What do you do & how much do you make?

[Atomic Playboy]

If you love your kid you will dissuade him from practicing law of any sort.

Not kidding.

I'll put it this way - I've been practicing law for about 15 years now. In that 15 years I have not met a single attorney that truly enjoys their job. Oh sure, they enjoy the money. But none of them enjoy the job . . . not even slightly.

That's because attorneys generally deal with disputes, and dealing with disputes is dealing with people at their absolute worst. After college I spent a couple months doing filing at a family law firm, and the lawyers there were all constantly depressed because all they saw day-in and day-out was divorces and custody battles. The level of vitriol they dealt with on a daily basis was absolutely soul-crushing; one of them committed suicide not terribly long after I left. I actually was considering going into law when I was still in high school and every single attorney I talked to echoed your sentiment; they felt it was the greatest mistake of their lives, but they couldn't get out because of their massive student loan debt. I may not make much money, but at least I'm not constantly depressed.

 

[Engineer]

Maybe they don't get paid enough because they get high deductible insurance for $50 with full benefits and a pension?

/me runs and hides

LOL, if you saw the pension she gets (that SHE puts in 6% of her income for), you would understand how much they have gutted it.

There are 3 levels of pensions. She wasn't there to get the GOOD one but was there before the 2nd level of cuts. The pensions of new hires really suck bad and her's isn't much better.

She would have gotten 3 times as much with less service on the one before her's (she missed it by one year! )

 

[rudeguy]

LOL, if you saw the pension she gets (that SHE puts in 6% of her income for), you would understand how much they have gutted it.

There are 3 levels of pensions. She wasn't there to get the GOOD one but was there before the 2nd level of cuts. The pensions of new hires really suck bad and her's isn't much better.

She would have gotten 3 times as much with less service on the one before her's (she missed it by one year! )

I was just picking on you. I would have no problem with teachers getting a pay bump. They do a great thing and should be rewarded.

Except for my 10th grade algebra teacher. He was a dick.

 

[rsbennett00]

All this pension, 401(?), retirement stuff is just mind boggling. It's really really sad that people have lost so much self control that they can't be trusted with saving their own money for the future.

 

[KeithTalent]

All this pension, 401(?), retirement stuff is just mind boggling. It's really really sad that people have lost so much self control that they can't be trusted with saving their own money for the future.

What are you talking about? Why not take advantage of tax deferrals and other things if they are available to you? Do you just put everything in an old dildo box and bury it in your backyard?

KT

 

[soulcougher73]

Not gonna say after reading first 90 responses.

/slit wrist

 

[repoman0]

EE, just under $90k. No bonuses but my company matches 10% to 401a/403b if I put in 12% and is paying for most of my MSEE tax free.

I didn't realize I was an idiot with no self control for having a dedicated retirement plan? Despite the fact that in addition to the 22% that goes into it I put another 30% into Vanguard/Fidelity accounts .....

 

[rsbennett00]

What are you talking about? Why not take advantage of tax deferrals and other things if they are available to you? Do you just put everything in an old dildo box and bury it in your back yard?

KT

I'm not even going to get into a heavy tax discussion. Entities avoiding taxes is part of why our economy sucks. Why can't people just pay their fair share and stop being so greedy?

EE, just under $90k. No bonuses but my company matches 10% to 401a/403b if I put in 12% and is paying for most of my MSEE tax free.

I didn't realize I was an idiot with no self control for having a dedicated retirement plan? Despite the fact that in addition to the 22% that goes into it I put another 30% into Vanguard/Fidelity accounts .....

So we're back to taxes. Why don't companies just give you the match funds? Why do they need to line the pockets of some retirement firm instead of yours? Taxes? Seriously?

Having a dedicated plan isn't the problem. It's that your company removed free will from the equation.

 

[repoman0]

I'm not even going to get into a heavy tax discussion. Entities avoiding taxes is part of why our economy sucks. Why can't people just pay their fair share and stop being so greedy?



So we're back to taxes. Why don't companies just give you the match funds? Why do they need to line the pockets of some retirement firm instead of yours? Taxes? Seriously?

Having a dedicated plan isn't the problem. It's that your company removed free will from the equation.

"Removed free will"? What are you talking about? Anyone who gets a match is 100% free to ignore it and just take the salary. Personally I'd be happy with just the $90k as a 25 year old but the match is a nice bonus

It's hard to argue further with someone so clueless so I won't bother

 

[Ns1]

Can someone tell me how steppinthrax was able to vote 151k+ 25 times?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Please learn to read. He's explaining the difference, not claiming to do both. He even says he hasn't had 1099 income in a few years. I've bolded it for you.

steppinthrax getting owned again because he can't seem to read. Imagine that!

 

[rsbennett00]

"Removed free will"? What are you talking about? Anyone who gets a match is 100% free to ignore it and just take the salary. Personally I'd be happy with just the $90k as a 25 year old but the match is a nice bonus

It's hard to argue further with someone so clueless so I won't bother

Ah, you have a choice not to invest and take the match cash? That's rare. I'm not sure I've heard of companies allowing that until now. My apologies.

 

[rcpratt]

Reading is getting harder by the minute.

 

[SSSnail]

Ah, you have a choice not to invest and take the match cash? That's rare. I'm not sure I've heard of companies allowing that until now. My apologies.

What then, so you can blow it all on hookers and blow? The government designed these tax incentives so to encourage people like you to be less dependant on their tits when you're decrepit. Even so, not a lot of people save as is.

 

[rsbennett00]

What then, so you can blow it all on hookers and blow? The government designed these tax incentives so to encourage people like you to be less dependant on their tits when you're decrepit. Even so, not a lot of people save as is.

I know a lot of people who were required to do 401(whatevers) and lost money long term. I can do a lot better on my own. I have plenty of savings right this minute to live the rest of my life comfortably so I won't have to rely on my manboobs to pay the bills.

Not a lot of people saving money is part of the point. Perhaps if employers weren't stealing from them, they could save more.

 

[dafatha00]

$155k/yr, Financial Services Attorney. Underpaid in my field, but awesome hours (typically about 45 a week), so I'm content.

 

[sdifox]

self employed consultant. 125k or so.

 

[stormkroe]

What are you talking about? Why not take advantage of tax deferrals and other things if they are available to you? Do you just put everything in an old dildo box and bury it in your backyard?

KT

This is oddly specific.

 

[rsbennett00]

This is oddly specific.

Yeah, he must be getting some really nice dildos. All of them I buy come in shrink packing, plastic bags, or extremely flimsy boxes.

 

[TheSiege]

Electrician at a Data Center. 62.4k is my base, but with some OT last year I made 68k

 

[Red Squirrel]

Electrician at a Data Center. 62.4k is my base, but with some OT last year I made 68k

That sounds like it would be a fun job. Decently clean environment, indoors, air conditioned, and get to play with fancy high voltage switch gear stuff and UPSes. :biggrin:

I sometimes regret not going into electrical, there are way more jobs in that field than tech so more job security too.

 

[Jeff7]

Mechanical engineer, with some electronic design work too.
$66k with 401k profit sharing and bonus included.

 

[Svnla]

QA/Compliance officer.

Over $10,000 USD and less than $1 million USD per year.

 

[deadlyapp]

Voted. Product manager for an industrial oil & gas equipment manufacturer. About 80k base + 10% bonus

 

[biostud]

~$58K (~$63K with pension) as a teacher.