How much SHOULD you be earning?

[winterknight]

Not how much DO you earn, but what do you think would be the minimum "good" living wage for your area?

I ask because Jasun mentioned in his "ask me" thread something about "earning your age plus three zeroes" and he doesn't know how people could survive on that. Well, to get my age plus three zeroes I'd need a 50% pay rise. Not kidding.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Not how much DO you earn, but what do you think would be the minimum "good" living wage for your area?

I ask because Jasun mentioned in his "ask me" thread something about "earning your age plus three zeroes" and he doesn't know how people could survive on that. Well, to get my age plus three zeroes I'd need a 50% pay rise. Not kidding.

I'd need 55% more.

 

[Eagle653]

That old wive's tale about earning your age in 1000's died in the 1980's (or 1970's) when industrialized nations formed (more or less) a "global economy."

To figure out what you should earn, you'd have to compare what you DO earn vs what others with your job title and experience earn. That's the most basic comparison. You would then need to calculate your earnings vs the living price indexes in your locale. In other words, can you survive or not on what you make? If not, then cutting expenses or raising income is in order. If you cannot raise income in your current job (e.g., they won't give you a raise), then you need to change jobs and get something that pays better--even if it means investing in more training to qualify.

To compare job titles and salaries across economies is even trickier and less reliable due to differences in currency valuations and differences within currencies by urban vs rural locations.

You'll get a headache trying to figure out what you "should" be making in 2009 unless you do a basic comparison by job title and national averages. The more reliable indicator is "are you comfortable?" If not, get moving to something so you can be.

 

[winterknight]

To be able to afford to move out of my parents house I'd need to make another £3000 p.a. minimum. And that's assuming I was able to pay off all my outstanding debts and quit going to the gym (which is currently my only non-internet and non-work social outlet).

The lowest-paid equivalent job to mine within a hundred mile radius of where I live makes £5000 p.a. more than me.

But I only got this job through a fluke (it was a temp position that became permanent, and they needed someone so badly they'd have taken Chuck Manson if that was who the agency sent) and despite repeated attempts, I've never actually passed a formal job interview.

The fact that I don't have a clue what I even WANT to do doesn't help.

 

[3nipples]

Who is Jasun? ... not that it really matters, but if he lived over where I do, he'd have trouble making ends meet with that lame rule.

 

[boxerdudeuk]

age plus 3 zeroes? if i was 145 years old i may be happy with that. i'm very happy with my income... definitely better than "good enough".

 

[unloadonme]

Doesn't it depend on your currency?

You're 30 winternight, right? It sounds like you'd be happy with a £30,000 salary, but, if you were an American, would you be happy with $30,000 (which is the equivalent of a shade over £18,000)?

 

[kevbo]

I could live comfortably off of $22,000 a year...

 

[Horschallen]

I can use another 50% of my present salary which is several thousands more than my current age.

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

Fuck.

I knew while I was typing that that it was going to bite me in the ass.

Right from the people who brag about how much they make (you'll notice I didn't give a dollar amount and I won't) to the people who say my "rule" is "lame" when they didn't even read what it was that I wrote or the context it which it was written.

What WAS written was a bit of a sarcastic post about what I'd be doing if I wasn't in porn and I spouted off a silly, out-dated rule of thumb from the 80s that "you should be happy to make your age plus 3 zeros".

I then finished off with "I'm kidding."

But no.. people don't to read that.. they just want to say "my" "rule" is "lame."

For the record, here's the post in question...

http://www.justusboys.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5611531&postcount=652

 

[looseliam]

I think now it may be your age * 2000

 

[braex27]

It depends on where you're living, and the city. London and Tokyo are amongst the most expensive in the world, whereas other cities, no so much.

I am not sure about other work places, but mine pays on a specified scale, with a cost of living pay rise re-negotiated every two years to cover the follow two years.

 

[Richardodessa]

Thanks for striking back there Jasun. If I was making my age plus three zero's, I'd be working for a whole lot less money than I earn now.....good thing we threw that "rule" out with global economy or warming or whatever.

 

[MindBlast]

I work as a geophysicist, on the environmental side of things/shallow near surface stuff. I make about double my age plus 3 zeros (lol, sorry Jasun I had to).

If I worked for oil & gas exploration, I'd be paid about 30% more, and not have to do any gruntwork collecting data. So yeah, I feel I'm a bit underpaid here.

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

You're all in your right to reveal how much you make.

I won't.

But my rant was less about how much money one makes so much as "I'd have one of those jobs that's just there for making money so I can go through life like I'm on a treadmill."

 

[MindBlast]

You're all in your right to reveal how much you make.

I won't.

But my rant was less about how much money one makes so much as "I'd have one of those jobs that's just there for making money so I can go through life like I'm on a treadmill."

What you've said in quotes there couldn't be truer.

I'm underpaid but I do what I do because I like it. I get to be a nerd all day and people actually appreciate it! I get to find out what's going on underneath the earth's surface without drilling (the only drilling I do doesn't involve rock, let me tell ya).

If you hated your job and it was just there to make money, then it's not the right thing to be doing, isn't that what you were getting at?

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

What you've said in quotes there couldn't be truer.

I'm underpaid but I do what I do because I like it. I get to be a nerd all day and people actually appreciate it! I get to find out what's going on underneath the earth's surface without drilling (the only drilling I do doesn't involve rock, let me tell ya).

If you hated your job and it was just there to make money, then it's not the right thing to be doing, isn't that what you were getting at?

Exactly.

I guess the most honest way i should have answered that question is "there's nothing else i'd want to do but make porn, so if i didn't have this job i'd probably have a job with another studio."

 

[Pushyourluck]

It depends on your lifestyle surely? If you live in a big city with a diverse culture then you may need to earn more in order to appreciate the finer things that city has to offer. If you're the kind of person who is happy to stay in a lot and eat in front of the t.v then you won't find a need to chase a massive income.
I don't think there is a one size fits all approach to how much you should earn. Just live your life for you and don't focus on how much other people have got. Are you happy? That is the only question I ask my friends.