How much money are you earning per month?

[BillCurnow]

Summer is about the worst possible time to work plus the extended rest helps recharge your batteries for the coming year. It's a shame US employers don't see the advantages of just closing their doors in July and August. Their employees would be happier, healthier, and would probably do as much work in the ten months when they do work than they now do in twelve.

...while the rest of the world works through the summer? No thanks. Besides, how do you figure that the summer is about the worst possible time to work?

 

[cave dave]

$4200 take home. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 900 sqft house, no kids, no spouse.
I still "try" to keep my flashlight purchases under control.

 

[CodeOfLight]

13,500 /month take home - 170,000/year

 

[Monocrom]

13,500 /month take home - 170,000/year

Could I ask what you do for a Living?:huh:

 

[Concept]

Not enough it seems?

 

[geepondy]

Yeah, what Concept says unfortunately. I make more then some of the above postings, less then others but most likely if the bad eyesight doesn't do me in first, I'll be working until I'm 65 or 67.

It's funny how you can "never make enough". A first goal of a lot of young people/couples is to be able to buy a house. Then when you have a house, you say it's ok but boy you sure wish you made enough to buy a bigger one or one in a more desirable neighborhood. Then if you have that bigger house, you say how nice it would be if you made enough so you could have a nice boat like the neighbors as well or that second vacation cottage by a lake or out in the country. Unless you make a real lot like a pro athlete I think you can always easily spend your earnings. I know for me since I bought my condo (single guy, single income), I really have to budget my flashlight and fun toys.

 

[CodeOfLight]

I am a the senior software systems architect at a major university. I also do a lot of software and database design/modeling consulting on the side. I deal in systems design where there are >1000 tables and more than 100,000,000 rows combined. I created all of the system services libraries they use in thier programming environment for thier web based applications that deliver this information in sub second response time on the web. If they think that they have an intractable problem, they bring it to me. I am the last in the chain of technical people to whom all of the other programmers turn to when they do not know how to do something. I have no one else to ask.

It is both a blessing and a curse.

P.S. I do not have a college degree.

 

[kevinm]

Mine is about $2400 per month, but the household is $3000. Not much for 5 people, when rent is $1300.

If I want to get a new light, I have to save for a couple of months.

Craig, good luck, man. My girl is on SSI with her 2 kids at $600. The system is broken.

Kevin (the broke!)

 

[iced_theater]

Depends on how much overtime I get. If I work just my regular shift with no overtime it's about $3800 gross per month. My average this year has been far better than that though, figure about $4500 gross per month.

My base wage is about $45000 per year or $21.66 per hour. I'll be grossing about $59000 this year with OT.

 

[iced_theater]

Summer is about the worst possible time to work plus the extended rest helps recharge your batteries for the coming year. It's a shame US employers don't see the advantages of just closing their doors in July and August. Their employees would be happier, healthier, and would probably do as much work in the ten months when they do work than they now do in twelve.

I think summer is the best time to work, but I'd rather work when it's 80 degrees out versus 20 like it is right now. Or negative's here in a couple of months.

Also, they're is no possible way they would nor could close down the industry I work in. It literally would nearly stop America in it's tracks. It's amazing how many things are moved by rail.

 

[VWTim]

I think summer is the best time to work, but I'd rather work when it's 80 degrees out versus 20 like it is right now. Or negative's here in a couple of months.

Also, they're is no possible way they would nor could close down the industry I work in. It literally would nearly stop America in it's tracks. It's amazing how many things are moved by rail.

Do you mind me asking what you do and for which railroad?

 

[Monocrom]

I am a the senior software systems architect at a major university. I also do a lot of software and database design/modeling consulting on the side....

Thank You for replying.

I figured it was something along those lines.... That, or a Professional Hitman. :lolsign:

 

[iced_theater]

Do you mind me asking what you do and for which railroad?

carman, Union Pacific Railroad.

 

[allthatwhichis]

I earn a LOT more than I bring home...

 

[Aaron1100us]

Not near enough

 

[idleprocess]

I do better than the average American if you go by per-capita GDP and possibly per-household GDP.

If my finances were in better shape (read: my credit report weren't so scratched up), I could be living in my own house. I save most of what I don't pay towards necessities like rent, bills, car maintenance (mine is paid for, thankfully).

 

[jtr1962]

...while the rest of the world works through the summer? No thanks. Besides, how do you figure that the summer is about the worst possible time to work?

The heat and humidity makes you feel lethargic, at least for me it does. It literally takes me two weeks to do in the summer what I can do in a day when the weather is cooler. And July 4 is the only holiday in the entire summer. Besides, being conditioned by 17 years of school to having summers off working in summers just never seemed natural. Of course, essential services like food, transportation, sanitation, and the police can't shut down during the summer but I don't see why lots of office jobs can't. Either that or just give employees two months of annual vacation to be used whenever they want so the business can stay open year round. I personally wouldn't even care if it was paid. I'd just rather have the time off even if it means earning less. Given that the two months of earnings would be taxed at your incremental tax rate probably one-third to one half of it is taxes anyway.

While we may criticize the EU for having a lot of holidays and vacations here in the US we really don't have enough. Lots of jobs require you to be there 5 years before you even get one week of vacation. Most are unwilling to give you unpaid vacation. Overall it makes for a tired, unproductive work force which makes lots of unnecessary mistakes. I blame it on a management mentality which is obsessed with counting employee hours instead of letting the employees manage their own time so long as they do their job function. I remember once reading about a study on time-wasting in the workplace. This occurred as a direct consequence of paying by the hour and having fixed hours. When the employees were told that they would receive the same pay regardless of hours worked so long as they completed their required tasks most were able to do their tasks in under 25 hours a week compared to over 40 hours before. In fact, quite a few employees before had intentionally stretched out their routine tasks to the point where they would routinely work overtime. I thought it was amazing how employees suddenly don't care about coffee breaks, extended lunch, gossiping by the water cooler, etc. when they're allowed to manage their own time.

 

[Datasaurusrex]

13,500 /month take home - 170,000/year

There's no way you're only paying 8k in taxes.

13,500 x 12 = 162k net
170k gross - 162k net = 8k in taxes

Even if you were getting zero 'normal' wages (all 170k was being paid via the best possible shelters) you'd still be looking at around 30-40k in taxes.

http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=109877,00.html

 

[Concept]

Kind of inline with this thread does the US as a whole have an average wage. I understand that the differences between the classes can be huge but is there an average across the board.

In Australia we are apparently around the mid $50K (close to $41K USD) mark for single income, gross average wage per annum.

 

[London Lad]

If you posted this on a UK forum no one would answer and you would get flamed for asking.

Not saying there is anything wrong with this thread / question, just noting the cultural differences!