r/financialindependence • u/fidgit86 • Aug 13 '21

What do you do that you earn six figures?

It seems like a lot of people make a lot of money and it seems like I’m missing out on something. So those of you that do, whats your occupation that pays so well?

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u/way2complex4me8 Aug 13 '21

Mechanical engineer

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u/caffeinefree Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Checking in. Also mechanical engineer. But it took me 12 years to hit 6 figures - I was making $55k in my first job out of college. Starting salaries are definitely higher now, though, I think most kids are making like $80k starting.

Edit: Lots of people are asking about that $80k number. That's somewhat a guess on my part, but I know 6 years ago starting salary around me was around $70k. This is at Fortune 100 companies, meaning you need a 3.5+GPA and multiple internships to qualify for an entry level position. So yeah, my comment about "most kids" making that salary is likely off mark. If your grades are crappy and/or you didn't do any internships, you're not going to get one of those jobs out of school - but you might be able to get one after a few years of work experience elsewhere.

Also a note, lots of people are talking about location. Location doesn't matter that much for MEs in my opinion - I have friends on the west coast with similar resumes who are making maybe 10-20% more than me with 2x COL. I've been in the Midwest almost my whole career and have been making $80k+ for the better part of the last 7 years. I made a comment farther down detailing my career path and salaries if anyone is curious.

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u/PoleScars Aug 13 '21

Jesus, I have a postgraduate degree and several years industry experience I am just making USD$80K in Australia. Makes me wonder what I would be getting paid in the USA for the same experience.

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u/KakkaKarrot Aug 13 '21

You can also stub your toe in Australia without going bankrupt from medical bills

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u/caffeinefree Aug 13 '21

Well in the USA you would have the potential for crippling student debt and medical debt. Many of my peers came out of college with $100k in student loans.