# 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:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/21 "2012-07-08T17:27:49Z")
I am 40. I am a cook. I probably make in the top .25% of all cooks in the US. There is really not much room for pay advancement for me unless I want to work at a mega hotel in Vegas or something. I would never do that, way to much work. My job is kinda easy and I get about 5-6 months off a year. I may change careers though and that could get me about 50% more or so. Or if I decided to work year round. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/22 "2012-07-08T17:32:15Z")
55, and I’ve heard “the talk” about how my remaining career is somewhat predictable and I’m plateaued. I would guess something like 130% of present, by the end. I’m currently at 653% of where I started with my present employer and about 3000% of where I started in full time work. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/23 "2012-07-08T17:33:53Z")
200-500%, mostly because I recently graduated and thus am earning an entry level salary in my field. Also lots of time for wages to increase with inflation. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/24 "2012-07-08T19:21:30Z")
100-200%. I make okay money now, but I’m a recent graduate and doing somewhat of a career shift in an industry where everyone (degree and experience not withstanding) is expected to pay their dues in a relatively low-wage position. I might take a small pay hit on my next job, but should get up to 50% from my current salary within a few years. In the late stages of my career, doubling my current salary is likely, and there is a smaller chance of hitting 200% if I find my way into a serious leadership position. ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/25 "2012-07-08T19:29:35Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > 100-200%. > > I make okay money now, but I’m a recent graduate and doing somewhat of a career shift in an industry where everyone (degree and experience not withstanding) is expected to pay their dues in a relatively low-wage position. I might take a small pay hit on my next job, but should get up to 50% from my current salary within a few years. In the late stages of my career, doubling my current salary is likely, and there is a smaller chance of hitting 200% if I find my way into a serious leadership position. You misread the original question, although the OP worded it poorly. It was asking for percent of, not percent increase. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/26 "2012-07-09T19:50:26Z")
I’m 39, and if I average a 3% raise for the next 25 years, my salary will slightly more than double. So I voted 200-500 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/27 "2012-07-09T20:05:49Z")
42YO federal employee near the top of my grade; one more step to go. Presumably annual cost-of-living adjustments will be restored within the next few years, so I expect my salary will go up by 3-4% per year for the remainder of my career. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/28 "2012-07-09T20:12:03Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > I’m 39, and if I average a 3% raise for the next 25 years, my salary will slightly more than double. So I voted 200-500 Crap! I voted 100-200% but I forgot that I get yearly raises of between 3 and 10% each year. I was thinking of big bumps like promotions. I should have said 200-500% I am (carry the one) [del]35[/del] 34. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-pole-pohl-what-percentage-of-your-current-salary-do-you-think-you-will-eventually-make/627564/29 "2012-07-09T20:44:50Z")
I’m in my early 40s, and if I stay on this career path I can expect to eventually earn about 150% of my current salary – possibly even 200%, because I’m not sure where salaries in this field top out, but that seems unlikely to me. (I answered the poll incorrectly. :() [Previous 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=1)