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Salary Expectations......

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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218

Ok - a lot of these "how much do skiiers earn" thread's etc got me thinking..... oh Jon Olsson earns 100 bajillion a year.....  etc etc etc.

I know the NS Demographic is fairly young, but there are also members who are in college etc - who probably have some kind of idea as to what they want to do for a career etc.

So - what i want to know is, realistically - what do you think a good salary is? or a high salary? What number do you think would be enough for you to live on comfortably etc...or support a family even?..   I'm interested to see the spread here....   obviously someone is going to say millions....   but when talking about earning "lots"... or being a baller, or whatever - give me a number.....    what are your expectations in life in term's of earning money? Put some numbers to this....  also - how important is it to you going forward in life? I know it varies dependant on where you live, but don't get too bogged down in that - i wanrt to know how much future earning potential drive's the decisions you make today.

I have some interesting stat's i'll post up once i see the initial feedback..... 

May 23 2011 2:12PM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Yeah, there would be a lot of money in a super high end instructing service, lots of people love taking us for lunch/dinner etc, and if we drove them around too they would pay hard. Just tough spending that much time with people sometimes, even if they are really nice, 6 hours per day plus lunch completely drains me and I just want to talk to my friends. I have been looking into starting a business in Japan too, and basically it is a nightmare with visas/taxes/business law!
May 23 2011 7:21PM
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AOTEAROA
Posts: 2216 - Karma: 15
Fuck I dont know what world you live in. My mum's been a renal specialist nurse for 40 years, she gets paid $60 000(NZ) a year. I dont think thats REALLY good money for the experience and effort she puts in. And as for teaching, my dads a teacher, he works from 8am till about 1am every day, he's 64, been doing it for about 40 years too. He runs so many things in the community as a result of being a senior teacher, then has to stay up late marking and writing reports. They are both ALOT more stressed than any mine workers Ive met, And I've met alot. I used to live in Western Australia where the main mining boom is, it aint hard work.
May 23 2011 7:25PM
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AOTEAROA
Posts: 2216 - Karma: 15
Taxes arent that bad. $252000 a year to do inventory! thats fucked in my books. Aus dollar is at paroty with Us dollar too.
May 23 2011 7:27PM
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JOP177
Posts: 392 - Karma: 424
I'm going to be graduating with a degree in accounting, and I might also pick up a dual finance degree.  I'm looking at high 50's coming out of college, and probably into the 60's. 

My sister just graduated Notre Dame as an electrical engineer and she has a friend in her program who got heavily recruited by Boeing.  He worked for them Sophomore summer, and they paid for his Junior and Senior year (80k).  He decided to go with Microsoft though, after they offered him, get this, 60k MORE than Boeing....
May 23 2011 7:31PM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
I expect somewhere between about £25k - £50k ($40k - $80k) starting salary - but i'm going to do a couple of ski seasons first.
I do geology and geophysics at university.
May 23 2011 7:31PM
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skiskate
Posts: 787 - Karma: 823
Well Im not salary, I get paid hourly but have benefits and insurance. I already make more money than I need to live comfortably paying my own bills. If I gross 40 grand a year I have more than enough for myself, but I dont have a family or wife.
May 23 2011 7:50PM
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JStrathern
Posts: 8747 - Karma: 1,536
I'm personally hoping to make around 150k a year or more as an adult just because I like the comfort of being able to support myself and future family as well as extra funds for spending and saving, it's just the lifestyle I'd like to have. In addition 150k is going to pretty much be a necessity in 10-20 years with the rising prices of pretty much everything.
May 23 2011 7:55PM
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Edew19
Posts: 365 - Karma: 13
Where are you getting 5 months of steak for $60.  I don't even think I could get 5 months of lettuce for $60.
May 23 2011 7:56PM
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Captain_Slow
Posts: 1677 - Karma: 24
You say that now, but wait until you actually have a family you need to support. There are so many things that your money is going to (bills, savings, etc.) that 100k wont seem like a whole lot.
May 23 2011 8:09PM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6195 - Karma: 2,281
from what i have learned you can either go to school once you get out through the gi bill. or you can get into a school around your base and as long as you keep a certain average you are ok. my friend is in afgan right know and he is doing on-line classes to keep up.
May 24 2011 1:06AM
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PartyHon
Posts: 2019 - Karma: 425
25 bucks and hour at my job

80 an hour with the other.....(dont work this job often)
May 24 2011 1:11AM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,031
Considering I havn't had $15 in a long time, I will tell you that its plenty. I could eat for 2 weeks on $20
May 24 2011 1:13AM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
i dropped out of college.

i'm doing what i like to do. and right now if i stick with the company i'm with, i'll make around 21,000 a year, and it can only go up from there..

i also do freelance on the side, and if that starts picking up, i'll be making more.

May 24 2011 1:19AM
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tuna.
Posts: 2627 - Karma: 111
hmm. where to start.

currently majoring in advertising, with a double minor in marketing and creative writing. honestly, it's going to take a lot to get there, but i know that if i have the right doors opened for me that ill be able to become a big name in advertising. i havent decided whether or not i want to work in a firm (with several different companies/clients) or just work through one company as their advertising coordinator.

with that being said, i dont really know what to expect. hoping my first job will be from 20-30 k a year. that'd be great as just a single guy living life. hopefully as things develop my salary does too. i'd love anywhere 70k+ as i get older, ultimate goal of over 100k, but who knows. i dont need a lot of money, but i want to be able to support a family.

if things go extraordinarily well, ill use the money i make and open up a restaurant. i dont expect to get rich off of it, but i am fully confident that i can open an extremely successful restaurant, and it's what ive always wanted to do. so depending on the success of my first job, i can live comfortably off of that money and the money i make at the restaurant.

May 24 2011 1:20AM
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Aftleet
Posts: 135 - Karma: 16
68K(After expenses) AUD starting rate, Mine driller in W.A after i've done my year of training in NZ. Better than being unemployed stuck here
May 24 2011 1:32AM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
Well since I don't want kids and shit, 20k plus a couple hookers should do the trick (pun intended?).
May 24 2011 1:34AM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
if everything goes as planned, with me graduating from med school, i'm looking at upwards of 200k a year starting
May 24 2011 1:37AM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
It's hard to actually 'expect' something at this point. I'm halfway through an engineering degree, and I work my fucking ass off to do well/ get the grades I want to feel like I'm actually worth something to employers. With an (electrical) degree I know some people get lucky and make bank right out of college. If I were able to land a CAREER with even 50k (which is seriously not bad, all things given) I would be pretty stoked. Stress on the career aspect, because one has to work their way up the food chain to higher earnings and, hopefully, more interesting tasks.

That said, even getting any job would be awesome. And I've been thinking about some sort of grad school (maybe right out of college, maybe a few years down the road) and so I'll probably be looking at quite the reverse of my wanted salary.

Plus who really knows what the fuck the real world will be like? Scares the shit out of me.........
May 24 2011 1:46AM
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Msully
Posts: 575 - Karma: 21
where are you starting at that? i have 2 sisters that are in the last year of  residencies making mayb 40k a year in nyc
May 24 2011 1:50AM
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HermioneGranger
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 101
Here are my thoughts: I am putting 10 years into my education for what will amount to three, maybe four, degrees: BA, MA, MTS, and a PhD.
What do I expect to make: 65 - 85,000 a year; an amount which I can comfortable live off of.
May 24 2011 2:14AM
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HermioneGranger
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 101
*comfortably
May 24 2011 2:16AM
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sack
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 147
I don't know where I'll be living when I'm older/"settling in", so I can't say how much I will want to earn. hopefully above 3 million yen... although if I pass a few exams I would probably earn a lot more, like 5 million maybe. with the current economic downturn, maybe less. the Japanese like hiring people who are multilingual or english-japanese bilingual so I got that going for me.
all I know is that the job I earn it at, I want to be happy with and proud of doing. right now, I get by earning nearly nothing, and I hate having a lot of extravagant material goods... I prefer to lead a modest lifestyle.
May 24 2011 2:26AM
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Pee_and_Ski
Posts: 1869 - Karma: 57
enough to live off of. my friend said it best "we have the freedom that only comes from being broke as shit, not having any responsibilities, or any idea what the fuck we want to do with our lives"
May 24 2011 2:52AM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
When i graduate 31k with benefits and housing payed for. Increasing from there but someday, somehow i'd hope to make upwards of 80k for a few years. That's reasonable.
May 24 2011 3:07AM
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skeedle
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 628
i think i'd be comfortable with about 30-35k a year. once i have a family, probably around 50-60k would be nice, although i would have to move somewhere cheaper.
and, i am close to finishing my degree in accounting, so i can probably expect a fair bit more
May 24 2011 3:20AM
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scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
I'm moving to Utah to ski for a year...but after that I'll probably move back to Minnesota and live there for ever...the cost of living is great here...I don't plan on ever getting married (though it can change) but 50k a year would suit me just fine...if I move up decently in the IT area (hopefully working for cisco) doing network security...and I hit some where in the 70k range...well thats just a bonus.

I don't spend a lot, besides the bills and some spendy hobbies (golf and skiing) so 50k would be perfect.
May 24 2011 3:21AM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
I wrote something a bit harsh here.... but I deleted it.

Regardless, it is possible to raise a family just fine and not have massive debts on 50k a year (less when I was younger). I know this because my parents did it. My mom only ever really worked part time so I saw her probably more than I ever wanted to. I still was on the ski team. I had a car when I turned 16. Both my sister and I went to college. We lived in one of the best suburbs of Minneapolis. We vacationed every year. Given, I do have student loan debt, but not tremendous amounts more than my friends. Now my parents live in a great suburb of Charlotte, NC which they just purchased. They drive newer nice cars (mini and a lexus). They are doing awesome. They have also saved enough that when my stepdad retires at 65, my mom plans to only work 2 more years and retire at 63 because they want to travel together.

I would be so lucky if I can have that equivalent.

In which case I do pretty damn well on 24k a year. I ski 100+ days. Have multiple resort passes. Have a nearly paid of subaru. Havent missed any sort of payment on student loans or car or whatever in over 3 years. I eat well... as in not ramen. I've been to europe twice in the last 5 years and to new york and NC and plenty of other places. Last week I was in Mammoth. This week I am in Colorado and in 2 weeks I will be back in Mammoth and then down to LA. Life doesn't suck. I'm not saving... I could be paying off student loans a bit faster... but shit, I'm doing it well enough. I don't have credit cards and I'm buying a new macbook in about 2 weeks when I drive through Vegas (cheap sales tax). I make a lot less than a lot of people I know... but the experiences I am having that I feel like no one else is, make it entirely worth it.

Money isn't the deciding factor on being comfortable. doing the things you love... even if cheaply, makes life comfortable.
May 24 2011 3:37AM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
I hate school loans. If it weren't for them I'd be living comfortably, saving, and traveling on $10-12 an hour.
May 24 2011 3:46AM
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dex.
Posts: 2973 - Karma: 62
im 20, work 40 hours a week, and make 45k a year. no college degree
May 24 2011 3:57AM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175

The majority of you guys are fucking idiots,

-First off 400 a month for rent and utilities...good luck.  It all depends on where you live.  I'm outside of nyc and you will be lucky to pay 1300 a month for rent and utilities, that's for a 1 bedroom in a safe area.

-You must not pay your cell phone bill, or have bost mobile or some shit, any bb or iphone (granted you dont need a smart phone) will run you 100 a month no problem. I'm in the hunt for a finance job and during my internships I saw how important it was to be able to respond to an email quickly especial if youre out of the office etc.  Yes a smart phone isn't necessary but it almost is in some places and lines of work. 

-90 for 2 tanks of gas, you must have no commute, to get to a good paying job from my current residence ( moved back home after graduation), its about 90 miles round trip.  If you get 350 a tank youre looking between 400-500 a month in gas.  Even if you use public transportation a monthly pass to nyc from my town is about 400 a month

-100 for insurance a month is definitely manageable depending on a lot.

-food 15 a week, are you kidding me man, if you living a ski bum lifestyle by all means thats ok.  Thats 2.14$ a day.  In actuality to eat somewhat health and not od on sodium youre looking anywhere between 50-75 a week. I know said you've done it before, but it cant be healthy for you.  seeing as a head of letus is 3 dollars alone. Once again in this area food is a lot more expensive than other places.

grand total.....2060, and that doesnt include a car payment if you have one, discretionary spending, cable/internet/phone, student loans and so on

I just graduated with a degree in finance and am aiming for a job starting around 45 the lowest, mid 50's would be somewhat ideal, after taxes...youre taking home almost less than youre spending a year to live and thats making 50 grand a year ha.

It all depends on location, yes 50k is about the national average and if you live in Missouri, sure that might be great but around nyc its nothing, in the suburbs of nyc if you dont make at least 150 youre struggling. 

for example a family of 5 making around 150k in my town, is still under pressure, usually meaning no vacations maybe something small here or there, a modest size house 2,500 square feet for 5+ people, and cars that are anything less than impressive, and so on.

Everyone has to remember salary and wages are all relative

May 24 2011 10:37AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
I am just going to leave this here...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-05-23-College-majors-engineering-higher-education_n.htm

Also a few unsolicited tips:

1) Take what you think shit will cost, and multiply by 2 at a minimum.

2) Being debt free is just that, freedom.

3) College is first and foremost a financial decision.

4) Having an expensive car is just about the stupidest financial decision a person can make.

5) Don't compare yourself to others, it will destroy you.

Like I have said in countless threads, if you don't know what to do in college get a degree in mechanical engineering. Then you can literally do any job. A person with a background in mechanical engineering will be higher up on the list for med school, law school, or any other post graduate work. You can go into any field, especially if you attach an MBA at some point. The world will always need engineers.
May 24 2011 11:19AM
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shrEddie
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 65
apparently for my major at my school, the average grad makes 65k the first year.

that would blow my mind if i got paid that much though, and if i am not married and without kids, i could easily survive on 20k
May 24 2011 11:23AM
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skiingpimp
Posts: 1176 - Karma: 31
most of you are forgetting about a thing called retirement. for me to retire in my 60s I will need to start out in 2 years over 100K a year with the amount of debt I have. By the time I pay my student loans off it will be well over 250K, plus with my career (dentistry) I will need to buy into a practice if I want to do it right instead of be an associate for someone else. That will cost between 500K to 1million. If I want to start my own practice up and do it right between 1 million and 1.5 million and I won't make a dollar for the first 1 to 3 years. That is due to over head. Not to mention I would like to buy a house, so through in a modest house at 200K in colorado (realistically 500k) So after takes around 40% realistically in a couple years I think by the time I am out of school for 5 years (7 years from now) I would hope that my "salary" aka income will really be around 350-400+K a year.

If you work for a corporation that gives you a 401K option or stock options ect then you don't need to make as much compared to someone who needs to earn their entire retirement before 60. And 30 years from now who knows what the US dollar will be worth and a couple million then may just pay the bills for 10 years.
May 24 2011 11:34AM
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BROSEIDON
Posts: 3702 - Karma: 1,495
I'm going to college next year and majoring in Biology (pre-dental) If I don't change my mind after my first four years I will go to dental school and after graduating I should be making around six figures AND the state of Maine will pay back my loans if I practice here.
May 24 2011 11:37AM
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VT_FLO
Posts: 3806 - Karma: 147
A comfortable salary if you're single is anything over $55,000 a year. If you want to raise a family you and your spouse should net AT LEAST $80,000 a year if you want to live comfortably.


I'm in school for premedical, i'm looking at anesthesiology and surgery which both net an average of $200,000 per year.

Dental is great to anyone looking to become a dentist. When you graduate you can have your own practice and if it is large enough you can net over $500,000 per year. Plus you get dental techs to be your bitches.
May 24 2011 11:42AM
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AwR
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 1,880
Two things I am interested in.
1. What do you consider REALLY good money?
2. What do you do that is difficult and strenuous and shitty?


May 24 2011 11:44AM
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skiingpimp
Posts: 1176 - Karma: 31
Good choice. i did biochem and molecular cellular and devo biology and I am 2 years into dental school. People always need teeth fixed. good luck keeping ur grades up in undergrad cause the average GPA to get in here was a 3.75
May 24 2011 11:46AM
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BROSEIDON
Posts: 3702 - Karma: 1,495
^thanks for the advice, I'm extremely committed
May 24 2011 11:49AM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
you wouldnt have monetary problems if you lived a simple life and didnt buy expensive shit.

live within your means. end of a lot of financial problems brought on by your own doing.

obviously there's the unexpected bills and problems and what not...
May 24 2011 11:59AM
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AwR
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 1,880
Money isn't real.
May 24 2011 12:01PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,031
HEY DUMB FUCK

Thats more than what I need currently. You live in NYC ya fucking dip shit, one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

My mom, my sister, and I all are on the same plan and we pay less than $110 so once again your the fucking idiot. O and I have a Droid.

90 miles round trip? You are a fucking dumb ass for living so far away. I live above downtown SLC and nothing is very far away.

I guarantee I eat healthier than you. If you were not a pretentious douche bag and think you know everything maybe you would ask "Hey bro, how do you live off of $15 a week?"
Go to butchers. I pay $1.80/lb for boneless skinless chicken breast and $2.80 for really really lean beef. "a head of lettuce is 3 dollars alone" What are you getting at? A head of lettuce would last me a long fucking time, once again, you're and idiot. O and since my parents think outside the box, we have a shit ton of chickens so I get eggs 1000x better than the shit you buy, for free. Suck on that ya New York bitch

Don't fucking call me out on my numbers when they are actually higher estimates then what I ACTUALLY pay now.

Maybe if you weren't caught up in shit that doesn't matter you would be able to live cheap as fuck as well.
May 24 2011 12:02PM
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AwR
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 1,880
Plus K!
May 24 2011 12:04PM
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jonny828
Posts: 1096 - Karma: 58
i think a good number after college would be in the 20-50k range. i will be majoring in architecture and possibly also in business we will see. my dad is a pretty well established architect and granted we live in montana where the low growth rate prevents limits business a little but he makes roughly 70-80k a year which is pretty good, but is for the most part holding up a family of 6
May 24 2011 12:06PM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218

This thread is very interesting - the age demographic is quite obvious.

Main things to point out are as follows - as you earn more, you inevitably live a life more commensurate with your earnings.

100k is not a huge amount in real terms (i'm 31 - been through that pay a while ago - i see it as a threshold) - but a great target - above that shit get's easier and more relaxed. You can save a lot, afford a decent mortage and still have money for emergencys / luxury's.

If you want to buy an expensive car - go for it - just make sure you understand it's a luxury, not an investment and make sure you can afford it.... if you like car's (like me) it's great....   but never buy a brand new one! lease it or buy it - you still might as well burn 15k.

Engineering - the world always needs engineers AND the world currently doesn't have enough.  Always will have work.

Get a job in Oil and Gas.

Money is not vulgar or ugly - you invest most of your lives today in education, learning, networking etc etc - why? to ensure a better future for yourself. 

You should be proud of wanting to be paid a lot.  As the Joker says - if you;re good at something - NEVER do it for free.

Put it this way - i'd sweep the streets if they paid me enough to do it.

May 24 2011 12:23PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
So you plan to live with your parents for the rest of your life, share a cell phone plan with your sister and mom and eat nothing but lettuce, chicken and "really lean beef" for the rest of your life?
May 24 2011 12:40PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
I will be making very little. Pretty much my entire life.

Woot woot teaching!
May 24 2011 12:42PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
Money can buy you happiness, but thankfully its not the only way to be happy in life. I'd rather have a career and lifestyle everyday that I'm stoked about rather than having to buy a vacation for two weeks every year and having a job I hate.
May 24 2011 12:45PM
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Ryan.Street
Posts: 444 - Karma: 20
I just graduated with a degree in Public Relations. They told me throughout school that starting wages are around $45,000 but as I am applying for jobs it seems to be closer to $30,000 (thats if you can land a job).
At this point, any money would be good compared to the $8,000 a year I make currently.
May 24 2011 12:47PM
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AwR
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 1,880
Yeah fellow ski-bum teacher! More money more problems is my motto that and everyone wang chung tonight.
May 24 2011 12:48PM
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