# Waddaya do and waddya earn for it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 19, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809 "2001-01-19T04:19:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/61 "2001-01-19T22:22:07Z")

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I’m a Purchasing Assistant for a major Wine Company, which means I get paid to shop, and in the wine industry no less. Mostly I deal with packaging vendors; glass, corks, labels, tissue paper, stuff like that. It’s pretty cool, I’ve learned alot about wine, not a stressful job at all.  
They pay me $32K/yr and lots of super benefits. My personal favorite is the 50% off wine _hiccup_.

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**Author:** ![Darkrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Darkrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkrabbit)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/62 "2001-01-19T22:37:35Z")

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Web Developer.

About $60k/year.

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**Author:** ![Clucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Clucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clucky)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/63 "2001-01-19T22:44:10Z")

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Wow, we’ve got a lot of talent here.

I’m just a lowly P.R. so-called specialist for a city just west of St. Louis. $35K/yr.

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**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/64 "2001-01-19T23:38:45Z")

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I’m asst. community Manager at a large website. I make about $40,000 a year, plus stock options, 401k etc.

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**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/65 "2001-01-20T00:10:05Z")

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Just a little encouragement to Tripler. I’m also a military officer and I make about 72,000 of which about a third is tax free.

Don’t worry…it’ll come.

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**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/66 "2001-01-20T00:29:25Z")

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Attorney. $165-190k/year, depending on bonus.

Sua

- and will someone PLEASE post quickly who has a higher salary!!

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**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/67 "2001-01-20T00:55:50Z")

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Sorry Sua, but this gal works in education, so there’s no way I’m making more than you …

I’m a program director at a private university. If they were going to hire a brand new person to do my job, I believe the salary would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000. However, due to senority and a bunch of truly bizarre circumstances, I make quite a bit more than that (although not as much as Sua ;)). I am very nervous about ever changing jobs, because no one in their right minds would ever pay me the salary I currently pull in for the work that I do. Not that $40,000 is poverty or anything, but it would still be an adjustment.

Oh, I also live in New York City, so those numbers are a bit inflated compared to similar jobs in most other parts of the country.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/68 "2001-01-20T01:44:28Z")

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Exploration Geophysicist with an NYSE-traded drilling and exploration company. Low six figures (not as much as **Sua** , but a damn sight better than the ten years I spent running my own geophysical company). If you had told me, even in my last semester, before graduating from college that I’d spend a career in geophysics I would have hardly believed you. It _is_ interesting.

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**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/69 "2001-01-20T02:23:00Z")

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I am a production & shipping mgr for a small co. We make telecommunication equipment.

I’m asking for a raise!

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**Author:** ![ajax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@ajax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajax)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/70 "2001-01-20T03:02:48Z")

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Glazer (not doughnuts) 37k a year

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/71 "2001-01-20T03:41:50Z")

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Medical resident, about 35K (cdn) for a 90 hour week. Not complaining, but also don’t want to know what that is hourly… they say on my pay forms I work 40 hours a week!

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/72 "2001-01-20T03:43:24Z")

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**Zappo** said:

> [@](#):
>
> …I decided to take a 10% pay cut to avoid having to make a $9000 nut every month for office rent and expenses

Whoo! Your profile says you’re in Southcentral Pennsylvania. I don’t know what you felt you had to do, but with all the insurance they could sell us I managed to maintain a 2000 ft² office with a nice conference room and reception area and offices for me, my partner and our sales rep, as well as file areas and a large workroom, for \<$3000/month _max_, in an economically hot area (Houston). I have no doubt that lawyering expenses can be vastly different from those of geophysicing (I’ve never ever attempted that usage before).

So I understand that a lot of our expenses were ones we where we had precommitments (or cash calls) from clients that we knew would cover them, and just briefly glancing at your post I would guess that you did some personal injury work on a contingency basis where the upfront came out of your pocket. Still, that seems like high overhead.

**Dinsdale** said:

> [@](#):
>
> Now the interesting question to me is why I felt a need/desire to tell all of you folks my salary?

Yeah, me too, pal.

**Treycal** reported in as Supervisor, Energy Forecasting for an electrical utility…

_That_’s interesting to me…

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**Author:** ![Frannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Frannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frannie)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/73 "2001-01-20T04:00:47Z")

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I mold the minds of the li’l ones who will one day lead our country. Yes, they’re only 7-8 years old right now, but this stuff takes time.

This is my sixth year of mind molding, and I make $34,000-ish/yr plus some great benefits – including summers and holidays off.

Oh, and the best bonuses in the world are those hugs at the end of the day. Priceless 🙂

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**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/74 "2001-01-20T04:13:20Z")

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Well, Sua, not that close, but not that far…

115k or so after bonuses & all as a VP in software development at an extremely large financial svcs company.

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/75 "2001-01-20T04:14:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \*  
> \*\*Attorney. $165-190k/year, depending on bonus.
> 
> Sua
> 
> - and will someone PLEASE post quickly who has a higher salary!! \*\*

Once you subtract $100k/year for NYC harship pay, it does not seem very high.

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**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/76 "2001-01-20T04:30:29Z")

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I’m a student, but I’ve got a scholarship that pays me about $1300 a semester. Other than that unemployed.  
-Lil

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**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/77 "2001-01-20T05:30:35Z")

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QA analyst for a webcast ratings firm.

$42,500 a year, plus bonus.

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**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/78 "2001-01-20T05:50:04Z")

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Magazine copy editor.

I make $32,000, which is below market for the job. But it kind of evens out because my health insurance is free.

I also get a ton of time off since my employers are great believers in compensating people with time rather than money. If I weren’t too busy to take time off, this would be a better deal ☹

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**Author:** ![Shadowfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Shadowfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfox)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/79 "2001-01-20T06:05:50Z")

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Sheesh…my salary is so small compared to some of you. I only made $15K this last year. Fortunately, my husband made $55K this last year, so we are still doing okay.

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**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waddaya-do-and-waddya-earn-for-it/50809/80 "2001-01-20T06:15:03Z")

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I’m a rocket scientist. Really.

$71,500/year, but I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where high school kids who know HTML make that much on their summer vacations. I drive a Honda Civic with 115,000 miles on it while the code jockeys leave me in the dust of their Acura NSXes.

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