# Poll: Pole: Pohl: What percentage of your current salary do you think you will eventually make? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564 "2012-07-08T00:27:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/1 "2012-07-08T00:27:45Z")
Title says it all. And please reply with your age. I’m too lazy to do age ranges in the options (where’s that two-dimensional polling feature already?), and I think the results will be interesting even without age ranges factored in. ETA: I’m 35, and I haven’t voted because I’m trying to decide where to take my career (and the different directions I could take have drastically different results in this poll). ETA2: Here’s an example. If you just graduated college and make $35,000 per year, and you think that you’ll progress in your field to a point where you make $100,000 per year (and there’s really no possibility of making more), then vote 200-500%. Let’s not take inflation into account. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/2 "2012-07-08T01:03:19Z")
Late 50s, expect to increase my salary somewhat before I retire, but not by leaps and bounds. Done did that already, happy where I am now. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/3 "2012-07-08T01:17:57Z")
I’m in my late thirties. I’m a senior engineer at a large technology company. Depending on how many times I end up changing jobs, I expect to make between 90% and 130% of my current salary for the foreseeable future. I’d have to go to the director level to significantly increase my salary, and I’m not sure I want to do that. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/4 "2012-07-08T03:37:56Z")
Mid-40’s, not going to vote because I’m not the demographic you’re looking for. Non-professional, got laid off a few months ago. Hope like hell I make more than that in the future 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/5 "2012-07-08T04:15:35Z")
Grad school now, so I think I can expect to do much better later. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/6 "2012-07-08T04:18:38Z")
I’m a teacher. Wages are going backwards. My plan is to marry a rich guy and be a housewife…so…200 per cent. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![littlespeedysuperbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@littlespeedysuperbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littlespeedysuperbike)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/7 "2012-07-08T04:55:51Z")
Engineering graduate student, will graduate within 6 months. Current pay under $20k/year; only really cool offers below $100k will be considered (i.e. Dallara IndyCar, SpaceX/Tesla, J&J Sprint cars); otherwise I’m taking the highest pay/hour I can get. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Dr.Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Love)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/8 "2012-07-08T05:39:40Z")
Another grad student. I probably won’t make really huge amounts of money, but at least double what I make now. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/9 "2012-07-08T05:57:12Z")
This is a hard question to wrap my mind around right now. By the end of the year I will have made three times as much as I did last year, and I know I’ll make a few thousand more next year than this year. But I don’t have even the slightest clue what’ll happen after that. I sort of wish I knew what my boss makes, because I could end up in her current position someday (she’s being made a director, so I’m not hoping to scheme to get there) ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/10 "2012-07-08T10:28:47Z")
I’m close to the end of my career (\<10 years left to retirement). Based on past history, I expect my salary to rise, but no more than 15% before I pull the plug. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/11 "2012-07-08T11:03:07Z")
Mid 40s. In real terms (adjusted for inflation) I don’t expect to make much more than I do now. I made a lot of progress in my career in my 20s and 30s, my last promotion was 4 years ago, and I expect my next one, if it ever comes, is a few years off. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/12 "2012-07-08T11:45:31Z")
I’m 51 and very well compensated for what I do. I’m in the final stages of a business negotiation that has the potential to quintuple my annual compensation within 3 years. I voted 500-1000%, which may be slightly optimistic, but not by much. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/13 "2012-07-08T13:22:43Z")
I’m 59 so I don’t expect much of a change in the next few years. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/14 "2012-07-08T14:06:54Z")
Early 30s. I’m a medical laboratory scientist (previously medical technologist but they keep changing the “official” term) and we’re not known as the best-paid gang in health care. I could see myself getting a little more money as I stay with the organization for several years, but it won’t be a huge increase. Even moving up to management wouldn’t do a ton for me - it would be _more_, but definitely not double what I make now. Grad school or a specialized certificate in my field might bring me more money, but probably not if I stay with this organization. I’m comfortable where I am now, and don’t really want to change employers, so I’m content with my current salary. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/15 "2012-07-08T15:13:23Z")
\>1000% Perhaps I am delusional but I fully expect to be one of the wealthiest people in the world at some point. I am 25 and currently make a decent living. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/16 "2012-07-08T15:40:53Z")
50s, Teacher. I’ve pretty much maxed out my pay scale. I think I’ll get 2 more minor seniority bumps up before I retire. Not more than a percentage point or two each time. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/17 "2012-07-08T15:45:30Z")
I work for the government, they don’t do raises. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/18 "2012-07-08T16:39:03Z")
37 years old, I expect to make less in the foreseeable future as I’m planning to switch jobs to expand my resume a bit. That being said, I don’t see my ultimate salary being more than 30-40% of where I am now. In fact, I’d be happy with where I am now for the rest of my life (COLAs notwithstanding). I make more than quadruple what I was making when I first got out of college, and a day doesn’t go by that I don’t feel extremely blessed/lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/19 "2012-07-08T17:07:05Z")
Just retired, and as an Illinois teacher, I am not eligible for Social Security. My pension is less than half of what I made, so \<100% ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/20 "2012-07-08T17:17:57Z")
Early 30s, if my salary increases with inflation from here on out I’d be happy. Don’t tell my boss. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564.md?page=2)