People Who Earn Six Figures Explain What They Do For A Living
Reddit user Luffy_Tuffy asked: 'For everyone making six figures, what do you do for work?'
"I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad?
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad"~ "Money, Money, Money" ABBA
Money is either the root of all evil or the key to happiness, largely depending on whether you have any.
So how do people with money get it? One method is a job that pays the bills.
Reddit user Luffy_Tuffyasked:
"For everyone making six figures, what do you do for work?"
Fly the Friendly Skies
"Air Traffic Control"
~ yadayadab00
"That was a super popular job in the Army when I joined in 2007."
"They stopped letting active duty sign up because they’d get just one enlistment (so 3-5 years) out of them before they’d bounce and go to the civilian side making a lot more money."
~ Affectionate-Arm9547
0/10 Would Not Recommend
"Pharmacist."
"250k student loan. Super stressful job that I hate. Would not recommend."
"When I was starting school, even Walgreens took care of their people and had plenty of tech hours."
"Now you don’t even get enough help to staff the window, the cash register, entering, and filling scripts."
"I’ve worked weekends at the busiest store in the district with only one tech. It’s ridiculous."
~ XThePariahX
What Life?
"Doctor. But I sold my life and my youth. It’s not worth it."
~ euphoric-alpaca
"My husband wants to be a doctor. He's 43."
"I tell him it's not worth it because he would be paying off his student loans until or after retirement. At least that's how I imagine it would go."
~ Public_Honeydew_8997
Belly Up
"Bartender for 16 years, started making around $80k and have slowly moved up to $110k."
"I recently made a pivot to a new career but still bartend to pay the bills for now."
~ dj_destroyer10/10 Would Recommend
"I'm in heavy construction. Class A Driver/Equipment Operator."
"My CDL (Commercial Drivers License) got me in the door, and I slowly learned to operate everything from excavators to directional drills."
"I can give some advice to anyone interested in trying it out, the money is there if you're willing to try."
"The trick to succeeding in heavy construction is to be confident. Not necessarily outwardly (though it does help), but confident in YOURSELF."
"Do not be intimidated by any tool or machine. Raise your hand and ask to learn EVERY chance you get.
"You'll see a lot of miserable old 45-year-olds that have been swinging a shovel or broom for 25 years and complain all day about their situation. Don't be that guy, treat this job as an education."
"Remember, the more you can do, the more you're worth."
"Keep your nose clean. Stay off the drugs and alcohol. Failing a drug test will ruin your reputation in the industry, companies talk to each other."
"And showing up hungover every morning will effect your performance and cognitive function. You do not want that."
"Never, EVER get a superiority complex about your rank/position. Operators can help use a shovel or broom too."
"Don't ever be that guy sitting in his truck/excavator watching everyone else work. Be the stud that will hop out and help carry something when you're not operating."
"Even if it's just cleaning the interior of your rig while on standby, it shows that you're part of the team."
"Going union will ALWAYS be your best bet, but its not necessary at first. I've seen guys work their a** off at private companies for a couple years, work their way up to foreman, then jump into the union as a foreman."
"It would have taken 10x as long if they had done that within the union, seniority slows things down. Go operators union. Laborers is good too, but operators make much more money."
"IBEW is also great, especially on the west coast. If you're not scared of electricity, try it out."
"Remember, this is a field that you can get into with a GED and no experience and make a damn good living, but you cannot slack. You'll pay your dues and endure some rough days."
"You'll go through some sh*tty companies and meet some sh*tty people, but eventually it will pay off. You'll meet the good people, find the good company, and be comfortable in your job. It's worth it."
~ EatMyGrandma
Let's Try It
"Staff scientist at a national lab, but don't get too excited. You go to college for 9 years first, and lots of analysis shows the better money is taking an undergrad engineering job, getting paid sooner, and working up the corporate ladder."
"I basically get to chase down whatever cool ideas I want though, within reason."
"Shoot positrons through magnets to make X-rays? Let's do it."
"Can we make a better jet engine using //redacted// for compression blades? Here's 20 million dollars, go find out."
~ Pr0methian
Crane Mode
"Crane operator in the oil industry. Easiest job I've ever had."
"$3000 to get your NCCO and $6500 to get your CDL."
"I work 12hr days but only on the crane 1-1.5hrs a shift. The other 10.5-11hrs is spent sleeping, playing Xbox, watching movies, etc..."
~ wildarcher69
"Yeah my dad is a crane operator, too."
"Six figures in his salary alone but also gets $150 per diem, since he has to live in whichever city his crane is, and his crane is nowhere near his state of residency."
~ Affectionate-Arm9547
All The Nuts And Bolts
"Aircraft mechanic."
~ gimplegs
"I work as a machine mechanic and my uncle's best friend works in aircraft."
"His schedule and on-call pay makes me suuuuper envious."
~ meetmeinthebthrm
Grow Your Own
"I own a commercial gourmet mushroom farm bringing in high six figures. Zero student debt, no wage ceiling."
"I have land right outside of a large metropolitan city where the farm is. It’s a small/medium sized farm, I have two guys working for me."
"We do four large farmers markets in the city per week and sell at around 20$ a lb and also wholesale sell directly to many restaurants in this city at 10$ a lb with deliveries going out two days a week."
"We produce around 1000 lbs a week but my goal is for that number to keep going up. My overhead is very low because the farm is on my property and all expenses I have are tax write offs making my taxes extremely low."
"I started the farm two years ago and it’s growing very fast. I’m pretty capped out at the moment with what I can directly sell to my community so I’m working on connecting with a local distributor at the moment to keep growing."
~ Brave_Badger_6617
Banking On It
"My best friend is a senior underwriter for Chase Bank. He makes about $115k."
"What's really a slap in the tits is he's a high school drop out."
~ cjtripp1433
"It seems like there is a lot of room to grow at a bank."
"A friend started an entry level job at a local bank and a few years later got hired by a mortgage broker and made $750k in 2021."
"They're having a bad year now and only making $200k. Wild."
~ 2050orBust
A Fresh Coat
"I own a house painting company. 20-30hrs a week of manual labor a week and about 10 of office/paperwork. 2 employees."
"From my perspective it is a very rewarding and fun job. I work with two of my friends, or rather one of my friends and one guy who became my friend after being hired."
"I do the jobs we want to do when we want to do them and generally have fun most days. There is a lot of stress too but I honestly like that as well, I love problem solving."
~ FlowBjj88
Reading Is Fundamental
"Public librarian in California."
"I’m at the top of our salary scale for non-managers, since I’ve been here (current job) for 11+ years."
"Gross salary is right around $100K + full benefits and a pension."
"And I actually enjoy the work, too!"
~ ZoyaZhivago
Seen Things
"I'm a court reporter/stenographer in the US."
"I was researching being a paralegal then saw an ad for this."
"I looked into it more and found a school nearby and decided to try it."
"A big part was that it was something I chose and not something I felt I was being forced into."
~ paramore814
While 6 figures isn't the boon it once was, it's still enough to live comfortably in most places.
Were you surprised by any of the jobs earning over $100k?
It is estimated that nearly 37.9 million people in the United States currently live in poverty.
A shameful statistic, to say the least.
Challenging as it is, however, growing up poor is nothing to necessarily be ashamed of, as many influential people in this world came from humble beginnings.
Even so, many people who grew up poor and found success and financial stability in adulthood still try to hide their childhood from others. But those in the know, or who had the same experience, tend to notice the subtle, tell-tale signs of those whose childhood was anything but luxurious.
Redditor Puzzled-Painter3301 was curious to learn how people could tell if someone grew up poor, leading them to ask:
"What's a sign that someone grew up poor?"
Their Relationship With Food
"When you can’t finish a meal, pulling it apart to at least eat the meat because 'that’s the expensive part'."
"Or just force feeding yourself any meal you buy because you have to feel like you didn’t waste."
"Being hypersensitive to any light left on, door left open, opening the fridge too much, running water too long, etc, because you’re trained to minimize utilities."
"Never pouring more than 1/2 a glass of any drink when at someone else’s house (except water) because you don’t want to be seen as wasteful/gluttonous."
"Making weird snacks out of food that isn’t supposed to be a snack - ex."
"Eating dry ramen noodles like chips, Kool Aid with sugar and your finger to make your own fun dip, eating Kraft cheese slices/cold hotdogs/other things that are normally just a part of a meal."- kountryt
"Scanning the menu for the cheapest options possible when at a restaurant."
“'It’s ok the soup is really enough for me.'”- Call_the_Green_Man
"I grew up poor and my husband grew up middle class."
'Whenever we have guests, I am constantly asking people if they got ENOUGH food."
"'Is anyone still hungry? I can make something else!'"
"My husband will inquire about the quality of the food and if it is to everyone's liking."
"I think when you grow up poor, food is very much quantity over quality."- NoMaineKoonsAllowed
Resistance To Let Go
"Never replacing anything unless there’s absolutely no way to use the old thing anymore, and going to absurd lengths to keep something 'still useable'.”- boymanpal
"Odd hoarding behaviours of things you probably should have gotten rid of out of fear you won’t be able to replace them easily."
"I keep a stack of boxes broken down because there’s still this fear in the back of my mind that I’ll have to move again at a moment’s notice."
"I make a decent salary now and have lived where I am for nearly 7 years, but I still can’t part with those boxes despite the space they take up."
"Under the bed, behind the chest of drawers."
"Yeah. I still have ‘em."- Mr_Lumbergh
"Difficulty throwing things away."- OldSamVimes
"Sentimentality."
"Not that wealthier people can't be sentimental.'
"But my dad, whose parents grew up in the rural South during the great depression, wants to keep every little thing of my mom's."
"Everything."
"He would prefer to keep her bedroom as is."
"I always wondered why he wanted to keep it like that."
"But then I realized, the only thing we have left is my mom's ashes in an urn."
"There was no funeral, no memorial, (she didn't want any and there was no one to come anyways) no tombstone."
"Nothing that feels tangible, personal, etc."
"We don't have the luxury of beautiful personal mausoleums, or headstones, or anything else in the Western death culture."
"My mom's bedroom, and all her stuff is the closest we will ever have to a memorial for my mom.'
"It's a tomb, without a body in it."- InsomWriter
Always Looking For A Sale
"Never buying clothing at full price."
"It just feels illegal."- Totally-trapped
Justifying A Purchase
"For me, I have what I call 'poverty mentality.'"
"While I can afford new shoes and clothes, they have to be falling apart for me to replace."- ciarrabobeara
Appreciation For Nice Things
"Still being marveled by an ice maker and side by side doors."- Difficult_Let_1953
"Realizing I wanted to have the house that all my kids friends came over to hang out at because that wasn't really an option for big chunks of my childhood."- sykojaz
Strictly Sticking To A Budget
"Immense financial anxiety."- natandsneks
Hiding Their Smile
"In the US I’d say poor dental history or teeth."
"Dental work is a luxury."
"Overall, I’d say many hoarders grew up poor because they are so afraid of not having something if they’ll need it so they keep everything."- Leadsingerofthebandd
Should we notice people doing these things, it is of the utmost importance not to judge.
In fact, one can only admire people with an undying appreciation for beautiful things and who never underestimate the value of one dollar.
Currently, the federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25. There's still a large portion of the population, 1.6 million people, who are working at or below the minimum wage as of 2019.
With inflation, this number really doesn't add up when we look at the cost of living.
Tons of minimum wage workers would want to make $100k per year if they had the chance. But would the money be worth the often boring, repetitive, and even physically demanding jobs?
We went to AskReddit to find out.
Redditor Drakken11577 asked:
"Would you bag groceries for the entirety of your working career if you got paid $100,000 a year to do it? Why or why not?"
Let's see how this debate plays out.
Money is money.
"Yeah. I go to work to make money. That’s money."
- Bloebmn
"I would like a job with the least amount of responsibility."
- redrumWinsNational
"Yep. Presuming you aren't working 90 hour weeks or whatever and it's just normal work hours, I don't particularly mind what I do for work. I'm there to cover the expenses of the fun stuff I do when NOT working. As long as work/life balance is good so I can enjoy me free time I don't mind it being repetitive."
- Sasparillafizz
It's like a game.
"I used to bag when I worked at a grocery store and it was great. It was like playing Tetris with real objects and I got to chat and joke with people who came through the line."
"A perfectly packed bag is so satisfying."
- I_Am_The_Cattle
"Have you ever managed to get it all in one bag? I've had times customers hand me one bag and go 'I don't think it'll all fit in there,' I look back and go 'challenge accepted.'
"Not only is a perfectly packed bag satisfying, when you managed to pack it so everything fits in nicely in the one bag; now that's another level of satisfaction."
"Of course I only try to get it all in one bag if they're isn't too much and if there isn't a lot of heavy items."
- pixie13903
Bag Boys.
"Hell, I'd even wear a name tag that says 'Bag Boy.'"
- JTodd078
"Bag Boys For Life."
- howwouldiknow--
Raises with inflation.
"Does that wage increase with inflation? 100k might not be much in 20 years. With some persistence and dedication however, I think my working career could be over by then 100k/year."
- Due_Independent3191
"Sure..yea you get regular raises in line with inflation."
- Drakken11577
"Can someone put you in charge of real life please?"
- WhatWouldSatanDo
"Mmmm gurl what those BENEFITS look like tho?"
- UGLYWOLFF
"The benefits are $100k a year for packing groceries."
- rantxtotheend
"Even 50k with great health benefits, I would probably leave for a job with 100k and no benefits."
- A_Change_of_Seasons
It wouldn't motivate them.
"I personally wouldn't. I would get bored in no time being a robot. I personally rather do something that motivates me to get up every day."
- Davicillo
"I agree. I need to feel fulfilled with my work. Going to work takes me away from my child and family. I know I can live on very little money because I have in the past. My work needs to give me more than just financial reward."
- frikadela01
"I agree. I’ve left higher paying jobs because they were mind numbing. I’ve stayed on lower paying jobs because I really enjoyed and was learning something new I could leverage for later."
- OhIamNotADoctor
"I bagged groceries in high school. For most of the year, there were busy parts of the day, and then long stretches where nothing would happen. So you'd either be frantically bagging things for a huge line of people, or just staring at the wall. Plus standing still and hunched over reaching down into bags all day isn't good for your posture. It's not fun."
- RahvinDragand
They make that money already.
"I make 100k a year. It's the easiest job in the world, but I hate it. I'm at a point where I would rather do something I like doing for less money than be miserable. Bagging groceries does not sound like something I would enjoy."
- unmerciful0u812
"I used to make 80k doing something I hated. Now I make 65k working at a nonprofit I love and couldn’t be happier."
- mike_lawrence
Pros out weigh the cons.
"I'd like to say yes, and I'd probably take it. It may preclude me from ever doing anything else I may enjoy and there's obviously no room for advancement, yet at the same time the job details on this are very lucrative."
"For the most part while the job itself is boring and repetitive, and also a lot of customer drama, this type of job isn't going to be one you'll take problems home with. You won't be on call after hours to respond to emergencies, nor are you going to have to take work home with you either."
"You also won't have to be constantly retrained or go back to school or recertified, etc..."
"There's a lot of upsides to this, I'll grant you. A few downsides too, but weighing them together I probably would take something like this."
- llcucf80
The money wouldn't make up for it.
"Yup. Packing was my first job. And I hated every second of it. Between the co-workers who bullied me at school, the insane customers and the sheer boredom, it was extremely unpleasant."
"For those who say the money makes up for it? In my experience money makes up for a sh*tty job for surprisingly limited time."
- gpcprog
"Average salary is something like 53k in the states, median is only around 35k since everything is so skewed to the top, so I'm guessing the majority of people are jumping at this opportunity even if they aren't happy with the work type though."
- cromli
Trophies
"Not gonna lie, when I was in high school, my manager at the grocery store where I worked wanted to send me to the regional bagging competition. I thought I was too cool for that and declined. Looking back I wish I had gone and maybe gotten a trophy. That would have been awesome."
- chickenlounge
This, this, this...
"Yes. Not many jobs that pay $100k annual can be forgotten about once you leave the "office". $100k for something I can 100% forget about when I'm off the clock? Yes."
- WiseDonkey593
"This, this, this. This is why it would be such a great life. No stress once you’ve clocked out for $100,000 p/a? Incomparably sweet deal."
- PanpsychismIsTrue
win/win??
"Absolutely, I currently bag groceries for far less than that already… win/win."
- Sh1rinz
"I wouldn't... UNLESS the hours were the usual M-F office hours. Bonus points if I can work 4/10's or 9/80's. Also... if I'm hourly... can I still work overtime at the $100k a year rate and make even more?? That would be a deal and a half."
- Buy-N-Sell
I'll take It!
"I’d kill for a job like that."
- Dangerous_Concept341
"Wouldn't be anywhere near 60 hours. This is a real job. I would guess the average grocery bagger gets maybe 24 hours a week. So for this hypothetical to be as accurate as possible to the job that actually exists, it would be 24 hours per week for 100k. I would definitely take this job."
- mynextthroway
The Organizer
"Yes, I’m extremely good at Organizing & $100,000 a year would be worth putting up with peoples attitude and lack of humanity skills."
- TrippyTrixxxy21
"You could also, laugh at them for making less than you. as 100K a year would equal a pay of about 48$ based on a 40 hour work week. At 52 weeks total."
- darknessblades
What else can I do?
"Can I like… sweep the isles or fetch carts, and help old ladies out to their cars too? Or is it strictly packing bags."
- Primal_Directive
"When I was a bagger, I did that stuff and more, it’s really just whatever the managers want you to do so they don’t have to do it. It’s mostly bagging but there’s a lot of other random stuff you’ll be doing too."
- DJDarwin93
Tranquil Fun
"Sure thing. It's simple, low stress (I worked in a couple grocery stores before), can't be blamed for very much at all. Right now I make less than 100k and I'm responsible for oodles of stuff. Less for more? Hell yeah. The only downside I see if that those types of jobs have no benefits and often mandatory holiday work."
- ohmynymph
40 Years +
"I could literally do anything I want in my free time with that much money, and live super comfortably. I could fucking pay off my parents mortgage while STILL living comfortably. Not to mention if you live below your means you can invest that and then by the time you’re old and don’t want to work anymore, bam, you’ve got 40 years (in my case) of saving $10,000 a year and investing another $10,000. I don’t dream of labor. I can’t think of any traditional job that I would rather have than getting $100,000 a year."
- derpberp1
What are the hours?
"Totally depends on the working hours/conditions and shifts. I’m in the UK and work 37 hours (37 paid, 1 hour enforced break a day unpaid) a week for an above average wage, I get 38 days total annual leave, excellent working conditions - no evening or weekend work. Match my current conditions, increase pay in line with inflation and let me compress those 37 hours over 3 or 4 days a week then I’ll sign the contract right now."
- InncnceDstryr
ANYTHING!!
GIF by ShowtimeGiphy"I’d shovel dog crap for 100k a year."
- monkeymayhem_
"Mate, I'd eat dog shit for 100k year...just uh, not a lot of it."
- SausageintheSky
There are trade offs for both.
The money, as wonderful as it is, might not be enough to do the job forever.
Whatever the case, it sure would make a lot of people's lives better if we gave everyone a living wage.
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This is one of the questions that has been challenged more and more in recent years. Why are we not supposed to talk about our income?
Is it taboo? Or is it just helping the powers that be to pay us less than we're worth and get away with it?
u/tickingtimebombx began the debate:
Why is it so taboo to talk about how much money you make or have?
I get that a lot of people might say it's because it might create jealously between co workers. Or that if people know how much you have saved, they might try to take it.
But really, it seems to me that being so hush can create so much fear around money.
It's not like someone can request for you to make less money or someone to just steal your money that easy... right?!
I just want your thoughts, maybe I am being naive about it.
It's Not About Me
Because most people assume that making/having more money is an objective measure of your value as a human. It's the only measurement we all agree on, even if we're unhappy about it, it only means we're unhappy with our performance based on the criteria of what are people willing to pay for, or we're unhappy with the criteria of what people are willing to pay for based on our performance
Money is one of those things that is so rarely talked about in good faith, that we're scared to find out our worries of being close to worthless were true. You can like your job, but if someone in the same positions hates it but makes more money, you feel like an idiot because part of their justification for staying is at least they aren't you.
Fend Off Bottom Feeders
If you tell your family/some friends that you make a lot, they may feel better about asking to "borrow" money and may even get upset if you don't.
They can also get upset or not believe you.
When my MIL found how much I was paid years ago she got upset that it was more than her (despite her not working as hard/not bettering herself for 30+ years). I'm only on a standard office salary but she didn't like it. That was fun.
If you tell them you make less than they think you should, they generally don't believe you, may think you're a loser, or start to always push you to get a better job etc.
That's what I've found anyway, and why I don't talk about money.
Taboo Yaboo
In Norway, all salaries are transparent. You can look up what your co-worker, your family member, your friends etc. make. You only need to log in on the tax authority's website with your national ID number. It barely causes any issues, but the searches are not anonymous. You can see who has searched your income.
Why it is a taboo in other countries has been already answered here. It benefits the employers.
Don't Have The Capacity
Money makes people weird. The guy that think corporations want to screw you over by paying you half of what other people isn't wrong, but he's probably more than a little bitter.
I'll use myself as an example here...
I've worked at a grocery store since 2004. High school, college, after college, and probably until I retire.
I started at $6.50 an hour and writhing four or five years. New hires were being started at around $8.00 an hour, while I had only gone up to $9.00 an hour after already working there for five years.
If I was incredibly proactive, I probably could have got my life together and been close to a management position by then, but it's not my personality type, so I didn't. But the opportunity will always be there for people willing to work for it.
When I found out that I was only making $1.00 more than the new hires, I was livid. How dare they get paid so much for literally having no skill in this job. Right? Well unfortunately, over the course of 5 years, things change. The market shifts, prices rise, and the minimum wage goes up. But that doesn't mean everyone else's wage is raised accordingly.
Another example is that when my friend graduates pharmacy school. He started out making $100,000 more than me. He told me, and now whenever he talks about nabbing a pair of shoes for 20% off, or something like that, I roll my eyes and get super annoyed.
There's nothing wrong with the amount he makes. He deserves every single penny. But he still trying to live the way I live, when he makes 100% more than I do.
Sorry for the rant. Not sure if it helped you understand. I'd be happy to clarify though.
Ignorance Is Bliss
I get what everyone is saying about company management wanting to keep the information secret to screw people over because it is true. However, in my experience, discussing salary with a coworker is like having sex with someone...once you do it, you can't undo it. You might not like how the experience goes and the dynamic will be different afterward no matter what.
Example: you and your coworker want to exchange salary info and you're excited about the experience. You proudly state that you are a Senior Associate making $65,000 a year. Then they inform you they are an Assistant making $85,000 a year. Now, you feel like crap and you probably start seeing your friend, as well as other coworkers and management, differently and it's probably not for the better.
You were happy before you had the info, but now you are not...are you better off knowing?
The Middle Way
Depends on the social and workplace culture. In india, people are more open in talking about their salaries, and it comes with its own set of side effects such as jealousy. On the other hand, extreme sensitivity around money is also not helpful imo, because it creates a culture of secrecy. We need to find some sort of a happy middle ground in society.
Weird Cultural Things
Business made it seem illegal to talk about it so you wouldn't know how much your coworkers make, so they can underpay people. It's perfectly legal and a smart thing to talk about your wage. It also comes from the people who think they don't make enough and don't want to be embarrassed by their salary. I wouldn't say it's taboo just a weird thing people believe just because they were told to
Shallow Connections
As somebody from a well-off family, I choose to be very quiet online about that (except for things like this where it's necessary, duh) because, honestly, seeing so many people that have nothing in their lives... bringing up my money just feels so shallow.
And I've had poor friends tell me that it comes off that way to them, too- or at least the bittersweet feeling of watching somebody have what you'll probably never get. It just feels wrong for me to be vocal about it. :(
Corporate Culture
Companies don't want their employees to talk about how much they make because it allows them to pay some employees lower than other's when they shouldn't be. They don't want someone finding out someone else makes more than them.
For example if a newer employee is hired on for a dollar more than what a current employee at the same level who has worked there for a year, the current employee might ask for a raise. Companies don't want that to happen.
Or Were You Just Being Kind
Feelings imo. Some people just never had the position to make more. Bringing up something like that is kinda like saying "i have more than you" which is at large a useless statement and the implications with money isnt just some schoolyard bullshit, its that you will be able to pay for bills they cant. You will be able to eat when they cant, you may be able to pay for that lifesaving procedure, they may have to watch their son/daughter/brother/mother die