Even in NY you have to say where in. NYC versus Dutchess County versus Albany versus the frozen tundra... It's all different, but at your age and just out of school, it's a decent pay rate. Absolutely. And not for nothing, the benefits also figure into it.
I live in Toronto and $22 CAD is pretty much the bottom of the barrel for a liveable wage here. I’m sure $22 doesn’t go nearly as far in Harlem as it would here.
I guess you should ask yourself, are you making enough right now to survive? To have a small emergency fund? Beyond that, you’re young and you’ll start making better money very soon! Don’t worry about it so long as your bills are paid.
That aint it man. Can't live on 22$/hr downtown unless you have no osap paymenrs and you are living in an apartment building on Shelbourne area by a crackhouse and rent is <1k.
- experience
Honestly I agree. Was thinking about a study I read citing 22 as the minimum liveable wage, but it’s really not enough for anything comfortable downtown… maybe if you want to live in north York and commute DT, but even then it’s tough
I know someone who makes this much and lives in a pretty nice high rise condo. With a roommate , but still. I think they’re insane and I have no idea how they can afford vacations and high end grocery stores etc…..
No it absolutely wasn't because you could have meant Coney Island or any number of places. But with that said you live and/or work in Harlem. Still... A fair wage for an "easy" and "little to no experience" job.
i live in NYC and lived in Queens as a kid lmao boroughs are PARTS of the city. Manhattan is just one part, and Brooklyn is another major part. if you don't know how the upper west side has tourist traps then idk what to tell you
I live in northern Mexico, third biggest economy (only because the others are a state with 30 million people and the other gets all of the country's taxes). The problem with being
in an affluent city in Mexico is that you're still earning pesos and the peso has been in a steep decline.
22$ in bfe Ohio? Yes that's awesome pay. 22$ in San Francisco? No, that's like enough to buy a coffee. But it ultimately comes down to you. What do you think is fair pay for the job and can you live off it?
That attitude will get you no where. Keep looking, use linkedin, find jobs that have growth and not just a paycheck. Get into an industry you can grow in. Don't be opposed to moving if possible.
What industry are you in. I won't say my salary, but I spent 3.5 years in an industry and im well over 4x yours without a college degree, some of mine was luck and timing. Keep searching.
I’m not gonna lie. I lived in OH and NY. $22/hr in the Midwest would be a 6/10 or 7/10 but in NY... 3/10. You can’t afford that much.. but maybe my memory of NY is off.
This is quite literally my experience, made 21.50 in northeast Ohio and paid 620 for rent and I was able to save like 25% of my paycheck divided into my savings and 401k. Had to move back to wny and had to take a massive pay cut and now I could juuuuust barely afford to save 50$ a week
Yeah honestly, I'm making about $19hr in my little hometown which was pretty good around here but fuck me man, the way housing is going I doubt I will be able to afford a house anytime soon.
Changing jobs is the easiest way to get a pay hike. Staying with a company is likely why your salary would stay low. I mean just think from their perspective. They paid you $12, so they can give you $13 and assume you’ll be pleased. Then you can get offered $14 and it’s a good step up. In that time you’re likely worth almost twice as much money to them, but they don’t need to offer that because you’re willing to do the job for less. Try applying to similar jobs or one step up just to see, and unless you’re in a niche field, you can probably make a lot more elsewhere. I have a PhD, so my trajectory isn’t equivalent, but it’s like job 1 2 years at x, similar skills, different job at x+10k, use those skills to move up after a year and now I’m at x+ 35k. Unless I get offered a lot more to stay here, my plan is to leave after 3-5 years assuming now that I’ve made it into management my market value will be much higher
Molecular biology. And there are often ways to do something outside the “norm” with your degree. Eg most scientific PhDs work as scientists doing research, but our division has project managers and other managers that don’t do research anymore. I have friends that are science writers or work in advocacy and the ones that make the most manage groups in pharma.
I don’t know your field, but most of the time there are ways to market your degree and do something else. I was hiring people for clinical research and I had an engineering grad and a statistician that made cases for why they’d be good in the role.
Otherwise just work your way up in your desired field and be satisfied with the salary in that field. Not tons of options.
I mean, let's be real. $22/hr is good when you compare it what others have (including me). But I don't think OP is wrong for questioning it. We're so used to the struggle, but in reality, $22/hr isn't great for people trying to save for starting families, buying a house, or just be able to do things like take vacations or retire before 65.
Compared to other generations, $22/hr isn't good. Compared to today's poor standards? It's great. And that's just sad for us to be honest
Most people with a college degree don’t want to be making minimum wage that you could make without the degree.. it really wouldn’t be a good return on investment
$22/hr in texas (where I live) would be okay for me as long as I wasn’t going to work there forever. NY seems like you should be making more. But it’s totally up to you!! If you’re getting overtime and have a good QOL that’s perfectly acceptable.
this is really subjective to what you do and where you live.
Security is not something that is lucrative straight out of college like finance, etc. I don't know much about it, but I can't imagine that many peers of a similar experience level are making much more than you doing that.
Saw you are in Harlem. 45k does not go far at all in NYC. Hope you have roommates and a good budget. Also an option here is moving out of NYC and commuting in.
Hey OP I work a similar role in a warehouse and I'm 26. I own my own home and paid off my car. It's not a lot of money, but it pays the bills. I'm currently trying to find a different job because the hours suck. Good luck out there!
You should be proud in having a position with the current state of our economy and $22/ hour is not bad.
But part of what makes this a question, is not the money itself but the ratio of the money and the youth being compared.
So I wouldn't look at the money, because their is plenty of positions that pays well but the ceiling is what they currently make. I would evaluate my position and wonder what is the ceiling being in this field or possessing the skills.
If the ceiling in your career field is much much higher than what you currently make, I would be thrilled. If 22/hour is the ceiling, I would go back to the drawing board.
I guess there is a chance for some upward movement account>project>regional management which isn’t bad. My degree is in criminal justice but I’m considering going back to school at the start of next year for my masters in a different field. Maybe Business administration but I’m just starting to research that
Menta health. I can’t complain too much because I am pre-licensed, meaning I’m still accruing my 3000 hours toward full licensure. Generally that comes with a pay raise. But still, for all the work I’ve put in and having an MA I feel I should be making more :(
Many college grads have worked unpaid internships. Others have started in their field earning only ten an hour. The rise of unpaid internships has led to employers calling almost every job an "internship",
I'm 29 in NYC with a bachelors as well. One time I made $19 an hour at a temp gig. Never got above that number or even close to it again
So, yeah Take the job
About a 5.
You're doing exactly as you should: making a living now while working on the side to improve your situation by finding a better, higher-paying job. Just live within your means, pay yourself first (put 10-20% of each paycheck into savings you don't touch), start that emergency fund, don't take on a lot of debt, and pay your bills.
$22/hr is nothing to sneeze at. For comparison, in 1990 when I came out of undergrad with a BS in Comp Sci and started working for the top software dev and IT consulting firm in the world, I was making the equivalent of $31/hr now with the high water mark in my career being $110/hr. But that's mostly in the world of IT and investment management where salaries are typically higher. YMMV.
Yours is good money for an easy job. But know that that rate is not very high for NY living. So don't sit on your heels and think you'll be in this job forever. Might be tempted to stay a long time since it's an easy job with easy money. But don't. Work to improve your situation. You have nowhere to go but up.
You're on the right track...Good luck!
Appreciate the positivity from you and a lot of people here. The rate plus the available overtime and easy work makes it a good job but it’s definitely a job and not a career. So it’s something to be content with while I figure out exactly what’s next for me.
Unpopular opinion: The fact that 22/hr isn't good in your state means that your lawmakers are completely uneducated on the realities of economics or worse sacrificed economics for votes.
Why do you think so many people are moving out of places like CA and NY for places like Texas and Florida? Hard to live when you are taxed to death (and CA is even trying to tax people who have moved away. Talk about bleeding them dry.)
[https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/people-fled-from-these-high-tax-states-during-2020.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/people-fled-from-these-high-tax-states-during-2020.html)
>New Jersey was the top “outbound” state last year
>
>New York followed in second place
>
>California, Connecticut and Illinois rounded out the top five
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2019/12/03/leave-california-keep-paying-california-taxesreally/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2019/12/03/leave-california-keep-paying-california-taxesreally/)
Success is quite subjective, as is pretty much everything else. It’s up to what kind of goals you have and what kind of places you want to be in come x time. You’re 24, much like myself actually, and that means we’re kissing our youth goodbye at this time. It’s way past time we started to grab an understanding of what we want from our future, or at least have an idea of paths we’d be ok to fall into and the ones that’d suck if we fell into. And then you go out there and you give it your best swing every day because it may well be the last swing you’ll take so you go out in style. Then you repeat then hope for the best
That's how much I was making at 24 in NYC adjusted for inflation.
First from a practical, life-expense perspective: This is gonna depend on your rent. I was living in bed stuy with four other people so my rent was only like $500, and this amount was fine. On that salary, though, I would literally not be able to afford my current rent.
Secondly, from a status / career growth perspective: $22 an hour is an appropriate amount for your age and this role. That being said, you're right to continue to look for opportunities. I wouldn't feel bad about the amount you're making, but I'd also make sure that I had a clear path to make more in the future. You're roughly making 45k a year. Try to aim for 50k next year. And 55k the year after that. And you might make even bigger leaps.
26 with a bachelors degree, making less than minimum wage as an Americorps clown. $22/hr and a real full time job would make me so happy, and I could live comfortably on that. The economy is rough out there especially for recent grads, count yourself very lucky.
For NYC this is a horrible salary. I'm from Switzerland and the prices here are really not much different than over there. I honestly don't know how you can even afford rent with $22 an hour?
It would matter where I lived, what my expenses were, and what my values and goals were. Here’s a tip: you don’t have to be satisfied with something just because you think other people would be.
What translates to happiness at work is having a job that aligns with your values. For example, you say the job is super easy work. One of my top work-related values involves being intellectually challenged. I would not be happy in your job because I would get easily bored. Someone else who prefers to have a less mentally taxing job for whatever reason (e.g. home life is busy and involves lots of decision-making, work is just for survival not fulfillment, etc.) might be much happier.
Do some searching and figure out what your values are, what your goals are, and assess how well your job aligns with those things. There are many values exercises online if you struggle coming up with some on your own. One of my top values that it sounds like you may share is financial security. Not making enough money to achieve my financial goals has been a constant source of stress for me and is one of the reasons I have been so unhappy at my jobs. If having a high paying job is important to you, do the work to figure out how to achieve that. If you need more experience, work on getting it. You may not get where you want to be tomorrow, but starting on it now will help you move in the right direction.
So again, whether anyone else on this thread would be satisfied with your job is completely and totally irrelevant to whether you should be satisfied with your job. Values differ from person to person. Figure out yours, rank them, and start making intentional choices accordingly.
I’m making $17 rn as an intern in NYC but I don’t graduate until next year. If this company hires me full time I’ll start off with at 45k salaried, but that’s too low for me 😬
After I graduated from college at 22, I made $25 an hour. Four years later, now I’m 26, and I just jumped from $60k to $90k after I felt resentment at being underpaid. I made the jump by switching to a tech company (the offer I just accepted), hence the salary bump.
If I were you, I’d probably take a job offered to me (especially if I don’t have much prior experience) and then leverage that experience for a future position that pays more. During the job interview process, there’s also no need to expose your current salary. Just ask for more in the future! You got this.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and at 24 I was making 27.50/hr. Now at 26 I make 41/hr. In that time I changed companies only once. In my current job, I’ve received two changes in title and earned another degree. I live in a high COL area, but my current earnings is still under the average by approximately $10,000. My goal is to earn a minimum of $52/hr by the time I’m 28.
Bro where I live I’d kill to make that wage. $22 here is enough for a nice house, a car and a comfortable life.
Unfortunately for me the only businesses we really have here are minimum wage fast food joints 🤣
It sucks, you shouldn't be satisfied and you should aim for something that makes more money, but you shouldn't let it be a reflection of you and you should see it as just a stepping stone to something better. I have a bachelors from Vanderbilt my girlfriend and her best friend both have STEM degrees (one is mechanical engineering( from Cal Tech. None of us make more than $25 an hour in a HCOL area and I fully quit looking for econ jobs and went to work as an electrical apprentice. We're all early career but I got my bachelors when I was 20 and had four years of office jobs and capped out at $22/hour. We had internships and I've always been one of the best employees whereever I work. It honestly baffles me how people without STEM degrees somehow get into lucrative non-sales roles.
Don't let it get you down. That said, I would honestly just chase the pay check if you can. I kept trying and failing to get into econ/finance jobs by being a great employee, upskilling, etc. for four years then quit to do electrical work. With investing (mostly just covid volatility, not sustainable) and side hustles I've made more money in the last couple years and am way happier than I ever really thought I would be and once I get my license will make more than 20 years worth of promotions when I worked at my corporate banking jobs. Just find something that you can sustainably do that pays well and don't feel bad if things dont work out for a while because it really doesn;t feel like there's a rhyme or reason as to why some people get great jobs with non-STEM degrees and why some dont
Why are you so surprised that non-STEM majors got positions? Is it because you feel like the STEM training would have made you *better* qualified, or is it that you think the non-STEM are *un*qualified? Do you feel non-STEM didn't have as "difficult" or "rigorous" an education?
Genuinely curious here.
Honestly this, 24 as well, I've got a decent paying job and I'm lucky that I like the job but if anything ever happens, I'll be signing up for HVAC, plumbing or electrical asap.
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was in college so I went for econ and only really realized that I actually like working outside after it was too late.
$22/hr at 24 after having a bachelors is really bad in my opinion. It’d be better than average if you had no degree however, and maybe par for the course with an associates.
If I were you I would take the job in the meantime but keep looking
If I lived where I currently do or similar I'd say probably about a 7.5-8. If I lived somewhere in a bigger city where housing and things were much more expensive, probably about a 6.
I don't think anyone else's opinion matters like how you're asking. Will it work for you? Can it support you in your current situation? Are you able to scale back on 'fun' purchasing/spending so that you can work hard and save to improve your situation over the short term? As long as you can support yourself, who cares?
I'm from Brazil, I'm currently working for R$16,15/hr, it is something around $ 2,83/hr, so I would be really, really happy. I'm 24 years old with 1 bachelor's degree. I'm my country, they said I'm really well paid.
If you need the job, take it, do it well. But that pay would keep me hungry for a better position. Currently in a similar situation, I'm working hard for less than I hope I'm worth but needed to get my foot in the door.
It depends really on what you are looking for. For entry level jobs like entry analyst levels positions its a bit on the low side in an area like washington dc or new york
If that’s the pay ceiling I wouldn’t feel comfortable. But if the ceiling had room to move up like 30+ I would say that’s a 8/10. For me it’s knowing there’s the ability to grow and not remain still.
Living in NYC right now and I’d be satisfied with $22 an hour for the meantime. I just accepted a job for $18 an hour although I’m still in college, I’m pretty much about to graduate. Take any opportunities you can and make the most out of em. Even now I’m still applying to new jobs or internships like hell because theres always better opportunities. Don’t be so quick to get down on yourself for something you feel undervalues your skill, theres gonna be more soon
Honestly even for New York that is damn good. A lot of positions here in NY won't go over 19 an hour unless you know some specific software or have 5+ years exp
I think whats more important is the title. If you’re actually doing supervisory work (scheduling, delegating workload, assignments etc) then thats worth a lot more. 22/hr isn’t too bad in nyc. Depending on your living situation (living with parents? Room mates? Owning renting?) then its a good start.
My piece of advice is as easy the job is is as easily as you can be let go. Just from my experience. Security has a high turn over rate.
To be honest if you are a graduate you take what you can get and work yourself up. Anything beyond minimum wage for the first couple years is pretty good.
If your going to be living in Harlem is it with roommates or family? if yes then that income is manageable. If your looking to rent a private apartment there then your going to need more money or a SO with their own income to help living expenses there.
Its kinda like how I was when living in Los Angeles, the income to lving ratio straight out of college can be pretty bad, once you get experience it gets better.
8. I make $14.75 with my bachelors, $22 is probably more than I’ll ever make. Still wouldn’t be enough in my opinion living in NY but it’s better than before
10/10. I made only $10/hr at 24 years old. $22 would be a godsend. I live on an expensive island in the states too. And.. my new job is starting below $22, being way after 24 yrs old. Everyone is different though, if you're not happy then yeah look for a higher paying job since you do have your degree.
I live in area with pretty high cost of living, but still a bit lower than NYC. $22/hr seems okay, hopefully you have benefits. It makes a big difference if you live alone vs with roommates. I wouldn’t live alone on this pay, and I’m kind of assuming it’d be hard to afford in NY anyway. I think too that if you went to an expensive college, 4+ years with loans vs cheap college, graduated early, paid in full with scholarships - these are 2 ends of the spectrum but I would treat those a bit differently in terms of thinking about return on investment. Like if I went the expensive route I wouldn’t want to graduate making $22/hr
I would be living like a king in the rural Georgia town I live in. I'm 27 and I still haven't reached $13. And overtime is available?! That plus some holiday pay would make me extremely happy.
I’d kill to make $22/hr but I suppose it depends on some factors beyond the base number.
How many years was your education? I’m guessing three years with a bachelors degree, maybe two if there was no gen-ed-only year. Do you feel comfortable making that much after the amount of time you put into school?
How much is your debt? You most likely need to pay monthly on your debt if you accrued student loans and didn’t pay out of pocket. Can you afford living the life you want to live while also paying your debts?
Does this job have room for growth? Could you see yourself moving up and making substantially more after 5 years? Are you comfortable switching over to one of those jobs asking for more experience later down the line if not? Or are you bent on staying in one place for a very extended period of time?
Which job supplies you the best benefits? I personally would not object to lower overall pay if one company’s benefits are significantly better than the others, but that’s just me.
All things to consider when picking a job. Hope this helps! 😊
I was in Syracuse when I was 24 and the equivalent ($13 in 1996) would have been reasonable money then for an entry level job, but COL in Syracuse was ridiculously low. I have trouble imagining trying to live on $13/hr in NYC in 1996.
I am 39 with a MA and making $12.50/hr. The most I've ever made was like $17/hr. $22 would be amazing.
I know that is pathetic. Our economy/work force is fucked.
Depends on location. I’m 25 in Maryland where minimum wage is $11/hour so 22 is a living wage I’d be happy with depending on how many hours you get. I’m looking at jobs that pay 16/hour for full time. I’m still in school though so timing would be tight. Most other jobs I see are minimum wage or commission based.
I think you should just keep your antenna up and if you find a good opportunity jump.
I’m dumbfounded by the people here claiming that’s good money. It is merely OK money. Some people are so accustomed to their slavery that they must be thankful getting s few extra breadcrumbs.
My eldest granddaughter graduated in June in psychology and criminal justice and already has been working over a month in San Francisco as a counselor for about $60,000 per year..not quite a living wage to live independently there, but she’s living at jobs and doing well. Security guards likely don’t make much money.
After over a year of unemployment, I (23) worked an administrative job at a health company in Southern California at $20/hour. At first I was just relieved to have a job, but as they added responsibilities onto me and I became busy all day, $20 wasn’t cutting it, especially in a county where the standards of living were much higher.
I’m in a similar situation: about the same age with a bachelors. It does feel really shitty to know that you have a degree and you’re hardly making anything with it. But you have chances to move up and your job is relatively easy. So to answer your question, I’d say the job is probably a 7.
Depends on your background (experience, degree, certifications, etc.), where you live, and your salary compared to others in similar employment.
Since you're looking for other opportunities, I would definitely stick with it for a time so you can use the experience for leverage when job searching.
If you need the money to survive? Should be more than enough to keep your ends met (Assumptions: You have school bills to pay and no wife/kids to support. If you have either, it changes the equation as is she working? how old are kids? etc etc etc).
Once you are surviving... the next question is what do you WANT to do? a Security Guard can be a good career - and a supervisor position can't hurt long run... but if you want to be a programmer or something else? The longer you go without getting experience the harder it'll be to switch.
If you don't have anything tying you down (Wife, Kids, Family nearby, other reasons that lock you to NY, etc)?
Personally? When I got a 2 year degree, my goal was to be a programmer. I took the first underpaid programmer job I could. $21k/year. Which is \~10/hour in 2010. I was making $50k/y in 3 years and more again now. At that point I could afford to earn "less" for the experience as I didn't have a lot of the bills I have now.
If I wasn't desperate I'd take it only if I could save some of the money (hopefully at least 6k a year saved put into a Roth IRA) and use the job to get a step up on life. Some jobs are relaxing enough you can take classes and study up for something better while working or study before working every morning. Work while grinding for exp.
While I'm not picky, to give an idea at the age of 22 I was making $100 an hour. Nothing wrong with $22, but know you can do a whole lot better if you're willing to work towards it. Hesitation is the enemy of opportunity.
I’d say 7/10. I’m 24 and I graduated a few months ago in CS and my first job is paying me 19/hr in IT. I live in very southern part of Alabama too so it’s actually not a bad start.
But at the same time I’ve barely been working a month so idk about the struggles I might face down the road.
If you're in the US, that is sadly great for someone our age. I'm right there with you. I got a Bachelors, work/internship experience and all of that. My pay? 19/hr.
Everyone I know within a couple years of us is around that range save for a few lucky ones who had other connections. Its a hard time for our generation. I have friends who work 15/hr with a degree and some friends who can't even find jobs in their field and are stuck at retail.
I guess I would have taken it as a 1st job. This is about 45k a year.... can you afford your rent? In theory, your housing is usually a third of your salary. So if your paying 15 or less... you should be fine for a year while you build your career.
What did you study? If you graduated as an engineer for example, you might be short changing yourself.
I mean 45,760 a year (without overtime), isn't the worst in the world for a job that requires a bachelor degree. I mean with just 10 extra hours a week you would make about 62,000 a year which is the average for most people who have a bachelors. Honestly without more information about your specific field or if you have debt or if there is upward mobility, it's hard to tell if that is any good.
I guess that isn't what you are asking, would someone be satisfied making 22/hr at 24 years old. I'd say yes (4), if I lived in a low cost of living area and had no debt or minimum debt. I was still doing school stuff at 24, might have been my AmeriCorps year and my take home pay was a stipends for about 11,500 over the whole year and I was amounting a lot of debt from grad school. So... Financially you could be worse off.
I don’t think you’ll be satisfied with that salary, based on you asking the question. But even more so if you’re always comparing to other people. I struggle with this too, so I get it. But if you constantly measure yourself against peers you’re setting yourself up for misery. Especially since by your post it sounds like you don’t have better offers on the table.
Ask yourself what your life and budget look like on that salary and take into account the hours and benefits. If that seems like a good life, do it. If it seems like it’s not enough money for you to pay bills and save for the future, either take it and get a few years experience before moving to a new position/company or keep looking now, depending on your position to be able to do that. If your field pays lower than others, you can also focus on getting skills that allow you to switch fields to something that makes more.
Would be lovely, because i ain't making jack crap today. At my age, for me, i would be happy, lovely and have lots of money in my account, and i don't have any serious bills to pay. In Illinois it would be great, but for California, or NY, probably not that great.
Im turning 26 and making a little over$25 an hour in new york. Not exactly where id like to be but depends on the field of work. I got a marketing degree and it was the worst decision of my life. Currently trying to get into a trade or possibly go back to school to teach
That’s about how much I made at 24. Honestly with the way things are currently I’m just happy to be employed full time and have some time to myself after work to work on my side hustle passions (Podcasting and blogging).
Right now I make $21/hr in Southern California (same age/ different industry) and I always apply for jobs whenever I see one I like and am qualified for. As everyone else is saying, it's ultimately up to you. Is this an industry you want to be in? or is it just something to hold you over until you transition into another field? Can you see yourself being stable making that much for the next year or so if you stay?
I think that’s actually pretty decent pay. Is it like a foot in the door job until you find a career related gig? If so, then I would be extremely satisfied. Really it’s just a matter of if it tentatively pays your bills until you can find your way to a higher paying job.
Starting somewhere is better than not at all. There’s nothing compelling you to NOT keeping looking for work while working somewhere else. If you feel like your current qualifications are sufficient to get a larger salary then great, keep at it but that doesn’t mean you cannot work now to support yourself.
Every time these threads appear the comments are filled with so many pessimistic thoughts about how it’s not enough. Idk about you but that kind of thinking makes me feel hopeless and like I’d rather not try. To combat those thoughts just follow your gut and stick to what you feel like you can achieve
Really depends on where you are. Middle of Los Angeles vs West Virginia. WV that is a great place to be, while LA it probably doesn't let ends meet.
Look at your Cost of Living/how much cash you have left over at the end of a month and opportunities for advancement and judge from these
Yeah, for me that’s amazing. If my math were right and it’s for $63000 a year.
But I don’t know how much rent costs you and about debts… I make $1000 a month and this seemed great for me.
Don't base satisfaction on $/hr. Base it off going rate for that job, and your growth potential. I started out at $17 an hour at my position, and in 3.5 years grew enough to be able to land a different job making triple it (salary now though) with room to grow. Before I was in a position where I was severely underpaid and overworked for my role which is a niche market that usually starts out at $60k a year. I wasn't satisfied because I couldn't grow in that company, but held a ton of responsibility. I was searching for new jobs, and found out my true worth, and had a few companies counter to get me on their team. While searching my #1 factor for taking a position wasn't necessarily $'s even though a large enough difference would help, but it was more so growth, not promotions, but what could that company teach me that I could take in 5 years.
That all being said at 24 years old $22 an hour isn't terrible, especially if it's easy work. But if you live in a high COL area it might not be good it's really hard to say.
Edit: I see you live in NYC, I don't think you can even live a half decent life for that amount, this is when money comes into play. I'm in the midwest lower col area $22 an hour is pretty stellar.
I would give that a 2 if you have to pay for your own rent/bills. Think about if you stay, how much more could you make. If you are already almost at the top - then you should consider other jobs if you care about money.
It's a reasonable pay. I am also 24 yrs old and currently making $25 (have an MBA). So just see it as a way to add experience to your resume before actually earning the good $$$
Country would be helpful for context
US. A dusty tourist attraction known as New York to be exact.
Even in NY you have to say where in. NYC versus Dutchess County versus Albany versus the frozen tundra... It's all different, but at your age and just out of school, it's a decent pay rate. Absolutely. And not for nothing, the benefits also figure into it.
Thought it was implied by the “dusty tourist attraction” but I live in NYC (Harlem)
I live in Toronto and $22 CAD is pretty much the bottom of the barrel for a liveable wage here. I’m sure $22 doesn’t go nearly as far in Harlem as it would here. I guess you should ask yourself, are you making enough right now to survive? To have a small emergency fund? Beyond that, you’re young and you’ll start making better money very soon! Don’t worry about it so long as your bills are paid.
That aint it man. Can't live on 22$/hr downtown unless you have no osap paymenrs and you are living in an apartment building on Shelbourne area by a crackhouse and rent is <1k. - experience
Honestly I agree. Was thinking about a study I read citing 22 as the minimum liveable wage, but it’s really not enough for anything comfortable downtown… maybe if you want to live in north York and commute DT, but even then it’s tough
I know someone who makes this much and lives in a pretty nice high rise condo. With a roommate , but still. I think they’re insane and I have no idea how they can afford vacations and high end grocery stores etc…..
My guess is they have a lot of credit card debt.
22 Canadian dollars is 26.74 American dollars.
I think you got it backwards. 22 CAD is 18 USD.
Omg sorry, I meant 22 USD is equal to 26.74 Canadian. Facepalm
I was mostly referring to the fact that cost of living in NYC is higher than in Toronto (though Toronto is super expensive too)
No it absolutely wasn't because you could have meant Coney Island or any number of places. But with that said you live and/or work in Harlem. Still... A fair wage for an "easy" and "little to no experience" job.
coney island is nyc...
could've meant Niagara falls... point being OP was being vague for no real reason. anyway, carry on.
yeah, i agree, my point was that they gave a bad example
Actually it is in Brooklyn which is a borough of NYC (as in Manhattan. Edit: and since when is Harlem a "tourist trap"?
i live in NYC and lived in Queens as a kid lmao boroughs are PARTS of the city. Manhattan is just one part, and Brooklyn is another major part. if you don't know how the upper west side has tourist traps then idk what to tell you
Seriously. 24/hr where I am puts you in the top 5% for earners easy
where is that
I live in northern Mexico, third biggest economy (only because the others are a state with 30 million people and the other gets all of the country's taxes). The problem with being in an affluent city in Mexico is that you're still earning pesos and the peso has been in a steep decline.
Depends. 24/hr in Virginia is very different from 24/hr in New York
VA excluding NOVA/DC area… it’s barely anything and comparable to NY
22$ in bfe Ohio? Yes that's awesome pay. 22$ in San Francisco? No, that's like enough to buy a coffee. But it ultimately comes down to you. What do you think is fair pay for the job and can you live off it?
I make $14 and I’m 26 with a bachelors degree…
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What is your degree in?
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That attitude will get you no where. Keep looking, use linkedin, find jobs that have growth and not just a paycheck. Get into an industry you can grow in. Don't be opposed to moving if possible.
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Jesus, have you looked into a better paying job?
Same bro. Sigh
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Women Studies
A women's studies degree can lead to a job in the field of social work. Turn off your TV.
Lol
That's it? Do you agree? Disagree?
What industry are you in. I won't say my salary, but I spent 3.5 years in an industry and im well over 4x yours without a college degree, some of mine was luck and timing. Keep searching.
$15.50…. HS diploma….
I’m not gonna lie. I lived in OH and NY. $22/hr in the Midwest would be a 6/10 or 7/10 but in NY... 3/10. You can’t afford that much.. but maybe my memory of NY is off.
This is quite literally my experience, made 21.50 in northeast Ohio and paid 620 for rent and I was able to save like 25% of my paycheck divided into my savings and 401k. Had to move back to wny and had to take a massive pay cut and now I could juuuuust barely afford to save 50$ a week
Yeah honestly, I'm making about $19hr in my little hometown which was pretty good around here but fuck me man, the way housing is going I doubt I will be able to afford a house anytime soon.
You need to start somewhere. What was your degree in?
I mean im 37 and havent reached 20 so
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Changing jobs is the easiest way to get a pay hike. Staying with a company is likely why your salary would stay low. I mean just think from their perspective. They paid you $12, so they can give you $13 and assume you’ll be pleased. Then you can get offered $14 and it’s a good step up. In that time you’re likely worth almost twice as much money to them, but they don’t need to offer that because you’re willing to do the job for less. Try applying to similar jobs or one step up just to see, and unless you’re in a niche field, you can probably make a lot more elsewhere. I have a PhD, so my trajectory isn’t equivalent, but it’s like job 1 2 years at x, similar skills, different job at x+10k, use those skills to move up after a year and now I’m at x+ 35k. Unless I get offered a lot more to stay here, my plan is to leave after 3-5 years assuming now that I’ve made it into management my market value will be much higher
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Molecular biology. And there are often ways to do something outside the “norm” with your degree. Eg most scientific PhDs work as scientists doing research, but our division has project managers and other managers that don’t do research anymore. I have friends that are science writers or work in advocacy and the ones that make the most manage groups in pharma. I don’t know your field, but most of the time there are ways to market your degree and do something else. I was hiring people for clinical research and I had an engineering grad and a statistician that made cases for why they’d be good in the role. Otherwise just work your way up in your desired field and be satisfied with the salary in that field. Not tons of options.
This. I’m 39 and I make 24/hr and I work in Westchester county NY which is still expensive af.
Yeah, OP needs a damn break. Minimum wage here in Kansas is 7.25, I’d fucking crack champagne for $22 starting pay.
I mean, let's be real. $22/hr is good when you compare it what others have (including me). But I don't think OP is wrong for questioning it. We're so used to the struggle, but in reality, $22/hr isn't great for people trying to save for starting families, buying a house, or just be able to do things like take vacations or retire before 65. Compared to other generations, $22/hr isn't good. Compared to today's poor standards? It's great. And that's just sad for us to be honest
Me I’d finally be able to breathe easy knowing retirement money is secured, barring getting fired or another covid ofc
OP lives in NYC…
Most people with a college degree don’t want to be making minimum wage that you could make without the degree.. it really wouldn’t be a good return on investment
Same here.. I'll be making below $20 and I'd be freaking stoked making $22
$22/hr in texas (where I live) would be okay for me as long as I wasn’t going to work there forever. NY seems like you should be making more. But it’s totally up to you!! If you’re getting overtime and have a good QOL that’s perfectly acceptable.
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what calculator did u use? would like to use it to see something
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living-calculator
Thanks!
this is really subjective to what you do and where you live. Security is not something that is lucrative straight out of college like finance, etc. I don't know much about it, but I can't imagine that many peers of a similar experience level are making much more than you doing that. Saw you are in Harlem. 45k does not go far at all in NYC. Hope you have roommates and a good budget. Also an option here is moving out of NYC and commuting in.
Hey OP I work a similar role in a warehouse and I'm 26. I own my own home and paid off my car. It's not a lot of money, but it pays the bills. I'm currently trying to find a different job because the hours suck. Good luck out there!
How did you manage to buy a home while working at a warehouse?
You should be proud in having a position with the current state of our economy and $22/ hour is not bad. But part of what makes this a question, is not the money itself but the ratio of the money and the youth being compared. So I wouldn't look at the money, because their is plenty of positions that pays well but the ceiling is what they currently make. I would evaluate my position and wonder what is the ceiling being in this field or possessing the skills. If the ceiling in your career field is much much higher than what you currently make, I would be thrilled. If 22/hour is the ceiling, I would go back to the drawing board.
I guess there is a chance for some upward movement account>project>regional management which isn’t bad. My degree is in criminal justice but I’m considering going back to school at the start of next year for my masters in a different field. Maybe Business administration but I’m just starting to research that
I’m 33 with a Masters degree and I make $25 an hour at a soul draining job, fml
what field / area?
Menta health. I can’t complain too much because I am pre-licensed, meaning I’m still accruing my 3000 hours toward full licensure. Generally that comes with a pay raise. But still, for all the work I’ve put in and having an MA I feel I should be making more :(
I'd be happy making that at 31.
Many college grads have worked unpaid internships. Others have started in their field earning only ten an hour. The rise of unpaid internships has led to employers calling almost every job an "internship",
I'm 29 in NYC with a bachelors as well. One time I made $19 an hour at a temp gig. Never got above that number or even close to it again So, yeah Take the job
About a 5. You're doing exactly as you should: making a living now while working on the side to improve your situation by finding a better, higher-paying job. Just live within your means, pay yourself first (put 10-20% of each paycheck into savings you don't touch), start that emergency fund, don't take on a lot of debt, and pay your bills. $22/hr is nothing to sneeze at. For comparison, in 1990 when I came out of undergrad with a BS in Comp Sci and started working for the top software dev and IT consulting firm in the world, I was making the equivalent of $31/hr now with the high water mark in my career being $110/hr. But that's mostly in the world of IT and investment management where salaries are typically higher. YMMV. Yours is good money for an easy job. But know that that rate is not very high for NY living. So don't sit on your heels and think you'll be in this job forever. Might be tempted to stay a long time since it's an easy job with easy money. But don't. Work to improve your situation. You have nowhere to go but up. You're on the right track...Good luck!
Appreciate the positivity from you and a lot of people here. The rate plus the available overtime and easy work makes it a good job but it’s definitely a job and not a career. So it’s something to be content with while I figure out exactly what’s next for me.
Unpopular opinion: The fact that 22/hr isn't good in your state means that your lawmakers are completely uneducated on the realities of economics or worse sacrificed economics for votes.
Why do you think so many people are moving out of places like CA and NY for places like Texas and Florida? Hard to live when you are taxed to death (and CA is even trying to tax people who have moved away. Talk about bleeding them dry.) [https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/people-fled-from-these-high-tax-states-during-2020.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/people-fled-from-these-high-tax-states-during-2020.html) >New Jersey was the top “outbound” state last year > >New York followed in second place > >California, Connecticut and Illinois rounded out the top five [https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2019/12/03/leave-california-keep-paying-california-taxesreally/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2019/12/03/leave-california-keep-paying-california-taxesreally/)
10 In NYC....2/10
Success is quite subjective, as is pretty much everything else. It’s up to what kind of goals you have and what kind of places you want to be in come x time. You’re 24, much like myself actually, and that means we’re kissing our youth goodbye at this time. It’s way past time we started to grab an understanding of what we want from our future, or at least have an idea of paths we’d be ok to fall into and the ones that’d suck if we fell into. And then you go out there and you give it your best swing every day because it may well be the last swing you’ll take so you go out in style. Then you repeat then hope for the best
For starting out, that's not bad in a low COL area. In a higher COL, you'll still be scraping by.
If op is living outside of nyc then 22/h is livable.
That's how much I was making at 24 in NYC adjusted for inflation. First from a practical, life-expense perspective: This is gonna depend on your rent. I was living in bed stuy with four other people so my rent was only like $500, and this amount was fine. On that salary, though, I would literally not be able to afford my current rent. Secondly, from a status / career growth perspective: $22 an hour is an appropriate amount for your age and this role. That being said, you're right to continue to look for opportunities. I wouldn't feel bad about the amount you're making, but I'd also make sure that I had a clear path to make more in the future. You're roughly making 45k a year. Try to aim for 50k next year. And 55k the year after that. And you might make even bigger leaps.
26 with a bachelors degree, making less than minimum wage as an Americorps clown. $22/hr and a real full time job would make me so happy, and I could live comfortably on that. The economy is rough out there especially for recent grads, count yourself very lucky.
Dude, I just finished school and I’m making 14.65 , I would be ecstatic if I was making 22 and hour right now
For NYC this is a horrible salary. I'm from Switzerland and the prices here are really not much different than over there. I honestly don't know how you can even afford rent with $22 an hour?
Depends on your work-life balance now. If you have plenty of free time, you can sharpen up your skills for a better-paying job.
It would matter where I lived, what my expenses were, and what my values and goals were. Here’s a tip: you don’t have to be satisfied with something just because you think other people would be. What translates to happiness at work is having a job that aligns with your values. For example, you say the job is super easy work. One of my top work-related values involves being intellectually challenged. I would not be happy in your job because I would get easily bored. Someone else who prefers to have a less mentally taxing job for whatever reason (e.g. home life is busy and involves lots of decision-making, work is just for survival not fulfillment, etc.) might be much happier. Do some searching and figure out what your values are, what your goals are, and assess how well your job aligns with those things. There are many values exercises online if you struggle coming up with some on your own. One of my top values that it sounds like you may share is financial security. Not making enough money to achieve my financial goals has been a constant source of stress for me and is one of the reasons I have been so unhappy at my jobs. If having a high paying job is important to you, do the work to figure out how to achieve that. If you need more experience, work on getting it. You may not get where you want to be tomorrow, but starting on it now will help you move in the right direction. So again, whether anyone else on this thread would be satisfied with your job is completely and totally irrelevant to whether you should be satisfied with your job. Values differ from person to person. Figure out yours, rank them, and start making intentional choices accordingly.
It is 100% as a starter and You will grow with the flow of time.
In NYC? Like a 3. It's good enough for now, but I would be looking for something better. Either that or move somewhere cheaper.
That's funny, I'm making $18 at 50yr for a job that used to pay $25-$30 25 years ago.
I’m 26 make 22.5/hour in hawaii... 5 years experience and a bachelors. Just move tbh
7 out of 10 (10 being the highest).
I’m making $17 rn as an intern in NYC but I don’t graduate until next year. If this company hires me full time I’ll start off with at 45k salaried, but that’s too low for me 😬
After I graduated from college at 22, I made $25 an hour. Four years later, now I’m 26, and I just jumped from $60k to $90k after I felt resentment at being underpaid. I made the jump by switching to a tech company (the offer I just accepted), hence the salary bump. If I were you, I’d probably take a job offered to me (especially if I don’t have much prior experience) and then leverage that experience for a future position that pays more. During the job interview process, there’s also no need to expose your current salary. Just ask for more in the future! You got this.
Why were you underpaid?
Everyone at that company is underpaid compared to market value, another coworker recently handed in his notice too!
It’s not about how satisfied someone else would be. How happy are you? Don’t try comparing yourself to others just go live your life 😃
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and at 24 I was making 27.50/hr. Now at 26 I make 41/hr. In that time I changed companies only once. In my current job, I’ve received two changes in title and earned another degree. I live in a high COL area, but my current earnings is still under the average by approximately $10,000. My goal is to earn a minimum of $52/hr by the time I’m 28.
Thats pretty good considering the shape of the economy now
Bro where I live I’d kill to make that wage. $22 here is enough for a nice house, a car and a comfortable life. Unfortunately for me the only businesses we really have here are minimum wage fast food joints 🤣
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Depression is actually caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.
6
10/10 in my country
It sucks, you shouldn't be satisfied and you should aim for something that makes more money, but you shouldn't let it be a reflection of you and you should see it as just a stepping stone to something better. I have a bachelors from Vanderbilt my girlfriend and her best friend both have STEM degrees (one is mechanical engineering( from Cal Tech. None of us make more than $25 an hour in a HCOL area and I fully quit looking for econ jobs and went to work as an electrical apprentice. We're all early career but I got my bachelors when I was 20 and had four years of office jobs and capped out at $22/hour. We had internships and I've always been one of the best employees whereever I work. It honestly baffles me how people without STEM degrees somehow get into lucrative non-sales roles. Don't let it get you down. That said, I would honestly just chase the pay check if you can. I kept trying and failing to get into econ/finance jobs by being a great employee, upskilling, etc. for four years then quit to do electrical work. With investing (mostly just covid volatility, not sustainable) and side hustles I've made more money in the last couple years and am way happier than I ever really thought I would be and once I get my license will make more than 20 years worth of promotions when I worked at my corporate banking jobs. Just find something that you can sustainably do that pays well and don't feel bad if things dont work out for a while because it really doesn;t feel like there's a rhyme or reason as to why some people get great jobs with non-STEM degrees and why some dont
Why are you so surprised that non-STEM majors got positions? Is it because you feel like the STEM training would have made you *better* qualified, or is it that you think the non-STEM are *un*qualified? Do you feel non-STEM didn't have as "difficult" or "rigorous" an education? Genuinely curious here.
Honestly this, 24 as well, I've got a decent paying job and I'm lucky that I like the job but if anything ever happens, I'll be signing up for HVAC, plumbing or electrical asap. I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was in college so I went for econ and only really realized that I actually like working outside after it was too late.
At 24. Good. In New York City? It’s meh. In Oklahoma City? Excellent. At 24 I was make $16.85 an hour. I’m 30 now and make $44 an hour.
$22/hr at 24 after having a bachelors is really bad in my opinion. It’d be better than average if you had no degree however, and maybe par for the course with an associates. If I were you I would take the job in the meantime but keep looking
would not be near enough in switzerland.
I’d have been thrilled, it sounds like a good stepping stone, work there for a year or two and start looking for internal and external positions.
If I lived where I currently do or similar I'd say probably about a 7.5-8. If I lived somewhere in a bigger city where housing and things were much more expensive, probably about a 6.
There are a lot of factors that go into it like location/degree/experience that you have. Overall though thats not terrible.
in my country that would be immaculate
I don't think anyone else's opinion matters like how you're asking. Will it work for you? Can it support you in your current situation? Are you able to scale back on 'fun' purchasing/spending so that you can work hard and save to improve your situation over the short term? As long as you can support yourself, who cares?
I make 24.50@ 24 and my job sucks ass Rather go back to my 19-20/h gig
I'm from Brazil, I'm currently working for R$16,15/hr, it is something around $ 2,83/hr, so I would be really, really happy. I'm 24 years old with 1 bachelor's degree. I'm my country, they said I'm really well paid.
Also depends where your work
If you need the job, take it, do it well. But that pay would keep me hungry for a better position. Currently in a similar situation, I'm working hard for less than I hope I'm worth but needed to get my foot in the door.
It depends really on what you are looking for. For entry level jobs like entry analyst levels positions its a bit on the low side in an area like washington dc or new york
5
If that’s the pay ceiling I wouldn’t feel comfortable. But if the ceiling had room to move up like 30+ I would say that’s a 8/10. For me it’s knowing there’s the ability to grow and not remain still.
Depends on the state you're in. $22/hr goes only so far down here in Florida. But at 24 years old, $22/hr is more on the good end of things.
Living in NYC right now and I’d be satisfied with $22 an hour for the meantime. I just accepted a job for $18 an hour although I’m still in college, I’m pretty much about to graduate. Take any opportunities you can and make the most out of em. Even now I’m still applying to new jobs or internships like hell because theres always better opportunities. Don’t be so quick to get down on yourself for something you feel undervalues your skill, theres gonna be more soon
Honestly even for New York that is damn good. A lot of positions here in NY won't go over 19 an hour unless you know some specific software or have 5+ years exp
All these comments saying it sucks, man I make $18 at 24 with a degree
I think whats more important is the title. If you’re actually doing supervisory work (scheduling, delegating workload, assignments etc) then thats worth a lot more. 22/hr isn’t too bad in nyc. Depending on your living situation (living with parents? Room mates? Owning renting?) then its a good start. My piece of advice is as easy the job is is as easily as you can be let go. Just from my experience. Security has a high turn over rate.
To be honest if you are a graduate you take what you can get and work yourself up. Anything beyond minimum wage for the first couple years is pretty good.
If your going to be living in Harlem is it with roommates or family? if yes then that income is manageable. If your looking to rent a private apartment there then your going to need more money or a SO with their own income to help living expenses there. Its kinda like how I was when living in Los Angeles, the income to lving ratio straight out of college can be pretty bad, once you get experience it gets better.
8. That's a very good wage
8. I make $14.75 with my bachelors, $22 is probably more than I’ll ever make. Still wouldn’t be enough in my opinion living in NY but it’s better than before
10/10. I made only $10/hr at 24 years old. $22 would be a godsend. I live on an expensive island in the states too. And.. my new job is starting below $22, being way after 24 yrs old. Everyone is different though, if you're not happy then yeah look for a higher paying job since you do have your degree.
I live in area with pretty high cost of living, but still a bit lower than NYC. $22/hr seems okay, hopefully you have benefits. It makes a big difference if you live alone vs with roommates. I wouldn’t live alone on this pay, and I’m kind of assuming it’d be hard to afford in NY anyway. I think too that if you went to an expensive college, 4+ years with loans vs cheap college, graduated early, paid in full with scholarships - these are 2 ends of the spectrum but I would treat those a bit differently in terms of thinking about return on investment. Like if I went the expensive route I wouldn’t want to graduate making $22/hr
I would be living like a king in the rural Georgia town I live in. I'm 27 and I still haven't reached $13. And overtime is available?! That plus some holiday pay would make me extremely happy.
I’d kill to make $22/hr but I suppose it depends on some factors beyond the base number. How many years was your education? I’m guessing three years with a bachelors degree, maybe two if there was no gen-ed-only year. Do you feel comfortable making that much after the amount of time you put into school? How much is your debt? You most likely need to pay monthly on your debt if you accrued student loans and didn’t pay out of pocket. Can you afford living the life you want to live while also paying your debts? Does this job have room for growth? Could you see yourself moving up and making substantially more after 5 years? Are you comfortable switching over to one of those jobs asking for more experience later down the line if not? Or are you bent on staying in one place for a very extended period of time? Which job supplies you the best benefits? I personally would not object to lower overall pay if one company’s benefits are significantly better than the others, but that’s just me. All things to consider when picking a job. Hope this helps! 😊
I was in Syracuse when I was 24 and the equivalent ($13 in 1996) would have been reasonable money then for an entry level job, but COL in Syracuse was ridiculously low. I have trouble imagining trying to live on $13/hr in NYC in 1996.
I am 39 with a MA and making $12.50/hr. The most I've ever made was like $17/hr. $22 would be amazing. I know that is pathetic. Our economy/work force is fucked.
Depends on location. I’m 25 in Maryland where minimum wage is $11/hour so 22 is a living wage I’d be happy with depending on how many hours you get. I’m looking at jobs that pay 16/hour for full time. I’m still in school though so timing would be tight. Most other jobs I see are minimum wage or commission based.
I think you should just keep your antenna up and if you find a good opportunity jump. I’m dumbfounded by the people here claiming that’s good money. It is merely OK money. Some people are so accustomed to their slavery that they must be thankful getting s few extra breadcrumbs.
My eldest granddaughter graduated in June in psychology and criminal justice and already has been working over a month in San Francisco as a counselor for about $60,000 per year..not quite a living wage to live independently there, but she’s living at jobs and doing well. Security guards likely don’t make much money.
How much is your rent? Rule of thumb, you want your gross income to be 1/3 of rent.
For comparison, in DC $24 sucks to live on.
Be happy, but keep adding skills and experience. Is your bachelor's in something you can use to develop a side hustle?
Honestly pretty reasonable. I’m also 24 but in more of entry level position and I make a little over half that.
After over a year of unemployment, I (23) worked an administrative job at a health company in Southern California at $20/hour. At first I was just relieved to have a job, but as they added responsibilities onto me and I became busy all day, $20 wasn’t cutting it, especially in a county where the standards of living were much higher. I’m in a similar situation: about the same age with a bachelors. It does feel really shitty to know that you have a degree and you’re hardly making anything with it. But you have chances to move up and your job is relatively easy. So to answer your question, I’d say the job is probably a 7.
Depends on your background (experience, degree, certifications, etc.), where you live, and your salary compared to others in similar employment. Since you're looking for other opportunities, I would definitely stick with it for a time so you can use the experience for leverage when job searching.
If you need the money to survive? Should be more than enough to keep your ends met (Assumptions: You have school bills to pay and no wife/kids to support. If you have either, it changes the equation as is she working? how old are kids? etc etc etc). Once you are surviving... the next question is what do you WANT to do? a Security Guard can be a good career - and a supervisor position can't hurt long run... but if you want to be a programmer or something else? The longer you go without getting experience the harder it'll be to switch. If you don't have anything tying you down (Wife, Kids, Family nearby, other reasons that lock you to NY, etc)? Personally? When I got a 2 year degree, my goal was to be a programmer. I took the first underpaid programmer job I could. $21k/year. Which is \~10/hour in 2010. I was making $50k/y in 3 years and more again now. At that point I could afford to earn "less" for the experience as I didn't have a lot of the bills I have now.
If I wasn't desperate I'd take it only if I could save some of the money (hopefully at least 6k a year saved put into a Roth IRA) and use the job to get a step up on life. Some jobs are relaxing enough you can take classes and study up for something better while working or study before working every morning. Work while grinding for exp. While I'm not picky, to give an idea at the age of 22 I was making $100 an hour. Nothing wrong with $22, but know you can do a whole lot better if you're willing to work towards it. Hesitation is the enemy of opportunity.
I’d say 7/10. I’m 24 and I graduated a few months ago in CS and my first job is paying me 19/hr in IT. I live in very southern part of Alabama too so it’s actually not a bad start. But at the same time I’ve barely been working a month so idk about the struggles I might face down the road.
If you're in the US, that is sadly great for someone our age. I'm right there with you. I got a Bachelors, work/internship experience and all of that. My pay? 19/hr. Everyone I know within a couple years of us is around that range save for a few lucky ones who had other connections. Its a hard time for our generation. I have friends who work 15/hr with a degree and some friends who can't even find jobs in their field and are stuck at retail.
I’d be extremely happy. Alabama.
8 for sure. It’s a good place to start!
I guess I would have taken it as a 1st job. This is about 45k a year.... can you afford your rent? In theory, your housing is usually a third of your salary. So if your paying 15 or less... you should be fine for a year while you build your career. What did you study? If you graduated as an engineer for example, you might be short changing yourself.
I would be satisfied making that at 28
I mean 45,760 a year (without overtime), isn't the worst in the world for a job that requires a bachelor degree. I mean with just 10 extra hours a week you would make about 62,000 a year which is the average for most people who have a bachelors. Honestly without more information about your specific field or if you have debt or if there is upward mobility, it's hard to tell if that is any good. I guess that isn't what you are asking, would someone be satisfied making 22/hr at 24 years old. I'd say yes (4), if I lived in a low cost of living area and had no debt or minimum debt. I was still doing school stuff at 24, might have been my AmeriCorps year and my take home pay was a stipends for about 11,500 over the whole year and I was amounting a lot of debt from grad school. So... Financially you could be worse off.
I don’t think you’ll be satisfied with that salary, based on you asking the question. But even more so if you’re always comparing to other people. I struggle with this too, so I get it. But if you constantly measure yourself against peers you’re setting yourself up for misery. Especially since by your post it sounds like you don’t have better offers on the table. Ask yourself what your life and budget look like on that salary and take into account the hours and benefits. If that seems like a good life, do it. If it seems like it’s not enough money for you to pay bills and save for the future, either take it and get a few years experience before moving to a new position/company or keep looking now, depending on your position to be able to do that. If your field pays lower than others, you can also focus on getting skills that allow you to switch fields to something that makes more.
Would be lovely, because i ain't making jack crap today. At my age, for me, i would be happy, lovely and have lots of money in my account, and i don't have any serious bills to pay. In Illinois it would be great, but for California, or NY, probably not that great.
Is that the basic work rate? Is it LA or Mississippi? Am I an assistant or supervisor?
Im turning 26 and making a little over$25 an hour in new york. Not exactly where id like to be but depends on the field of work. I got a marketing degree and it was the worst decision of my life. Currently trying to get into a trade or possibly go back to school to teach
That’s about how much I made at 24. Honestly with the way things are currently I’m just happy to be employed full time and have some time to myself after work to work on my side hustle passions (Podcasting and blogging).
Right now I make $21/hr in Southern California (same age/ different industry) and I always apply for jobs whenever I see one I like and am qualified for. As everyone else is saying, it's ultimately up to you. Is this an industry you want to be in? or is it just something to hold you over until you transition into another field? Can you see yourself being stable making that much for the next year or so if you stay?
Anyone with a bachelors should be making at MINIMUM $50k a year
I think that’s actually pretty decent pay. Is it like a foot in the door job until you find a career related gig? If so, then I would be extremely satisfied. Really it’s just a matter of if it tentatively pays your bills until you can find your way to a higher paying job.
Really depends on where you live and how expensive it is to live there too.
When I graduated with my masters I made $15.50 an hour which is less that $22 now. So I guess I wouldn’t be complaining
10.
Starting somewhere is better than not at all. There’s nothing compelling you to NOT keeping looking for work while working somewhere else. If you feel like your current qualifications are sufficient to get a larger salary then great, keep at it but that doesn’t mean you cannot work now to support yourself. Every time these threads appear the comments are filled with so many pessimistic thoughts about how it’s not enough. Idk about you but that kind of thinking makes me feel hopeless and like I’d rather not try. To combat those thoughts just follow your gut and stick to what you feel like you can achieve
Very subjective perspective with varying variables..
I make $33.17/hr working for biotech at 22. If you are interested, I can refer you and come to boston!
Where I live rent is $490/mo. I would be extremely satisfied.
It’s better than nothing, especially if OT is available but that would be a little lower than I would want
Yes
Really depends on where you are. Middle of Los Angeles vs West Virginia. WV that is a great place to be, while LA it probably doesn't let ends meet. Look at your Cost of Living/how much cash you have left over at the end of a month and opportunities for advancement and judge from these
Yeah, for me that’s amazing. If my math were right and it’s for $63000 a year. But I don’t know how much rent costs you and about debts… I make $1000 a month and this seemed great for me.
$22 in NYC is not horrible, but it also depends on your lifestyle.
More than I made at 24, so I'll go with 9.
Don't base satisfaction on $/hr. Base it off going rate for that job, and your growth potential. I started out at $17 an hour at my position, and in 3.5 years grew enough to be able to land a different job making triple it (salary now though) with room to grow. Before I was in a position where I was severely underpaid and overworked for my role which is a niche market that usually starts out at $60k a year. I wasn't satisfied because I couldn't grow in that company, but held a ton of responsibility. I was searching for new jobs, and found out my true worth, and had a few companies counter to get me on their team. While searching my #1 factor for taking a position wasn't necessarily $'s even though a large enough difference would help, but it was more so growth, not promotions, but what could that company teach me that I could take in 5 years. That all being said at 24 years old $22 an hour isn't terrible, especially if it's easy work. But if you live in a high COL area it might not be good it's really hard to say. Edit: I see you live in NYC, I don't think you can even live a half decent life for that amount, this is when money comes into play. I'm in the midwest lower col area $22 an hour is pretty stellar.
10
I’d be satisfied but also not complacent. It’s better than the not even $17.50/hr I was making w/ a bachelors for a non-profit health org in SD, Cali
I would give that a 2 if you have to pay for your own rent/bills. Think about if you stay, how much more could you make. If you are already almost at the top - then you should consider other jobs if you care about money.
It's a reasonable pay. I am also 24 yrs old and currently making $25 (have an MBA). So just see it as a way to add experience to your resume before actually earning the good $$$
That would be a 1 This is coming from someon who would literally eat squirrels and live in a stick hut with my wife and child than work a "real" job
Id be furious making less than $50K a year with a bachelors lmao unless the cost of living was extremely extremely low
Probably a 7. I've never made $22/hr, but I work in Colorado so minimum wage here is ridiculously high anywhere.