How much money do you see yourself realistically making ten years from now?

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Special K
Are there ANY other engineers posting in this thread? If so, do ANY of them that see any possible way to make big $$? Argh, I think reality hit me in the face much sooner than my other college friends. I knew a guy with an english major who was convinced he would be able to get a job soon after graduation paying $200k because his uncle's friends son did or some other BS.

Depends on what you mean by big $$
If you mean well above the national average and generally considered well off - then yes, it's very possible, and even likely.

If you mean being a millionaire or even breaking 6 figures/year before you hit 30, then no, it's not very likely. It can happen - particularly if you choose the right specialization in the right market, etc. But not likely.

FWIW I broke 6 figures about 12 years after finishing my masters - that's in the aerospace industry with an m.s. and a security clearance in an area with a moderate cost of living (Colorado Springs) and alot of competition for people with my skills. The downside is there are probably only about 6 or 8 areas of the country where I could hope to get a good job in my area of expertise - maybe fewer. At my company, with about 90% of our people in high cost of living areas, the pay seems to level off around $150K - that will likely go up at about the rate of inflation. Across all engineering disciplines, I would guess I'm in the top 10% of my undergrad class.

I have no doubt I could pass $100k as an engineer. I am familiar with the pay scales at a couple of big engineering companies, and they cap out at $170k and $200k. I don't know how representative that is of the industry as a whole, but I would imagine the companies stay relatively close to their competitors in terms of salary and benefits.

That sounds high to me - my company has a reputation for paying very well for the aerospace industry. I've seen scatter charts of the salaries of our entire technical staff and saw very few in that range. And most of our staff is in high cost of living areas. I'll take a closer look tomorrow.

I guess the more interesting question raised by this thread, at least for me anyway, is how much money is required for happiness? I have been a student my whole life so far so I really have no idea how much it would take. Would I be 4x happier with $400k/year than with $100k?

If you define your happiness by how much money you make, you'll never be happy. Some of the happiest and most succesful people I've known were dirt poor.

All I know is I get EXTREMELY bitter when people start talking about money, particularly when it's people in fields that traditionally make more than mine.

Honestly I think I'd find something to bitch about no matter what field I had gone into. If I weren't complaining about the "low" pay (i.e. < $500k), then I would be complaining about the long hours and/or how boring the job is.

Does the sun rise in the east in your world also?

Seriously - you need a reality check. The median income in the US is about $40K. Describing less then $500K as "low" income is just absurd.

One of my friend make $91K per annum (in 2000) as a composite consultant/engineer contractor for Boeing in Seattle (don?t know what he is making now because we haven?t talked much since his relationship with my sister didn?t turn out).

What are his degrees? How old?

 

[voodoodrul]

Oh.. and the most successful people I know either don't have a degree at all or were handed a good cushy job by friends/connections. Almost none of them who have a degree will use it to any extent.

I could finish my C.S. degree, but what's the point? I already work at the only software company I can here and I've already taken the classes the count. My programming portfolio is worth more than the degree.

Growl.. I just really think this thread needs a reality check. It's completely unrealistic to expect to make more than double the national average with even a master's degree. In almost any field.

Unless you are in a special medical field or you're a lawyer, you will not be making more than $60k/year.. Unless someone wants to do you a favor and give you a BS position at a company where you can golf all day and sip coffee..

The harder/smarter you work, the less you get paid. I don't know anyone making big dollars that really *does* anything of value or anything I would consider hard work.. This applies to Southern California more than any other place in the world..

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
I live in Montana, which is by *far* under the national average for even median income. National average is $36k/year. Our state is $26k/year. Lets just say that I'm considered "well paid" by a lot of friends who have had to work in this economy here and I don't make much more than $30k including overtime and on-call work. College students hear the salaries of $80k/year in other places and assume the will make that here. What a reality check when that doesn't happen..

Well, it's not as if they can't leave Montana. This is more a case of those college students limiting themselves, rather than having unrealistic goals.

 

[kyparrish]

Originally posted by: S Freud

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Either I'm in the wrong line of work, or there are a shitton of people on here that lie to themselves and others.

Exactly what I was thinking. :thumbsup:

 

[QurazyQuisp]

I have not the slightest clue as to how much money I'll be making in 10 years, I can have hopes and dreams, but I still have no clue. I'm a sophomore in college. Assuming I follow the path of my father, I probably will be making enough money to make me happy, but it is hard to say. I'd like to say in 10 years I will have finished both a masters and a Ph.D, but life turns quickly and at this point, I'm not going to predict my future, anything is open. I'd like to be the owner a business as I've had quite a bit of success so far on business ventures, but again, 10 years is a long time, and it is more then half the years I've spent on this earth so far.

 

[JinLien]

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Special K
Are there ANY other engineers posting in this thread? If so, do ANY of them that see any possible way to make big $$? Argh, I think reality hit me in the face much sooner than my other college friends. I knew a guy with an english major who was convinced he would be able to get a job soon after graduation paying $200k because his uncle's friends son did or some other BS.

Depends on what you mean by big $$
If you mean well above the national average and generally considered well off - then yes, it's very possible, and even likely.

If you mean being a millionaire or even breaking 6 figures/year before you hit 30, then no, it's not very likely. It can happen - particularly if you choose the right specialization in the right market, etc. But not likely.

FWIW I broke 6 figures about 12 years after finishing my masters - that's in the aerospace industry with an m.s. and a security clearance in an area with a moderate cost of living (Colorado Springs) and alot of competition for people with my skills. The downside is there are probably only about 6 or 8 areas of the country where I could hope to get a good job in my area of expertise - maybe fewer. At my company, with about 90% of our people in high cost of living areas, the pay seems to level off around $150K - that will likely go up at about the rate of inflation. Across all engineering disciplines, I would guess I'm in the top 10% of my undergrad class.

I have no doubt I could pass $100k as an engineer. I am familiar with the pay scales at a couple of big engineering companies, and they cap out at $170k and $200k. I don't know how representative that is of the industry as a whole, but I would imagine the companies stay relatively close to their competitors in terms of salary and benefits.

That sounds high to me - my company has a reputation for paying very well for the aerospace industry. I've seen scatter charts of the salaries of our entire technical staff and saw very few in that range. And most of our staff is in high cost of living areas. I'll take a closer look tomorrow.

I guess the more interesting question raised by this thread, at least for me anyway, is how much money is required for happiness? I have been a student my whole life so far so I really have no idea how much it would take. Would I be 4x happier with $400k/year than with $100k?

If you define your happiness by how much money you make, you'll never be happy. Some of the happiest and most succesful people I've known were dirt poor.

All I know is I get EXTREMELY bitter when people start talking about money, particularly when it's people in fields that traditionally make more than mine.

Honestly I think I'd find something to bitch about no matter what field I had gone into. If I weren't complaining about the "low" pay (i.e. < $500k), then I would be complaining about the long hours and/or how boring the job is.

Does the sun rise in the east in your world also?

Seriously - you need a reality check. The median income in the US is about $40K. Describing less then $500K as "low" income is just absurd.

One of my friend make $91K per annum (in 2000) as a composite consultant/engineer contractor for Boeing in Seattle (don?t know what he is making now because we haven?t talked much since his relationship with my sister didn?t turn out).

What are his degrees? How old?

Composite Eng grad 1994 (he was my best college friend when I did my first deg in industrial design).

 

[IamElectro]

75-80k

 

[swaq]

$80k+ as a software engineer here, hopefully

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
Oh.. and the most successful people I know either don't have a degree at all or were handed a good cushy job by friends/connections. Almost none of them who have a degree will use it to any extent.

I could finish my C.S. degree, but what's the point? I already work at the only software company I can here and I've already taken the classes the count. My programming portfolio is worth more than the degree.

Growl.. I just really think this thread needs a reality check. It's completely unrealistic to expect to make more than double the national average with even a master's degree. In almost any field.

Unless you are in a special medical field or you're a lawyer, you will not be making more than $60k/year.. Unless someone wants to do you a favor and give you a BS position at a company where you can golf all day and sip coffee..

The harder/smarter you work, the less you get paid. I don't know anyone making big dollars that really *does* anything of value or anything I would consider hard work.. This applies to Southern California more than any other place in the world..

has it ever occurred to you that most of the people posting here probably don't live in areas with low salaries like montana? i was making way more than the national average straight out with my compsci bachelors. my friends and i all started at around 60k. that is absolutely typical where i live, for software engineers.

and you're wrong about hard work... do you think lawyers and business people get divorces just for kicks?

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
You are all completely out of touch with more than 99.9999% of the world and you're only talking about the upper 1% of the US population.

This thread is hyper-inflated BS.

Most people will never see $1 million dollars in their entire lifetime. That's how reality works. Most people will make between $30-50k. You can't even make the $30k unless you have a respectable experience background where I live. Respectible background does not mean a degree. 2-3 years work experience means more a 4 year degree.

I, for one, will be happy to even qualify to own a house. Right now, I couldn't even make the payments on a $160,000 house on a 30 year term.

If you make more than $100k/year or have more than $1000/mo disposable income, please quit comparing yourself to others and live life. It's not about the money when you make MUCH more than you need to survive.

Anyway, try working hard for many years in a "good" field and then find yourself with no health insurance (because of cost) and no retirement savings.

Call me jealous all you want, but if it were so simple to make that much without getting a hand-out from your daddy's friends at work, we'd all be making the big dollars.

/rant

you live in fvcking montana, most people on ATOT live in, you know... cities

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
Oh.. and the most successful people I know either don't have a degree at all or were handed a good cushy job by friends/connections. Almost none of them who have a degree will use it to any extent.

I could finish my C.S. degree, but what's the point? I already work at the only software company I can here and I've already taken the classes the count. My programming portfolio is worth more than the degree.

Growl.. I just really think this thread needs a reality check. It's completely unrealistic to expect to make more than double the national average with even a master's degree. In almost any field.

Unless you are in a special medical field or you're a lawyer, you will not be making more than $60k/year.. Unless someone wants to do you a favor and give you a BS position at a company where you can golf all day and sip coffee..

The harder/smarter you work, the less you get paid. I don't know anyone making big dollars that really *does* anything of value or anything I would consider hard work.. This applies to Southern California more than any other place in the world..

Alright, now even I would dispute that one. I was offered a position at Intel for $60k straight out of undergrad, I would like to think after working there several years my salary would go up from there.

 

[voodoodrul]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
Oh.. and the most successful people I know either don't have a degree at all or were handed a good cushy job by friends/connections. Almost none of them who have a degree will use it to any extent.

I could finish my C.S. degree, but what's the point? I already work at the only software company I can here and I've already taken the classes the count. My programming portfolio is worth more than the degree.

Growl.. I just really think this thread needs a reality check. It's completely unrealistic to expect to make more than double the national average with even a master's degree. In almost any field.

Unless you are in a special medical field or you're a lawyer, you will not be making more than $60k/year.. Unless someone wants to do you a favor and give you a BS position at a company where you can golf all day and sip coffee..

The harder/smarter you work, the less you get paid. I don't know anyone making big dollars that really *does* anything of value or anything I would consider hard work.. This applies to Southern California more than any other place in the world..

Alright, now even I would dispute that one. I was offered a position at Intel for $60k straight out of undergrad, I would like to think after working there several years my salary would go up from there.

Sure.. Maybe I'm just upset about being stuck here. It doesn't matter to me.

 

[Beev]

I probably won't be making any more than 40k, if that. Teacher's salary ftl =/

 

[Quasmo]

1.6 mil... Director of Photograhpy FTW!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: LegendKiller

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: S Freud

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Either I'm in the wrong line of work, or there are a shitton of people on here that lie to themselves and others.

Exactly what I was thinking. :thumbsup:

I'll third that.

I'm afraid "reality" is gonna trainwreck alot of dreams.

Then again, its good to dream. Reach for the stars, even if you fail you'll land pretty high.

First off, it isn't too hard to imagine that people sitting on an IT board would eventually make pretty good wages, considering they are smart enough to get here, post about IT stuff in a reasonable manner, and many are driven enough to continue in life. We aren't talking about the bottom 50% of the population in intelligence (I'd hope not).

Second, not everybody has to fit within your narrow definition of jobs or dreams. My goal of 400k within 10 years ir probably actually on the conservative side, considering the line of business I am in. If I am an i-banker in 10 years, given my ambition and education and progress so far, it's likely, then 200k in NYC is the low-end for an i-banker. I know many that pull in 1M/yr easily.

Which brings me to my final point, geographical location. You cannot compare 100k in DC, where I live, to 100k in Podunk Iowa or 100k in NYC. They are completely different and are adjusted for cost of living. DC was more than 20% higher than Orlando, where I lived 3 months ago, and my new job reflected all (and then some) premium increase.

If I took my salary and lived somewhere in the midwest, I'd be living it larger than life. So you cannot 1:1 the comparison.

Completely agreed. My family would be living in poverty with our income, if we lived in San Francisco. We live quite comfortably where we're at now. I hardly blinked at spending $200 on gas this weekend so we could drive down to Virginia Beach and back.

 

[imthebadguy]

300k+

 

[Dessert Tears]

Originally posted by: LordSegan
I'm sure you are *partially* right. However, you are not completely right. In this thread I can tell you for a fact that we have one person who scored 93rd percentile on the LSAT and another person who scored 99 percentile. We have heard from others who are making money in real estate and accounting/banking.

So sure, a lot of ATOT is made up of fat "geeks" but a lot of ATOT (or at least this thread) includes some pretty smart people.

Do you believe all the posters at their word, or do you have additional information (e.g. IRL contact)? It is my opinion, based on reading this thread and similar ones, that a significant portion of these threads is fiction, whether intentional or based on self-delusion. I've noticed the posts that I believe the most are fairly short and occur once, instead of being repeated and embellished in each successive thread. There have been longer strings of posts that I believe based on consistent and correct information, but these are few. Most sequences of posts paint their author into a corner, then die before making an obvious contradiction.

Originally posted by: Playmaker
I perfectly understand where you're coming from, however. If your academic background has never allowed you contact with successful, ambitious individuals in law or financial services, I can undertand your ignorant incredulity.

I agree with 91TTZ's doubt, but I do not share his fervor or vitriol. I feel that I have had close personal contact with several successful and ambitious individuals (in finance, but not in law). Based on my experience, I believe that successful individuals would be predisposed against posting on ATOT.

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
If you make more than $100k/year or have more than $1000/mo disposable income, please quit comparing yourself to others and live life.

As a restatement of my opinion, the posts that aggravate you are probably not made by those you target with this statement.

Originally posted by: Special K

[...]
Describing less then $500K as "low" income is just absurd.

It seems to be the median on these boards. I guess I buy too much into what people are saying.

I agree that you do.

 

[aswedc]

I agree with 91TTZ's doubt, but I do not share his fervor or vitriol. I feel that I have had close personal contact with several successful and ambitious individuals (in finance, but not in law). Based on my experience, I believe that successful individuals would be predisposed against posting on ATOT.

Why is that?

 

[QurazyQuisp]

After reading some of these predictions, I believe many are counting on a 200% inflation rate over the next decade.

 

[Dessert Tears]

Originally posted by: Armitage
Or we have an extraordinary collection of talent and ambition on here - many of whom still manage to have enough spare time from their high pressure careers and wildly succesful love life post lifer in 2 or 3 years

QFT ("ditto" for dullard).

Originally posted by: aswedc

I agree with 91TTZ's doubt, but I do not share his fervor or vitriol. I feel that I have had close personal contact with several successful and ambitious individuals (in finance, but not in law). Based on my experience, I believe that successful individuals would be predisposed against posting on ATOT.

Why is that?

• The time commitments of ambitious educational and professional paths cut back on leisure time.
• I personally assign a pleasure value of zero to posting. I believe this value would be near zero for most successful/ambitious individuals.
  I feel that ATOT provides diverse information (I wouldn't exactly call it a resource), but the benefits are recognized when reading. I don't gain much from posting, and I'm probably around zero benefit for posting when factoring in no replies and minor flames. Assuming that a $100K job provides satisfaction, the satisfaction/pleasure is most likely felt when a difficult task is completed or a paycheck is deposited, not when posting on ATOT to a "how much do you make" thread and getting a half-dozen "shens" replies.

 

[Svnla]

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Either I'm in the wrong line of work, or there are a shitton of people on here that lie to themselves and others.

You should know better. A typical ATOT member is in his early 20 something or younger, make at least 250K or more with 40 hours or less, live in a huge mansion like Heffner, black belt in martial arts, handsome, date dozen supermodels at a time, tall, bronze tan, in excellent health, play all kinds of sports, drive expensive exotic cars, an expert in day trading and stock pick, loaded with trust fund/VC money, etc. and on and on. <chuckling>

Ok, enough kidding around, time for reality check. Last time I check, the median income of an American family, yes a whole family, is less than 50K a year, yet, I see most of the posts are six figure or more. Uh huh, and I really am the Pope

Don't belive me? Here is the hard data from the US Census: $43,318 a year for a family in 2002-2003 fiscal year to be exact.

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www...ses/archives/income_wealth/002484.html

I understand that we all love to make as much as money as we can but come on, let get real. I know there are a few exceptions but if you think making six figure or more <with 40 hrs or less a week> is that easy, I am afraid that a lot of people will not be happy 10 years from now.

<<<----- just being realistic after 10 plus years of working after my BS and MBA. I have to agree with 911TZ and other posters <guess because we are a bit older>, nothing is wrong with aiming high, just don't hallucinate.

Best wishes to all dreamers. I hope ya'll will make it big.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: voodoodrul

Originally posted by: aswedc

Originally posted by: voodoodrul
Most people will never see $1 million dollars in their entire lifetime. That's how reality works. Most people will make between $30-50k. You can't even make the $30k unless you have a respectable experience background where I live. Respectible background does not mean a degree. 2-3 years work experience means more a 4 year degree.

Are you sure you live in America? I suggest you refer to the well published salary averages for college graduates which show all marketable majors above 40k and several above 50k.

I live in Montana, which is by *far* under the national average for even median income. National average is $36k/year. Our state is $26k/year. Lets just say that I'm considered "well paid" by a lot of friends who have had to work in this economy here and I don't make much more than $30k including overtime and on-call work. College students hear the salaries of $80k/year in other places and assume the will make that here. What a reality check when that doesn't happen..

So anyway, short story, Montana isn't really America when it comes to money. I believe we are dead last in income and quite high in cost of living compared to national averages.

To put it another way, I don't have a single friend who makes more than $30k/year.. many have degrees. Most would rather they never went to school and saved themselves the pain of paying back a student loan.

Not to be rude, but Montana isn't like East and West coast USA where frankly most Americans live. If you took your experience and your degree to Los Angeles, you might be able to tack on $10,000 to your salary for all I know, but obviously cost of living would be higher too. A 1 BR apt in LA costs $900 in a lower-mid class area.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: Flatscan

Originally posted by: LordSegan
I'm sure you are *partially* right. However, you are not completely right. In this thread I can tell you for a fact that we have one person who scored 93rd percentile on the LSAT and another person who scored 99 percentile. We have heard from others who are making money in real estate and accounting/banking.

So sure, a lot of ATOT is made up of fat "geeks" but a lot of ATOT (or at least this thread) includes some pretty smart people.

Do you believe all the posters at their word, or do you have additional information (e.g. IRL contact)? It is my opinion, based on reading this thread and similar ones, that a significant portion of these threads is fiction, whether intentional or based on self-delusion. I've noticed the posts that I believe the most are fairly short and occur once, instead of being repeated and embellished in each successive thread. There have been longer strings of posts that I believe based on consistent and correct information, but these are few. Most sequences of posts paint their author into a corner, then die before making an obvious contradiction.

REPLY:

I am the person with the 93rd percentile LSAT and I can confirm the other person with the 99 is real too. I know that is only two out of 100 replies, but let's just say I don't think it's all BS like you seem to.

 

[6000SUX]

The average annual salary for a lawyer employed in the private sector is $120k. Assuming I graduate from law school okay, which I start in the fall, I expect to make at least $250k in today's money ten years from now. I am smarter and harder-working than most people, though.

While it may be true that average annual income for a family is less than $50k, you have to remember that this includes the lower class and people at the poverty level. It's just like IQ: an average IQ of 100 means that a person is probably quite dull. The average IQ score for normally functioning people is a good deal higher.

 

[Mo0o]

Probably going to be a surgery resident, so $40,000 maybe?