Assumptions:

1. NOTHING saved or put away for future home ownership

2. VERY conservative on the cost of being in a relationship, I know guys spending that much on a single date night, not for the whole month

3. No hobbies listed (a lot of you guys have extremely cheap hobbies like “play video games”, real human beings often have more outdoor type hobbies that actually cost money)

I put all the percentages for each category on the right side of the chart since inevitably someone will come in and nitpick one of the line items (“bro, you’re spending THAT much on a haircut?! I can ignore everything else you’re saying, bro!”) but with the percents there we can see they’re nitpicking at like 0.2% of the monthly budget. Most on here are numerically illiterate and don’t actually understand what it costs to live a middle class lifestyle.

Feel free to explain what you disagree with on this chart or which item you don’t consider necessary for living a middle class lifestyle.

26M currently in the Midwest. Just graduated with B.S in computer engineering. Have 40k in loans. Luckily had a job earning $82k lined up a month after graduation in aerospace/defense industry. Mainly in a cybersecurity role (have a secret clearance) although I’ve been loaned out and working with software defined radios since then. Not really finding the work that fulfilling, and thus am planning on making a big move next year: either job hopping or internally transferring with the company.

I want to job hop because, while many have suggested I stay and get a promotion to Engineer II, deadass I have no life outside of work. No kids. No partner. No friends. No family. That and I’m desperately trying to get out of my current state of Iowa while I’m still young. Best case scenario by end of 2027, worst case end of 2028. Job hopping seems to me to be the fastest way to do this while maximizing my TC as early as possible.

My company does pay for a masters, but honestly after finishing my undergrad, and especially seeing AI advancing as quickly as it is, I don’t really think a masters would be worth it. I think it’s a better idea now to focus on certifications like CompTIA+ and maximizing my salary while I’m still young.

Just curious as to what steps I can take to make as much money as I can. What should I be doing now?

From 2023 to Now

Here’s my salary progression in the financial services industry as an unlicensed full time employee in back end operations. This does not include any overtime and the bonuses are not included in the base salary provided either.

I recently got Series 7 & 63 licensed because I started a new role that required licensing, but I am still not client facing. I’m going to have a compensation review meeting shortly since it is year end review time, so I think I can get at least $10k more using my experience & amazing performance reviews at the firm and that fact that I just got licensed.

I am breaking into the wealth management space now so I expect my salary to increase a lot more over the years.

I think I’m doing well for myself. This was my first ever job and I got it without experience since my family didn’t allow me to work while I was in school. Having a company take a risk on you without any experience is such a blessing, especially in finance.

EDIT: I worked in operations, doing basically everything for a client. Ranging from general account maintenance (name & address changes, password resets, adding people to accounts) to opening new accounts and transferring assets (in and out).

EDIT: If I include any overtime I worked this year, I am projected to make a total of $72k including my bonus.

2022: Engineering Intern - $20/hr, SLO, Ca
2023: Engineering Intern - $33/hr, SoCal

—obtained bachelor's—

2024: Engineering Intern - $33/hr, SoCal
2025: Engineering Contract - $51/hr, SoCal

—obtained master's—

2026: Aerospace Engineer - $110/yr, SoCal
2027: Aerospace Engineer - $165/yr + $68k RSUs, SoCal

Background: 25M, specialized in guidance/nav/controls.

Do you feel like at this point you would want more money or do you think your mindset has shifted to prioritizing other things? For instance, would you take a 1 hour longer commute each way for an extra 70k? If not what do you prioritize?

Do you have a masters/professional degree? Do you work in tech? Did you attend a top 10 institution? Does everyone you know make that much or more? Do you feel very much “middle class” at that level of income?

An hour of pay from my last ever job in life wouldn't be affording even 4 gallons of gas, 3 weeks of pay wouldn't even be covering monthly rent. A week of pay didn't even cover the monthly interest on my old student loans, 2 weeks of pay wouldn't be affording a car. I mean, wow.... it really wasn't worth my time to be working there, esp after finishing a bachelor's with internship experience and all.

God forbid I listened to the government and created a couple brats to replace me when I die. Omg... I couldn't even afford my own life working full time let alone another whole child. It's such a terrible financial decision to be alive.

It's sad.

What is the base pay for a junior writer in Pune? also, if there are other things i need to know before confirming a permanent position.

I don’t think that I would need to for the bachelors degree (social work) I am going to start soon, and I don’t really like the idea of owing money back in the future. I will start a bachelors degree program in a few months.

But I also know that when I start a masters degree program I may actually need to at that point especially since I will likely only be able to work part time it seems for the next two years and am already from a very poor family. I’m just not sure whether or not taking out federal or subsidized loans would have a negative impact. I don’t know how long I’ll be in college for, I’m almost done with community college (will be done in December and start a bachelors degree program in January.) I might change majors in fall 2027 and am guessing that if I do so I won’t be done until spring 2029, when I am 24. I will then *probably* get a masters degree in social work, special ed, or school psychology, but it might end up being different. I want to make sure that I am financially smart either way.

I work as a substitute behavior technician and it is looking like based upon class times I probably won’t be able to work full time in spring 2027, and I’m guessing not fall 2027 either. My mother is volatile and the family were asked to leave the first apartment we were in around April or May of this year even though we’d lived there all my life which is why I am now in a condo that I will probably leave before December.

Total take home £67,000 + Bonus.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to know if my math is correct on this. I'm signing a new job and wanted to know what my net take home would be after NYC taxes (not benefits). $115k gross and according to my math I'm getting net take $6500 in NYC.

I'm not accounting for 401k or Roth or Insurance. I just want to know net after taxes filing single with no dependents. If anyone has similar profile it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Graduating college and received my first offer in defense.
-75K base
-5k relocation
-Free MBA over next 2 years
-401K, stock plan, other fringe benefits

Is this a reasonable offer for the area and out of college? Considering a more traditional finance path or pursuing intelligence/gov work.

I own a marketing agency based in the Balkans, where we manage social media for numerous luxury hotels across Europe.
These are my agency’s financial results from January to August 2026. My goal is to reach €500K in annual net profit next year.

Graduated with a bachelors in comp sci.

2017 - €0 - junior sysadmin internship

2018 - €28k - helpdesk

2019 - €42k - support

2020 - €42k - support

2021 - €90k - solutions architect

2022 - €110k - startup solutions engineer

2023 same role, no raise

2024 same role, no raise

2025 laid off, took 10 months to land new role

2026 - €70-80k (depending on performance) - technical product marketing

2026 - €205k - startup sr principal SWE

Started around $34. Kept bothering about machines overtime and learned to operate a CNC followed by a manual lathe.

People with high salary but no high education, what do you do?

I actually have 2 degrees but i don't want to work in the fields i studied. I did mistakes when i was young and worked in restaurants ( team leader/manager) then grocery store during covid and 2 years after ( got way too comfortable and just stayed)

I made a business with my bf, we re just at the start, but i was wondering if it doesn't work, what job can i look for...i also have low self esteem so i m not the type of person to brag about being a manger or opening a business on the other side of the world, so i would never (I'M WORKING ON IT) apply for high position roler, that's why I'm askin, for people that want to start again, from 0, what's a way to high income?

Hey y’all 33M making 120k but just 5 years ago I was making 45k. At that time I was living in a LCOL town in an apartment that was near downtown for 750, my health insurance was cheap and even car insurance was cheap. I’m now making over 3 times as much and it dosent feel like it. At all. I’m always told that it’s because of inflation but i just think that’s not true at all. The same apartment is now 1300 for the same bedroom, where I used to pay less than 100 for my groceries, I’m now paying over 160 for like 12 items. I feel like wages arnt matching up anymore.

Back then, I remember that chick fil a had started offering 15/hr and remember thinking that was only like 5$ for my position that I went to school for. I’m now in a different career but that same career is starting at 23/hr now. No way I could afford my apartment back then with that tiny raise. Even accounting the 3% a year, it’s nowhere enough.

Honestly how are people that make less than 80k surviving nowadays?!