POLL: Work and salary

[girlwquestions]

What do you do? Specifically, what is your job title?

How much do you get paid?


I am unemployed, so I have no job title and no salary, but as soon as I get a job and a salary, I'll let you all know~!

Actually, going to college is my fulltime job now and I pay for that. So, my salary will be my degree (B.A. in psy and soc). I'm getting that this May.

[teadrinker]

I work part time with a preschool and after school program for elementary school kids. I wouldn't call what I make a salary exactly... it's enough to keep me in lunch money and gas money.

[SunDevil]

I am currently unemployed, but I am starting at a new job in 2 weeks. I will be working as a software engineer at a defense/intelligence subcontractor making $45,000/yr. I can't tell you what I do. It will be strange since I will make more money in 3 months than the total sum I have earned my entire life before this(24 years).

[tarawvu]

Well, I just read a disturbing article on abcnews.com. Apparently as a college-educated radio news reporter and anchor, I make below the federal poverty line. That is sick. It definitely makes me want to go back to waitressing!! How depressing!!

[pittgirl]

I work as a Theraputic Staff Support, I work one on one with children with autism and behavioral problems. Because my hours were cut, I am working with disabled adults now with making greeting cards, it's a great work expierence.
I only do it part time because I am still in school, but I get paid $12 an hour for what I do, which I guess is very good for someone my age.

[bumblegirl]

I work as a receptionist at a law firm and make $35k AND I waitress 3-4 nights a week and end up with about $100/night

[Insuranceslave]

I work in insurance at a brokerage firm - my title is OCIP Administrator but really I file, do data entry and various other demeaning tasks.

I make $38K and got a $2600 bonus recently. But, our company only gives 4% raises every year to all employees no matter what. Being as the average house price is $500,000, I will never own anything at this rate (can't even find condos for sale) and can't afford to live in an apt. by myself yet. I think I'll move back home soon, pay off all my credit card debt and get a job I love instead of one I need.

[shimmer728]

Originally posted by tarawvu
Well, I just read a disturbing article on abcnews.com. Apparently as a college-educated radio news reporter and anchor, I make below the federal poverty line. That is sick. It definitely makes me want to go back to waitressing!! How depressing!!

I hear you......I'm a newspaper reporter with a BA Journalism, and I make under 20K.......it's f-cked up.

[Layback]

It ain't about the money guys. I make nearly $60k (selling retirement plans to corporations for a major investment company) after salary and bonuses and I'm not happy in my job. When the day is over and the bullshit has ceased and I go home, I realized that I have wasted yet another day in a job that I have no passion for. Salary is a worthless pursuit. Go after what you are passionate about, the salary will come. Like the Ben & Jerry's sticker says, "If it isn't fun, why do it?"

[pisces2473]

Uhhh Layback, yes it is about the money when you only make 20k and you're worried about feeding, clothing and sheltering yourself. That makes you stress out even more than just "I hate my job." I know what you're saying--money isn't everything--but eating and having a safe, warm, dry place to live is certainly something!

[jumpthemoon]

ummm...i'd have to be with pisces on this one...having enough money to meet your basic needs is an essential
i am currently unemployed...have no health insurance...and am wondering why i didn't go straight to grad school like every other person with any kind of practicality
the good news is that i have work lined up for the summer...thank god for summer camps. the bad news is that i am sick of begging people to let me sleep on their floor for indeterminate amounts of time. but somebody told me that sleeping on the floor is good for your back...so i'm clinging to that as justification for my non-ideal living situations.

[MissK8]

Library Assistant at a university.

I do their cataloging, archives, and ordering/acquisitions of new materials, plus special projects. (also a note: I commute 1 hour each way until I move). I get paid 26k but it's still not enough for being near a big city. Don't want to get a roommate when I move out of the 'rents house, so I have now decided to stay at home long enough (until Nov.) to pay off my car which should free up some money.

26k doesn't go as far as one would think it does when there is a car loan, a student loan, high car insurance for being near a big city, etc. And I don't even have any credit card debt!!!! good thing, I guess.

[heatherf]

I think it's so funny how we keep having the same threads over and over on this site!

MOD: Can't we just do one of these kind (what's your degree, job, salary) that just stays up constantly?

I wanna see CK respond to this kind and he never does!

I am an Assistant Planner for a City, not hard to guess which,(doing development, urban planning etc) and I make 50k or $23 and some change an hour, plus tons of benefits and vacations.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job! (note that simply because I love my job, does not mean that I love all of my co-workers).

[Crimson King II]

Why the interest in MY salary and such heather???

:cool:

[Mn84evR]

I'll be (starting new job on friday) a customer service rep (part time) so i'll be making less then 20K

I don't like it, i want a career, i want to move on with my life. I'll also be 26 on friday. I keep thinking to myself. I'm going to be 26, what do i want to do with my life.

Money isn't everything, i definately agree with that, but, it does ease the stress of worrying about food, clothing, shelter. And anything that helps me stress less is a good thing.

I was thinking of just going to bartending school, then working at clubs on the weekends, that would probably help supliment my income quite abit :)

[cheshrcarol]

I'm an account manager for a company that publishes marketing material for 401k providers, banks and health ins. companies. Layback, I bet we've worked with your company - ever heard of Newkirk?

Oh, and I make just about 30k.

[LakeJay]

random thought...but I didn't know how many people were involved in benefits work. I do data management for a human resources outsourcing firm for Fortune 500 companies. We do 401Ks, Pensions, Health & welfare, etc.

I never really feel comfortable with talking about salary but since everyone is being open, let's say I make in the 40 - 60k range.

[Crimson King II]

Ranges are good....I can be vague enough doing ranges.

My full-time title is Senior Associate Attorney (which just means I've been here longer than any others other than the partners). I'm an employment law attorney representing Plaintiffs. My salary is a base plus a percentage of the attorney fees we recover on cases I work. In addition, I have two other sources of income- A 15% interest in a little sports grill in a small town near the Oklahoma/Kansas border (a friend from college got me into that, and he lives there so he watches over it), and a rental property that I own and rent which only nets me a few hundred dollars per month. I've also got a small ownership interest in an import-export company another friend owns, but it's not profitable yet. When all the debits and credits are finished THIS year I will gross between 80k and 100k, which is a steep increase from LAST year, but isn't guaranteed NEXT year either, given a large chunk is based on my bonus structure. In other words, it may be 80-100, but it's a soft 80-100 and I'm not considering myself financially stable just yet....there's still longevity to consider.

And I agree with Layback. There are days and weeks where you couldn't pay me enough to enjoy or even like practicing law.

Is that sufficient heather?

[heatherf]

Yes Ck it's just fine....I was simply curious. And you know what they say about curiosity...

It's was just that this type of thread has come up quite a bit and I don't ever remember you responding (not that you have to).

How long have you been practicing law?

Just wondering about that too....

[Crimson King II]

Since I was 9! Just kidding.

Two years.

[heatherf]

So what is the deal then- high turn over at your firm...if you are the Senior. I'm guessing it's a rather small firm too.

[Crimson King II]

We're a small firm. There's not really a high turnover...I just got in on the ground floor when the partners were just starting up. I am associate #2. #1 has since left, and we've hired associates #3-4. But I asked for the "Senior" title just to squeeze an additional "thing" out during raise talks last year. In the legal field it absolutely means zilch. But it looked good on my business card for the non-lawyers and ladies I was chatting with at the time.

[heatherf]

Heck yeah it does! I was impressed!!

[pluie76]

No job yet but when I graduate next month with my master's in structural engineering and start working it should be somewhere in the 46-52K range. I guess my title will be something like "Structural Engineer" or "Engineer-in-Training" since I passed my fun little 8 hour test that qualifies me. Bring on the money! I could use it!

[Crimson King II]

Ok, then let's keep it between us, so that I can continue to impress when I need to. That's actually the response I generally get..."Senior Associate? What are you, like, superlawyer?" No...just creative.

[Layback]

I agree that making $20k sucks. My point is this though (and it's going to sound unfairly harsh) - if you are making $20k and you hate your job, quit. You are living below the poverty level anyway. You would be far better off pursuing someting that you are passinate about and making $20k. When you love what you do, you are exceptional at it. No one can do your job better, and the monetary rewards follow. Do what you love, the money will come. (Please - I know how harsh this sounds when you are struggling with hapiness and bills - forgive me if I am oversimplifying it).

These days I a trying to parlay what I have learned into something I am passionate about. Just got my first rejection letter from The North Face. I sent them an email back and told them in not so many words that it would be a mistake to not hire me. I told them to give me a thirty minute interview so that I could prove to them why I was born to sell for them. We'll see how it goes...

People, you are going to die someday. Forget about money and what society has told you you should be. Listen to your heart. Pursue the dreams that you have created for yourself. Don't sell out.

[tarawvu]

Layback,
While I can see where you are coming from it is a lot easier said than done. I've dreamed of writing since I was a kid. I can remember playing radio station w/ my younger brother. We would record ourselves on a Fisher Price tape player and play it back. This is something I've always known I wanted to do and while I do like it, it simply doesn't pay the bills. There are also a lot of other outside reasons as to why I'm so bitter about the salary I make. I posted in a thread a while back when they hired a guy w/ less experience than me and paid him more and then told me they didn't have to justify it. Anyway, I really would like to find another job that lets me write but the job market isn't exactly thriving which makes it even harder just to quit.

[pittgirl]

Tarawvu, have you looked into the radio stations in Pittsburgh? I actually know a few of them are always hiring, that could be a big step up!

[tarawvu]

Hey Pittgirl...which ones are hiring?? I'd actually love to move to Pittsburgh...it's closer to where I'm actually from anyway...Wheeling.

[pittgirl]

tarawvu..check your pm's!