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

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
My sister's a registered nursing. 28yr old @ $130K. Started @ $70K 5yrs ago.
My ex is an RN also with 5 years experience, and she does make good money combine with loads of OT, and she barely break $90K per annum.

IMHO, the only way your sis make that kind of money is that she work 65~70++ hours a week.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,358
5
0
Eh.. a lot of fields can do it.. or come close easily. Transportation type jobs with short compressed education for example.

I was making about $50k at 19 in the transport industry. make about $70k now at 23. on the right track i guess.
 

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
Pharmacist, nurse, computer nerd in the silicon valley.
I'm not sure what pharmacists make a year in the silicon valley, but my ex sis was a pharmacist in BC (highest pay in Canada), and she make just over $70K a year. And, she will be going into residency for med school next year.
 

hofan41

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
225
0
0
comp sci degree with 5 years exp will get you six figures if you know how to negotiate.
 

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
0
76
most of my friends are in the 75k+ crowd. everything from marketing/climbing the retail ladder/landscaping. some had it easy and some had to bust ass... id say maybe a ratio of 2 out of 10 actually went to college.

got my $100k @ age of 24 working in a call center of all places.

u would be suprised at how many $100k+ people never stepped foot in college and how much less they work than people that did.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
Work for a defense contractor. Lots of government dough in the defense industry.
 

brainhulk

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2007
9,376
454
126
i guess I don't count because i'm a pharmacist. got out @ 26. working graves ~45h/wk grossed ~170k 6 years ago
 

gigahertz20

Golden Member
Apr 30, 2007
1,118
2
81
most of my friends are in the 75k+ crowd. everything from marketing/climbing the retail ladder/landscaping. some had it easy and some had to bust ass... id say maybe a ratio of 2 out of 10 actually went to college.

got my $100k @ age of 24 working in a call center of all places.

u would be suprised at how many $100k+ people never stepped foot in college and how much less they work than people that did.


100K working in a call center? WTF? Details......
 

Adrenaline

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2005
5,320
8
81
Pharmacist, nurse, computer nerd in the silicon valley.

Pharmacist was the first thing that came to my mind and then a nurse, as far as widespread college availability. The computer jobs and engineering jobs will be area specific for that high of salary.

The other option not mentioned is to get into a trade profession and it would not hurt being in a union. I live in one of the cheapest salary areas as far as average goes but with a really cheap cost of living.

I work in a plant that is unionized (the company is great to work for and the union is great also).
 
Last edited:

AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
18,447
133
106
I'm 26 and I make 95k base salary, have for the last two years.

Homeschooled
Community college during high school and worked for my dad at his recruiting business
Transferred to university at 18 as a junior
Graduated from college at 19 with an English/Communications major
Moved to Seattle
Got a job as a recruiting assistant at $16/hr at a large telecom company (because I had "experience")
Wound up taking over job postings since I was the only remotely computer literate person
Wound up on the meetings for the new applicant tracking system because it impacted job postings
Project team rolled out and then figured they were done and pulled out flat, so I wound up as sys admin by default
Figured out how it worked and was helpful to everyone and trained people
Was recognized as good at what I did and pulled into other projects/programs
Got a mentor in project management
Worked in projects in all HR areas for the next few years
Got recruited to a large online retailer to do project management
Worked there a few years, got a few raises
Quit and took a third party vendor job at peer level pay

Combination of luck, being good at figuring stuff out, a good attitude and a willingness to work 18+ hour days a lot.
 

Anonemous

Diamond Member
May 19, 2003
7,361
1
71
Just go be a pharmacist, all you do is count to 30 all day while making 100K at CVS/or whereever you want.
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
1
0
Ugh, this thread depresses me. I already know I'm underpaid but now I feel poor as dirt :(.

(Tech writer with BA, certificate, 3 years exp).
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
I have a friend who's 24. My age. Heck I just turned 24. We graduate dthe same year. He's got a MS in EE. Works at Apple. $100k. FML for making only 70k. And that is why grad school starts tomorrow for me!
 

thegimp03

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2004
7,420
2
81
Business undergrad degree + professional certification and living in a relatively high COL area. CPAs...CFAs... $100k a year is average for a CPA with 5 years experience in the private sector around this area it seems like. The people still working in Big 4 firms make a little less than $100k right now. A lot of engineers I know around here (silicon valley) make in the $100k range right now.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
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?

easy.. have members of ATOT as your clients and be:
pimp and/or coke dealer

for the legal route, pro online poker player, pharm, nurse, govt contractor.

for govt contractor, get your masters ASAP! govt counts masters as HUGE, as in paying the company $100+/hr! FOIA request on your contract to see what the govt is paying for your position. ream the company over the desk and get 1/2 that!
 
Last edited:

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Do Pharmacists really make that much? Are you talking about the main Pharmacist doctor? Cus there's no way Pharmacy Techs make that much.
 

brainhulk

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2007
9,376
454
126
Do Pharmacists really make that much? Are you talking about the main Pharmacist doctor? Cus there's no way Pharmacy Techs make that much.

yeah, it's a pharmD degree. 4 years undergrad + 4 years pharm school + residency (for most places outisde of walgreens/cvs). But I don't work @ cvs, I work in a hospital. I think I would go insane working @ a cvs...