Hook me up with that job! I have a non-prof background and wouldn't take it for granted.
Hook me up with that job! I have a non-prof background and wouldn't take it for granted.
Private tutor/ Grad student
35-40 teaching hours/ week (6 days)
US dollars: the last couple of years have been around 50k per year.
Happiness is a solid 8/10.
Attorney who made big lifestyle change one year ago, after 35 years in the profession.
Before:
$400K per year working 40 hours per week. Happiness 6/10
After:
$240K per year working 25 hours per week out of the house so no commute. Happiness 8/10. Happiness would be higher but suffering from injuries due to age.
Petroleum chemist, 45 hrs, $85k, 7/10. Would be an 8 if I could be running as much as in college.
Responder wrote:
Environmental Scientist
40 hrs
90k + Pension and benefits
Very happy
Just curious, how long in the field and what background did you have that led to this career?
VP of sales for minor biotech company, hours are long and I'm away from my family 3 nights per week on average. When Im at home I often have to work as well. I made $373k last year, which is high end for me. Usually $280k.
Job is stressful - happiness level about 6
Occupation - University Professor of Exercise Physiology
Hours - Whatever it takes to get the job done. typically don't start until about 9. Probably average about 35-45 h per week.
Pay - $85K
Happiness - outstanding (10/10). Beats working for a living when you get paid to teach and research about a topic you also consider your hobby.
Also, doesn't hurt to have a beautiful wife to come home to every evening, 4 grown kids (out of the house), and 3 grandkids. If I died today (not that I plan to), I would die a happy man. I am blessed.
Overnight stock clerk in a grocery store
40+/week
$11.15/hr
4/10
graveyard shift hours suck, many coworkers are either lazy or obnoxious or both, poor prospects for advancement and bad management. Would quit if not for pressure from my immediate family to stay and be a lifer in my company.
UPDATED RESULTS THROUGH END OF PAGE 6
From the data it's clear that money and time can influence happiness somewhat, but it's difficult to see any strong correlations. It definitely doesn't tell the whole story, but we already knew that. Still, interesting to look at.
Sample size 75
Happiness
Average: 6.9
Pay
Average: 115k
Median: 85k
Hours
Average: 42
Happiness less than 5
Average Pay: 63K (SD=32)
Average Hours: 38 (SD=2)
Happiness from 5 to 8
Average Pay: 142K (SD=157)
Average Hours: 43 (SD=9)
Happiness 8 or greater
Average Pay: 94K (SD=57)
Average Hours: 41 (SD=9)
Pay:
I made 1.1m in 2014 and 600k in 2015.
Happiness:
5. I am probably about am 8 from a general lifestyle standpoint but about a 2 from a work standpoint. I am quitting my current job, taking a huge pay cut and significant equity in a much smaller company.
Hours:
50ish currently
Age:
30
Industry:
Software executive
Owner of a small limousine/black car service
30-50hrs
$48,000 after taxes as of now.
Happiness level is high lets say 9/10. I'm 25 and am 100% self employed. I love being in control making decisions, doing accounting, designing business cards, website, advertising. I get to meet a lot of great people, not just clients but the people who work at hotels who send us business. I like cars and calculating cost of ownership for different models is challenging but it's fun. I'm building equity in my company and would be able to sell it for a decent amount(I hope) if I want to move on to something else.
Negatives: No benefits. Hard to find good independent contractors/employees but as of now I do most of the driving. A bad Yelp review could be really damaging. Cars break down. Gas could shoot to $6/gallon.
Bloomfield Hills wrote:
detroit rock city wrote:Plenty of less expensive place around Bloomfield Hills man! I live in a cheaper area of michigan, 99k+small bonus. decents bene's. 40 per work. Corporate Finance. Boring as shit job. Over happiness 7/10. Pay allows me to live comfortably but work is mundane. Rather be a bar/restaurant owner
Where do you live?
We've considered Royal Oak due to it's affordability but Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills are such great towns. It's tough to leave even though we realize our money doesn't go very far here. When I lived in Lansing, my wife and I could easily afford a 3,000 sq ft. home...but NOT here. The taxes are horrendous and anything less than $400K is not even worth looking at.
I agree birmingham is pretty sick! I live in a pretty decent area of livonia. For what you get in Royal Oak its not really worth it. Used to live in Ferndale and loved that area. Prices are rising there but are still affordable, plus tons of great places to drink and eat. The Troy area is also pretty good if you wanted to be closer to Birmingham. Farmington/Novi is also a solid option. Waterford depending on where too.
Mid-life-crisis wrote:
Pay:
I made 1.1m in 2014 and 600k in 2015.
Happiness:
5. I am probably about am 8 from a general lifestyle standpoint but about a 2 from a work standpoint. I am quitting my current job, taking a huge pay cut and significant equity in a much smaller company.
Hours:
50ish currently
Age:
30
Industry:
Software executive
What path does one take to become a software executive? Did you start as a developer? Are you still technical or is it all meetings and powerpoint now?
Well, one thing is for sure, this thread will make you feel like a loser if you are not earning $100K per year.
Interesting Stuff wrote:
Responder wrote:Environmental Scientist
40 hrs
90k + Pension and benefits
Very happy
Just curious, how long in the field and what background did you have that led to this career?
About 20 years in the field. I have a PhD in geology, and did not want to work in academia because I hate teaching.
Consultant/Entrepreneur. 5-30 hrs/week. Invest $50K to $5M at a time. Return $0 most of the time. Just having fun I guess.
Porn Star
25-30 hours
500k
very happy
Responder wrote:
Interesting Stuff wrote:Just curious, how long in the field and what background did you have that led to this career?
About 20 years in the field. I have a PhD in geology, and did not want to work in academia because I hate teaching.
Likewise, 20 years and advanced degrees in life science. Interesting, look up NEPA and see what it takes to get employed.
Burnside wrote:
Financial Analyst @ Fortune 500 Company
~45-50 hours per week, maybe 2-4 weeks a year in excess of 50
$57k w/ decent benefits. Will jump to $75-85k in a couple months after I complete my rotational program.
25, single.
8/10. I like my company, work with mostly enjoyable people, and have relocated twice for new roles over the past three years which has kept it interesting. Probably not making as much as some of my peers, but I'm living comfortably and enjoy having time to run and relax.
Burnside - From your post I'm going to take a guess that you live in Charlotte, NC - or that your company has strong affiliations with Charlotte. If so, I've been in that rotational program too; albeit 7 years ago.
Professional poker and DFS player
25-30 hours of live poker per week, maybe some hands online if I'm in the mood. Will play more hours if the games are good, will also take a few "poker trips" throughout the year and put in some serious volume.
Probably 2-3 hours per day of studying for DFS (depending on season)
Salary - highs and lows ... less variance in poker than DFS, but still a good deal of swings in both. Have had $0 months and have had $25k months ... Net profit (before taxes ...) was 112k for 2015.
Happiness Level - Depends on the day. The swings can definitely mess with your mood, but generally I'd say I'm pretty happy. Time isn't as flexible as you'd think, especially since the juiciest hours are the hours when you don't want to be working (Friday, Saturday nights). Overall I'd say 8/10, probably can get it to 9/10 if I finally get my ass back in shape and take another crack at running seriously. Easier said than done unfortunately!