What's considered a good salary?

[cruiser1338]

1) You enjoy the work.
2) You are single.
3) You have a nice apartment/mortgage on a house.
4) $100 a week on food, plus meals out and movies...
5) Want a nice car, aka not a Kia.

What would be considered livable today under those assumptions?

History: After looking at bls.gov, I've seen the two careers I'm interested in pursuing, one more than the other, but the pay is half of the other.

1) Lawyer: $110,590
2) Multi-Media Artists and Animators: $57,680

I'm fully aware of the hardwork of being either, and I'm concerned if I go to the Artist/Animator side, I'm royally screwing up.

 

[jinduy]

40-60k would be enough... can't get anything extravagant tho

 

[drum]

40-60 would be 'enough' for me in ohio. i make less than that now and i can easily live

 

[Mo0o]

40-60 if you want mid range stuff
60-80 if you want the cool toys

 

[newParadigm]

So if ima make 90k im set?

 

[SpunkyJones]

I'd go for the job your more interested in, the money is good enough.

 

[aswedc]

1) Lawyer: $110,590
2) Multi-Media Artists and Animators: $57,680

I hope you've done a lot more research than this. Because those numbers look very misleading.

 

[azoomee]

Do what you enjoy doing -- dont worry about the money. Nothing worse than hating your job for 50 years.

 

[cruiser1338]

I've got two sources for the lawyer one (in a firm, not private) and just the BLS.gov for the Artist and Animator. If you've got better data, then please lemme know.

 

[Taggart]

It depends on where you live. You would have to more than double your salary in NYC to have the same buying power in Atlanta for instance.

 

[spacejamz]

cost of living depends significantly on where you live, so earning 60K in one place will be good while somewhere else, it barely get you buy...

 

[cruiser1338]

Originally posted by: azoomee
Do what you enjoy doing -- dont worry about the money. Nothing worse than hating your job for 50 years.

Nothing worse than being pissed off cause you can't afford anything though. The thing is, I think I could be happy in both, but they are both very very different.

 

[JacobJ]

You seem to be considering quality of life...which can't really be determined by salary.

Things to consider:
Enjoyment of job
amount of time off
quality time spent doing fun stuff
physical fitness / health
spiritual satisfaction.
money (being able to provide for yourself)

of course, the list is different for everyone, and balanced differently for everyone.

Priorities. Bah.

 

[cruiser1338]

Originally posted by: Taggart
It depends on where you live. You would have to more than double your salary in NYC to have the same buying power in Atlanta for instance.

That too is affecting it I suppose. As a lawyer, I'd like to be in a big city, and as an artist, I'd most likely be in Hollywood. How do you see that as factoring in?

 

[intogamer]

$58,432.18+ is good salary

 

[cruiser1338]

Originally posted by: JacobJ
You seem to be considering quality of life...which can't really be determined by salary.

Things to consider:
Enjoyment of job
amount of time off
quality time spent doing fun stuff
physical fitness / health
spiritual satisfaction.
money (being able to provide for yourself)

of course, the list is different for everyone, and balanced differently for everyone.

Priorities. Bah.

Mine:
Money
Enjoyment
Quality Time
Fitness
Spiritual - Shouldn't really be on the list.

 

[spacejamz]

Originally posted by: cruiser1338

Originally posted by: azoomee
Do what you enjoy doing -- dont worry about the money. Nothing worse than hating your job for 50 years.

Nothing worse than being pissed off cause you can't afford anything though. The thing is, I think I could be happy in both, but they are both very very different.

once you realize that you way off base with this statement, it will be too late...either that, you might be to shallow to care about what is really important...

 

[magomago]

I would go with what you enjoy more...I don't see how people do a job they hate all day long just because it pays well. I'm in the same position~ I can be a Engineer, or go the Doctor route (My major allows me that mobility) and while I wouldn't mind the doctor route because I can easily make 2-3 times the amount of an engineer, I "feel" more satisfied mentally doing engineering.
Pay not be as MUCH, but it gives me the potential to easily make more if I really do enjoy my work and am dedicated..that and I'll love it

But in all seriousness follow where you interests take you. It is much more fun to do something you are good at and get paid for it.

And ultimately, if you truly have a passion for it...you'll end up excelling and making quite a bit anyways just via the fact that you are dedicated in your work

 

[Zebo]

60K in oklahoma

140 K in Cal New York.

 

[TheSlamma]

Be a lawyer.. Then I will hate you but you will get a job no problem..

 

[JacobJ]

My little brother is going to game / design and animation school at Digipen. It's funded by Nintendo. Several of his teacher are academy award winning animators. He basically spends 80 hours a week doing school work. People that manage to graduate from there are basically guaranteed a good job.

http://www.digipen.edu

 

[mugs]

Depends on what you consider a "nice" car

 

[thedarkwolf]

I lived just fine off $18k a year here and now with $26k I nearly feel rich. I have a house and two cars all bought when I was still making $18k. The only debt I had and still have is the house.

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: cruiser1338
I've got two sources for the lawyer one (in a firm, not private) and just the BLS.gov for the Artist and Animator. If you've got better data, then please lemme know.

I don't have first hand experience in either field but have looked at lots of statistics...

The market for lawyers seems to be very difficult right now. You can get 100k coming out of a top ten school, but you're going to be worked to death. An average school is only going to get you about 60k, and jobs will be hard to come by.

I've never seen any average starting salary figure for an artistic field above 40k. Most are probably around 35k.

Best thing to do is check with each school and ask them for figures from their graduates...

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I lived just fine off $18k a year here and now with $26k I nearly feel rich. I have a house and two cars all bought when I was still making $18k. The only debt I had and still have is the house.

Trailer park and two Kia's? Otherwise I just don't buy this...

You're sitting at just over a thousand a month take home? A decent car payment is at least $250, car/health insurance $100, and food absolute minimum $200, and you've got under $500 for a house payment and everything else??