"The Median U.S. Salary is Probably Not What You Think"

[Omnivium]

These numbers are useless because they don't take into account things like location, people who work part time, people who don't work etc

[Archangel_Lost]

Weird cope itt and I’m not even sure why it’s happening. Sounds right to me, seems like some of you are very unwise to the world and insular in your own lives.

[anonkunbrah]

Just my personal life experiences

Virtually all small business owners are cheating their taxes by under reporting their income. Construction workers and tradies are often paid under the table and don't report all their income. And on the white collar side I cannot believe that the median tech coder job pays only 108k. New CS graduates were making more than that even before all the inflation a few years ago

I think these stats are complete bull

Corruption to getting rich is literally like cell tech is to bodybuilding

[_zman]

Idk what to believe. People constantly saying they're so broke, but then I see so many new cars driven around by complete idiots.

[LinuxJon]

Thank god I'm part of the misc where all our salaries are 10k/day, penis size 8"+ and our heights average 6'4".

I'm like CEO $1k/day with the 8" boner and am 6'4

Life is hard.

[Madscient1st]

But wait, all tradies make $150k+ while spending their day inhaling big bites, skoal, monster, and buying scratchies when they're not banging officecells wives.

Wait a minute, something isn't adding up...

Tradie who pushes 200k checking in. There’s no need to be upset. I don’t partake in any of those other shenanigans though

[blissful88]

Idk what to believe. People constantly saying they're so broke, but then I see so many new cars driven around by complete idiots.

The average new car loan is $600/month @ 13% APR; many are taking $1000/month payments

97% of Americans are in debt up to their eyes; 62% of car notes are currently defaulting




Americans have never been more broke in the history of this country; the middle class doesn't even exist anymore

[Adam16121]

The average new car loan is $600/month @ 13% APR; many are taking $1000/month payments

97% of Americans are in debt up to their eyes; 62% of car notes are currently defaulting




Americans have never been more broke in the history of this country; the middle class doesn't even exist anymore

According to my local government, the only solution is to bring in more people without any specialized or marketable skills, and give them a head start with benefits that not even our veterans receive.

[exsparky]

A kid that can't work a tape measure won't show up for $40k a year.

Its more like $46k to start for barely literate.

$80-90k + bonus is doable.
+ car + phone + gas

[_zman]

The average new car loan is $600/month @ 13% APR; many are taking $1000/month payments

97% of Americans are in debt up to their eyes; 62% of car notes are currently defaulting




Americans have never been more broke in the history of this country; the middle class doesn't even exist anymore

I mean, that's what I figured. Really? 13%? Where are those default numbers from?

[Madscient1st]

That surprises me. Considering entry level local govt “engineers” typically start around 90k (and these are civil, not EE).

Around here they start in the 80s. I think the HNIC electrical engineer is around 150k tops including bonus if I had to guess. A lot of the engineers here are green with very little experience and are handed a chit load of projects with very little direction so they just play the copy and past game. Then they rely on us big meat swingers in the field to make on the fly corrections and help guide them. Once they get some experience they tend to move on to bigger fish such as Doble, Siemens, ABB, General Electric, etc. to where they can make more money. It’s basically a revolving door of inexperienced engineers that use this company as a stepping stone to as their resume

[deadsoul]

Weird cope itt and I’m not even sure why it’s happening. Sounds right to me, seems like some of you are very unwise to the world and insular in your own lives.

This.

Lol @ thinking people with good degrees are getting six figures right out of college. The meme used to be 60k starting for engineers, now miscers believe it's 100k?

[DeputyDong5]

Around here they start in the 80s. I think the HNIC electrical engineer is around 150k tops including bonus if I had to guess. A lot of the engineers here are green with very little experience and are handed a chit load of projects with very little direction so they just play the copy and past game. Then they rely on us big meat swingers in the field to make on the fly corrections and help guide them. Once they get some experience they tend to move on to bigger fish such as Doble, Siemens, ABB, General Electric, etc. to where they can make more money. It’s basically a revolving door of inexperienced engineers that use this company as a stepping stone to as their resume

lol @ tradies crew

you're a joke in everyone's eyes but your own

[r32gojirra]

I literally don't know anyone who makes or made $100k+ base right out of college. Maybe this happens in California or NY?

My little brother graduated college in 2022 and his first job as a chemical engineer paid $88k.

My girlfriend is a nurse (BSN) and her first year out of college in 2021 her salary was $75k.

My father graduated law school in 1980 at age 25 and his first firm paid him $22,500/year which inflation adjusted is like ~85k today.

I was in the workforce 5 years before I “graduated” (in this context “graduate” means 4 year undergrad but done in 3; a graduate degree then a supervised placement)

With 5 years of actual professional experience by the time I graduated I went into a low-level executive management role

lol @ tradies crew

you're a joke in everyone's eyes but your own

Tradies here gross around $200k and pay comparatively little tax on that amount, compared with wage earners

This.

Lol @ thinking people with good degrees are getting six figures right out of college. The meme used to be 60k starting for engineers, now miscers believe it's 100k?

If you are working in your field while studying it’s entirely plausible

[Madscient1st]

lol @ tradies crew

you're a joke in everyone's eyes but your own

Lmao cope harder pfhaggot. Let me guess, copy and paste sub 6 figure engineer?

[blissful88]

I mean, that's what I figured. Really? 13%? Where are those default numbers from?

There are people paying 18-23% too, a lot.. the default numbers are from several news articles I found online; people are getting their vehicles towed daily

I mean no one can actually afford those payments, wasn't long ago a $400 car payment was almost unheard of and no one would be stupid enough to do it




I forgot to mention that 1 in 4 people are now on government assistance, food stamps, disability etc; I see it every single day

[LateShow]

Not sure how any person could survive on $60k a year with OBiden’s America.

[DeputyDong5]

Lmao cope harder pfhaggot. Let me guess, copy and paste sub 6 figure engineer?

cope? I come from a family of tradies. I have a brain, so naturally I did go the engineer route. And I do just fine. And I have multiple paths to an early retirement. I'll be retired while you'll be 50, on your third marriage, battling alcoholism, at this point your body will begin giving up on you, knees weak, overweight borderline obese, the highlight of your day will be stumbling into the gas station on your way home to stock up on scratch offs and beer.

seems like your life is just littered with poor decisions

USMC (LOL)
Tradie (LOL)

You **** on engineers yet your entire "career" revolves around them. Literally every tool and piece of equipment you use has been engineered with "a retard will be using this" on the design side.

True story.

[FelixTheCat1919]

I actually think people talk way too fkn much about money and personal finances these days, srs. People always wanna know how much money you make, how much you spent on a car/house/boat, etc. Fuk off and mind your own business.

[IPoopStandingUp]

Apparently I earn more in a week than Jose earns in a year .

[WoofieNugget]

Remember that every time you walk into a mall or store, the people who work there are making minimum wage or slightly above, except for the managers who comprise about 10% of the store staff. Any Wal Mart alone probably has 300 staff members who make barely 40k a year.

I think those numbers are low, but the idea that a lot of people are making 80-100k definitely isn't true. If you make over 100k a year then you're probably in the top 10% at least.

[pojo18]

Remember that every time you walk into a mall or store, the people who work there are making minimum wage or slightly above, except for the managers who comprise about 10% of the store staff. Any Wal Mart alone probably has 300 staff members who make barely 40k a year.

I think those numbers are low, but the idea that a lot of people are making 80-100k definitely isn't true. If you make over 100k a year then you're probably in the top 10% at least.

My buddy is a "manager" at Walmart who has been with the company for 11 years and only makes $58k at age 35 lol. He also works 50 hour weeks.

[sowilson]

OP quit confusing "median" with "average". In discussions such as this "median" is the best comparator, "average" is likely to be significantly higher due to the influence of high wage outliers.

[Visel]

I've known this for years. It's how I coped when I was making less than $100k and facing student loan debt, srs.

Keep in mind this is USA median, so some states might be closer to $50k, whereas some other states (New York / Cali) are closer to $80k, srs.

In my city within Florida it's about $60k/yr median household income. But if I went as narrow as to look at the statistics for my zip code, it's closer to $100k median household income, srs.

[MikeLowrrrey]

cope? I come from a family of tradies. I have a brain, so naturally I did go the engineer route. And I do just fine. And I have multiple paths to an early retirement. I'll be retired while you'll be 50, on your third marriage, battling alcoholism, at this point your body will begin giving up on you, knees weak, overweight borderline obese, the highlight of your day will be stumbling into the gas station on your way home to stock up on scratch offs and beer.

seems like your life is just littered with poor decisions

USMC (LOL)
Tradie (LOL)

You **** on engineers yet your entire "career" revolves around them. Literally every tool and piece of equipment you use has been engineered with "a retard will be using this" on the design side.

True story.

Don't chit on trades man. They're probably the hardest working people in society and do real meaningful chit. Without trades we wouldn't have houses, hospitals, offices, or roads. Every nut and bolt has more value than some papers being pushed.


Engineering is a great career, but some still design chit that makes zero sense, too expensive, hard to repair, etc. Poster you're arguing with is right when he says trades and techs have to make on the fly adjustments.


And work culture wise, I'd much rather be around tradies in the field than in office dealing with politics and dumb sloots.

[MikeLowrrrey]

Good thread op.



I'm at $55k now, but I really need $75k, still applying to jobs in the meantime.

I've known this for years. It's how I coped when I was making less than $100k and facing student loan debt, srs.

Keep in mind this is USA median, so some states might be closer to $50k, whereas some other states (New York / Cali) are closer to $80k, srs.

In my city within Florida it's about $60k/yr median household income. But if I went as narrow as to look at the statistics for my zip code, it's closer to $100k median household income, srs.

And that $100k may very well be two working people.

The days of the man supporting the entire household on one income is long gone. That was 60 years ago....

[ScramFranklin]

https://dqydj.com/income-percentile-by-age-calculator/

[VIshvamithra]

Intredesting.

[TryingMen]

Calling BS on the account that 1/3rd of America doesn't even work anymore

I'm literally about to go drive & I guarantee you it will take me 40 minutes to go 5 miles because of how many people are out driving/shopping instead of working jobs




For 3 years every single business I look at has hiring signs up

Nah bro I'm working while I'm out driving around shopping. Hate to break it to you. Turns out I can do my job without spending 40 hours each week chained to my desk. Guessing everyone else has figured this out too. Companies still thriving while remote work has enabled us all to "work" fewer hours and stop with the charade of chaining us to a desk with the same levels of production as we piss away time for us to leave our cubicle being the only difference.

[MikeLowrrrey]

https://dqydj.com/income-percentile-by-age-calculator/

I'm at 51% for my age and salary. Not great. Not terrible.