# What do you do? How much do you make? **URL:** \ **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:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/61 "2006-07-12T14:54:02Z")
Let’s see. BA in Economics Full-time volunteer; room and board plus stipend A/P Accountant $18K MA in Public Policy Full-time VISTA volunteer; $600/month Job Trainer/Caseworker $24K A/R accountant $24K-$32K Financial Manager $28K-$36K Financial Manager $45K Business Analyst $48K Take home $2500/month currently. Where does it all go?? ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/62 "2006-07-12T15:10:46Z")
BA in English, graduated 2004 1998: Summer intern, $7/hour 1998-2000: Part-time intern, $10/hour 2000-2004: Summer intern, $18-20/hour 2004-Current: Software Configuration Manager, started at 50k, now at about 60k. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/63 "2006-07-12T15:22:47Z")
I’m operations manager for a three-station radio broadcasting company. I make about $26,000 a year (I’m in rural eastern Colorado, so that’s somewhere between “not bad” and “pretty good” for our economy.) I have a BA in journalism, worked more than 20 years in newspapers as reporter and editor, never made what I make in radio (again, I was always on small or medium newspapers, under 100,000 circulation.) I’m pursuing a master’s degree in English, hope to teach at the college level. ---
**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 12, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/64 "2006-07-12T15:30:48Z")
Failed out of college twice. I am now attending 2 classes per semester in hopes of someday finishing my B.S. in Biology. Since failing out the last time in 1995 I have been: 1995-1996 - Town Drunk - $0 1996-1997 - City Employee - $8.40/hr 1997-1999- Bartender- $5/hr + tips 1999-2001- Facilities Maintenance - $6.25/hr 2001-2003- Boiler/ cooling systems operator -$9.25/hr 2003-2004 - Brewery packaging line - $18/hr 2004-2005 - Brewer $21/hr 2005- present- Brewery QA Lab supervisor/ Assistant Brewmaster - $44K ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/65 "2006-07-12T21:37:37Z")
B.S. in Marine Zoology Senior Manager, World Wide Customer Support $125K ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/66 "2006-07-12T23:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=August West] 1995-1996 - Town Drunk - $0 1996-1997 - City Employee - $8.40/hr 1997-1999- Bartender- $5/hr + tips 1999-2001- Facilities Maintenance - $6.25/hr 2001-2003- Boiler/ cooling systems operator -$9.25/hr 2003-2004 - Brewery packaging line - $18/hr 2004-2005 - Brewer $21/hr 2005- present- Brewery QA Lab supervisor/ Assistant Brewmaster - $44K [/QUOTE] That has to be the best career arc _ever_. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/67 "2006-07-13T02:59:55Z")
B.S. Zoology M.S. Marine Biology Current job: Biologist for a Federal Government agency. I mostly do environmental project management. I have been at this job for 7 years. Base Salary: $93,700 + health insurance and some other benefits ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/68 "2006-07-13T13:42:11Z")
My story is roughly similar to **Ringo** ’s above, post #50. I’ve a Bachelors and Masters in Petroleum Geology and 23 years of industry experience. That experience has been varied, to say the least. Started off roughnecking in East Texas, moving from lead tongs to derricks. Have caught mud, worked as an open hole logger, caught and analyzed cores and worked geochem. Went from wellsite geologist to principal geologist for a large South Texas property. Eventually I moved into the computing side and now I’m a consultant for a large service company working for a very large multi-national and deal primarily with deepwater explorationists focusing all around the world. Base is around 140K but bonuses pad that nicely. Depending on current ppb, I’ll see anywhere from 150 to 190. However, it wasn’t that long ago gas was flirting with a buck a gallon and the industry was laying off huge numbers. Wasn’t the first time, nor will it be the last. In fact, there’s an experience gap we’re going through right now just because so many have retired and the age group behind them either chose a different path in school or bailed out of this one in the bad times. Right now I hear there’s such a demand for explorationists even with less than half my experience that 150K plus big signing bonuses aren’t uncommon and 200K+ is reachable for those with direct experience in hot areas. ---
**Author:** ![dasgupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@dasgupta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasgupta)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/69 "2006-07-13T13:56:22Z")
Lesse… a few years of college with nothing to show for it. Currently the entire IT department for a mid-sized company (5 offices/125 PCs), so technically Director of IT, but I end up wearing tons of hats. And how can you be Director of only yourself? Currently US $62.5K, review next month. Since we added two offices and 30 employees in the previous 12 months, I’m hoping it will go up significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/70 "2006-07-13T18:04:09Z")
B.S. in English and M.A. in Public Relations Since undergraduate degree was finished: 1994: liquor store lackey/stringer for local paper: 14k 1995-96: assistant manager, nuts and bolts supply store: 18k 1996-1998: admissions rep, tiny Missouri college: 22k 1998-present: associate director of admissions, more notable (but still small) Missouri college: 39k. Also, I’m working as an adjunct faculty member this coming fall which will pay around 2k for one class. And a big perq of working for a university is that I got my master’s degree w the tuition waived, and my wife may pursue her MBA here which would also have its tuition waived. So thats nice. Wife: B.A. English Years are a bit hazy but her career arc: Administrative assistant 1995-1999. Purchasing analyst: 1999-2003. Contract Negotiation Consultant: 2003-present. (last two positions w a large health care company). She pulls down around 60k. We live in St. Louis MO. My three roomates in college (educated guesstimates): B.A. Geology: Mapping analyst for a surveying company - 95k (Chicago burbs) B.S. Industrial Science: Marketing analyst for a HUGE food conglomerate - 85k (small town Midwest) B.S. in something to do with printing: Estimator for a big printing company - 85k (Chicago) Naturally I had the best grades of any of us but had absolutely NO CLUE what I wanted to do until about a year ago, now working to convert to a full-time university teaching position or enrollment management leadership position (or, if my wife keeps getting raises, stay at home daddy). ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/71 "2006-07-13T18:53:06Z")
Currently just a HS diploma, but am three years away from earning a BBA in entrepreneurship. Job wise? Unemployed (thank god), after quitting my last job. $8.25/hr, data entry drone. Lied to about the position, lied to about the hours, and lied to about how many days I would have to work. Of course, after working 50-60 hour weeks with overtime, I was able to quit with quite the nest egg for next year. Right now I have the same job as **ZebraShaSha** up there; Professional Job Applicator in Anything That Will Hire Me Preferably Something On Campus, and full time student. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/72 "2006-07-13T23:25:22Z")
A.B. English (1977) M.A. Childhood/Elementary Education (1979) Lead Software Engineer, $107K (Boston area, 25 yrs exp) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/73 "2006-07-14T05:54:40Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] BEc degree & Fellowship of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia Nearly 20 years’ experience as an actuary in the insurance industry Approx $150K [/QUOTE] $AU I assume? These Americans will be envious if they don’t know the exchange rate 🙂 Dropped out of 1st year Computer Science in the 70s 30 years in the computer industry, first as hardware support now software support $AU120,000 last year = $US90,000 ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871/74 "2006-07-15T02:51:27Z")
[QUOTE=Lochdale] Interesting thread. BA in history in 1995. JD (law) in 1998. Currently make over $200,000 p/a in a job I dislike intensely. Hoping to stick it out at least one more year for the cash. Most of the attorneys I know are not doing that well. [/QUOTE] Ugh, don’t tell me that! BA in Organizational Communications Will have my JD (law) in 1 year Currently make around 30K as a law clerk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-how-much-do-you-make/363871.md?page=3)