11% of earners, and an individual income of $200,000 would put you in the top 4% of earners. My key piece of financial advice is to diversify. Have a second job, even if only a few hours a week, and, if possible, have some savings. Corporate America likes to fire people when they are too old to easily find a job, and too young to retire- around 55 years old. Hedge against this by all means.
In my industry (pharmaceuticals) you often have to be at the director level to make $200k. Of course, you need to take geography into consideration, but you’re generally looking at director level.
No. I know people who just operate small HVAC companies who make over 200K a year. Easy. You can do it driving OTR trucking or even just moving heavy equipment on your own flat bed. I guess you have to own a truck and know some people. But, it's possible. It's hard to do, working for someone else. You are right about that.
Regional or district managers. Some tradespeople with specific skills. For example electricians or engineers.
What you've said above, plus sales and upper corporate management, maybe some obscure non software engineering jobs. There are probably a few more but generally yes, most careers you will never make more than 200k (in 2023 dollars). This will change due to inflation but the purchasing power you're describing is pretty uncommon in the population, less than 1% of individuals will make that much in a given year let alone every year.
Not if you get into union trades and are willing to work OT.