how the heck do mid 20 year olds make 100k+?

[halik]

Depends a lot on your location. I imagine 100k in the midwest is a LOT of money and correspondingly more difficult to achieve. 100k in NYC... not special at all. As a tech based consultant, you can easily make that money a few years out of college.

I was lucky enough to get into my division in my company when it was still very small. While this meant insane hours (easily 60+ hours a week on average) for the first year or so, it also meant excellent recognition for good work and quick promotions. Now my schedule is pretty normal (typically 40 hours a week) and i'm enjoying the benefits.

Also, I really wouldn't put too much stock into ppl who say you have to get a masters. While it may be a necessity for certain professions, experience tells me that personality and work ethic are FAR better determinants for achieving a high paying job. Assuming you're in one of the fields that support >100k salaries (engineering, comp sci, finance, tech/finance consulting etc), you should focus your energy on interview/communication skills (and of course actually performing well).

My $0.02.

Cost of living makes a huge difference - I only make marginally more now than my comp when I was in NYC, but after cost of living adjustment it's about 150% raise.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Just go be a pharmacist, all you do is count to 30 all day while making 100K at CVS/or whereever you want.

ignorance at its finest

 

[oddyager]

Depends a lot on your location. I imagine 100k in the midwest is a LOT of money and correspondingly more difficult to achieve. 100k in NYC... not special at all. As a tech based consultant, you can easily make that money a few years out of college.

I was lucky enough to get into my division in my company when it was still very small. While this meant insane hours (easily 60+ hours a week on average) for the first year or so, it also meant excellent recognition for good work and quick promotions. Now my schedule is pretty normal (typically 40 hours a week) and i'm enjoying the benefits.

Also, I really wouldn't put too much stock into ppl who say you have to get a masters. While it may be a necessity for certain professions, experience tells me that personality and work ethic are FAR better determinants for achieving a high paying job. Assuming you're in one of the fields that support >100k salaries (engineering, comp sci, finance, tech/finance consulting etc), you should focus your energy on interview/communication skills (and of course actually performing well).

My $0.02.

It is not easy to achieve 100K in the city and it depends more on your field of expertise and lack of market vs location.

 

[Platypus]

specialize.

 

[child of wonder]

Depends on where you live. In New York or San Francisco it wouldn't be hard.

 

[PricklyPete]

My starting salary out of college was $5 a hour. I'm 32 and making $7.50 a hour. That's a 50% increase in 10 years. Not bad.

 

[steppinthrax]

at age 25-26, people are making 100k+
assuming that they are not investment bankers or anything that is extremely hard to get into with large bonus payouts, what type of jobs do they have to make that much income?
At 30+ years old, it's very reasonable, but 25-26 is only 3-4 years out of college.

These are people with B.S. or M.S. degree at most. NOT considering specialized professional fields like M.D., J.D., Pharm.D, etc.

If you personally knew or know anyone making that much at mid 20s, can you be specific with what degree and major they studied in college and their position?

Why don't you understand this. I'm 28 (just turned) and I'm touching that figure now. I have both a B.S. and M.S. in Comp Sci. I always believe in obtaining a degree of commercial value. I never understand those who get a Art/English/psychology/etc. degree and cry about it when they can barely pop 20 a year.

 

[dquan97]

Sad thing is that as a gov't accountant, there's no way I'm getting to $100K unless you're in executive level.

 

[Connoisseur]

It is not easy to achieve 100K in the city and it depends more on your field of expertise and lack of market vs location.

That's why I mentioned it had to be a field that supports >100k. Obviously a grocery store owner wouldn't be pulling in this kind of scratch. Regardless, in NYC, it's not MAKING the money that's the problem. it's SAVING the stuff. I spend entirely too much on going out.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Senior Security Consultant - 26 y/o - Degree in Computer Networking/security(Bachelor of Science).

to clarify, wasn't saying this was me. but I'm in the same career and know someone pulling 100K+ in the field and they are 26 years old.

Senior to whom? Not saying this isn't possible, it's just really really rare, especially if said "senior" actually went to college. That gives them roughly 4 years of working experience which, at my company, wouldn't even qualify your for a single position - let alone senior - within our security group.

 

[Tweak155]

Right now I'm in a good position just taking what comes to me for the most part. This year I'll have earned about $75k but working from home, and with minimal hours per week. It is rare to do 40, common to do 20-25, and not unheard of to do 5.

If I honestly had to figure out my hourly rate, its a lot more than the $37 it suggests. Especially as of recently. I could definitely hit the 100k range but it all depends what you value more, free time or money?

Additional thought is working out of home can get to you. I'd ideally like to work out of the office 2 days a week, but its in another state. Not having to deal with traffic and drive time is ideal, though. I wish there was a better trade-off.

Also my friend 26 is going to hit the 90's mark next month in september. 90-95k. So he will hit 100k at 27 just working his way up from 60k at one company in 4-5 years. Software developer.

 

[KMc]

It's not so bad. I spend 8 hours in the office 4 days a week, the rest from home. Get four weeks vacation and 13 public holidays.

My field allows me to do a lot of work over the phone/VPN; the other junior managers aren't so lucky, but we all get paid the same (sans bonus %). Not to mention, I like what I do and I get to venture 1800 feet below sea level in a landlocked state one or two times a week.

If you get into 100% commissioned sales and are actually GOOD at it, you can make bank fast. Typically however it takes YEARS to build up the clientele.

Wait a minute, I see actual percent signs in these posts. Did they fix the % problem ? %%%

 

[Deeko]

Be good at what you do & be able to prove it?

Its not the norm but it certainly can be done.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Government contractor in a big market pays well. I know a kid that started out of school as a dev making ~100k a year with booz. He might have had a few years of relevant experience though which would make a difference.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Wait a minute, I see actual percent signs in these posts. Did they fix the % problem ? %%%

use the advanced editor

 

[IceBergSLiM]

$100k per month or per year?

 

[PricklyPete]

$100k per month or per year?

is per month the new ATOT standard?

 

[Demo24]

My cousin gets close to that, or maybe there at it. Works as an x-ray tech, and started at like 60k something right out of school and quickly increased, plus the OT pay. Also her husband earns roughly the same. Considering she didn't have to go to school for that long, and probably only a house to pay for...yeah, she's doing good.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

is per month the new ATOT standard?

100k a month is more rare and worth talking about. 100k per year is *yawn*

 

[Saint Nick]

I like that Americans are constantly worried about how much money they make and how much money others make.

I just want to be happy.

 

[PricklyPete]

I like that Americans are constantly worried about how much money they make and how much money others make.

I just want to be happy.

So you just worry about how "enlightened" you are versus other people. How noble.

 

[PrinceofWands]

at age 25-26, people are making 100k+
assuming that they are not investment bankers or anything that is extremely hard to get into with large bonus payouts, what type of jobs do they have to make that much income?
At 30+ years old, it's very reasonable, but 25-26 is only 3-4 years out of college.

These are people with B.S. or M.S. degree at most. NOT considering specialized professional fields like M.D., J.D., Pharm.D, etc.

If you personally knew or know anyone making that much at mid 20s, can you be specific with what degree and major they studied in college and their position?

My nephew was averaging $30,000/mo for about a year or so the year he turned 18. No degree, in fact he hadn't finished high school yet. He more or less cornered the Everquest in game and plat markets. Bought a few of the bigger transaction houses for such things, worked closely with the big hack guys (mq, etc), and so on. Now he's 23 (I think), still gets some from gaming, but has moved on to a bunch of other businesses. Ecigs, concierge, marketing and website development, etc. He's more or less always got a half dozen or more active businesses he's shuffling, looking for newer and better. He doesn't make as much as when EQ was king, but he's happier about doing more serious businesses too.

 

[Saint Nick]

So you just worry about how "enlightened" you are versus other people. How noble.

Everyone is a hypocrite.

 

[steppinthrax]

Senior to whom? Not saying this isn't possible, it's just really really rare, especially if said "senior" actually went to college. That gives them roughly 4 years of working experience which, at my company, wouldn't even qualify your for a single position - let alone senior - within our security group.

I was up for a senior position at the age of 25. I only had 1 yr work exp at that company and fresh out of college. To clarify this is a major medical hosptial having more than 2K employees (at one of the 7 locations). My boss put in the paperwork for the promotion, however, it fell apart due to layoffs and budget constraints that happend right after.

There is no general rule regarding who is senior or what.

 

[steppinthrax]

I like that Americans are constantly worried about how much money they make and how much money others make.

I just want to be happy.

Wake up. We live in a world were people value your physical existance by.

1. Education
2. Income
3. Wealth
4. Occupation.

LOL