Don’t most people wish they earned just a little bit more than they do? The average yearly salary in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is just a bit short of $60k. Of course, it varies state by state: in California, for example, it’s over $70k, and in New York and Massachusetts, it’s $74,870 and $76,600, respectively.
But what’s life like for those who earn even more than the average? One person online was curious, too, so they asked: “For those that make over $200k a year, what do you do?” Many fortunate folks shared what career path they took to earn this much and revealed what their lives are really like.
#1
Software Engineer at a FAANG company. Dont really feel qualified but I don’t plan on leaving until they fire me.
Image credits: TheAppleCriesAtMidni
#2
$240k plus discretionary annual bonus.
Michelin Starred private Chef. Left the industry for this one family. They are no one important. No NDA’s. They just have a cyber security company in the Bay Area. 25-40 hours a week.
Image credits: EnzolovestoLatch
#3
Airline pilot. Been flying professionally since 1997. Was an aircraft mechanic before that. I grew up at an airport. Was flying before I could legally drive. Unlike some people I know, I love the job. I can’t believe I get paid to do it. I own an antique plane and I fly warbirds for a couple museums doing rides and airshows. I’ve also been an electrician and electrical contractor. Flying is the best damn way to make a living I can imagine.
Image credits: Aeronaut_condor
#4
Lawyer at a big law firm. Wouldn’t recommend it.
Image credits: SirSw0le
#5
Voice director for cartoons.
Edit: For all the folks sending me DMs and asking for advice about how to break into voice acting, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I’ve never been an actor and I don’t know how you go about getting signed with an agent or how to break into the industry. The entirety of my job is working with actors in the studio after they’ve been hired. As for how to get hired in the first place, all I can say is you need to be better than all the other people who are auditioning. Voice acting is an incredibly competitive industry, and very few people make a living doing it. Those who do have a magical combination of amazing pipes, incredible range and character creation skills, and impeccable acting chops. It’s a rare combination, there’s a good reason you see the same names over and over again in the cartoon VO world.
Image credits: schnitzel_envy
#6
Cancer research scientist in biotech/pharma, been at it for a decade.
Image credits: NuclearHoagie
#7
I make art for video games ?.
Image credits: grimdar
#8
Divorce lawyer. Everyday is another soap opera.
Image credits: Hiredgun77
#9
Not consistent but I make between 180-220 depending on the year as a crane operator.
Image credits: -Kaldore-
#10
I made my money the old fashioned way, I got run over by a Lexus.
Image credits: KampferMann
#11
Electrical Engineer. To you young people… YOU NEED TO CHANGE COMPANIES. Whenever you feel like you are 1) taking on new roles without your pay increasing significantly or 2) if you feel ready to take on new roles. You will never keep pace with inflation or get ahead at one employer.
Image credits: ILLEGAL_TRAIN_PARTS
#12
Landman in the oil and gas industry. I make around $300k/year.
I do mostly title work, which is basically researching the history of a piece of property and creating a report that shows everything that ever happened with it. It’s a lot of fun, just crazy high pressure at times because the companies are pretty demanding. Worth it, though.
Image credits: landmanpgh
#13
Photolithography researcher at Intel. Nearly 300k this year. All it took was over a decade of higher education* and being in the right place in contact with the right people. I have no idea what I’m doing half the time lol, but I’m told nobody actually does.
*BSc Electrical engineering (5 years), MSc Computer engineering(3 years), PhD semiconductor physics(4 years). All that, and I had to look up Ohm’s law yesterday.
Image credits: Affectionate-Memory4
#14
Inflation is really taking it’s toll. I remember when this question would be posted at $100,000.
Image credits: Losaj
#15
I play with excel and make nice PowerPoints and am good at presenting.
Image credits: limitbreakse
#16
It goes up and down from year to year but I’ve been doing a bit north of 200k for 3 years and might hit 300k in 2024. I am a commercial photographer working mostly in advertising and commercial fashion. It’s probably gonna keep going up and then reeeaaaaaaaally slow down in 5-10 years when the industry will be tired my work. Weird business but fun.
Image credits: Casual_Bowling
#17
Ranch and horse rehabilitation center. .
Image credits: Damseldoll
#18
Cyber Security and Compliance for 2500 employee company.
Image credits: Few-Budget-3223
#19
I’m an Importer/Exporter.
Image credits: TurniptheLed
#20
Airline pilot.
Image credits: Sugar_Cane_320
#21
I step in front of cars and sue the drivers.
Image credits: DryTown
#22
Airline Captain. Worked for dirt and ramen noodles for years though …
#23
I might clear 200 this year depending on my bonus… I’m a senior level construction manager .
Image credits: zeroentanglements
#24
Private jet pilot.
Image credits: Galaxydriver82
#25
Creative Director, video game advertising.
Image credits: maxxl
#26
Printing press operation at the mint.
Image credits: gandolffood
#27
Pretend that I make over 200k so that I can sell people coaching advice on how to live their life to make over 200k themselves therefore achieving my original goal of making over 200k… (satire).
Image credits: Jaxonian
#28
I decided not to take the job but I was offered a job @250-300k range travelling the world watching bulk export ships unload and ensuring that everything gets completed strictly according to contracts. Mostly the job is making sure buyers don’t cheat and try and fraudulently lower purchase price.
Reasonably low entry requirements I guess in terms of formal training for refrence I had about 6-12 months in the industry without college education – was small additional section of my existing role.
Just wanted to post it since its an interesting out of left field job that doesn’t require a degree and isn’t IT.
Image credits: sabor2th
#29
Attorney and investments. And yes, I still waste too much time on Reddit.
Image credits: -ExodiaObliterate-
#30
It’d be nice if we also knew where people were from. 200k in a place like Mississippi is not the same as 200k in California or New York.
Image credits: what_the_hezz
#31
Corporate lawyer. (I make substantially more than $200k but it is a miserable, miserable gig.).
Image credits: Lifting_Breh
#32
I make far more than that, however our income varies from year to year. This year our total income will hopefully be around 1.2 million after taxes.
It’s divided into several streams.
First and foremost, we own a decently sized company that does trim carpentry. Our projects range from mass produced homes, basic MDF baseboards and hollow doors, to more high end finishes in production homes for a higher end spec, and a little bit of the super high end custom stuff- home libraries, exotic wood railings, baseboard, crown molding, etc. The business has its ups and downs, including 2020 where we actually lost a lot of money. But typically I am able to pay myself and wife around 250-500k/yr.
My wife has a part time gig as a medical translator, which while lucrative she has been winding down as frankly we do not need the money.
Beyond that we have significant traditional investments that yield generous dividends.
We also have accumulated a significant amount of income properties, both residential and commercial, which are divided into two separate companies, and all are managed by a property management company that we own a 50% stake in.
We have a minor silent ownership stake in several construction related businesses, some of which we receive income from while others are investments we will eventually cash out
We are in our mid forties and plan to retire within the next year.
I certainly didn’t start this way, I once was a rookie framer then finish carpenter driving around the country job to job living in my pickup truck. My wife grew up in the slums city in Mexico.
#33
Anesthesiologist.
#34
Being over 30/40 is one of the important factors, often overlooked.
Most people don’t make good money when they’re young. They don’t have knowledge or experience. Gaining knowledge and experience delivers more money. If you’re good at what you do.
#35
I do what I e been doing for 25 years in engineering but only the past few years I’ve broke the 200k compensation, it was a slow process to get here.
#36
Airline pilot here….it’s good pay, but I do it because I love it. You’d be amazed how many miserable people making $400k+ there are in this industry….and still have financial problems(usually the ones that are divorced).
#37
I rob banks and high-end jewellery stores.
#38
AI research in big tech.
#39
Lawyer. But I’ve sacrificed a ton of family and personal time to make the dough. Looking back, I regret the time lost.
Edit: “family time and personal time”! Lol. Haven’t “sacrificed family” lol.
#40
Somehow I make more than $200k doing UX content strategy. I don’t understand how it happened, really, and I’m very lucky. Biggest advantage was learning how to future pace in interviews/sales conversations by focusing on the problem the company is hiring to solve, then doing some quick mental math about how much money that would be worth to them.
“What problem are you trying to solve?” (Usually “want to increase conversions from the blog,” or, “redesign our site so it’s easier to find stuff for our customers.”)
“Okay, and what’s your average customer lifetime value?”
“So if we were able to increase blog conversions by 5 new leads per month, it would be worth (5xLTV) for your company every month, right? Wow what a surprise, my salary requirement is only a fraction of that amount even if it’s higher than anyone else.”
Create a category of one, don’t try to compete on the same terms everyone else is.
Maybe growing up as an undiagnosed ADHD kid who never quite fit in no matter how hard I tried led me to that approach…
#41
I don’t, but my wife does. ED physician. Great money but like most ED docs, she was burned out by 35 and then had to deal with Covid and all its insanity. Were saving as much money as possible to retire early and travel around the country in a RV.
#42
I do not (far from it), but last year when our company posted the job opening for our IT Infrastructure Manager the salary was posted as $350k.
I found myself wishing I’d started my career about 10 years earlier.
#43
I make around $170K, but my wife’s target compensation is around $1.8 million ($700K base plus stock and bonus which varies).
She’s a C-Level executive at a Fortune 500 company. I’m a Software Engineer.
#44
Paintless dent repair. Fixing door dings and hail damage on cars.
#45
Came here looking for jobs that produce stuff. Excellent reminder that working in mental health is underpaid and underappreciated.
I’m working on becoming an Electrician and intend to become licensed/specialized in Solar Panels after.
Make working mental health my side gig/hobby.
Sorry people who need a community caseworker, we get paid c**p to help you help you live with mental illness, addiction, find housing and feel like a human being and get your basic rights -.-.
#46
My wife: Registered Nurse.
#47
Surgeon.
#48
More thank $500K usd.
CTO.
Living in México.
#49
Used to do IT for a … Company Reddit absolutely hates.
Just got laid off. Severance is six figures. So, to answer your question:
#Nothing.
#50
I work as a macroeconomist and quantitative analyst at one of the world’s largest and respected banks.
#51
Tech exec.
I’m a CTO at a law firm. I mostly manage other managers/supervisors at this point, set policy, determine strategic direction of tech, etc. I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve grown with the firm. They’ve been really great to me. The thing about lawyers is that good ones make money, aren’t slimy at all, and because THEY charge for their expertise, aren’t shy about paying for other people’s.
#52
Nurse Anesthetist.