Agreeable-Roof-5552 t1_j294p6a wrote on December 30, 2022 at 3:28 PM

Ok I have to ask you - what do you do for a living? Ive been in the same field for over 20 years with a Masters Degree (required) and I don't make that much. Please advise me.

anshesaid t1_j29aiva wrote on December 30, 2022 at 4:07 PM

This. My starting salary as a process engineer (BS in chemical engineering) in 2012 was $70K in Southern California. Now I’m 32 and my salary has doubled to $150K, which is quite low compared to my high tech friends who started at $100K+.

8andahalfby11 t1_j297mib wrote on December 30, 2022 at 3:48 PM

Switch fields to something in STEM that makes more.

jimmyptran95 t1_j29zqmc wrote on December 30, 2022 at 6:47 PM

I highly agree, my first industry job at a biotech in CA Bay Area as a bench scientist, with a bachelor’s degree, pays out $100k per year as base salary (it’s actually lower than the average salary of similar position at the same company ~110-125k) which comes out to $60k a year after taxes. I was less than half as much in academia smh

Fidoz t1_j2advgl wrote on December 30, 2022 at 8:18 PM

Looks like median income for a civil engineer is 88k in NYC

source (levels.fyi)

This is off topic, but are you staying in the same company for 20 years?

Agreeable-Roof-5552 t1_j2c9z86 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:29 AM

yes

Fidoz t1_j2cbazj wrote on December 31, 2022 at 4:40 AM

I think you're just paying a loyalty tax to your employer.

strongchocolate16 t1_j29qm91 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 5:50 PM

Sales and marketing. I was making close to this with a BS by 25. Got my masters and nearly doubled income in LCOL area.

BatmanBinBatman t1_j2cnix8 wrote on December 31, 2022 at 6:42 AM

bruh, sounds like you are underpaid and that masters degree is worthless. I hope you're not paying loans and are forgiven on the debt. Go into any STEM field and you don't need a masters...