“Anybody with problem-solving and comprehension skills can do what I do.”

Ahh, inflation has hit everything even Reddit.

I remember when that question circulated with $100k as the standard, not $150k.

Rows of slot machines with bright lights and levers in a casino. No persons in the image

Luckily, many folks were still able to fill the thread with useful, interesting answers.

Here’s what people shared:

1.

“I do transport for a mortuary in the San Francisco Bay Area (picking up dead bodies).

Close-up of a person in formal attire playing a grand piano, highlighting their hands and the piano keys

With all the overtime, I easily make $150k+.”

u/Jack_Torrance80

2.

“Slot game mathematician.

A person in a suit stands at a desk with legal documents, a gavel, and scales of justice, symbolizing legal work and decision-making in a professional environment

You know how they say the games are rigged?

I’m the guy who rigs them from math scratch work to the code that runs it.”

u/Trickishwheat8

3.

Two pilots in a cockpit are preparing for flight. They are pressing buttons and checking instruments on the control panel

“I’m chiming in because I think most people would be surprised to learn this.

I work an entry-level job at a luxury designer boutique.

Not all boutiques pay generously, but you learn which ones are at the top in the retail community.

A person in safety goggles, gloves, and a lab coat inspects machinery in a laboratory or industrial setting, focusing intently on the task

u/Ok-Peanut-6037

4.

“Believe it or not, I’m a freelance musician.

More specifically, I am a composer, conductor, and pianist.

A man wearing safety glasses and gloves works with tools on an industrial assembly line in a well-lit factory setting

I have a graduate degree in music, but I’m not employed full-time by anyone other than myself.

I work in multiple genres but specialize in writing for musical theatre and orchestras.

My wife is also an in-demand freelance musician.

Two surgeons in a hospital operating room examining X-ray images on a screen

Together, we gross about $300k/year.

We’re certainly not famous, but we’ve worked with many famous people over the years.

But those aren’t the high-paying gigs.”

Hands operating a broadcast control panel with multiple monitors showing blurred visuals in a professional studio setting

u/inciso

5.

“Ship captain, $250k-ish for about 180 days of work.”

It’s shift work, though.

View looking up at modern skyscrapers from a low angle, showcasing the architecture and glass reflections in a city business district. No people are in the image

Some jobs are seasonal.

I worked seven or eight months straight in AK and lived on the boats.

Or you’re free to do 30, 60, or 90-day hitches; it varies.”

Three medical professionals, wearing surgical masks and scrubs, prepare to administer anesthesia through a mask, viewed from the patient's perspective

u/jhundo

6.

It takes way longer than Id like, but its exciting and pays well."

u/honesttickonastick

7.

Pharmacist smiling and handing a medication to a customer across the counter in a pharmacy setting. Shelves with various medicines are visible in the background

“I sell websites to small businesses.

I have a whole agency with SEO guys, developers, and designers.

I sell $150/month subscriptions for a website and unlimited edits.

A person using a calculator while looking at documents on a cluttered desk, indicating financial calculations

I have about 85 clients in various packages; the rest are lump sum jobs for $3,500 minimum.

I’m currently on track to make $180k this year.

There is no WordPress, either.

A close-up image of gloved hands examining a dental X-ray

It’s a nice living.”

u/Citrous_Oyster

8.

I make $230k (year two at a major airline).

Business meeting with people examining charts and graphs. One person points to a pie chart on a document. Various documents and a calculator are on the table

Senior pilots are making $400k$600k.

A rare few senior guys who work a lot make upwards of a million a year.

I get $800k in life insurance.

A man wearing headphones is working on a laptop at a desk with notebooks, a coffee cup, and a plant in the background

Great healthcare and travel benefits.

Then, you do another one to two years there and get to a major.

However, that plan or trajectory can completely change as the economics of air travel change.

It wasn’t nice after 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, or COVID.

Now, there are hiring stoppages because of issues with Boeing and Airbus aircraft and engine supply."

u/aviatortrevor

9.

“I made about $450,000 last year.

Also, I do real estate on the side.”

u/erickellan

10.

“I’m a food scientist at a consumer packaged goods facility.

I make the recipes for food products on the grocery store shelves and ensure they’re safe.

I travel to a lot of manufacturers to verify things run smoothly.

I broke $100k at 25 years old.

I live in a high-cost area, so keep that in mind.

It’s common for directors/managers to make $120k$160k, depending on their experience.

I also think it’s a great career path.

u/Foodiethrowaway2773

11.

“I’m a franchisee of one very popular fast food joint.

It was my first job, and I started at 17.

I worked my way from fry cook to GM over the first five years, working 45 hours/week.

I had the chance to partner with the owner and have loved it every step of the way.

It’s truly not for everyone, but the financial stability is amazing.

I earn $225k$300k annually, putting in a good 50-55 hours/week.

u/iDurtyDan

12.

“I went back to school at 27 for electrical engineering.

I graduated at 34 and landed a job at Apple.

Been here ever since.”

u/QbiinZ

13.

“I’m a cybersecurity engineer.

I specialize in cloud security and security architecture.

I was a web developer beforehand.

Since then, the role has expanded significantly, as has the scale of the systems I’ve built.

I’m really proud of where I’m at and what’s to come in the future.

So, I’m educated, just not credentialed.

However, I will soon obtain my CISSP, the gold standard for cybersecurity leadership.

I may pursue a Bachelor’s later on at a place like WGU.

We’ll see.”

u/bizzygreenthumb

14.

While training, I made big sacrifices socially/traveling/with my income during my 20s and early 30s.

I’m 36, just starting my third year of practice, and make $840k straight salary.

I probably work about 55 hours a week.

It’s incredibly rewarding but also very stressful.”

u/CrzyJoeDavola

15.

“Real-time operations on the power grid (I’m a reliability coordinator).

It’s a desk job.

I will make $300-$400k this year.

No degree at all.”

u/therobshow

16.

“I make TV.

I’m an editor.

It’s a very different business to grow in since COVID.

Entertainment is a mess right now, but I usually make $150k$190k.”

u/earic23

17.

“I’m a senior project manager for an exhibit house.

I specialize in permanent display installations, and traveling clown shows.

I travel a fair amount and work long hours.

My salary is $175k with a bonus structure that pushes me over $200k.

I have 12 years of experience in this industry, all with the same company.

I started here as a temp laborer making pallets.

My five-year plan is to become a director and work to mitigate the need for my current position.”

u/istinkatgolf

18.

“Commercial real estate.

I leveraged that property to buy and rehab seven others over the next eight years.

I now own 432 units and just started a property management company this year to run them.”

u/MeepMeeps88

19.

“I will be making almost right at $150k this year.

I work in oil and gas in Colorado.

My schedule is eight days on and six days off.

During those eight days, I worked between 80 and 100 hours.

Sometimes, I work on a few days off, which is all OT.”

u/wetworm1

20.“Anesthesiologist.

I work part-time and split the job with another like-minded doctor.

No holidays or weekends.

I earn about $240k plus full-time benefits.

I work about 100 hours a month.

I know many in my profession who make two or three times more than I do and are miserable.

u/Ok_Count2688

21.

“I work in IT for the government.

I started as tier-two help desk support with no degree like 20 years ago for a semiconductor company.

I was laid off twice in seven years.

Now, I do senior IT asset management stuff and some project management if necessary.

$150k+, and I take no work home with me.

I work from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then I’m done for the day.

It’s not glamorous, but I like to share my story to give people without a degree hope.

Find a niche that you might fill or use whatever skills you already have to sell yourself.”

I have made a career as the bridge between IT and non-IT staff.

Taking overcomplicated IT explanations and simplifying it the best I can.

Anybody with problem-solving and comprehension skills can do what I do.”

u/uyR

22. it’s possible for you to come out making six figures after six to eight years of college.

u/marissadev

23.

“I’m a respiratory therapist living in the Bay Area.

It pays well here, but the cost of living is unbelievable.

I made about $190k last year, but that was with a lot of overtime.

Working 40 hours a week, I make about $160k.

Other areas of the country don’t pay as well.

I’m probably on the higher end of the pay scale.

I also get excellent benefits and a pension.”

u/hammyburgler

24.

“I’m a CPA working as an accounting manager for a mid-sized apparel company.

I just broke $150k this year.

I’ve been at the same company since March 2016, after college.

I started at $50k.”

u/Odnyc

25.

“Lawyer (USA).

Undistinguished academic record from an undistinguished law school.

It took me a while to get my first legal job, which I still have.

Started at $65k.

I’m about to start my fourth year at $150k.

Strictly WFH, no billable requirement, generally very easy and low-stress.

Occasionally, I get to help people.

I can’t complain!

By the standards of the profession, I am not paid well.

It’s a fine living by the profession’s standards in my geographic area.

By my standards, I grew up pretty poor in a rural area.

I am doing just dandy.

and use my copious free time for other things?'”

u/daxelkurtz

26.

“Oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

I do extractions, implants, jaw corrective surgery, trauma, facial infections, etc.

u/Zestyclose-Pool5456

27.

“I’m in business-to-business technical sales.

I sell industrial starch to paper mills and charcoal plants.

We mostly hire engineers or people with technical backgrounds for our sales roles.”

u/peon2

28.

“Financial advisor/financial planner.

I have three to four two-week vacations yearly and two other trips paid for by the firm.

u/stipuledalmond

29.

“I’m a sales trainer for a finance company.

I had no degree and no prior experience.

I have a background in the service industry and work about 45 hours a week.

I started on the sales floor and worked my way into the trainer position.

Honestly, being a decent communicator is rare and has value.

u/sup_widdat

30.

I make just a little over $150k a year.

It’s remote work with an average of four or five days of business travel per month.

I work 40 hours a week on average, but I do have some heavier weeks sometimes.

I love what I do.

It has good and bad days, like most jobs.

Also, I don’t like occasionally having to fire someone.”

u/blackmagic999

31.And: “Software sales is the way to go!

There are many work-from-home options, as most sales calls are handled via Zoom or Google Meet.

After one year, I was promoted to account executive.

In my first year in that position, I made about $95k.

Then $110k, then $130k, then last year, I made $160k.

This year, I’m set to make $180k+.

I am focused on small and medium-sized businesses.

you might make a lot more as you increase customer size.”

u/InsectApprehensive66

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.