How much should I be making by 26?

[amoeba]

I would hope to make 75k by the time I'm 26 but it varies from person to person.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: mitmot
I'm a new grad and I'm getting almost 46k as an IT analyst...boston area fyi

Adusting for the COL between Boston and Birmingham, that's about what I make. I just graduated in May.

Edit: Oops, I was wrong. Apparently I would have to make 53k+ to maintain my current standard of living in Boston.

 

[sygyzy]

Based on your intelligent question, I think you should be making whatever the unemployment or welfare office gives you.

 

[habib89]

i'm 26.. i just graduated (yah, i know, i'm slow) and i'm making 50k working for a top 3 defense company.. however, if i graduated on time (ie 3 or 4 years ago) i'd probably be makign about 75k

 

[Mail5398]

Comparing salaries across the country is useless. I have a friend who was making 80 K in California who moved back here to rural Kentucky and now makes 34 K and lives in a bigger home and drives a nicer car. My wife and I make close to 100 K together and live in a 2900 square foot 4 bedroom 3 bath brick home and both drive new cars. It is a matter of where you live.

 

[Steve]

This is my first "real" job. I started this job last November, though for the first three months I was a temp ($15/hr) and I turned 26 in that period. Since being hired full time in February I've been making $18.75/hr ($39k/year) plus benefits. I do helpdesk. EDIT: In Chicago

 

[DaShen]

45 in texas is good. in cali it would be really bad. It definitely depends on where you live.

Midwest and Southwest is cheap. So 33k is okay/good to live on. But if you are a developer/programmer for PWC or something like that. That is a low-ball number.

 

[Winchester]

West Texas area.

Turn 24 on Weds making a little over $40k down from my previous job that I was pulling 45k+ easy. This job is less stressful and pays for school and I have a chance to move up, my previous one had nothing like that and the cost of living is cheaper where I am currently at. I make $8/yr more than my wife .

 

[LordSnailz]

argh, I was hoping to break 90k by 26, but the tech. market has been pretty the past couple of years, so we've been robbed of a couple of raises

it all depends on job and location

 

[bjc112]

I'm 20.

34k

Tech Sales/Management