Keep in mind that it’s not more than 54% of people, it’s 54% of households, many of which have multiple income sources, such as two parents working. So even if two parents were working and each making half of what you are, they’d be making more than 54% of other households, according to those (as pointed out, outdated) statistics.
Not at all. I was responding to a specific point someone had tried to make.
According to Social Security, in 2011 the average wage was $20.66. More than most, but your definition of significant may vary. For me, the $4800+ difference would pay a year’s rent and half of my yearly grocery bill.
The reason you’re paid $23/hour is because you’re willing to do the work for that price. If you stop doing the work for that price your boss will pay somebody else that amount to do it, pay you more to do it (Yay!), or the work will not get done. That’s a tautology, but it’s also how free markets work. “It’s worth what somebody will pay for it.” I’m sure you already knew all of this.
But what it leads to, is that if you want to make yourself worth more, you have to become a scarcer resource. That is, look for other jobs. It’s not clear if you’ve already asked for a raise. You shouldn’t approach it as you’ve argued this thread, though. Your boss has something which costs him $23/hour, but he can afford to pay more. That’s a losing argument, because it’s the equivalent of saying wealthier people should pay $1.25 for things off the 1 menu, because they can afford it, and the .25 isn’t a big deal to them. You should look at things such as salary surveys, job listings, industry gossip, etc. to find out what other people in your position make, and go in with that as an argument, if you are in fact being paid below what you’re worth.
I took that tactic to argue for a raise once, and it ended up working very well. I said that I was being paid below the average wage for somebody doing my job, and additionally I had special skills which meant that I could perform my job better than the “average” person who is otherwise qualified to do it. My boss accepted that argument, and was able to afford to pay me more, so he did.
It’s also the possibility that you are being paid what you’re worth, in the very generic sense of other people doing similar things get paid similar amounts. Then it is difficult to argue that you deserve a raise. In that case, then I would recommend looking for other jobs that will possibly give you advancement opportunities. I can see the problem though of having a fairly specialized skill, with few other companies in the area that need that skill, and being unwilling to relocate. That is a tough position to be in.
Sorry, but yes, you are out of touch. It’s not about *feeling *“rich” - it’s about acknowledging that there are a huge amount of people who earn way less than you do, and yet they still survive.