
The six figure salary is the crown jewel of professional aspirations.
That seductive, round-numbered, annual cash flow would provide a life of security for so many of us. Of course, getting to a job with that salary is easier said than done.
But plenty of people out here do have that salary.
They probably don't appear super rich when we see them walk around. They wear typical clothes and do typical things for fun. And yet they walk around on just a little bit more cushion.
A recent inspiring thread on Reddit showed that the $150K annual salary is absolutely possible.
Plaidshirt17 asked, "Redditors who make over $150K/year, what do you do for a living and how did you get to that position?"
It wasn't surprising to see that plenty of people in the $150k echelon were involved in the tech sector in some way. Let's face it, that's where the money is.
Getting In Early
"I joined Apple in '02 as an engineer."
"My stock options were generous at the time, and even though I was more optimistic than most, Apple's financial performance surprised even me."
-- ReasonReader
Going Through the Motions
"I attend meetings that could've been emails and I pretend to code between said meetings. I solved brainteasers to get the position." -- eloel-
"I too am a Software Engineer." -- kingfrito_5005
Compensated Psychics
"I code, but that's the easy part of the job. The actual job is dealing with extremely eccentric personalities and being a mind-reader." -- Independent_Dog5167
"Right?! I'm still working on breaking 100k but already I've had to develop my mind-reading skills and hand hold and cater to the most obnoxious types of people." -- Knuckles316
Tough, But Worth It?
"Move to SF Bay Area where if you work your butt off and don't stop building skills in the tech field, a 150k job will fall into your lap."
"Took me 3 years to go from 0 to 150, but that was a 3 years I'll never want to do again."
-- SS324
Other people who make that much are specialists. They put in the time and work to amass a unique set of skills that made them indispensable--and financially valuable.
A LOT of Earth Knowledge
"Geologist / Geophysicist. I started as a physicist then decided I wanted to go camping more." -- thealbinorthino504
"This seems to be the way to go. I started as a geologist and went into geophysics, most of the class was physics students and our lecturer was a physics prof. He worked to his students and one by one the geology students failed." -- Zpaset
People Share The 'Dirty Secrets' That Their Bosses Don't Want Customers To Know
There's a lot businesses hope their customers believe, and there are many business practices you wouldn't dare believe. These are some of the secrets Reddit ...Life In School
"Doctor. Took 12 years of training after high school:"
- "4 years of undergrad
- 4 years of medical school
- 3 years of residency
- 1 year of fellowship"
"Average hours of work per week during residency was around 70. Busiest weeks involved working over 110 hours in 7 days."
-- drdiddlegg
One Step Backward, Two Steps Forward
"Went back to college for accounting at 27. Took a full time class load while working full time. The first public accounting job out of school (graduated at 33) was a $20k pay cut for me and required working at least 70 hours a week for a good part of the year."
"After two years, I got my CPA license and one of my previous professors called me up and hired me as the International Accounting Manager for a software company but I had to relocate, which I did. I worked there for two years and took the Controller position at an Aerospace Manufacturer. I now am right at $150k and hit that mark five and a half years out of school."
"Basically, worked my a** off, was willing to relocate, but also entered my current industry with ten years of management experience in the construction industry, which really helped to move quickly."
Indispensible
"CFO of a medium sized multinational company."
Worked a ton. Emphasized making everyone else's job easier. First one to volunteer to eat 'the black jelly beans.' "
"Always willing to relocate."
-- SpotCon
A Rare Setup
"Attorney. I went to law school, and then cultivated a practice in a lucrative regulatory area."
"I provide advice regarding an area where large companies touch the SEC directly, so they are willing to pay a great deal to ensure that it is done right."
"The thing about this income bracket is that the only way you'll get a salary up that high is by having a great deal of leverage. Either you have an extremely rare skill, or are a trusted professional who handles a job where there is no tolerance for failure (which is rare in and of itself)."
One Step Ahead
"Business consultancy."
"Required skills: knowing one more thing than anyone else in the room, or being able to bluff that you know one more thing than anyone else in the room."
Popularity Helps
"My husband makes $280k/year as a VP of Design for an apparel company and I make $130k/year as a marketing director for an e-comm business."
"Husband dropped out of trade school to start his own clothing brand, hustled, built a reputation as being loyal and kind to work with/for and from there, job offers started coming in."
"I took the more traditional route: got my MBA and worked my way up to where I am now."
"Moral of the story: it helps when people really like to work for you and with you."
-- AKinKC
And some people managed to make $150k doing something they fell into. Often blue collar jobs, these positions also require a very unique set of skills that make a practitioner very valuable.
A Small Investment With a Big Return
"Heavy equipment mechanic."
"Took an 8 month course for 5k and bought some tools. Had no interest in it before but it turned out to have a great community and challenging, interesting work with a TON of variety."
-- mydogisamy
Catching a Break
"I manage large industrial accounts and negotiate contracts for a commodities company. College dropout. I had just gotten fired from a retail job for messing around, and had been out of work for a couple months. Sent out 127 resumes. No callbacks."
"Watching a TV show and the character names a company hes working for, and I think to myself... theres one of those in Nashville...so i sent a resume. Only place that called me back for an interview. Started in entry level position, and did well. moved and promoted multiple times."
-- derek_g_S
Dedication Pays
"I make 120k/year where im at but if i moved to a more busy station i could break 150. Railroad Conductor. Requires a GED, and you to be able to show up on time, sober, and ready to work whenever they call you."
Fake It Til You Make It
"I'm a field engineer for live TV shows. I take care of the technical requirements to go live from anywhere in the world- anywhere from a city street to a remote national park to underwater."
"I started at an entry level manual labor job on a TV show through a family connection- as is very common in this industry. I did occasional freelance work for about 5 years before I got offered a full time engineering position."
"My advice for anyone coming into film/TV is pretty standard- learn everything you can even if it's not your job, say yes first then figure it out later, and always have a positive, can-do attitude. It's also not for everyone- long hours, frequently outside rain or shine, terrible work-life balance."
-- mpegfour
All About the Overtime
"High Voltage Lineman."
"Made over 300k in 2020. LOTS of overtime. Base pay is 105k. Even with that I turned down 1 in 6 OT opportunities and took my vacation and sick time."
"It can be dangerous, you work rotating shifts, you're out in bitter cold, wet or hot weather. You work at extreme heights and underground enclosures."
"It's very satisfying though."
"Call your local electrical union hall and or electric utility."
-- Qordz
So yes, those jobs are out there. They will not be given to you, and, as we know, there are so many unjust, institutional barriers that keep these positions at bay for countless people.
But with some luck and the right credentials, there are opportunities out there.
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"Don't touch me or my skin!" is a legendary battle cry in my family, courtesy of a frustrated and dramatic then-three-year-old.
She wanted to be picked up and cuddled, but also not touched in any way shape or form.
Honestly - same, fam.
Like... it's impossible but also I totally get it.
Reddit user NoLifeNoSoulNoMatter asked:
"Parents of toddlers, what was today’s meltdown-worthy tragedy?"
Buckle up, friends.
Toddlers are a wild and confusing ride.
Going Bananas
"He asked me to open the banana but he didn't get to open it himself"
- kooror
"This is why I just slightly open it and then give it to them to finish the job. Took me many MANY breakdowns to figure it out."
- CinderRebel
"This one is the worst. 'I can’t open it. Dad you do it'. I open it. 'Why did you doooo that?! I waaaanted to oooooopen it!!!!'."
- sojuandbbq
"Lmao I feel so seen right now"
- J33P88
"This. Mine says 'No, my turn!!' God forbid you don’t let her do the thing. Which is normally just closing a drawer or something mundane."
- AmericanKamikaze
Box Head
"He wants to put a box on my head but it's broken and keeps falling off. So apparently it's ruining his play time."
- Ccaster0620
"How dare you"
- AzureBluet
"I mean my playtime would definitely be ruined if my mommy's head kept falling off."
- Ordinary-Greedy
Ah Yes The Terrible 22's
"Took the car down to the body shop to get the side panel that he crunched buffed out. The car won't be ready until Wednesday but he wanted to go back downtown to party with his roommates tonight. He's 22."
- optiongeek
"Ah the terrible twenty-twos! Hopefully he grows out of it soon!"
- BlueJeanMistress
"So, you’re telling the rest of us that the whining never stops. Thanks. Haha"
- sojuandbbq
"He's a great kid and we're very lucky. But yeah, the whining never really stops."
- optiongeek
There Was A List
"First: his dad left for work. Second: he dumped out the box of goldfish crackers. Third: I picked up the goldfish crackers. Fourth: it wasn’t the right episode of Paw Patrol. Fifth: I won’t let him eat shoes."
- Autumn_Tea95
"Wow that last one is just plain rude of you."
- BlabBehavior
"Oh, don’t you love it when they want the second part of the show and you have no idea which one it is because they only list the first part?"
- Fallwalking
So Jealous
"My husband kissed me and apparently he is only allowed to show her affection. There was a lot of screaming and forcibly pulling us apart."
- turtchel
"My toddle is like this but the reverse. He fully believes I am his woman."
- J33P88
"(Nods in Sigmund Freud)"
- Levitatethemic
"Yep. From what I remember It takes a while to understand the concept that affection is not a finite thing"
- Daggerfont
We Get This One
"She wasn't on the couch with her bottle and teddy bear."
"But actually, she was, but things weren't right"
- BronzeAgeTea
"I mean to be fair how many of us are guilty of this? Or like when I get my food and blankies and become ensconced and then Netflix won’t play what I want or the remote is out of reach?"
- Munneh
"The worst is settling in with blankets and snacks only to realize the remote is out of reach. Ugh! I have to get up now?!"
- MountainHighOnLife
"Aw bless. She just doesn't know how to explain how she feels."
- PrawnCocktailWotsits
"So far she's communicating 'eat', 'more', and 'banana'. We're slowly working our way up to the fung shui of the couch haha"
- BronzeAgeTea
Those Two Are Tough Ones
"The cat was touching his toy. The toy HE threw onto the cat..."
"He also had a meltdown because his leg was attached to him..."
- Boogzcorp
"Ok I need more information on the leg"
- RepresentativePin162
"We were driving along, all of a sudden from the back seat he starts crying and what not."
"I can't get it off!"
"What?"
" 'My leg!' queue him pulling at his leg through fits of tears..."
- Boogzcorp
My Poop!
"I flushed his poop and can’t get it back and now he can’t poop again."
- peachandscream
"This one. I still love to embarrass my 15 year old by bringing it up. His dad flushed the toilet after he peed when he was maybe 3 or 4 years old. It was just before bedtime. Oh the heartbroken tears coz 'daddy flushed my wee'. Told him to go again. 'I don't have soooooome', was the wailed answer"
- Objective_Sink5398
"I love this, but want to add to it- my kid is convinced the toilet can’t handle his poop. I’ve shown him how the toilet works, I’ve explained the entire sewage processing system to him several times, but he’s not going for it."
"I thought the answer would be to show him 'dad’s poop going down', so I asked his dad to 'save' a poop to flush with him watching.Dad sent a text, I sent my kid up, and seconds later I hear traumatic crying. Kid came running downstairs crying about daddy’s 'massive' poop, (my kid loves the word massive, but is good at using it in proper context), and I think we’re a good 3 months before he’ll even try pooping in the potty again."
- Perfect_Orchid2984
I Have Rights
"Watched my 3 year old niece. Apparently not letting her eat cat treats is a violation of her civil rights"
- LanguageResident
"I've sharpened my pitchfork & lit my torch. You are obviously a monster."
- JustHereForCookies17
"Talked to my pediatrician because my child kept eating the cat's food. (Elderly cat, tall toddler, really couldn't put the food up higher.) He suggested we switch to a moister food so my kid wouldn't choke."
- mel2mdl
"Let her eat them. They won't harm her."
- Sacu_Shi_again
Let's be honest—they're a lot more relatable than we'd like to admit.
Years ago, I knew a girl who came from a very strict family of Christian evangelicals. We never hung out, but she was forbidden from wearing anything "secular" and always looked very uncomfortable. It was apparent she suffered from anxiety.
She eventually found a few friends but I recall one friend who hung out at her place later told classmates that they had to answer questions about their religious affiliation before they would be allowed to enter the house.
I don't know if there's any truth to that story at this point but that would have been a giant red flag for me, just saying.
People shared their stories with us after Redditor daryandy asked the online community,
"What was the strangest rule you had to respect at a friend's house?"
"Friend wasn't allowed..."
"Friend wasn't allowed in her room unless she was sleeping or changing her clothes. She wasn't allowed to shower for more than 10 minutes. Her brother was also locked out of his room and was forced to take cold showers. All so they wouldn't pleasure themselves."
gettingtobefree
This is over the top and sounds like a surefire way to make overly sexual kids.
"A good friend of mine..."
"A good friend of mine went through a season where he didn’t have running water at his house so the rule in the house was that no one could come over unless they brought a couple gallons of water with them to pour into the toilet in the event that they had to poop."
Bob_Weir
Poor kid, growing up with that kind of stuff really sucks, even when it's only temporary. Especially if other kids find out.
"It wasn't really..."
"It wasn't really rule of the house but my friend's parents were huge helicopter parents. Went to a concert with a friend and we had to call (not text) her parents every hour to let them know we were okay."
Pear_Jam2
Oh no, helicopter parents are the worst. That's no way for a kid to live.
"Her mom made us..."
"No "boy talk."
"Her mom made us keep the intercom on when we were in her bedroom and would listen to us talk, if we started talking about Boys, she would chime in and tell us to change the subject. We were 15/16 and not having the privacy to talk about crushes and stuff felt weird."
iamnotacrazyperson
This is so wrong I don't even know where to begin with it.
"We had to keep our hands..."
"We had to keep our hands above the covers when we went to sleep so they could make sure we weren’t “doing anything”. I was 9. Literally was the last time I spent the night there. Weirdos."
Ridiculous48
Yeah... I can't say I blame you. Run for the hills. Not people you want to remain around.
"Stayed at a friend's house one night and the family communicated exclusively through whispering... not just hushed voices but full on hand to ear. Serious mind f*ck."
OwnNight5466
Something about this just gives me a creepy feeling.
"No one..."
"No one was allowed to laugh at the dinner table or talk other than to ask, "Please pass the. . ." No one was allowed to leave the table (even for a potty emergency) until the dad was done eating."
BrickOnly2010
I don't understand this. This seems to defeat the purpose of eating as a family.
"It was impossible..."
"My friend's mom's boyfriend had one of those rooms we weren't allowed in for any reason. Problem was, it was the living room."
"It was impossible to get to the kitchen without going through that living room. Also couldn't reach the door to the backyard. So I never once entered the kitchen in that house, and any trips to the backyard meant walking out the front door and going through the gate on the side of the house."
[deleted]
Another one I just don't understand. Why are people like this? And the living room of all places? The living room?!
"I remember watching a movie at a friend’s house with another person, so there were three of us sharing a bowl of popcorn."
"Before any of us went to eat the popcorn, my friend said it was a rule in their house that each person can only pick up one small single piece of popcorn at a time.. we’d have to finish chewing it and wait to swallow it until picking up the next one individual piece of popcorn."
ExistToNot
That's frustrating, would be better just to give everyone a bowl to split it. Especially since I bet the rule was made for potentially dirty hands.
"We had to finish..."
"We had to finish all the milk in the cereal bowl. Like every drop. But we weren't allowed to pick up the bowl or be noisy. Imagine three little kids carefully trying to drink milk from a spoon without slurping or scraping the bowl while one scary AF mom watched us in silence."
Characternarwhal38
Something about this just grosses me out. Probably because I just don't like milk in cereal most of the time.
Your childhood feels pretty normal in comparison, doesn't it? You bet it does. I feel for some of the people here. Their parents are truly something else.
Have some stories of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
Many people lie or exaggerate about seemingly little things. For example, I've wondered if many are lying or at the very least stretching the truth about the number of partners they've had.
One of those strange things where half of the people are lying and making the number higher, and the other half are lying and making it lower.
It's funny, isn't it? But you do you! What do we know?
People shared some of their thoughts with us after Redditor SleepingOmibozu asked the online community,
"What's something you're 100% sure most people are lying about?"
"How much..."
"How much their side hustle nets them."
Nobody_Wins13
When it comes to side hustles, everyone is much more successful than they actually are.
"Steroid abuse..."
"Steroid abuse in the fitness industry."
[deleted]
This is a big one. So many people who say they're natural are juicing.
"I have read..."
"I have read and understood the terms and conditions..."
[deleted]
Stop attacking me! I did not ask for this!
"That they don't..."
"That they don’t pick their nose."
SarcasticSparky
Yeah, right. The number of people I've seen digging for gold in public is so high.
"Fully understanding..."
"Fully understanding the plot of the Metal Gear Solid series."
N_dixon
I stopped trying to. Do I get a cookie? I'd love one.
"How often they clean..."
"How often they clean their bed sheets."
VeggieSmooth
I'm not even going to ask. I think I will be seriously horrified by the answer.
"If you're not busy..."
"About their productivity levels. If you’re not busy, you’re not a good person."
lushsweet
Yeah, whatever. This is as bad as bragging about not taking breaks at work. It's not a good look.
"So many lies."
"Their income. So many lies."
Zyrock9
Many people feel very self conscious about their salaries. It's sad.
"Why they're late."
"Why they’re late."
[deleted]
I'm not late often but when I am it's usually because of something ridiculous where if I said the truth it would sound like a lie.
"Hating the word..."
"Hating the word 'moist.'"
zerocaffeine
I love the word moist and I won't apologise.
You mean there are still people going on about this? It's just a word, people. Calm down.
Life's a competition, apparently. Take what a lot of people tell you with a grain of salt. That's the best advice.
Have some observations of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
I once met a guy who, by all accounts, appeared to have given up. And by that, I mean that they had pretty much decided that life basically ended in the 1970s and early 1980s. He had no interest in modern technology, was remarkably out of the loop when it came to technology or even current events.
This was all very frustrating to witness, but he was actually proud of himself! Proud to not know much–if anything–about the modern world. (And then he complained about how he kept having trouble finding a job.)
It was quite the flex–an unimpressive one at that.
People shared some of their thoughts with us after Redditor metallicmuffin asked the online community,'
"What unimpressive things are people idiotically proud of?"
"Missing breaks..."
"Missing breaks at work for a company that wouldn’t care if they died the next day."
Lavenderviolets
This is a big one. It's not cute. Take your break! There's more to life than work!
"Not eating..."
"Not eating any vegetables. Known a few people state it as if it's some kind of achievement giving themselves constipation."
tradandtea123
Knew somebody like this. They wanted to go out on a date.
We did not go out on a date.
"Going into work while sick. Had a coworker who bragged on social media about having strep throat, but was still working because she 'values hard work.'"
Marshmallows_Skies
Some people appear to have missed the memo that risking other people's health is not a bragging right.
"I know people..."
"Drinking a lot. I know people, grown @ss people in their late 20s, who will brag about passing out on their lawns because they couldn’t make it from the car to the front door."
metallicmuffin
To be fair, they're in their 20s and most people are idiots then. They might grow out of it!
"I once had..."
"I once had a coworker brag about how dark his pee is."
[deleted]
Are you seriously telling us that they bragged about their kidneys not working correctly?
"I've heard that..."
"Driving better when drunk. I’ve heard that ridiculous statement more times than I should."
TrinitRosas
If some people seriously believe that, then they should not be allowed to drive.
"I overheard..."
"I overheard a co-worker recently brag to a girl that he'd already had COVID three times and during his most recent bout, he went to the gym every day that he had it."
the_chandler
There are so, so many things wrong with that person's statement. Can you imagine? "Sure, I got COVID, but at least I didn't miss leg day!"
"I keep hearing people..."
"Not being able to cook. I keep hearing people bragging about how the only thing they can do is boil water."
urinmyspot
If you've made it to adulthood and you don't know how to cook for yourself, there's something gravely wrong with this picture.
"Nothing surprises me..."
"Nothing surprises me more than when people are proud of their ignorance."
GoodAndBluts
Knowledge is no guarantee of wisdom but prideful ignorance is proof of its absence.
"I worked with a guy..."
"I worked with a guy who, otherwise very smart, was extremely proud of the fact that he could remove the foil from the neck of a wine bottle without cutting it. He brought it up so many times I lost count. I just let him have it, though, because he seemed to need it."
dvicci
Of all the things in this thread this is the most reasonable thing to be proud of.
Let's face it, it seems like a lot of people have made over-compensating a part of their personalities.
Sadly, they don't even seem to be doing that all too well, which means we'll continue to be largely unimpressed.
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to share them with us in the comments below!