average salary

[Anonymous]

i know (intellectually) that making a lot of money is not the most important thing. however, when it's time for the rent....

i graduated from college 2 years ago (now 24) deferred grad school and now can't see going back yet as i've gained some perspective. currently, i work in the non-profit field and can't help but feel like an underachiever when i think about all of my friends that are making tons of money in the business world. i sometimes feel that going to college was a huge waste of time.

i was wondering what are the average salaries of people that are not in business or technology fields. for the most part, i'm hoping this will help me gain some perspective.

non-profit is enabling me to bring home $28K.

[Dorian]

I work as a clerk in medical records in a hospital and I make $9.31 an hour - I think that is roughly $20k/yr - I have a bachelors degree in communications and this is the best job that I have been able to find. Hope this helps.

[Mermaid]

Working as Promotions Manager for a record label, I brought home a paltry $20k a year. I couldn't survive on it.

[Anonymous]

I just graduated this year. I have not found a job yet. My degree is in Communications and Marketing. I'm hoping to do some PR related work. Most of the jobs I've been offered are very entry-level (even with my degree!) and are between $22,000 - $26,000. I am trying to hold out for $30,000 but I don't know how realistic that is. I'll probably take the next job that I am offered.

I hope this helps and I would also like to know how other people are doing. Do I even have realistic expectations?!?!?!

[TosaGirl]

Right now I am getting 27K, and I have my Masters Degree in Community Counseling, however I am doing a bachelors level job. In my state in order to get into the field I actually went to school for I need to first obtain 3000 post grad hours, so I don't really get paid what I am worth yet. However, I can say at least for Wisconsin I think what I am making is average for the social service field. I know I have friends who went for computers and are making 30-40K a year. Its not fair as we are needed more (for the mental health of society), but we get paid less! So I understand!

[Griffin]

I am 26 years old and nearly three years out of grad school (masters degree in social work) I am making about 53k per year as a part of a group practice. However, to make that salary, I have to work long hours! I typically work about a 60 hour work week. (Attorneys work this type of week, but start at a salary double that of what I am making.) My first two jobs out of grad school, working as a child and family therapist, paid 30K and 32K respectively. My present job pays alot more because I am working in a group practice and we are certainly for-profit. We also do a lot of work for major corporations. Therefore, I think that your salary, regardless of your age and educational background is goind to depend on two things: who you work for and how creative you can be with finding ways to make money with whatever skills/degree that you have.

[larry1019]

I know what you mean. I graduated with a B.A. in Communication/Public Relations about a year and a half ago and I always thought I wanted to do PR work. I did three major internships that I thought would help me get a job after graduation. But it was so tough because PR employers want "X" amount of YEARS of experience. I ultimately ended up with my current job as a University Admission Counselor for a college here. I work-studied in my college's Admissions Office so I knew what it was all about. I really like what I do now because I work consistently with teens (students) and twentysomethings (colleagues) so I don't feel so "old". But the salary isn't that good because it isn't in the corporate sector- starting salary is generally $21,000-$26,000 -but you do get graduate school paid for so that is a plus. But any college graduate (except in information systems/technology) who expects to be paid near $30,000 starting will be sorely disappointed.

[Beckyann]

I'm 25 (next week...) and I work for a non-profit, making just under 30K. I too struggle with a desire to make more money, contrasted with the knowledge that I work for a great company, I like what I'm doing and derive significant personal satisfaction from my work. And I have many perks that I wouldn't have in a job where I was making more money, so I've decided to be content with a scaled down lifestyle for a while.
But I did want to say something about our reasons for going to college. I went to a liberal arts college, and I saw my education in a more classic sense of becoming a well-rounded, well-educated individual, not necessarily getting vocational training. What's the point of college-to get a job or to get a better understanding of the big picture of life and the world? Society and our parents and whoever else have led us to believe that college is all about preparation for getting a job, but for me it was a lot less practical than that. I'm just learning the practical side of working and living day to day as I go along here, and maybe that's where the difficulty is for so many of us. We think college will prepare us for practical living, and that's a false expectation.

[gwh20]

Believe me, I'm in the same situation. I too work for a non-profit organization. I graduated w/ a B.S. in geology in 1996 (it took me 7 years to decide on a degree and graduate). Then I decided to take the route of grad school, which took several more years.
I've been w/ this organization now for 2 1/2 years. Starting salary was $26K. Now I'm making $30K. I'm hoping to get a decent raise at the end of this year, but working for a non-profit organization limits the amount of money available they can give you.
I see that most of the people my age are making considerably more on the salary front. It's very disappointing, but you have to start somewhere. Just remember you are not alone and other jobs will come around.

[Anonymous]

Gee, I should work for a non-profit organization. You're making a hell of a lot more money than me. I have a degree in Finacne, been out of school for two years and bring home almost $18,000. Trust me your life you could be far worse. It could me mine.

[Anonymous]

thanks so much to all of you that have responded. i posted the original message a few weeks ago. hearing how it is in ohter fields as well as non profits has been helpful in giving me a new perspectiver. i realize that there are a ton of benefits (especially intrinisic) with my job.

the post about expectations of going to college was also really helpful. in my household, going to college was what you did to ensure you had a "place" in the world and didn't end up with a minimum wage job. looking back over my college years, i've learned a lot about who i am in addition to book knowledge.

as the commericial goes..that is priceless.

thanks again.

[cwm73]

Maybe a few more years of gained perspective...

I started at around $24K right out of school as a tech writer. That's about an average starting salary for most college grads. Since the economy was so good for so long many kids felt entitled to more, but the booming economy is now busting because it was artificial and unrealistic. Mid-20's is fine to start with. I'm at $40K now (after 4 years) so, depending on the industry, it will get better. You mentioned you're working in non-profit though, and the simple fact is that there's always a lot less money there, both for employees and the organization as a whole. The same can be said for local and state human-services departments. They don't have cash flows into the billions like private-sector companies do. Don't worry, just buy Miller Lite instead of Sam Adam's.

[crazy-girl]

I made $17,000 my first year out of college as a television news producer. Now with three years of experience I bring home about $26,000. The cost of living in my town is very high so it's hard to do anything more than just "get by". I haven't taken a fun vacation with friends since college. I don't get to buy a lot of "wants" I have to stick to the "needs" and even then I have to borrow money from mom & dad when my old and crappy car needs repairs.

[nikkinikki]

i'm happy that i will be finally clearing $10 an hour in november (not really happy but hey). i'm also in the not-for-profit sector, but i am still working on my degree. spouse is making mid-20s a year as of this past spring. he has no degree but tons of work experience. i have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that if i ever clear 40k in one year on my own, it'll be from hitting the lottery. more and more the degrees we so desperately seek mean less and less as far as income. i am glad sort of that my path is containing both school and work. i work full time but attend college part-time. i feel like i am getting practical knowledge right along with the theory. i also commute to school, so no dorm living here, all on me and spouse to support ourselves. no money from mommy and daddy, and i am quite proud to say we've never asked (tho i've come close once or twice). i do need dad to co-app on loans as spouse credit was shot before we met. oh well. maybe it's time for a new way of gaining an education. i think it is very beneficial to work and school at the same time to get your "real world" legs (tho i would concede some college majors it would be very difficult to do this with). maybe there won't be such a rude shock to the system after finishing school. just a thought /phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that the salary you start with does not have to be the salary that you leave with.

I took an administrative/sales position for $24K. Within a year, I had proven my worth many times over and negotiated 3 raises. When I left that company (about a year and a half after starting) I was making $33K and managing my division.

Be proactive! Know what you're capable of and prove it. If you're hired on at $20K, do $30K quality of work and present the results to your boss. You might be surprised at what you can get. /phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif

Good luck!
Stefanie

[peblopeet]

I had a terrible time finding any kind of work after graduation. I got a job working at a factory for a few weeks, but quit after setting several fires in one afternoon. I finally ended up getting a position with an AmeriCorps site. It's really nice getting to work with children and aiding in community improvement, but I cannot hack the money I'm earning. I usually end up working about 65 hours a week and am taking home a little less than three dollars an hour. I'm living in a single room apartment at a bar and can't even afford to drink there. My friends are all earning in the mid twenties and higher and I just feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I don't know how relevant this is, I guess I just feel like venting.

[crazywillie]

One of the things that I believe when it comes to making more $$ is working in small companies. If you want to make more money quick, get out of large companies for a few reasons:

1. It is hard to shine and rise above the rest when there are thousands of people working

2. If you are a great worker you will have more leverage in a small company with raises, whereas in large companies many times there are caps as to how high your raise can be.


I am speaking form experience here. My first job was in a 7 person company, I got 2 18% raises in one year. Now I work in a huge company and my raise was only VERY LOW single digits. Why? Because in large companies there is too much bureaucracy (sp?) to get a rediculous raise.

There are more risks with smaller companies (finances, stability of the business, getting bought out by larger companies, really long hours) but for some of us it is worth the risk.

Good luck.

[sweasel]

I'm not sure if I agree with crazywillie's small company vs. large company salary post. Large companies usually have more resources and the money to pay their employees more. Also, large companies can sometimes offer better benefits packages. Then again, you are just a numbered worker bee at the large company. If you think your company can afford it (and you think you deserve it), why don't you ask for a raise? Just some thoughts on the whole annoying salary situation and being a twentysomething.

[Phoenix]

I'm with sweasal on this one... esp. w/ the comment on benefits. Also, if your boss is crappy and he/she owns the company...who are you going to complain to??? At least at a large company, in most cases, you have an HR dept or someone besides your immediate boss to put in a complaint with.

[Mariem]

I'm thinking about getting into the non-profit sector. Right now I work in marketing for a financial firm and I HATE IT. I make $34,000 but it's totally not worth it for me since I dread going to work. I'm thinking of quitting by mid-May and waitressing to make ends meet until I find a more satisfying job. I've been working here for a year and a half, and now I'm miserable. I've been reading "Do What You Are" and doing all of the exercises in it for a few weeks now. I'm getting a lot out of it. I'm leaning towards a social service career (which agrees with what the book tells me I shod be doing). My question is, do you enjoy your work and do recommend it for me?

Any advice is appreciated!

[Ans]

I make about 85k/yr as a University of Texas drop out as a Systems admin and freelance consultant. I'm 26. I know it seems like I would be happy making so much, but guess what, I'm not. I know the advise of "money doesn't mean everything" usually comes from people who don't make any, but trust me, money will not somehow make you happy.

You buy all the junk you want, then what?

What are you waiting for?

What are you looking forward towards? Retirement?

[CAT11]

I am glad I found this post. While I am struggling with what to do, unemployed, living off my savings, my bf makes 85k at a computer company, riding scooters, going to office movies, and eating licorice. I know he works hard, when they work, and sometimes 80 hrs a weeks, but it seems really unrealistic. I have been comparing myself to him, which I need to stop doing. He graduated from college, took a few months off, and started making 280k working for Lucent right out of college.
Go figure. I can't even find a waitressing job. :)

[scorpstar]

I'm here in support of the money isn't everything people. Look, I'm no millionaire (far from it!!). I just finished grad school 2 years ago, and I've been working full-time as a public school teacher ever since. I make 33K. I hate my job. Not the kids, mind - I love my students - just the whole teaching part where I have to make lesson plans and discipline and whatnot. Anyway. I've decided to not teach next year. I hope to pursue another interest of mine in the editorial field. I will be entry-level, and I expect to take a significant pay cut, but I just want to be happy in what I do! After all, I spend the majority of my time at work. Now, I'd be lying if I said I'm not scared. I'm terrified that I'm not going to be able to make rent and pay all my bills and still eat on a new salary (when I get one). I live in an area with a pretty damn high cost-of-living. But it's so much more important to find something fulfilling for an occupation....

I'm quite aware that not everyone would agree with me. The fact is that no matter what we wish, money DOES matter. But if you had to choose between a job that paid 70K that you hated and one that paid 25K that you loved, which would you choose? Then you have to ask yourself why you made that choice.

[Jayesh]

I had a few comments
I so much agree with scorpstar comments. It is soo much important to work at a low-paying job that you like than work at a high paying one that you hate. And know what, if you truly love your job, you will excel at it, and your bosses will have to give you a raise!!

Regarding crazywillie's comments, are you sure you are not comparing a job before the recession against a job after the recesion. Because as far as I know, every body was giving outpay raises like they were peanuts , but after the economy collapsed, the raises dried up.

I hav a friend working as a programmer, and he wanted to change jobs somewhere around Oct 2000. well he go a new job and went from earning 80K(which is pretty good to being with) to 100K!! Can you imagine a guy with 6 years experience earning 100K??

However, the economy crashed and he got laid off, and he came back to 80

[nyc girl]

i am 4 years out of college and it took me this long to break the "entry level" barrier......

i make $40,000 and with the cost of living in nyc that isn't much

glad to see i am not the only one - i thought everyone around me was living large! guess its all talk

[Solo]

When I was stiil in college, I looked forward to making $40K. I thought that was so much money. I thought I would finally be able to buy what I wanted. Then I woke up.

Man, I now make about $60K per year and it's nothing. Because after taxes, insurance, 401(k), and all those other deductions, you don't take home much. It's really a raw deal.

Of course it doesn't help that my wife spends most of it on home decor type stuff. We spend so recklessly. We've been to a financial advisor but it didn't really help. We can't stick to any plan.

Ooh, I gotta go, I think my wife is home :(

[True-Believer]

I can see its so unique for each person. I graduated 2 years ago w/ a BS in Mass Communications/Public Relations w/a minor in Marketing.

I think I was really un/lucky with my first job. I had landed the job right before I graduated... PR Specialist in a hi-tech (e-business). I was offered $33K! I thought it was the best thing ever!! Most of my friends were scrambling looking for jobs and the few that found them in the PR/Mktg field were offered mid-20's.
However, I had only been working w/ that company for about 6 months when they got bought out by a bigger hi-tech.... and guess what.... yup, the entire Marketing dept got laid off! I was kind of glad b/c I made some great friends there and I realized I wasn't really happy updating the website and clipping press clips every day.
But I was out of work for 4 months! And that sucked, I had to live at home w/ the rents.

I found the job I have now though... just got a raise on my one year anniversary, so now I'm making 37K (started at 34K). It's a marketing/communications job... easy and the people are cool. But 37K is hard to live on!! And I'm realizing now that my job is kind of redundant, and I spend some afternoons looking at the classifieds to see what else is out there. I'm hoping something will catch my eye (and hopefully pay more money)!

[MissKitty]

My salary is way below what I should be earning with a BA in art and education. I don't even want to embarass myself by mentioning how little I make! My husband is a full time student this year, and I am the big breadwinner now(what a laugh).
Last year my husband and I brought in $27,000 jointly. He worked as a landscaper and I was at my present job of managing a bookstore/artist supply store for a post secondary technical school.
Fortunately, we live in a city with a very low cost of living so we are getting by OK.
I'm due for a raise in July and after having been here for two years I hope to get a substantial increase in pay and benefits. Fortunately, my husband has a full tuition waiver for his education as long as I stay employed for this school, so that is a huge reason why I am still settling for such a minimal pay.

~MissKitty

[ljrgoingcrazy]

I am in the accounting field.
I just busted my butt for the last two years getting extra school done, studying for the CPA exam, getting the necessary experience... all because the rumours among my accounting friends were that your pay would double once you became a CPA.

I am now a Certified Public Accountant. I got no raise. I am still making only $36,000 a year. The only difference is that I am now in major credit card debt from all of my sacrifices in the last year. This sucks!!

[DestinysChoice7]

[I'm leaning towards a social service career (which agrees with what the book tells me I shod be doing). My question is, do you enjoy your work and do recommend it for me?

Any advice is appreciated! [/B][/QUOTE]

The social service field can be very satisfying and very frustrating all at the same time :)
I am a rehabilitation counselor, which took a BA in Psych and a Masters in Rehab. Counseling to get to. I got my Masters 1 year ago and am working for a Private, For profit company. I am making about 50-55k/yr, with bonuses. Do I LOVE my job? Some days..when I really help someone. I am pretty lucky though, the company has been great and just gave me a nice unexpected raise, prior to a guaranteed raise at the year mark in June. But I realize I am very lucky to be making this much in a social service field...b/c if you should know one thing, it is that the social services do not usually pay much, especially non-profit. However, there are not too many other fields where you can really affect the lives of others. So there can be alot of fullfillment in it. You just have to know what is important to you...to me it was always that "I wanted to help people and make a postive difference in someone's life"...on the reality side, you have to come to terms that you don't see that all the time, it is more the rarity...but when you do get that thank you and that client that tears up b/c they didn't know what they would have done without your assistance.....that makes up for the little salary you may be getting.
Just my thoughts, maybe too sappy for some, but hey, that's how us counselors are...at least the good ones! :p

[girl853]

Sorry I am just catching up (have been away) and had to comment. I think someone earlier in this thread made a brilliant observation that you have to choose:

1. low-paying satisfying job
2. well-paying job that you hate

This is so true! My question is why? Why can't jobs exist that pay well and provide some personal satisfaction. Sadly enough I think we have created this dilemma ourselves. People are willing to take a paycut to get a more enjoyable job & employers realize this. Maybe we need to unite & stop accepting this! Just a thought. I guess until then many of us (including myself) will go to our decently well-paying jobs & hate ourselves for it.

[eeyore]

Hi everyone-

I just wanted to say that money isn't everything. You know, you really have to think about the fact that you may be doing this for the rest of your life. And it's really sad to hear how miserable people are feeling about their careers. I just wanted to let you all know that there are lots of teaching jobs in Los Angeles. The entire county is looking for teachers and all you need is a bachelors degree and you need to pass the CBEST, which tests basic math and writing skills. I was a teacher last year and they hired me in November since a few teachers hated the position. I had to give it up this year because I had always wanted to go back to grad school and I ended up getting accepted. I'm telling you, they really need teachers. And it's a really rewarding profession. The starting pay is around $38,000 and that's just the first year. If I had stayed and gotten my credential I think my pay would have been like $43,000. The great thing is that you would be able to take classes to earn your credential while teaching and you can work with just an Emergency permit. You don't need to go and earn all your teaching units before you start working. I'm not saying it's an easy profession (the first year is the hardest) but I do believe that if you love kids, this would be great. Well, this was just a thought for those of you who don't like your jobs. God bless.
;)

[sunbear]

Hi there,
Girl853- I liked your point. It's the invisible hand theory- basic economics working itself into the workplace. The jobs showing most satisfaction, ie. jobs showing the most promise salary wise, is the most competative, the employers know it and DO take advantage of it.
Starting out, balancing the salaries and job fulfillment is not an easy thing to do. And I don't think "we are" doing it- it seems as if it has been this way when we're walking into it- hence the phrase "don't rock the boat". I know where you are coming from, and I totally agree. It's worth a pay cut if you love your job that much more.
Anyways, from what I understand is that the more "valuable" you are to your industry is going to determine what the employees are willing to pay you. The tricky part is how to market ourselves and who to market ourselves to.

Look good sister, love alone will pay your bills. Work hard brother, love alone will pay your bills. Evening is the color of your soul- Big Head Todd and the Monsters

[greene54]

To me, money is one of the last things on the list of priorites in my life. I really think it's a mistake when people use income as a guideline for what a good career is, or what a good life is. But so money people are stuck thinking that way. I look back out on the main page, and it's obvious when you see that of all the threads out there, the one that has the overwhelming majority of replies is the one that has to do with money.

[MrEMann]

I used to think that money wasn't the most important thing in the world, but that was before I became flat broke. When you're only making 20K a year, suddenly money seems so much more important than anything else. If I had known how difficult it is to make money at an earlier age, I might have worked harder and would not be in the sad financial state I'm in now. Anyways, hopefully I've learned from the mistakes of the past, and will succeed now that I have been given a second chance to put things right (I've moved back in with my parents and will be studying to become a paralegal).

[crazy-girl]

MrEMann,

I hear ya. For my first 2 years out of college I didn't make over 20K a year. I don't think it really has much to do with the trying. Most of life is luck and knowing the right people. I did very well in college but just took a different road in that damned yellow woods and that has made all the difference.

Now I'm making a whopping 25,000 a year. Wooo Hooo. I'm living the high life. OK, not really.


Just know you're not the only one working for nothin'. One question: Has the low salary turned you into a salary rain man? It has for me. I'm obsessed with how much money people make. I know practically everyone's salary. I'm like "A marking coordinator, definately, definately makes 10,000 more than me. At least 35,000 a year, 35,000 a year"

[Boston_Babbler]

I think the lines on this subject are very fuzzy. There are many psychological issues surrounding salary, work identities and job meaning.

I loved being a journalist but I made 20K. My high was 25K. Could not live on it. I did not live at home after college because that was not an option.

Now I'm in PR and I don't like it as much. I make 31K, which is still hard to live on. It's one of those dirty secrets that even in cities, some salaries are just as low as they would be elsewhere.

It's also a taboo thing to talk about salaries in college. I wish the professionals who visited/taught my classes talked about their struggles w/ salary when they started their careers. It makes you feel so alone.

You feel like you are being immoral for wanting more money. If I didn't have to worry about money, I would be a fiction writer, actor or artist. It's all about compromise and waiting.

Forever feeling like a flack or hack, whatever the case may be. Sigh.

For those of you who have been patient and have been rewarded, congrats. It seems like in some industries (or simply in today's economy) you have to leave a job to make more money.

I'm trying to hold on to the little hope I have left. I am pursuing my master's degree now, which will stimulate my brain but do nothing for my salary.

Has anyone taken a high-paying job (could range from 40K to 80K) that they didn't want just to stay afloat for awhile and then gone back to do what they love? Is anyone thinking about this transition or in the middle of it?

Babs

[Boston_Babbler]

Oh yes, I'm 26 by the way.

[Mermaid]

Crazywillie,

Wow, I posted one of the first messages in this thread last year; didn't even remember it when I checked in with it again.

Anyway, the whole small co. vs. large co. things seems like an odd theory. I worked at a small, indie record label owned and bankrolled by a millionaire. We were nominated for Grammys and had some of the top-selling artists in our genré, yet I still made only 20k. Under the title of Promotions Manager, I did the job of ten people, had my own office and took business trips, but my tight-wad boss funneled all his money into a fat savings account and not his employees' paychecks. My christmas bonus one year was a pair of candlesticks bought at a discount store. Believe it or not, I had to clock out for lunch! I think you have a much higher chance to advance salary-wise at a larger company.

PS -- I'm 26.