# What do you do? How much do you make?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 10, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871 "2006-07-10T14:32:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/1 "2006-07-10T14:32:25Z")
Bouncing off the “What do you do for a living?” thread I’m curious of three things:
-What level of education do you have?
-What do you do for a living?
-How much do you make?
(This isn’t a thread to brag but to see what certain jobs pay and what education is necessary, so please be accurate with your figures)
Me-
4-year B.S. degree in Architecture
Jobs I’ve had:
Assistant Manager for big box retail, $40K/yr
Store Manager for mall music store, $42K/yr
Regional Inventory/Operations Manager for 10 small sporting good stores, $46K/yr
Inventory/Procurement Manager for Bio-medical manufacturing company, $66K/yr
Wife-
4-year B.A. degree in costume design
Head of costume dept. for a dinner theatre, $22K/yr
Corporate Trainer for Annuity company, $40K/yr
Process Development Manager for Annuity company, $47K/yr
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/2 "2006-07-10T14:57:03Z")
BA in Social Sciences, which has served no purpose other that to get me interviews.
Facilities Manager
Over $100K
Wife:
Masters in Finance
Property Manager
Over $80K
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/3 "2006-07-10T16:20:16Z")
Maybe I am wrong or old or whatever, but isn’t it considered rude to ask someone how much they make?
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### Author:  [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/4 "2006-07-10T16:45:58Z")
BS in Applied Behavioral Science
Director of Community Health for a nonprofit community center: $24,500
Special Needs Liasion with a company that held a state contract: $37,000
Program officer for a community foundation: Not too much more.
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### Author:  [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/5 "2006-07-10T16:47:31Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#):
>
> Maybe I am wrong or old or whatever, but isn’t it considered rude to ask someone how much they make?
Let’s think about that for a minute…
I’m sure there are many different opinions on this, and here’s mine.
[list=a]
[li]This is a anonymous (mostly) message board which seems like a perfect forum for such talk.[/li][li]If it’s rude to ask someone how much they make, isn’t also rude to point out when someone is being rude? I would think the ‘polite’ response to this question would be to not acknowldege it at all.[/li][li]the who ‘don’t talk about salary’ is a valuable tool to help employers keep employees pay as low as possible. Knowledge is power[/li][/list]
I’ve been a software developer since 1988 or 1989 where i started at $20K in an assembler language training class. My high was 100K +, around 2001 or 2002, then the IT crash happened. I took 2 year sabbatical (went back to school), and I’m currently around 80K
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### Author:  [@Moe\_Szyslak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe_Szyslak)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/6 "2006-07-10T16:50:11Z")
BS in Computer Science
Middle Manager at a telecommunications company - currently at $105,000.
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### Author:  [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/7 "2006-07-10T17:46:25Z")
BA in Theater Arts
First job out of college (1990) paid $22,500
A few years later I went to law school & got my JD
First job in law (1998) paid $40k
Now I make between 3-4 times that.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/8 "2006-07-10T17:50:00Z")
Education: PhD in Life, Death and the stuff inbetween
Job: SAHM
Income: zero.
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### Author:  [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/9 "2006-07-10T17:56:24Z")
Degree: BA in Art History/Anthropology
Communications specialist (marketing dept for a small insurance company–writing, graphic design, marketing strategy, advertising, etc): $40K
Mr. m:
Degree: BA in English
Technical writer (large international corp that makes scientific equipment): $45K
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/10 "2006-07-10T18:06:07Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#):
>
> Maybe I am wrong or old or whatever, but isn’t it considered rude to ask someone how much they make?
I had always been raised to believe it was rude to ask someone how much they make. But this isn’t the specific “you”, only the generic you - no one need feel obligated to answer.
But I can’t see what on earth would be the point of sharing your salary on an anonymous message board. I am prepared to acknowledge my reticence is also due to my upbringing. See above.
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/11 "2006-07-10T18:07:57Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#):
>
> Maybe I am wrong or old or whatever, but isn’t it considered rude to ask someone how much they make?
Moreso in real life when you’re actually looking a person in the eye, and not asking people to voluntarily answer on a message board. . .which can be pretty easily ignored without taking offense.
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/12 "2006-07-10T18:13:20Z")
BS in biochem.
Veterinarian
Nowhere near what I deserve.
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/13 "2006-07-10T18:14:29Z")
> [@vetbridge](#):
>
> BS in biochem.
Oooops. In addition I have my VMD!
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### Author:  [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/14 "2006-07-10T18:32:10Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#):
>
> Maybe I am wrong or old or whatever, but isn’t it considered rude to ask someone how much they make?
In some cultures I would guess. In my culture, no one cares and will tell you if you ask.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/15 "2006-07-10T18:41:20Z")
I’ll be entering my junior year of college come fall. . . so, I 'spose my degree would be “HS Diploma.” I work for my dad’s business, where I sign new clients, do taxes, incorporate businesses, and meet with the feds; my official title is something lame that I made up on the spot to put on business cards, “Client Services Representative.” I’m also a partial owner of the corporation (partial indeed-- about 5%).
Anywho, last years’ tax return was $8k. This year it will be closer to $20k because I am now getting commissions for signing new clients, as well as working a lot more.
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### Author:  [@mrald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrald)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/16 "2006-07-10T18:45:33Z")
Student right now, working on a simple AA in Health Admin, to get some basics before starting LPN school.
I work full time as a Certified Nursing Assistant and make around 16,000 K
Hmm, no wonder I never have any money left over to go to Tunica.
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### Author:  [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/17 "2006-07-10T18:46:06Z")
Education: High School Graduate.
Job: News room clerk at the local newspaper. On the track to becoming a journalist (without college).
I make: $10 an hour, but I’ve taken on a lot of work from the reporters so that they can actually report, and my six month review is coming up, so hopefully I’ll get a decent raise. I’m not allowed to have overtime.
I like my job, despite the fact that $10 isn’t very much. Although where I live, $10 is enough to live off of for one person, assuming they aren’t trying to buy a house.
~Tasha
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/18 "2006-07-10T19:43:58Z")
I don’t mind answering, particularly since “should I be a librarian?” is always coming up on this board.
Masters’ degree
Public librarian
$36k
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/19 "2006-07-10T19:50:46Z")
Masters degree
Violin teacher for the music service of a local eucation authority. US$31k, going by [XE.com](http://XE.com). Would be substantially higher if I had a teaching qualification, even though I’d still do the exact same job. (And my first real job, fwiw.) (And sooner or later I’ll be back to zero, because I want to do a PhD eventually.)
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### Author:  [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/20 "2006-07-10T20:03:09Z")
I’m a Creative Director
I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree
I’m currently making $71 grand
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