Salary

[63dot]

Believe me, I am very aware of that. I was actually joking about Metatron being a GS12. It's also a running joke around my office, since I am the low man on the pole in an office full of GS11s or above. I've only been on this job about 8 months, so I guess I had good timing. I worked as a government contractor for a few years until the contract got cut way back. Immediately before my current job, I was working for a small computer repair and consulting firm. A couple of months after taking the gov't job, I talked to a former co-worker at the firm, and he told me they had laid off some people in an already small business. (Around 15 or so employees) Again, good timing I suppose.

Ironically, this is the second time I have been in a government job during an economic downturn. After the dotcom bust in 2001, I was working helpdesk for a university, and rode that out at that job.

And salary isn't that bad. It is one good aspect of living in a low cost-of-living state. In more expensive areas, GS pay may not be that great, but around here, it is pretty good. The house I am renting would go for 2-3 times my rent in a place like San Fran.

And if one does leave a civil service job and does find a private industry job that pays twice as much, these days that means that they will simply make you work twice as many hours so you have money, but no free time.

I think all gainfully employed work is honorable, as long as you are not breaking the law, and there are always trade offs for the brass ring. There is only one person I know in the Valley who made out well in dot.com and he was an arbitrage expert. He bought out companies and sold off the parts like a scavenger. Real venture capitalists knew it was going to fail and secured great assets from the hard work of others. Yes, it was mostly legal, barely, or not if even one t is not crossed or one i dotted.

 

[Crawn2003]

Hmm...

I get a base salary of $33,000 a year. Plus an additional $8,000 Regional Paid Differential for California.

So that's $41,000 salary a year. If I (and my market) do well, I get an additional $2,000 per quarter so $2,000x4=$8,000+$41,000=$49,000.

As I live in California, any time over 8 hours in a day is considered overtime pay. So that averages to about an extra $400 a pay check. So that would be $400x26(weeks)=$10,400+$49,000=$59,400.

Now add additional bonuses, etc. I would say $60,000 a year and I started with this company April of last year.

Throw in I get a company car with a company gas card, doing pretty well. Considering a year ago I was only making $9,000 a year.

~Crawn

 

[DoFoT9]

Hmm...

I get a base salary of $33,000 a year. Plus an additional $8,000 Regional Paid Differential for California.

So that's $41,000 salary a year. If I (and my market) do well, I get an additional $2,000 per quarter so $2,000x4=$8,000+$41,000=$49,000.

As I live in California, any time over 8 hours in a day is considered overtime pay. So that averages to about an extra $400 a pay check. So that would be $400x26(weeks)=$10,400+$49,000=$59,400.

Now add additional bonuses, etc. I would say $60,000 a year and I started with this company April of last year.

Throw in I get a company car with a company gas card, doing pretty well. Considering a year ago I was only making $9,000 a year.

~Crawn

wow thats great news!! good to hear your doing well for yourself hopefully ill be in your current situation in a few years haha. (im in your older situation now, except with half the income)

 

[sushi]

I make $12.01 an hour and work full time.

Interesting hourly wage. Twelve dollars and one penny per hour.

I'm sure it is much more interesting than what I fly: Piper Warrior PA-28 and Robinson R-22.

Cool. The Warrior and R-22 are both fun to fly.

I think all gainfully employed work is honorable, as long as you are not breaking the law, and there are always trade offs for the brass ring.

Agree.

I have a Japanese friend who used to work for an insurance company. He put in some very long hours and did not have time to spend with his family. He decided to change careers and work for the Japanese government. He would be making about 2.5 times what he does now. However, he is home every evening to have dinner with his family and is able to spend time with his children. He has never regretted his decision.

On the other hand, I have friends who are just the opposite and consider him crazy for doing what he did.

Point being, everyone is different.

 

[iNash]

I love how the first two are not rolled into the third

Is there any other way?

 

[steve2112]

Nobody "works" for the federal government.

Of course I do! I work really hard!

Oh wait, you mean posting on MR at work isn't really working...uh-oh.

 

[maestro55]

I am a 20 year old working my first job after college (been here going on 8 months now... time flies). I make about ~30K/year. Needless to say I have only purchased one new Mac (and that was while in college). The Mac I use all the time belongs to the organization that I work for.

 

[timsutcliffe]

Interesting

It's been interesting to see so many people private about their income, it's not something that really worries me. I work as a teaching assistant and a lunchtime supervisor at a Primary School and make about £8000 a year. My wife is the breadwinner for the moment.

As far as buying Apple products is concerned, I rarely do. I recently bought a refurb MBA, but could only afford that after selling my MBP. I don't suppose i'll be getting anything else for a good few months.

 

[MacVixen]

It's been interesting to see so many people private about their income, it's not something that really worries me. <snip>

Well I think some people are private about it because you just don't know who/what you are dealing with on the internet. I am a member of a different message and one of our forum members is quite wealthy. She doesn't flaunt it, but due to various events people have figured it out. You would be amazed at the number of people that have asked her for money - people she has never ever met or even spoken to! Even on this forum people half-joke about someone's income based strictly on a computer purchase...

 

[Unspeaked]

Even on this forum people half-joke about someone's income based strictly on a computer purchase...

Well, it's quite obvious that anyone who buys a Mini or shuffle is dirt poor, right?

 

[blackfox]

I would guess it would be more relevant to ask what peoples' disposable income is, rather than what they make - as this seems more applicable to purchases of shiny new Mac products.

Mortgage payments, kids, car payments, investments, student loans all make a dent depending on your situation, just to give some examples.

I make OK money, but am also single with relatively low overhead. I have about $8 - $10K of disposable income per year to spend (if I wish).

That said, although all of my apple computers are 2006 era or older, they still work just fine...I will probably think about upgrades in a year or two.

 

[detz]

This question depends on a lot of factors. Someone with the same job in different parts of the US(world) can make a completly different amount. This goes with age too; if you're just out of school and you're comparing your salary to someone who has been working for 10+ years it's not a very good comparison.

I think the average US salary is $50k/year, I'm sure Wikipedia knows.

It's weird to share salary info with co-workers but all of my family and friends know what I make. I think it's awkward for people to admit they make less so it's easier when everyone is on the same level playing field.

My fiancee and I will make $170k+ this year combined, which is about average for similar DINKS around our age and area.

 

[dmr727]

Cool. The Warrior and R-22 are both fun to fly.

I'm jealous of you guys that get to fly the whirly birds!

And jzuena, I'll bet the ground appears to go by faster in a Warrior doing 115 knots at 4000' than me doing .92 at FL470. So it's really not any less exciting.

I think the average US salary is $50k/year, I'm sure Wikipedia knows.

Wikipedia seems to think that number is right for the median household income:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

 

[63dot]

Wikipedia seems to think that number is right for the median household income:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

That is household income. Yes, some households may have a young couple who make over $100K a year and they are MDs while another household may have three guys living in there who are college students and make less than 5K a year part time. Like wikipedia says, it's the combined income, or investment income, of all people combined over the age of 14. Of course there are plenty of households where there are teens over 14 who don't work at all. Median income is approaching 30K, give or take a few thousand. No country that I know of has a median income of 50K per person.

 

[GGGUUUYYY]

5000(sold snowmobile) + 1500(scolarships) + 5000(jan to aug job)

 

[sushi]

I'm jealous of you guys that get to fly the whirly birds!

It's definitely fun.

If I were in the states, I might look at getting a Mosquito XE for fun.

Cool video of John Snider putting it through it's paces.

IAnd jzuena, I'll bet the ground appears to go by faster in a Warrior doing 115 knots at 4000' than me doing .92 at FL470. So it's really not any less exciting.

Interesting point.

Wikipedia seems to think that number is right for the median household income:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

Thanks for the link.

When you think about it, most folks will earn a million plus in their lifetimes. If you work for 40 years (25 to 65), you would only need to make 25,000 per year. It's what you do with those funds that count later on. I know folks who make and spend a whole lot more than me but don't have anything saved up.