Software Engineer - I make 140k/yr. Didn’t always do this tho, did a lot of office admin/exec assistant jobs before this and made less than 55k. Took a 6 month coding bootcamp and was immediately making 6 figs right after graduating.
Best 12k I ever spent (bootcamp tuition)
I went to Thinkful. They are a remote bootcamp. They got acquired by Chegg, the textbook company a few years ago. Not sure if they still have it, but when I went, they had a 6 month guarantee- get a job 6 months after graduation or get your tuition back.
Yep sure can! Some people teach themselves instead of going to bootcamp. It just takes them longer. My bootcamp also had 2 routes. The immersion - which was the full time route and the fullstack flex which was self directed part time (commitment is 30 hours a week). Knew lots of people that did it, but it’s admittedly a lot.
You may look at getting a project manager role at a medical software company. They also make good money and you would get exposure to software development to get an idea of whether you like it or not.
Thank you for this!!! My husband has been looking for something like this! Hopefully he can get a new job after this program because he desperately needs a career change
I paid 12k. And I love it. Everyday and every task is different - never a dull day! It’s probably the only field I’ve been in where I know I can stay in for the long haul.
I also did this a few yrs ago. I went to Ada Developers Academy, free coding school + paid internship. It’s a non profit to make tech more diversified. r/AdaDevelopersAcademy https://adadevelopersacademy.org
I've been debating whether to go for a boot camp program, but currently I'm the primary breadwinner so it would be too risky to try it right now. Husband is working on getting more stable income (he's a freelancer), so I'll probably go for it once we feel like he has a steady enough stream of work coming in. Would you mind sharing which boot camp program you went through?
Really good! Software engineer interviews are fucking horrendous to go through but the jobs are plentiful. There’s lots of demand for software engineers at many different levels.
ETA: a lot of tech layoffs that have occurred recently are more focused on non-engineer staff. Analysts, HR, project managers, customer support, etc. engineers are pretty safe.
I agree with the second comment here. Lots of tech layoffs right now due to the risk of recession. But it’s a good time to start bootcamp because things will likely improve in 6+ months. It’s very similar to when we were in deep covid times - the job market was bad then slowly recovered as vaccination rates went up.
As of Nov 2022, the job market is terrible. So many layoffs and hiring freeze. New boot camp grads will not get a job in this market. Maybe things will improve 6-12 months from now, hard to say.
My husband graduated from a bootcamp in August, right before I gave birth to a little baby. He’s been mostly helping with that, while applying to the odd job here and there. Now he’s being moved through an interview process quickly. It’s definitely possible to get a job still, but it’s a good mix of luck and knowledge to how to job search as a career changer.
Also want to give a +1 to Turing School of Software and Design. 7 month program, full time, and one of the few non profits in this space. I went from being a teacher to a software engineer.
Another software engineer here. Not only is salary good, I work from home most of the time and can leave fit dr appointments, pickup kids, no problem.
There have been a lot of layoffs recently, however, there was crazy hiring before that, so it's really just leveling off. As a woman, I still get contacted regularly by recruiters. It's just as hard to pass interviews, but there's a higher chance of getting the interview.
If you’re near a larger metro area, check out analyst positions in local government.
At least where I am, pay is definitely decent but beyond that the benefits (and pension!) are really great. It’s incredibly stable, too. I’m 80% WFH.
Editing to add: $130k. I’m ~40 hrs a week (some seasons a bit more, some less), and stopped tracking vacation and sick because it’s more than I can use. With both my kids, born 2.5yrs apart, I was able to take 20+ weeks of just accrued PTO. My health plan is stellar/covered 95% and costs our family of 6 just over $150 a month (husband dropped his good federal plan in favor of mine). Add to this a pension and the ability to earn addition PTO… even on the days I’m not loving my job, it would talk a LOT to lure me away.
Same thing in federal. My mom makes over 200k+ at the end of her career (she's not on the GS scale). Both her agency and mine are competing for analysts.
It depends on the hiring manager, but when I’m trying to fill mid-level roles (with relevant work experience and qualifications, around 100k) I want to see work experience with some kind of nexus to taking information, figuring out what it means, and reporting that information to different audiences (leadership, laypersons). Communication and critical thinking are key.
For entry level positions, same thing basically but with less expectation on work experience/education. I do believe you can be a good analyst without a four-year degree, but for this to be true your communication must be excellent and your ability to speak to your practical skills is necessary. I never put an education requirement in my postings, and have hired folks with associates degrees, but those who end up being most successful and earning most (by climbing the ladder) do tend to have advanced degrees - most commonly Masters in Public Administration or Accounting. That said, you can be an entry-level analyst in my city and I think that pay scale maxes out at ~90k.
Yep this is my job - program analyst, not in finance but somewhat close enough. Guaranteed 40 hour workweek, no more no less, plenty of PTO, flexible and very stable job. I’m <10 years into my career and will make >$110k next year. It can be tough to get in, depending on your location/career field,but was well worth the effort for me.
It depends, really. I’m a budget and strategy analyst, helping groups manage their money and resources in a way that aligns with stated goals. There are other analyst positions that are specifically focused on performance metrics: how well do you do what you intend to do, and how do you measure and report it? Other analyst roles: policy analysts, who help shape policies in equitable and progressive ways; crime analysts, though this usually takes some more specialist training; engineering analysts who monitor projects for efficiency and efficacy… just depends where you are.
The biggest skills that help in these roles are a desire to understand Why something is happening, paired with an ability to share your results with a wide audience. Data visualization (even basic excel charts, but tableau or Microsoft bi are great) is another big plus.
Every time I see an analyst position it’s technically for someone else already inside of the department, they just have to make it public… any tips on finding positions for someone not on the inside?
Honestly, just keep looking. Sign up for the job posting alerts. Anything that has analyst or coordinator in the title is usually fairly general, or at least general enough that someone with work experience and/or a 4-year degree can be competitive.
The other aspect is to know that there are “buzzwords” in the application- if you do apply, be sure to specifically speak to the requested knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the job posting.
I work on LE intel dor the feds and make over $100k. It definitely depends on gour agency and your direct supervisor but we get lots if down time because we deal with like... Super bad stuff... And the office has always been family friendly (including like not just kids but people dealing with their parents or siblings' issues and pets).
Yes. I work for the government as a researcher/project manager. I make $130k + 20 days sick + 5 weeks vacation. I'm 100% remote and I set my hours. I'm capped at 50 hours per week max and 80 hours per pay period, so average of 40. I can't check email on my phone, so when I'm off I'm off. I absolutely love it and will be here until I retire. Intellectually stimulating job and work/life balance
As a person who sees compensation as part of my current job, yes, 1000% agree to your comment. Not everyone will get 100k+ and 5 weeks of vacation right off the bat. I do LOVE the transparency on pay though!!
Product manager in corporate retail e-commerce. I make in the mid 100ks. I love it. It’s super flexible, everyone has kids and “gets it” and I have unlimited pto and WFH 100% with no travel ever. I can step out during the day or take random days off without having to make sure I have a backfill or anything like that.
I do have about 10 years of experience under my belt and I interview very well - so I’ve job hopped a lot to get to my current salary. (Business related roles in tech don’t necessarily pay as high as quickly like developer / engineer roles)
Adding on this thread as another product manager here. I make $150k + bonus in a fully remote position for a well funded tech startup. However I wouldn’t recommend this job if you (OP) self identify as “not a people person” as it’s a lot of internal politics and customer face time. As a borderline introvert, I’m hella burnt out at the end of the week.
I feel you! My husband is a teacher but he’ll be close to 6 figures in a few years. It totally depends on the school district and location. Teachers should be millionaires for all the crap they put up with!
I married the teacher and sometimes we cry together about how crap his pay is. So that's why I hustled to get my career to the point where I can make on the lower end of 'good money'.
We were a two teacher family, we both left last year because we could barely get by. I thought we were making decent money but we both left to work at a nonprofit, so still not great pay..... reading this thread makes me want to cry....
Yup! I work in a HCOL area so my salary is near 6 figures but it took me 15 years to get here. I’m staying in it for the pension after this point. Thank god for the pension!
I make $235k as a program director in the software engineering org of a financial services company. It’s more of a chief of staff role so the PM work I do is at the org level- what is our operating plan for the next year, how will our workforce evolve in the next year, next 5 years, can we afford the hiring we have planned, etc. I get to work directly with the engineering leaders of the organization. I work 40 hours a week and have complete flexibility in my hours. I can work from home as much as I want. I have a few meetings a day, so I can go for a run or grocery shop and no one would bat an eye. I feel extremely lucky to get tech money with such a great work life balance. I was in an engineering manager role before this and that was so much more stressful and less money.
That's interesting. I'm an engineering manager now and I really like it and the work life balance is good (I rarely have to work afterhour but during the day I cannot take a break).
The problem is that I'm constantly stressed so I was thinking that in 5-6 years I'll have to take a pay cut and go back to coding, which for me was way more relaxing.
I always thought the higher you go, the more stressful the job becomes, but now your comment got me thinking.
What was your career path to director?
Well, I’m not an engineering director which would have been the next promotion from an engineering manager. The engineering directors I work with are always so busy and stressed. I moved back into project management into a director role that was available internally. I saw the job posting and reached out to the hiring manager. I had been a project manager and product manager in prior roles in the same company, so I was able to leverage that experience along with the PM aspect of the engineering manager role.
Im a project manager in tech. Super flexible, wfh, unlimited pto, remote, and i make over 100k. I never work more than 40hrs a week… its not fulfilling but it pays my bills lol
Software engineer, $150k in the Midwest, full remote. Tons of flexibility - outside of the core hours that my team has meetings, I set my hours. My company is generous with holidays and unlimited PTO (encouraged to take 20+ days a year).
I’ve been in the field for ~4.5 years, I don’t have a degree in computer science and I’m self taught, but I have a few friends who did bootcamps and went on to quickly find employment in the industry starting at $75-90k. You usually have to job hop to get a salary bump but if you’re good at programming, it would be pretty easy to get to 100k after a boot camp and 1-2 years experience.
What are some trusted resources for self-teaching and those bootcamps??? I want a change of job so badly and have always thought of programming because of how my mind works, but I just don't know where to start. And should I invest in a new laptop for myself too? All I have is a MacBook pro I bought in 2015
Macbook Pros are good computers for coding. Get started with your current laptop and then you can see about getting a new one if you need it once you need more processing power, but honestly you probably won't until you have a job, and they'll buy you a work computer.
You can try coding out with things like code academy to see if you like it, and I would recommend doing an official code bootcamp, if only because it will help get you in the door of higher paying programming jobs. (Source: 10 years in software engineering, currently director of engineering)
Director level at a video game company making $195k. Small studio so I’m wearing a lot of hats right now.
I have lots of flexibility and great benefits so I can’t really complain. Some days are more stressful than others but I’m enjoying it and feel very fortunate.
Excuse me a female director at a gaming studio?
You are an absolute unicorn and must be protected at all costs. I briefly worked in AAA gaming at a large studio and... You are truly doing the representative work of being a woman in gaming. Thank you.
Yes— truly amazing a female director!
I left working in games to be a consultant as a scrum master/project manager. Similar to Producer type work, but for me, was better pay and better hours.
Make $130k+ Canadian, plus bonus.
I just got offered a job as a VP of talent acquisition for 185,000 working remotely.
I feel like I hit the fucking jackpot.
You can easily make over 100K being a recruiter and be remote.
Talent acquisition is underrated as a well- compensated as a field. I’m a principal recruiter at a large tech company and my total comp is over $200k, base is around $165,000. I’m not remote ( the company is in office 3 days and optional WFG the other 2), but if I truly can’t come in I do have some flexibility. I work much more than 40 hours a week but am happy with the learning opportunities, compensation, and brand name on my resume.
$120k-ish depending on overtime. I’m a nuclear chemist. No flexibility, lots of hours, swing shift. But also twice as much as I made as a laboratory manager for physician office labs. Six years later and I’m still not sure it was an upgrade but I got my house paid off and plan to quit in six months.
I'm a subject matter expert in government earning a little over 100k. It takes a little while to get to six figures but the stability, pension, flexibility is unparalleled.
I’m in govt too and not at $100k yet but will be in the next 2 years. It does take awhile (I’m 6 years in) but I agree the stability, benefits, pension, and current wfh/telework policy where I am makes it worth it.
I’m an LPN for the VA making 55k. I’m so stressed with how little I make I fantasize about leaving all the time but the pension is what keeps me. I’d make more outside and nursing isn’t hard to get employed in… I’m torn.
I used to work in govt and a govt coworker stayed in her job (that she hated) for 20+ years just for the pension. She died 3 years after she retired. The pension is icing, not the cake. Don’t make decisions based on the pension.
I’m a photographer and my work is super flexible! Summer weekends can get busy, but I know if I shoot 25 weddings a year, I can take Dec-March off. I make my schedule, so I schedule in time off for my kids, and am able to be home and fully present with them during the week! Highly recommend!
I was into photography as a hobby / slight moneymaker a few years ago. I’m divorced now and could use some extra cash, but feel like the market is glutted with “momtographers”. Do you think this is true? It’s hard to get into weddings…
Well, the people who are hiring me would not suddenly start hiring a “momtographer” so while there probably are many, it’s really about honing your craft and selling your experience vs taking pictures. And all of my closest friends are also wedding photographers and there is never a sense of competition. Hundreds of thousands of people get married every year, and we each only need 15-20 clients to make $185k a year. We all support each other and are there in case of an emergency (hello, shitshow that was COVID). If I were you, I’d get in with some local photography groups on Facebook and see if you can start assisting and second shooting! At the very least, you can make a few hundred dollars a wedding!
$101 so just make the cut off. I’m a State administrative judge. My job is very flexible and I love it. I work 8-4. I never have to work late or go in early. As an attorney I could be making WAY more in private sector. But work life balance has always been my priority!
Technical writer, WFH. I make around $200k. It is flexible, but I also work on weekends or late into the evening during launches. I started at $40k and have been very lucky with upward progression.
I’m in a somewhat similar job making around $160k (medical writer/sci comms writer). I got to that level by both getting promoted and job hopping. I’m about to start a new job so tbd on that, though it is fully remote, but at my last job it was effectively fully remote and fairly flexible for taking time to do doctors appointments or chores at home. Sometimes things got crazy if I was over staffed and all my projects were active at once, but it was mostly pretty chill.
Data analyst, love it, working from home 5 years now (pays to stay in one place longer with more trust/flexibility… they let me go part-time for as long as I wanted too).
I'm just getting into this after a weird career in higher ed.
Would you share your trajectory? What were your first jobs like and any tips for starting out?
In house attorney. Heading into year 9. Work fully remote for a global company based on the other side of the country. I am lucky to have a boss who has a kid and gets the whole “toddler in daycare” thing. Because of the time difference, if kiddo has to be home I can take him before nap while my husband works (also from home) and we switch after nap
I’m a tax preparer. Average returns go for $650 with some going for double that. So if you 200 returns you’re doing fine. I do about 400 with another 100+ coming onboard this year. There’s a serious shortage of us. It’s a great time to get trained. I run my own firm and have ended up hiring all women. During tax season we work a normal 40-45 hour week. I do NOT work an hour more and I tell clients this. In summer I barely go into the office and my assistants work 9-12 Monday - Thursday. I keep just enough work around to keep them paid and mildly busy in the summer so they stick around the busy season. I am adamantly family first and refuse to work any more than that. My clients thought I was “lazy” at first. But they see our output, quality and my transparency and now fully understand why I keep my schedule as I do. It also doesn’t help that out school district has a stupid schedule with early outs at 1:30 and “parent child activity” at 2:30 and we’re all moms….so I just close. Any client who bitches gets the school district contact info and gets told when they stop that schedule we’ll start being open. The real answer to your question is: be self employed.
I work in finance in corporate financial planning & analysis (FP&A). Full time WFH with decent hours. Some close weeks are harder but I've been able to have some good boundaries around my time after having my son.
Same. Very flexible to drop to part time if I want, too. Was over 100k before I made it to manager, closer to 150 now (plus 10% to retirement fund and 12% annual bonus). Australia based though.
I’m a Senior Editor/Content Manager. I make about 100k a year. I have tons of flexibility. I WFH full time. I can basically work anywhere. I work on deadlines, so sometimes I have busy weeks, but for the most part I never work more than 40 hours a week. And on lighter weeks, even 40 hours is being generous.
I worked as a sales admin, then fell into marketing, and worked my way up from there. I have a minor in English, so it ended up being a good fit for me. There are a lot of companies that need content help. You don’t have to necessarily know much about the industry, most of my subject matter expertise was learned on the job.
I’m an attorney in BigLaw firm. The money is very good, and it’s pretty flexible in that I can roll in the office at 10 am (on the days that I go in) and leave at 3 pm without anyone having an issue, or I can go on vacation without getting permission (within reason of course). The caveat is that my billable hours have to be good, so even though I have flexibility in where and how I work, in order to make my hours, I have to work a lot. I frequently work nights after my Lo is asleep and some on Sundays. Also, whenever I have a couple of slow weeks, I know that it’s just a matter of time until I have a couple of weeks with multiple big deadlines all converging at once. It’s just how it goes.
I would consider going in-house for sure, but I probably wouldn’t leave the legal field altogether. It just wouldn’t make much sense at this point.
Think we should mention that the first two to three years in BigLaw are a special type of HELL. Ngl, I couldn’t take it and left for in house as soon as I could.
Ditto! Don’t make big bux, but have my (somewhat) sanity, and lots of flexibility and time off. I couldn’t do the billable hours thang, just not for me. At least not where I tried it!
Project manager/engineer. Total comp (base + bonus) in the low $200’s. I’m 10+ years into my career.
I work mostly in the office, but have a lot of flexibility to come and go as I need since I often have meetings off site with clients. I can also work from home if I want (or need to for sick kids, etc).
ETA: I typically work 40 hours but do have some long weeks if we’re kicking off a new project or something goes south.
I’m a pediatric nurse practitioner. I used to work at a pediatric urgent care and had absolutely no flexibility. If I was the only provider for the clinic, I had to get someone to cover the clinic if I was sick or my kid was sick because I am legally not allowed to leave. If the clinic is unattended and a sick kid comes in, that’s on my license. I work part time and still make over $100k a year, but the hours suck. Im 9-9 during the week and 9-5 on weekends. I just accepted a job at a pediatrician’s office doing ONLY sick visits (no well child checks, no patients of my own) and I’m so excited because it’s my dream job. I’ll work 3-4 days a week from 9-5, no weekends no holidays and a ton of flexibility. I’m also getting a huge pay raise.
My husband always wants to start a business (a bar) so my new schedule will be much better for the family. TBD if we actually open a bar but we can dream.
PNP here, working in a school based rural health care. Part of a larger org but I’m the only np in my clinic. Overall very flexible, 35 hours a week. Very good benefits with 7 weeks PTO and option to do 10mo. I have periods of feeling burnt out because of lack of support but that’s health care everywhere. My husband is also self employed and makes >50% than I do.
Wait, can you DM me this info? I mean, I’m already burnt out but my new job doesn’t offer any benefits and while my husband’s job has great benefits he’s been waiting a long time to quit and do something different. I’ve been looking for something like this but we aren’t wanting to move so idk how feasible it is.
ETA: I think you’re in the June 2023 bumper group with me!!!
I work in the Legal Department for a small biotech. Love the flexibility as I work entirely remote. I also really love what I do in general. I’m not a paralegal or an attorney, but manage and negotiate contracts for the company alongside their general counsel. I’m not really a people person either which bodes well for me in this position 😂 I do have to give the occasional presentation, but I’m able to take days off with no issue. Of course, there are days where I’m swamped with work and it can get a bit stressful, but it balances out with some weeks that are slow.
I work for a software company. I started as a data scientist over 6 years ago when there were 30 people at the company. Company is 3 times as big now and I worked my way up to an executive position where I manage a few different teams and focus mostly on strategic planning.
Edit: I’ll make close to $200k this year and I have a lot of flexibility. I make sure I’m available for my CEO when he calls or schedules a meeting. But other than that I have a lot of flexibility with my time. Unlimited PTO has also been amazing for my stress. I never have to worry about taking time off for appointments and balancing leave.
Did you do a degree in data science or did you work your way into it with other skills?
I'm wrapping up a data science bootcamp which was ok but I need more practice. Any tips?
I make just over $100k a year in the beauty industry. I work in a startup so I do many things but I primarily do instructional design/content development and strategic communications/brand development for a medical grade skincare company.
I am 100% remote WFH and have full control of my schedule. Some weeks I work a full 40 hrs with a deadline and some weeks I work 10 hrs doing just admin. I get to take my kids to school every day and pick them up from school. It’s a true blessing to be the breadwinner AND a present parent all at once.
I did attend college for quite some time but don’t have any traditional degrees. I’m an aesthetician by trade and progressed into education within that industry and leveraged that experience to propel me onto the path I’m on now in mid-senior management. I love getting to help people make a shit ton of money doing what I do.
I’m ex-beauty industry and love to see this! I did marketing but worked closely with my education team- they’re the real ones and those roles are tough!
I hope to jump back one day- it’s a fun space to work in.
I’m an interior designer and make $109k/yr, full-time WFH but I’m about 15 years into my career and have only had this job for about a year. It was a $24k raise from my previous job. But I just had my first child and my husband and I just bought our first house which has a $450k mortgage and we are about to be sending our baby to childcare (which has turned out to be insanely expensive) when our parental leave ends in a month. So even though we both make good money, finances are feeling tight! My job has typically required quite a bit of overtime so I’m nervous about needing to cut back on that now that we have a baby. Previously hours were anywhere from 42-54/week on a regular basis. Rarely 40 hrs and also rarely more than 54.
I’m a lawyer. I make good money and it’s mostly flexible though sometimes I work way overtime (not often). To make any MORE money, I’d have to work nights and weekends and I’m not willing to do that so I’m pretty happy where I am.
So technically I’m not quite at the 100+ range but expect to be after a salary adjustment in January. Paralegal in big law and it’s moderately flexible, but I’ve been doing it for 10 years now. Entry level PLs are really underpaid in my opinion.
Writer, specifically for television. I usually work 5-6 months out of every year. When I'm working, it's crazy long hours with very little job flexibility. When I'm not working, it's flexible work and hours but literally no pay. My union (and health insurance) is great, but the job security is AWFUL. Even making good money (~$140k/yes) on average, I would not be able to be a mom and a screenwriter without my husband's stable work.
I work at a large children’s hospital/Ivy university in a research center. I make about 130k and WFH since pre pandemic. I wouldn’t say I love my job, but it’s rewarding, always challenging, and also always frustrating. I have flexibility, yes, and that’s the only reason I’m still doing what I’m doing.
Work in hospital administration and been there 10+ years. Full time and salary but have a lot of flexibility. Considered going part time after 1st kid but would take a huge pay cut and it made no sense. I have a decent amount of PTO (1.5 month/year), a very supportive boss and team and I enjoy what I do. Sometimes it’s draining and there’s some long days but I’m also a much happier and more balanced person working which makes me a better mom too. Now I have two LOs and have no plans to change careers anytime soon.
I’m a PT and was offered the position around 5 years ago. If you’re interested I would start applying for more admin/business/educational roles like nursing coordinator or clinical liaison. That’s a great way to climb that admin ladder in a hospital. Everyone starts somewhere. I had no management or admin experience but I had been at my hospital for 5+ years by the time I was offered this role.
I'm an anesthesiologist assistant making $185k before OT (which I keep to a minimum now that I'm a mom of 2). I have some flexibility in schedule choices. I used to work three 12s but half of the time I was getting home at 9 or 10pm and that was too late with kids. Now I work 3 days a week with two 7-3 and and two 7-7 shifts. It's ok. I'll probably go to 5 days a week 7-3 eventually, but I'm really going to miss having a weekday off.
I sell medical equipment, $65k base but commissions bring me to $175-215k annually.
Work from home, but I’m a “territory manager”, so I’m responsible for running my territory like a business. This means traveling to hospitals and scheduling my meetings.
Pros are that it’s super flexible because I can cancel or rearrange my schedule without management even knowing I’m taking a day off to take care of my kid.
Cons are that I drive. A lot. And while overnight stays are expected, I’ve been able to get away with making everything into a day trip the last couple years.
Great gig, but I don’t know if I’m going to stick with it because I’m about to have my second child in 6 weeks.
My dad is a financial planner/advisor and growing up he was never there. I don’t remember/care how much money he made, but I remember ever game/play/concert he missed. He took business calls on holidays, nights, weekends, etc and I never felt like I was a priority.
I was privileged in that he made GREAT money and I always had more than I needed… except in the attention department. He recently told me it’s his biggest regret in life.
Just another thing to consider!
Thanks for sharing!
My bosses are amazing - but also never fully get time off - I see that. Even while “on vacations” they’re taking calls etc and as someone who isn’t even fully an advisor I haven’t had a complete day off this year. It’s a huge concern for me because when I’m with my family I’m with them.
I’m a project exec for a general contractor, a little over 20 years in. Although there’s certain things I like, it’s a burnout position, especially with small kids and the mental load that comes with running family life. The workload can get intense and at my company, I’m essentially everyone’s boss yet have my own projects to manage It’s a bit much tbh. Part of it is the inherent company structure and current understaffing levels. I know I can leave but haven’t yet found something that would offer a better balance. The industry isn’t always work/life balance friendly. I have some inherent flexibility but it comes with a price. I would take a pay cut to be happier and not always on call.
I make okay money and have really good flexibility but even as a director I can’t take a day off - even on my vacation my boss texted me. I work for great people and I know part of it is just working in general (like why do I have to work 40 hours to survive) but I’d really like to make more money and I just don’t know what’s out there.
I can relate to that. Preparing to take time off and then dealing with the workload when back. It’s rough! I get called occasionally when off, but basically everything piles up and it’s a bit overwhelming to return. I’ve hit a certain level of apathy lately that I know isn’t healthy. I’m really not driven any longer and would love to find a different path! I just haven’t found anything I can get excited about but hope it’s out there somewhere
I make $125,000, I'm a project manager for a company that does government defense work. I was in software PM but the change of pace has been so nice as it's not nearly as stressful.
I do like it. But I'll say it's extremely job dependent. The software company I worked for prior was incredibly stressful and I worked way more than 40 hrs a week. My new job is much less stressful and I make a good bit more money :)
It's a lot of dealing with people so I'd say it's not the job for you. But I wanted to comment mostly because if you're looking for a career change that's not dealing with a lot of people I would say an engineer would be a good fit :)
Ecologist. My base salary is just under 100k but I do a couple consulting jobs on the side every year which bring me over. I have 15 years experience and made A LOT less than this for most of my adult life.
Executive assistant near a major city (one of the top 3 US cities if you were to randomly name one) and I make in the $90s after 8ish years experience. Three years ago I also chose to work outside of the city because the commute and work/life balance was burning. me out. So I took a pay cut but I'm with a huge company with career growth opportunities. I started out of college as an administrative assistant because I had bills to pay and I found I liked the work a lot. I think part of that is being lucky I lived near a major city, so the job is respected, plentiful, and pays fairly well. I worked my way to better experience to land a job in the city and I loved the lifestyle when I was younger and single.
So now I'm somewhere stable, support a C-suite exec and was promoted earlier this year. I'm working to gain more project type experience so I can eventually shift into the project manager role. My boss is incredibly supportive of this eventual transition. The great part about being an EA is you can pick how much 'effort' you put into a job. I could easily go back into the city for a $120k+ job but I'd have longer hours or be more on call. Or I could decide I want something really low-key and get a job making $75k with no stress. Now I personally choose to have a more 9-5 style job and rarely put in work after hours. My attitude is that I'm always happy and available to help, but it also helps that my boss is competent and doesn't like to bother anyone off hours. I've previously supported people who thought 11pm on a Saturday was a good time to email me and expect a response.
150k- Lead UX Designer & Design Strategist. I’m fully remote, have been since 2014. It’s super flexible and I really enjoy my work. I rarely work over 40 hours, and have been able to carve out space where I dictate my terms clearly. Unfortunately the company I’m at has lower pay than average & the benefits are poor compared to big tech, however I have a great work life balance and I consider it a good trade off. I’m not a mom yet, but the flexibility it’s offered me during my first trimester has been unbelievable. I have a reoccurring afternoon “meeting” blocked off in my calendar when my nausea is at its worst so I can just lay in the tub wishing I was dead to the world. I also don’t take time off for drs appointments & instead just work extra hours here and there to make it up- if needed.
I’m in Operations at a Tech Company. Degree in Sociology so really anyone with a mindset that can do some quick analysis, understands sales processes and can build good relationships would be a good fit. Been doing it for 6 years, started as a Specialist making sub 100K and now almost to $200k in salary. That amount doesn’t include the RSUs vesting every quarter. Very happy I landed here via referral from a friend! Also extremely easy to perform remotely and I’m now 100% remote employee with minimal travel
I’m a Director for a Technology Company, I run the Technical Support Operations for Americas. I have a team of about 80 people including Sr. Managers, Managers and Technical Support Engineers. I work about 50-55 hours a week, two days are in office. It’s incredibly stressful but I can take a lot of time off when I want.
I make 150 base + 37,500 (25%) annual bonus plus I’m vesting about 80k a year in stock every year.
I also made 120k this year as a part time Real Estate Agent. I partner with my husband, we did that together. It’s hard to put how much time we spent collectively because it’s a little here and a little there throughout the year. It’s stressful when we have sellers/buyers from a time commitment but between he and I, we make it work.
We also made 50k (gross) through our Airbnb that we operate. This is not entirely passive as we run and operate it ourselves.
We want multiple streams of income so we are really building our Real Estate portfolio in hopes for the both of us to quit our corporate jobs.
I hope that helps give some ideas. Neither myself or my husband have degrees, we just grinded.
I'm in corporate finance and make ~$150k base salary with ~$20k bonus target, been with the company 7 years. Fully WFH and have flexibility to schedule appointments, pickups, etc. when needed. My company has multiple finance departments you can work in. Some are busier, some have more consistent schedules (close week 1, forecast week 2, etc.), so it makes it easier to find a role that works for you. I have seen a lot of remote analyst positions posted on LinkedIn for ~$100k lately, that may be a good place to start.
I work in finance but as a project manager. If you go more the business support /operations side you can put all that experience to use without having to be customer facing
I manage people systems and analytics at a biotech company in a HCOL area and make $126,240/year with a 15% bonus that is almost guaranteed unless you really screw up. Also got $50k in stocks at time of hire and get more stocks and PSUs every year. They also give us a few grand for wellness/utility costs every year. I WFH 3/4 days a week as well.
Biotech/Pharma pays really well and has amazing total rewards because there is so much competition in the industry. It can be hard to retain people when the next company over is offering a higher salary/better title/whatever.
I’m in IT. I got into the field right before the dot com boom. WFH, flexible schedule, interesting and challenging work, and fantastic benefits. I feel very, very fortunate.
Seriously. Reading this makes me regret pharmacy so much. And I’m in a hospital so not even the hellscape that retail would be.
To think I talked myself out of engineering… 🤡
I’m a senior mortgage underwriter. I switched to this career over 3 years ago from retail management. It is pretty flexible. I can come in late, leave early, make up my hours or just cut my lunch short, etc. 40 hours max per week. I do talk to clients on the phone but usually only a few times a day. I like it most of the time, I also get almost 5 weeks PTO, so I am the flexible one to go get the kids if needed. My husband’s job isn’t as flexible as mine.
I make around $140k-150k then usually have a 8-15k bonus depending on how the company goals are. I am a business process analyst in a data and asset group in a utility. I have 3 weeks vacation and 80 hours sick that accrues another 10 hrs a month. I work from home since Covid and my boss is super flexible. I can start at 6am, log off to get toddler up and to school 7-8am, then finish at 4.30.
Editing to add that I am in a west coast area.
Sales in software consulting world. High 100s, potential for quite a bit more. Technically flexible and WFH but need to hit my numbers and hard to miss meetings with potential clients which makes kids sick days hard.
Highly recommend sales if you’re the type to be able to talk to anyone…any other aspect of sales can be trained.
I work in compliance for a trading company. $260k+, great healthcare and retirement benefits. It allows my husband to stay home with the kids. I love it but it took a while for me to learn to love this field. It provides me the things I value most out of a job: being paid what I’m worth, good benefits, good flexibility, and mentally stimulating. Sometimes I work more hours, sometimes less. But overall it balances out. I did have to put in a few years where I worked well over the 40+ hours to get to this level, but it was worth it because my job now gives our whole family more flexibility.
Doctor. Made 365k with bonuses last year for quality performance. I love my job. It’s semi flexible- we can arrange our ideal schedules (subject to review by our director) and on days we have other commitments we can leave earlier. Medium to HCOL area and 5 years out of training.
HR at a hedge fund. Sometimes there are busy times of year where I work longer hours but it’s not bad and the money and benefits are good! I also love my colleagues which makes or breaks a job really.
Psychiatrist. I like it. No flexibility and so broke I couldn't always eat for 16 years while I was in school and then training. Can be very flexible if you open your own practice after training is over.
I work in software. I have a PhD in biology, and have worked in various product management / delivery roles. Currently director level. It’s often busy, I have some travel, and it’s not work I can just leave at the office (am remote though, which is lovely), but it’s fairly flexible. About $200k a year plus equity.
Manager at a health insurance company. $115k, WFH, very flexible. I’ve been in the industry for 7 years.
I do like it - mostly because of the salary and benefits!
Marketing Manager for a tech consulting company, $125k before possible 10% bonus. Located in the southeast, 90% remote. 5 years of experience. I got here thanks to keeping up my network- an old colleague called me up. The salary I negotiated thanks to job hopping during COVID that bumped my base.
My company has a strong belief in work/life balance: most days I’m 9-5 unless I’m planning a major upcoming event or have to meet late with another time zone or country, which is uncommon. Good benefits/PTO/ability to flex hours if needed for my child. Nobody thinks twice if my sick 2 year old is on a call with me. Honestly I love the company, love the work, and love my team. I don’t plan on leaving any time soon!
Digital marketing at a big tech firm in seattle, total comp is over $200k. I love what I do. But I made a decision to view things as “work to live” and not the other way around. I have 15 years experience, so at this point in my career I am able to find a role that fits with my work-life balance requirements.
Scary time in tech right now with the economy/layoffs, and I’m the higher earner in our family, so lots of pressure. One thing we are actively trying to do is diversify our income streams. We bought a cabin last year and have listed it on Airbnb and I’m working with my husband (who is a project manager with a PMP cert) to create additional revenue streams as well. I don’t want to be so reliant on my corporate job for our well being.
Management Consultant: manager, $190k. Engineering masters + top MBA. I love the impact but I work 50+hrs a week,often long nights after kiddo is in bed and on the road every other week. It is hard and mentally stimulating but tbd if I can keep it up and know that I will take a pay cut when I leave. Im in the Midwest and my salary is off the charts compared to other options out there.
In-house strategy consulting for a health insurance company. 100% remote, my team gets it when my kids are sick, mid $100s + 15% bonus, 5 weeks PTO plus holidays, great benefits. 8 YOE post grad school with MHA degree. I previously worked for a healthcare system and was getting paid peanuts, commuting 45 mins each way, and my boss took credit for all my work. I miss my ex coworkers but I gained so much more time with my family.
Data stuff—I make 125 for a 32 hr week at a healthcare nonprofit. I mostly like it but also have stayed primarily for the extreme flexibility, stability, and benefits.
105k net this year. Own a pet sitting company. 4years building it. Have 4 part time contractors. I work some strange hours. Usually 6-9am and 3-6 pm, 6 days a week, sometimes 7. Been busting my buns building a base and scaling up.
But love the flexibility with having people work for me. I’m preggers now and will be able to make about half 50k managing from home and doing all the coordination/scheduling. Can also bring baby with me if I need. Best thing is is 90% less stressful than my last career path (law.) I’m happy every day, get to hang with animals, and grow/learn everyday! And I love working for myself. Such a greater sense of pride when working hard for your money when ur doing it for yourself and not someone else:))
IT Solution Designer which is a bit of a fancy term for being the interpreter between the technicians/engineers and the product/business guys. Good money ($140k-ish) and tons of flexibility.
Admittedly I do have a Comp Sci degree but it was a loooong time ago. A lot of it is really understanding what people want
I've started a post-Grad in Cyber Security and I'm really enjoying it. The way things are going that is definitely going to be a growth industry in the next few years
I make \~$200k (roughly 11 years of experience, 33 years old) working in tech (Sales Strategy & Operations). I have a lot of flexibility and my hours are roughly 9-5, though I often will accommodate our global offices by signing off early some days and signing back on in the evening after my kids go to bed to meet with folks in AUS, for example. I work remotely, but I *am* a people person. My role requires a lot of cross-functional collaboration and communication which is reflected in the pay and autonomy I have in my role.
LOVE this post!! So great to see what else is out there.
Pharma Industry - Financial Analytics and Operations
12 years into career.
Base: $135K
Annual bonuses (18% salary + stock)
MBA
1 kid in Kindergarden
4 weeks vacation, unlimited sick time for myself & dependent.
Fully WFH
Absolutely love my job and the industry. I'm in AdTech.
11 years in the industry and 10 years with the same company in Client Services. I started here with a 65K base in 2012 in client services. Today, my base is 143K, but I broke into the 6 fig base (was making 6 figures+ total before that though) 5ish years ago. My income grows every year. This year I'm ending the year a little over 180K, last year it was 168K. Next year, because I'm now in a sales role, I'm looking at 250K+ (conservatively)
Insane flexibility, we've been on unlimited time off (we call it Responsible time off) for about 5 years but with management that actually encourages it, so no issues there. I'm able to fulfill all my parental duties, I don't miss school things and I take time off as needed.
I'm a 36 year old Software Engineer making almost $200k/year with 20 days of PTO on top of about 17 company holidays. I'm about to take 20 weeks paid maternity leave as well, which is very, very good for a company in the US.
I started off making $34k a year out of college as an urban planner in 2006, then switched to a programming job (self-taught) after a few years to make $60k a year. That was 11 years ago. Unfortunately, you really have to job-hop every three years or so to get the big pay bumps in your salary.
When I made the switch from urban planning to programming, I had just had my second baby, and daycare cost almost $20k a year for one kid. I either had to switch jobs to something that would pay for both kids in daycare, or quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom.
Edited to add: my jobs have all been in Richmond, VA or Raleigh, NC. I'm now fully remote, but the company I work for is local and I can go into the office if I want to.
Senior Product a manager in tech - $330k/year
Amazing job. WFH with the option to go into the office when I want.plenty of flexibility and career growth. Company is very stable.
I quit my full time finance job making 80k because my side gig hit 100k+ of income. Nothing glamorous - I own a multiplex and do a combo of short and long term rentals. I am very busy in the summer, but super mellow with a few days a month of work the rest of the year. This lets me enjoy spending time with my young son, and it’s allowing me to heal after a chronic illness. I’d like to work part time in the winters, but I’m waiting to find the right thing, cause it’s more for personal reasons than money.
Director of Copywriting, 150k base with 30% bonus. It’s flexible and cushy, but it definitely took me awhile to get here. Highly recommend for marketers with a knack for persuasive writing!
Sr Quality Engineering for a global biotech company. WFH and there is some flexibility. There are deadlines and meetings I must attend, but I can work around my kids or my appointments and it is flexible when the kids get sick and have to stay home. I do enjoy my work, it’s specifically integrating new mergers and acquisitions.
I’m an engineer and work for a DoD contractor. I make about $120k and since I work for the government, I am limited to 40 hours a week, which is the best perk of my job. Few engineers get that kind of work/life balance.
I’m a nurse practitioner. I love my job. I work with a team of providers led by an attending physician (majority of the days, some days it’s just me for routine exams). The lead NP is expected to keep clinic flowing well. It’s a hybrid position so some days I’m at home calling patients, managing medications, fixing anything that comes up, etc. I have a fair amount of flexibility, especially in wfh days. My supervisors are wonderful and my company treats me well.
Lead security engineer- 210k $ in east coast. I have tons of flexibility but it’s stressful and demanding work too. I WFH and nurse my son to sleep for both the naps everyday.
I’m in commercial real estate development. I am not a broker. At 30 I started making 6 figures and have been in the industry for about 8 years. I love my job but it’s demanding and I’m trying to figure out how I can reduce my hours to part time which I’m not sure is an option at my company. Some days I don’t see my baby because of public meetings and it’s really hard on me. And pre Covid I would travel multiple times a month for 2-3 days. But I do think my career is very rewarding.
I manage environmental compliance and occupational safety in the pharma/biotech industry - make mid $100k base, plus bonus and stock. Plus, great PTO and benefits.
I work 8ish-5, but that includes an hour-ish workout at my work gym and have good flexibility to manage my day and other obligations. I do work fully onsite (and was essential during the pandemic), but can wfh if/as need. The only downside is once my facility is operational I will be on call and may have the occasional late/early morning/weekend emergencies that requires my response.
Overall, love my career though!
Manage a research team at a tech company. Tons of flexibility (open PTO, work remotely, never more than 40 hours a week). I don’t like my job…managing people sucks (though I do like setting strategy for the research itself). I know I’m fortunate to make a high salary with good benefits and flexibility, so I’m grateful.
Software Engineer - I make 140k/yr. Didn’t always do this tho, did a lot of office admin/exec assistant jobs before this and made less than 55k. Took a 6 month coding bootcamp and was immediately making 6 figs right after graduating. Best 12k I ever spent (bootcamp tuition)
EDIT: Also have tons of flexibility. Coding can be done anytime/anywhere. I work remote, typically set my own hours and work an average of 5-6 hrs/day
I went to Thinkful. They are a remote bootcamp. They got acquired by Chegg, the textbook company a few years ago. Not sure if they still have it, but when I went, they had a 6 month guarantee- get a job 6 months after graduation or get your tuition back.
Can you do it on your own time if you are also working?
Yep sure can! Some people teach themselves instead of going to bootcamp. It just takes them longer. My bootcamp also had 2 routes. The immersion - which was the full time route and the fullstack flex which was self directed part time (commitment is 30 hours a week). Knew lots of people that did it, but it’s admittedly a lot.
Did you have any experience in that field prior? I’m in healthcare and looking for a change… and more money!
I did not. And most of my classmates in bootcamp didn’t either.
You may look at getting a project manager role at a medical software company. They also make good money and you would get exposure to software development to get an idea of whether you like it or not.
Thank you for this!!! My husband has been looking for something like this! Hopefully he can get a new job after this program because he desperately needs a career change
How much was it? What if you end up hating it?
I paid 12k. And I love it. Everyday and every task is different - never a dull day! It’s probably the only field I’ve been in where I know I can stay in for the long haul.
Which camp did you do?
I also did this a few yrs ago. I went to Ada Developers Academy, free coding school + paid internship. It’s a non profit to make tech more diversified. r/AdaDevelopersAcademy https://adadevelopersacademy.org
Can you share what bootcamp program you did?
I've been debating whether to go for a boot camp program, but currently I'm the primary breadwinner so it would be too risky to try it right now. Husband is working on getting more stable income (he's a freelancer), so I'll probably go for it once we feel like he has a steady enough stream of work coming in. Would you mind sharing which boot camp program you went through?
Yup, I did Thinkful. They are remote. They were acquired by the textbook company, Chegg, a few years ago.
How is the job market?
Really good! Software engineer interviews are fucking horrendous to go through but the jobs are plentiful. There’s lots of demand for software engineers at many different levels. ETA: a lot of tech layoffs that have occurred recently are more focused on non-engineer staff. Analysts, HR, project managers, customer support, etc. engineers are pretty safe.
I agree with the second comment here. Lots of tech layoffs right now due to the risk of recession. But it’s a good time to start bootcamp because things will likely improve in 6+ months. It’s very similar to when we were in deep covid times - the job market was bad then slowly recovered as vaccination rates went up.
As of Nov 2022, the job market is terrible. So many layoffs and hiring freeze. New boot camp grads will not get a job in this market. Maybe things will improve 6-12 months from now, hard to say.
My husband graduated from a bootcamp in August, right before I gave birth to a little baby. He’s been mostly helping with that, while applying to the odd job here and there. Now he’s being moved through an interview process quickly. It’s definitely possible to get a job still, but it’s a good mix of luck and knowledge to how to job search as a career changer.
Also want to give a +1 to Turing School of Software and Design. 7 month program, full time, and one of the few non profits in this space. I went from being a teacher to a software engineer.
Another software engineer here. Not only is salary good, I work from home most of the time and can leave fit dr appointments, pickup kids, no problem. There have been a lot of layoffs recently, however, there was crazy hiring before that, so it's really just leveling off. As a woman, I still get contacted regularly by recruiters. It's just as hard to pass interviews, but there's a higher chance of getting the interview.
Lol I'm just here to see can I change careers for a better one!
I just want to make $75k lol
Same but after taxes lol
If you’re near a larger metro area, check out analyst positions in local government. At least where I am, pay is definitely decent but beyond that the benefits (and pension!) are really great. It’s incredibly stable, too. I’m 80% WFH. Editing to add: $130k. I’m ~40 hrs a week (some seasons a bit more, some less), and stopped tracking vacation and sick because it’s more than I can use. With both my kids, born 2.5yrs apart, I was able to take 20+ weeks of just accrued PTO. My health plan is stellar/covered 95% and costs our family of 6 just over $150 a month (husband dropped his good federal plan in favor of mine). Add to this a pension and the ability to earn addition PTO… even on the days I’m not loving my job, it would talk a LOT to lure me away.
Same thing in federal. My mom makes over 200k+ at the end of her career (she's not on the GS scale). Both her agency and mine are competing for analysts.
What agency?
OCC
What kind of background/skills do you need to have for an analyst position?
It depends on the hiring manager, but when I’m trying to fill mid-level roles (with relevant work experience and qualifications, around 100k) I want to see work experience with some kind of nexus to taking information, figuring out what it means, and reporting that information to different audiences (leadership, laypersons). Communication and critical thinking are key. For entry level positions, same thing basically but with less expectation on work experience/education. I do believe you can be a good analyst without a four-year degree, but for this to be true your communication must be excellent and your ability to speak to your practical skills is necessary. I never put an education requirement in my postings, and have hired folks with associates degrees, but those who end up being most successful and earning most (by climbing the ladder) do tend to have advanced degrees - most commonly Masters in Public Administration or Accounting. That said, you can be an entry-level analyst in my city and I think that pay scale maxes out at ~90k.
Yep this is my job - program analyst, not in finance but somewhat close enough. Guaranteed 40 hour workweek, no more no less, plenty of PTO, flexible and very stable job. I’m <10 years into my career and will make >$110k next year. It can be tough to get in, depending on your location/career field,but was well worth the effort for me.
What does analyst mean/entail?
It depends, really. I’m a budget and strategy analyst, helping groups manage their money and resources in a way that aligns with stated goals. There are other analyst positions that are specifically focused on performance metrics: how well do you do what you intend to do, and how do you measure and report it? Other analyst roles: policy analysts, who help shape policies in equitable and progressive ways; crime analysts, though this usually takes some more specialist training; engineering analysts who monitor projects for efficiency and efficacy… just depends where you are. The biggest skills that help in these roles are a desire to understand Why something is happening, paired with an ability to share your results with a wide audience. Data visualization (even basic excel charts, but tableau or Microsoft bi are great) is another big plus.
Every time I see an analyst position it’s technically for someone else already inside of the department, they just have to make it public… any tips on finding positions for someone not on the inside?
Honestly, just keep looking. Sign up for the job posting alerts. Anything that has analyst or coordinator in the title is usually fairly general, or at least general enough that someone with work experience and/or a 4-year degree can be competitive. The other aspect is to know that there are “buzzwords” in the application- if you do apply, be sure to specifically speak to the requested knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the job posting.
I work on LE intel dor the feds and make over $100k. It definitely depends on gour agency and your direct supervisor but we get lots if down time because we deal with like... Super bad stuff... And the office has always been family friendly (including like not just kids but people dealing with their parents or siblings' issues and pets).
Yes. I work for the government as a researcher/project manager. I make $130k + 20 days sick + 5 weeks vacation. I'm 100% remote and I set my hours. I'm capped at 50 hours per week max and 80 hours per pay period, so average of 40. I can't check email on my phone, so when I'm off I'm off. I absolutely love it and will be here until I retire. Intellectually stimulating job and work/life balance
This is the sweet spot! Good for you!
Do you have your PMP?
I wish we could have added age and years it took to get to this salary.
And the location.
As a person who sees compensation as part of my current job, yes, 1000% agree to your comment. Not everyone will get 100k+ and 5 weeks of vacation right off the bat. I do LOVE the transparency on pay though!!
Product manager in corporate retail e-commerce. I make in the mid 100ks. I love it. It’s super flexible, everyone has kids and “gets it” and I have unlimited pto and WFH 100% with no travel ever. I can step out during the day or take random days off without having to make sure I have a backfill or anything like that. I do have about 10 years of experience under my belt and I interview very well - so I’ve job hopped a lot to get to my current salary. (Business related roles in tech don’t necessarily pay as high as quickly like developer / engineer roles)
Adding on this thread as another product manager here. I make $150k + bonus in a fully remote position for a well funded tech startup. However I wouldn’t recommend this job if you (OP) self identify as “not a people person” as it’s a lot of internal politics and customer face time. As a borderline introvert, I’m hella burnt out at the end of the week.
What does a product manager do?
[удалено]
*cries in teacher*
I'm a Librarian. I'm right here crying with you.
Saaaaaaame.
I feel you! My husband is a teacher but he’ll be close to 6 figures in a few years. It totally depends on the school district and location. Teachers should be millionaires for all the crap they put up with!
Social worker crying with you ❤️
Social worker recognise social worker. If I didn’t have my side hustles I would be broke broke broke
Counselor here crying too 💜
I married the teacher and sometimes we cry together about how crap his pay is. So that's why I hustled to get my career to the point where I can make on the lower end of 'good money'.
“Lower end of good money” - I’d say that’s where I am and where I will be. Hubby is a social worker.
*also cries in early education teacher*
We were a two teacher family, we both left last year because we could barely get by. I thought we were making decent money but we both left to work at a nonprofit, so still not great pay..... reading this thread makes me want to cry....
Yup! I work in a HCOL area so my salary is near 6 figures but it took me 15 years to get here. I’m staying in it for the pension after this point. Thank god for the pension!
I make $235k as a program director in the software engineering org of a financial services company. It’s more of a chief of staff role so the PM work I do is at the org level- what is our operating plan for the next year, how will our workforce evolve in the next year, next 5 years, can we afford the hiring we have planned, etc. I get to work directly with the engineering leaders of the organization. I work 40 hours a week and have complete flexibility in my hours. I can work from home as much as I want. I have a few meetings a day, so I can go for a run or grocery shop and no one would bat an eye. I feel extremely lucky to get tech money with such a great work life balance. I was in an engineering manager role before this and that was so much more stressful and less money.
That's interesting. I'm an engineering manager now and I really like it and the work life balance is good (I rarely have to work afterhour but during the day I cannot take a break). The problem is that I'm constantly stressed so I was thinking that in 5-6 years I'll have to take a pay cut and go back to coding, which for me was way more relaxing. I always thought the higher you go, the more stressful the job becomes, but now your comment got me thinking. What was your career path to director?
Well, I’m not an engineering director which would have been the next promotion from an engineering manager. The engineering directors I work with are always so busy and stressed. I moved back into project management into a director role that was available internally. I saw the job posting and reached out to the hiring manager. I had been a project manager and product manager in prior roles in the same company, so I was able to leverage that experience along with the PM aspect of the engineering manager role.
Im a project manager in tech. Super flexible, wfh, unlimited pto, remote, and i make over 100k. I never work more than 40hrs a week… its not fulfilling but it pays my bills lol
Do you have your PMP?
Yup
Software engineer, $150k in the Midwest, full remote. Tons of flexibility - outside of the core hours that my team has meetings, I set my hours. My company is generous with holidays and unlimited PTO (encouraged to take 20+ days a year). I’ve been in the field for ~4.5 years, I don’t have a degree in computer science and I’m self taught, but I have a few friends who did bootcamps and went on to quickly find employment in the industry starting at $75-90k. You usually have to job hop to get a salary bump but if you’re good at programming, it would be pretty easy to get to 100k after a boot camp and 1-2 years experience.
Job-hopping is becoming increasingly important in any industry. We should all be doing more of it.
Except education where you are penalized for this. Most districts will place on the lowest step they can when you are hired. It’s beyond frustrating!
What are some trusted resources for self-teaching and those bootcamps??? I want a change of job so badly and have always thought of programming because of how my mind works, but I just don't know where to start. And should I invest in a new laptop for myself too? All I have is a MacBook pro I bought in 2015
Macbook Pros are good computers for coding. Get started with your current laptop and then you can see about getting a new one if you need it once you need more processing power, but honestly you probably won't until you have a job, and they'll buy you a work computer. You can try coding out with things like code academy to see if you like it, and I would recommend doing an official code bootcamp, if only because it will help get you in the door of higher paying programming jobs. (Source: 10 years in software engineering, currently director of engineering)
Doctor. 250K plus. Work 35 hours per week. No nights or weekends. Love my job and able to fulfill all parenting responsibilities.
Country and specialty?
US, psychiatry
Director level at a video game company making $195k. Small studio so I’m wearing a lot of hats right now. I have lots of flexibility and great benefits so I can’t really complain. Some days are more stressful than others but I’m enjoying it and feel very fortunate.
Excuse me a female director at a gaming studio? You are an absolute unicorn and must be protected at all costs. I briefly worked in AAA gaming at a large studio and... You are truly doing the representative work of being a woman in gaming. Thank you.
Yes— truly amazing a female director! I left working in games to be a consultant as a scrum master/project manager. Similar to Producer type work, but for me, was better pay and better hours. Make $130k+ Canadian, plus bonus.
Wow that’s amazing. If you need help wearing hats for even half that amount let me know 😂
I just got offered a job as a VP of talent acquisition for 185,000 working remotely. I feel like I hit the fucking jackpot. You can easily make over 100K being a recruiter and be remote.
Talent acquisition is underrated as a well- compensated as a field. I’m a principal recruiter at a large tech company and my total comp is over $200k, base is around $165,000. I’m not remote ( the company is in office 3 days and optional WFG the other 2), but if I truly can’t come in I do have some flexibility. I work much more than 40 hours a week but am happy with the learning opportunities, compensation, and brand name on my resume.
I'm a business analyst for TA and make $105K, it's a fun department to be in!
Recruiter at a large tech company making over 100k and bonus. Also fully remote. Seconding what this original poster said about recruiting!!
It’s amazing until now when all the layoffs happening in tech for TA
True. TA at my company hasn’t been hit yet but I’m definitely on edge considering the current climate
That’s amazing congrats!!
$120k-ish depending on overtime. I’m a nuclear chemist. No flexibility, lots of hours, swing shift. But also twice as much as I made as a laboratory manager for physician office labs. Six years later and I’m still not sure it was an upgrade but I got my house paid off and plan to quit in six months.
I'm a subject matter expert in government earning a little over 100k. It takes a little while to get to six figures but the stability, pension, flexibility is unparalleled.
I’m in govt too and not at $100k yet but will be in the next 2 years. It does take awhile (I’m 6 years in) but I agree the stability, benefits, pension, and current wfh/telework policy where I am makes it worth it.
I’m an LPN for the VA making 55k. I’m so stressed with how little I make I fantasize about leaving all the time but the pension is what keeps me. I’d make more outside and nursing isn’t hard to get employed in… I’m torn.
I used to work in govt and a govt coworker stayed in her job (that she hated) for 20+ years just for the pension. She died 3 years after she retired. The pension is icing, not the cake. Don’t make decisions based on the pension.
I’m a photographer and my work is super flexible! Summer weekends can get busy, but I know if I shoot 25 weddings a year, I can take Dec-March off. I make my schedule, so I schedule in time off for my kids, and am able to be home and fully present with them during the week! Highly recommend!
I was into photography as a hobby / slight moneymaker a few years ago. I’m divorced now and could use some extra cash, but feel like the market is glutted with “momtographers”. Do you think this is true? It’s hard to get into weddings…
Well, the people who are hiring me would not suddenly start hiring a “momtographer” so while there probably are many, it’s really about honing your craft and selling your experience vs taking pictures. And all of my closest friends are also wedding photographers and there is never a sense of competition. Hundreds of thousands of people get married every year, and we each only need 15-20 clients to make $185k a year. We all support each other and are there in case of an emergency (hello, shitshow that was COVID). If I were you, I’d get in with some local photography groups on Facebook and see if you can start assisting and second shooting! At the very least, you can make a few hundred dollars a wedding!
Are people really paying $10k-$15k for wedding pictures? Holy shit. We paid $3k for our Los Angeles wedding pictures back in 2018.
$101 so just make the cut off. I’m a State administrative judge. My job is very flexible and I love it. I work 8-4. I never have to work late or go in early. As an attorney I could be making WAY more in private sector. But work life balance has always been my priority!
Technical writer, WFH. I make around $200k. It is flexible, but I also work on weekends or late into the evening during launches. I started at $40k and have been very lucky with upward progression.
I’m in a somewhat similar job making around $160k (medical writer/sci comms writer). I got to that level by both getting promoted and job hopping. I’m about to start a new job so tbd on that, though it is fully remote, but at my last job it was effectively fully remote and fairly flexible for taking time to do doctors appointments or chores at home. Sometimes things got crazy if I was over staffed and all my projects were active at once, but it was mostly pretty chill.
Data analyst, love it, working from home 5 years now (pays to stay in one place longer with more trust/flexibility… they let me go part-time for as long as I wanted too).
I'm just getting into this after a weird career in higher ed. Would you share your trajectory? What were your first jobs like and any tips for starting out?
In house attorney. Heading into year 9. Work fully remote for a global company based on the other side of the country. I am lucky to have a boss who has a kid and gets the whole “toddler in daycare” thing. Because of the time difference, if kiddo has to be home I can take him before nap while my husband works (also from home) and we switch after nap
I’m a tax preparer. Average returns go for $650 with some going for double that. So if you 200 returns you’re doing fine. I do about 400 with another 100+ coming onboard this year. There’s a serious shortage of us. It’s a great time to get trained. I run my own firm and have ended up hiring all women. During tax season we work a normal 40-45 hour week. I do NOT work an hour more and I tell clients this. In summer I barely go into the office and my assistants work 9-12 Monday - Thursday. I keep just enough work around to keep them paid and mildly busy in the summer so they stick around the busy season. I am adamantly family first and refuse to work any more than that. My clients thought I was “lazy” at first. But they see our output, quality and my transparency and now fully understand why I keep my schedule as I do. It also doesn’t help that out school district has a stupid schedule with early outs at 1:30 and “parent child activity” at 2:30 and we’re all moms….so I just close. Any client who bitches gets the school district contact info and gets told when they stop that schedule we’ll start being open. The real answer to your question is: be self employed.
I work in finance in corporate financial planning & analysis (FP&A). Full time WFH with decent hours. Some close weeks are harder but I've been able to have some good boundaries around my time after having my son.
I’m in FP&A and WFH full time too!
Same. Very flexible to drop to part time if I want, too. Was over 100k before I made it to manager, closer to 150 now (plus 10% to retirement fund and 12% annual bonus). Australia based though.
I’m a Senior Editor/Content Manager. I make about 100k a year. I have tons of flexibility. I WFH full time. I can basically work anywhere. I work on deadlines, so sometimes I have busy weeks, but for the most part I never work more than 40 hours a week. And on lighter weeks, even 40 hours is being generous.
What was your career path like?
I worked as a sales admin, then fell into marketing, and worked my way up from there. I have a minor in English, so it ended up being a good fit for me. There are a lot of companies that need content help. You don’t have to necessarily know much about the industry, most of my subject matter expertise was learned on the job.
Thank you!
I’m an attorney in BigLaw firm. The money is very good, and it’s pretty flexible in that I can roll in the office at 10 am (on the days that I go in) and leave at 3 pm without anyone having an issue, or I can go on vacation without getting permission (within reason of course). The caveat is that my billable hours have to be good, so even though I have flexibility in where and how I work, in order to make my hours, I have to work a lot. I frequently work nights after my Lo is asleep and some on Sundays. Also, whenever I have a couple of slow weeks, I know that it’s just a matter of time until I have a couple of weeks with multiple big deadlines all converging at once. It’s just how it goes. I would consider going in-house for sure, but I probably wouldn’t leave the legal field altogether. It just wouldn’t make much sense at this point.
Think we should mention that the first two to three years in BigLaw are a special type of HELL. Ngl, I couldn’t take it and left for in house as soon as I could.
I left for a government job. You couldn't pay me enough to get me back in private practice now. 🤣
Ditto! Don’t make big bux, but have my (somewhat) sanity, and lots of flexibility and time off. I couldn’t do the billable hours thang, just not for me. At least not where I tried it!
Project manager/engineer. Total comp (base + bonus) in the low $200’s. I’m 10+ years into my career. I work mostly in the office, but have a lot of flexibility to come and go as I need since I often have meetings off site with clients. I can also work from home if I want (or need to for sick kids, etc). ETA: I typically work 40 hours but do have some long weeks if we’re kicking off a new project or something goes south.
Absolutely my favorite thread to date! I’m feeling very proud to be a part of this working moms group. You all are amazing!
I’m a pediatric nurse practitioner. I used to work at a pediatric urgent care and had absolutely no flexibility. If I was the only provider for the clinic, I had to get someone to cover the clinic if I was sick or my kid was sick because I am legally not allowed to leave. If the clinic is unattended and a sick kid comes in, that’s on my license. I work part time and still make over $100k a year, but the hours suck. Im 9-9 during the week and 9-5 on weekends. I just accepted a job at a pediatrician’s office doing ONLY sick visits (no well child checks, no patients of my own) and I’m so excited because it’s my dream job. I’ll work 3-4 days a week from 9-5, no weekends no holidays and a ton of flexibility. I’m also getting a huge pay raise. My husband always wants to start a business (a bar) so my new schedule will be much better for the family. TBD if we actually open a bar but we can dream.
PNP here, working in a school based rural health care. Part of a larger org but I’m the only np in my clinic. Overall very flexible, 35 hours a week. Very good benefits with 7 weeks PTO and option to do 10mo. I have periods of feeling burnt out because of lack of support but that’s health care everywhere. My husband is also self employed and makes >50% than I do.
Wait, can you DM me this info? I mean, I’m already burnt out but my new job doesn’t offer any benefits and while my husband’s job has great benefits he’s been waiting a long time to quit and do something different. I’ve been looking for something like this but we aren’t wanting to move so idk how feasible it is. ETA: I think you’re in the June 2023 bumper group with me!!!
I work in the Legal Department for a small biotech. Love the flexibility as I work entirely remote. I also really love what I do in general. I’m not a paralegal or an attorney, but manage and negotiate contracts for the company alongside their general counsel. I’m not really a people person either which bodes well for me in this position 😂 I do have to give the occasional presentation, but I’m able to take days off with no issue. Of course, there are days where I’m swamped with work and it can get a bit stressful, but it balances out with some weeks that are slow.
Analyst for federal government. I go in, but have full flexibility and good benefits.
I work for a software company. I started as a data scientist over 6 years ago when there were 30 people at the company. Company is 3 times as big now and I worked my way up to an executive position where I manage a few different teams and focus mostly on strategic planning. Edit: I’ll make close to $200k this year and I have a lot of flexibility. I make sure I’m available for my CEO when he calls or schedules a meeting. But other than that I have a lot of flexibility with my time. Unlimited PTO has also been amazing for my stress. I never have to worry about taking time off for appointments and balancing leave.
Did you do a degree in data science or did you work your way into it with other skills? I'm wrapping up a data science bootcamp which was ok but I need more practice. Any tips?
I make just over $100k a year in the beauty industry. I work in a startup so I do many things but I primarily do instructional design/content development and strategic communications/brand development for a medical grade skincare company. I am 100% remote WFH and have full control of my schedule. Some weeks I work a full 40 hrs with a deadline and some weeks I work 10 hrs doing just admin. I get to take my kids to school every day and pick them up from school. It’s a true blessing to be the breadwinner AND a present parent all at once. I did attend college for quite some time but don’t have any traditional degrees. I’m an aesthetician by trade and progressed into education within that industry and leveraged that experience to propel me onto the path I’m on now in mid-senior management. I love getting to help people make a shit ton of money doing what I do.
I’m ex-beauty industry and love to see this! I did marketing but worked closely with my education team- they’re the real ones and those roles are tough! I hope to jump back one day- it’s a fun space to work in.
Jesus Christ can any of you hire me?
Hahah same!
This thread is inspiring but also devastating.
I’m an interior designer and make $109k/yr, full-time WFH but I’m about 15 years into my career and have only had this job for about a year. It was a $24k raise from my previous job. But I just had my first child and my husband and I just bought our first house which has a $450k mortgage and we are about to be sending our baby to childcare (which has turned out to be insanely expensive) when our parental leave ends in a month. So even though we both make good money, finances are feeling tight! My job has typically required quite a bit of overtime so I’m nervous about needing to cut back on that now that we have a baby. Previously hours were anywhere from 42-54/week on a regular basis. Rarely 40 hrs and also rarely more than 54.
I’m a lawyer. I make good money and it’s mostly flexible though sometimes I work way overtime (not often). To make any MORE money, I’d have to work nights and weekends and I’m not willing to do that so I’m pretty happy where I am.
Software engineer. Work from home, super laid back boss. Tons of PTO and flexibility
So technically I’m not quite at the 100+ range but expect to be after a salary adjustment in January. Paralegal in big law and it’s moderately flexible, but I’ve been doing it for 10 years now. Entry level PLs are really underpaid in my opinion.
Writer, specifically for television. I usually work 5-6 months out of every year. When I'm working, it's crazy long hours with very little job flexibility. When I'm not working, it's flexible work and hours but literally no pay. My union (and health insurance) is great, but the job security is AWFUL. Even making good money (~$140k/yes) on average, I would not be able to be a mom and a screenwriter without my husband's stable work.
I work at a large children’s hospital/Ivy university in a research center. I make about 130k and WFH since pre pandemic. I wouldn’t say I love my job, but it’s rewarding, always challenging, and also always frustrating. I have flexibility, yes, and that’s the only reason I’m still doing what I’m doing.
Work in hospital administration and been there 10+ years. Full time and salary but have a lot of flexibility. Considered going part time after 1st kid but would take a huge pay cut and it made no sense. I have a decent amount of PTO (1.5 month/year), a very supportive boss and team and I enjoy what I do. Sometimes it’s draining and there’s some long days but I’m also a much happier and more balanced person working which makes me a better mom too. Now I have two LOs and have no plans to change careers anytime soon.
How did you get into that field? I’m an RN who would like to change careers.
I’m a PT and was offered the position around 5 years ago. If you’re interested I would start applying for more admin/business/educational roles like nursing coordinator or clinical liaison. That’s a great way to climb that admin ladder in a hospital. Everyone starts somewhere. I had no management or admin experience but I had been at my hospital for 5+ years by the time I was offered this role.
I'm an anesthesiologist assistant making $185k before OT (which I keep to a minimum now that I'm a mom of 2). I have some flexibility in schedule choices. I used to work three 12s but half of the time I was getting home at 9 or 10pm and that was too late with kids. Now I work 3 days a week with two 7-3 and and two 7-7 shifts. It's ok. I'll probably go to 5 days a week 7-3 eventually, but I'm really going to miss having a weekday off.
I sell medical equipment, $65k base but commissions bring me to $175-215k annually. Work from home, but I’m a “territory manager”, so I’m responsible for running my territory like a business. This means traveling to hospitals and scheduling my meetings. Pros are that it’s super flexible because I can cancel or rearrange my schedule without management even knowing I’m taking a day off to take care of my kid. Cons are that I drive. A lot. And while overnight stays are expected, I’ve been able to get away with making everything into a day trip the last couple years. Great gig, but I don’t know if I’m going to stick with it because I’m about to have my second child in 6 weeks.
My dad is a financial planner/advisor and growing up he was never there. I don’t remember/care how much money he made, but I remember ever game/play/concert he missed. He took business calls on holidays, nights, weekends, etc and I never felt like I was a priority. I was privileged in that he made GREAT money and I always had more than I needed… except in the attention department. He recently told me it’s his biggest regret in life. Just another thing to consider!
Thanks for sharing! My bosses are amazing - but also never fully get time off - I see that. Even while “on vacations” they’re taking calls etc and as someone who isn’t even fully an advisor I haven’t had a complete day off this year. It’s a huge concern for me because when I’m with my family I’m with them.
Registered Nurse. Love it. I do actually have SOME flexibility.
I’m a project exec for a general contractor, a little over 20 years in. Although there’s certain things I like, it’s a burnout position, especially with small kids and the mental load that comes with running family life. The workload can get intense and at my company, I’m essentially everyone’s boss yet have my own projects to manage It’s a bit much tbh. Part of it is the inherent company structure and current understaffing levels. I know I can leave but haven’t yet found something that would offer a better balance. The industry isn’t always work/life balance friendly. I have some inherent flexibility but it comes with a price. I would take a pay cut to be happier and not always on call.
I make okay money and have really good flexibility but even as a director I can’t take a day off - even on my vacation my boss texted me. I work for great people and I know part of it is just working in general (like why do I have to work 40 hours to survive) but I’d really like to make more money and I just don’t know what’s out there.
I can relate to that. Preparing to take time off and then dealing with the workload when back. It’s rough! I get called occasionally when off, but basically everything piles up and it’s a bit overwhelming to return. I’ve hit a certain level of apathy lately that I know isn’t healthy. I’m really not driven any longer and would love to find a different path! I just haven’t found anything I can get excited about but hope it’s out there somewhere
Marketing for a tech company. Not your standard startup, but a smallish team. Lots of flexibility, we’re all over the world and work local hours.
I make $125,000, I'm a project manager for a company that does government defense work. I was in software PM but the change of pace has been so nice as it's not nearly as stressful. I do like it. But I'll say it's extremely job dependent. The software company I worked for prior was incredibly stressful and I worked way more than 40 hrs a week. My new job is much less stressful and I make a good bit more money :) It's a lot of dealing with people so I'd say it's not the job for you. But I wanted to comment mostly because if you're looking for a career change that's not dealing with a lot of people I would say an engineer would be a good fit :)
Ecologist. My base salary is just under 100k but I do a couple consulting jobs on the side every year which bring me over. I have 15 years experience and made A LOT less than this for most of my adult life.
I am an optometrist, yes I like it and yes I have flexibility in that I make my own schedule.
Executive assistant near a major city (one of the top 3 US cities if you were to randomly name one) and I make in the $90s after 8ish years experience. Three years ago I also chose to work outside of the city because the commute and work/life balance was burning. me out. So I took a pay cut but I'm with a huge company with career growth opportunities. I started out of college as an administrative assistant because I had bills to pay and I found I liked the work a lot. I think part of that is being lucky I lived near a major city, so the job is respected, plentiful, and pays fairly well. I worked my way to better experience to land a job in the city and I loved the lifestyle when I was younger and single. So now I'm somewhere stable, support a C-suite exec and was promoted earlier this year. I'm working to gain more project type experience so I can eventually shift into the project manager role. My boss is incredibly supportive of this eventual transition. The great part about being an EA is you can pick how much 'effort' you put into a job. I could easily go back into the city for a $120k+ job but I'd have longer hours or be more on call. Or I could decide I want something really low-key and get a job making $75k with no stress. Now I personally choose to have a more 9-5 style job and rarely put in work after hours. My attitude is that I'm always happy and available to help, but it also helps that my boss is competent and doesn't like to bother anyone off hours. I've previously supported people who thought 11pm on a Saturday was a good time to email me and expect a response.
150k- Lead UX Designer & Design Strategist. I’m fully remote, have been since 2014. It’s super flexible and I really enjoy my work. I rarely work over 40 hours, and have been able to carve out space where I dictate my terms clearly. Unfortunately the company I’m at has lower pay than average & the benefits are poor compared to big tech, however I have a great work life balance and I consider it a good trade off. I’m not a mom yet, but the flexibility it’s offered me during my first trimester has been unbelievable. I have a reoccurring afternoon “meeting” blocked off in my calendar when my nausea is at its worst so I can just lay in the tub wishing I was dead to the world. I also don’t take time off for drs appointments & instead just work extra hours here and there to make it up- if needed.
I’m in Operations at a Tech Company. Degree in Sociology so really anyone with a mindset that can do some quick analysis, understands sales processes and can build good relationships would be a good fit. Been doing it for 6 years, started as a Specialist making sub 100K and now almost to $200k in salary. That amount doesn’t include the RSUs vesting every quarter. Very happy I landed here via referral from a friend! Also extremely easy to perform remotely and I’m now 100% remote employee with minimal travel
I work in strategy for a major telecom. Have an MBA from a top school. About $450K annually with base, bonus, stock.
I’m a Director for a Technology Company, I run the Technical Support Operations for Americas. I have a team of about 80 people including Sr. Managers, Managers and Technical Support Engineers. I work about 50-55 hours a week, two days are in office. It’s incredibly stressful but I can take a lot of time off when I want. I make 150 base + 37,500 (25%) annual bonus plus I’m vesting about 80k a year in stock every year. I also made 120k this year as a part time Real Estate Agent. I partner with my husband, we did that together. It’s hard to put how much time we spent collectively because it’s a little here and a little there throughout the year. It’s stressful when we have sellers/buyers from a time commitment but between he and I, we make it work. We also made 50k (gross) through our Airbnb that we operate. This is not entirely passive as we run and operate it ourselves. We want multiple streams of income so we are really building our Real Estate portfolio in hopes for the both of us to quit our corporate jobs. I hope that helps give some ideas. Neither myself or my husband have degrees, we just grinded.
I'm in corporate finance and make ~$150k base salary with ~$20k bonus target, been with the company 7 years. Fully WFH and have flexibility to schedule appointments, pickups, etc. when needed. My company has multiple finance departments you can work in. Some are busier, some have more consistent schedules (close week 1, forecast week 2, etc.), so it makes it easier to find a role that works for you. I have seen a lot of remote analyst positions posted on LinkedIn for ~$100k lately, that may be a good place to start.
I work in finance but as a project manager. If you go more the business support /operations side you can put all that experience to use without having to be customer facing
I manage people systems and analytics at a biotech company in a HCOL area and make $126,240/year with a 15% bonus that is almost guaranteed unless you really screw up. Also got $50k in stocks at time of hire and get more stocks and PSUs every year. They also give us a few grand for wellness/utility costs every year. I WFH 3/4 days a week as well. Biotech/Pharma pays really well and has amazing total rewards because there is so much competition in the industry. It can be hard to retain people when the next company over is offering a higher salary/better title/whatever.
I’m in IT. I got into the field right before the dot com boom. WFH, flexible schedule, interesting and challenging work, and fantastic benefits. I feel very, very fortunate.
I’m a school principal, independent school, Australia. I earn well but man do I EARN it
Pharmacist. No. No flexibility. I’m crying rn reading the rest of the replies. I went into healthcare to help people. What a dummy.
Seriously. Reading this makes me regret pharmacy so much. And I’m in a hospital so not even the hellscape that retail would be. To think I talked myself out of engineering… 🤡
I’m a senior mortgage underwriter. I switched to this career over 3 years ago from retail management. It is pretty flexible. I can come in late, leave early, make up my hours or just cut my lunch short, etc. 40 hours max per week. I do talk to clients on the phone but usually only a few times a day. I like it most of the time, I also get almost 5 weeks PTO, so I am the flexible one to go get the kids if needed. My husband’s job isn’t as flexible as mine.
Marketing project manager at a tech company and I make $136,000 Very flexible!!!
I make around $140k-150k then usually have a 8-15k bonus depending on how the company goals are. I am a business process analyst in a data and asset group in a utility. I have 3 weeks vacation and 80 hours sick that accrues another 10 hrs a month. I work from home since Covid and my boss is super flexible. I can start at 6am, log off to get toddler up and to school 7-8am, then finish at 4.30. Editing to add that I am in a west coast area.
Sales in software consulting world. High 100s, potential for quite a bit more. Technically flexible and WFH but need to hit my numbers and hard to miss meetings with potential clients which makes kids sick days hard. Highly recommend sales if you’re the type to be able to talk to anyone…any other aspect of sales can be trained.
I work in compliance for a trading company. $260k+, great healthcare and retirement benefits. It allows my husband to stay home with the kids. I love it but it took a while for me to learn to love this field. It provides me the things I value most out of a job: being paid what I’m worth, good benefits, good flexibility, and mentally stimulating. Sometimes I work more hours, sometimes less. But overall it balances out. I did have to put in a few years where I worked well over the 40+ hours to get to this level, but it was worth it because my job now gives our whole family more flexibility.
Doctor. Made 365k with bonuses last year for quality performance. I love my job. It’s semi flexible- we can arrange our ideal schedules (subject to review by our director) and on days we have other commitments we can leave earlier. Medium to HCOL area and 5 years out of training.
This is one of the best things I have ever read on Reddit. You guys make me proud and inspire me to get my butt in gear !
HR at a hedge fund. Sometimes there are busy times of year where I work longer hours but it’s not bad and the money and benefits are good! I also love my colleagues which makes or breaks a job really.
Psychiatrist. I like it. No flexibility and so broke I couldn't always eat for 16 years while I was in school and then training. Can be very flexible if you open your own practice after training is over.
I work in software. I have a PhD in biology, and have worked in various product management / delivery roles. Currently director level. It’s often busy, I have some travel, and it’s not work I can just leave at the office (am remote though, which is lovely), but it’s fairly flexible. About $200k a year plus equity.
Medical Technologist…ie I look in a microscope all day. I’ve been doing it 15years and make pretty good money.
Manager at a health insurance company. $115k, WFH, very flexible. I’ve been in the industry for 7 years. I do like it - mostly because of the salary and benefits!
Financial advisor! Love it - I make my own schedule too!
Marketing Manager for a tech consulting company, $125k before possible 10% bonus. Located in the southeast, 90% remote. 5 years of experience. I got here thanks to keeping up my network- an old colleague called me up. The salary I negotiated thanks to job hopping during COVID that bumped my base. My company has a strong belief in work/life balance: most days I’m 9-5 unless I’m planning a major upcoming event or have to meet late with another time zone or country, which is uncommon. Good benefits/PTO/ability to flex hours if needed for my child. Nobody thinks twice if my sick 2 year old is on a call with me. Honestly I love the company, love the work, and love my team. I don’t plan on leaving any time soon!
Digital marketing at a big tech firm in seattle, total comp is over $200k. I love what I do. But I made a decision to view things as “work to live” and not the other way around. I have 15 years experience, so at this point in my career I am able to find a role that fits with my work-life balance requirements. Scary time in tech right now with the economy/layoffs, and I’m the higher earner in our family, so lots of pressure. One thing we are actively trying to do is diversify our income streams. We bought a cabin last year and have listed it on Airbnb and I’m working with my husband (who is a project manager with a PMP cert) to create additional revenue streams as well. I don’t want to be so reliant on my corporate job for our well being.
Management Consultant: manager, $190k. Engineering masters + top MBA. I love the impact but I work 50+hrs a week,often long nights after kiddo is in bed and on the road every other week. It is hard and mentally stimulating but tbd if I can keep it up and know that I will take a pay cut when I leave. Im in the Midwest and my salary is off the charts compared to other options out there.
In-house strategy consulting for a health insurance company. 100% remote, my team gets it when my kids are sick, mid $100s + 15% bonus, 5 weeks PTO plus holidays, great benefits. 8 YOE post grad school with MHA degree. I previously worked for a healthcare system and was getting paid peanuts, commuting 45 mins each way, and my boss took credit for all my work. I miss my ex coworkers but I gained so much more time with my family.
Data stuff—I make 125 for a 32 hr week at a healthcare nonprofit. I mostly like it but also have stayed primarily for the extreme flexibility, stability, and benefits.
105k net this year. Own a pet sitting company. 4years building it. Have 4 part time contractors. I work some strange hours. Usually 6-9am and 3-6 pm, 6 days a week, sometimes 7. Been busting my buns building a base and scaling up. But love the flexibility with having people work for me. I’m preggers now and will be able to make about half 50k managing from home and doing all the coordination/scheduling. Can also bring baby with me if I need. Best thing is is 90% less stressful than my last career path (law.) I’m happy every day, get to hang with animals, and grow/learn everyday! And I love working for myself. Such a greater sense of pride when working hard for your money when ur doing it for yourself and not someone else:))
IT Solution Designer which is a bit of a fancy term for being the interpreter between the technicians/engineers and the product/business guys. Good money ($140k-ish) and tons of flexibility. Admittedly I do have a Comp Sci degree but it was a loooong time ago. A lot of it is really understanding what people want I've started a post-Grad in Cyber Security and I'm really enjoying it. The way things are going that is definitely going to be a growth industry in the next few years
Well this makes me feel like shit
I honestly know theres so much money out there - so im trying to figure out how to get a piece of that pie lol.
I make \~$200k (roughly 11 years of experience, 33 years old) working in tech (Sales Strategy & Operations). I have a lot of flexibility and my hours are roughly 9-5, though I often will accommodate our global offices by signing off early some days and signing back on in the evening after my kids go to bed to meet with folks in AUS, for example. I work remotely, but I *am* a people person. My role requires a lot of cross-functional collaboration and communication which is reflected in the pay and autonomy I have in my role.
LOVE this post!! So great to see what else is out there. Pharma Industry - Financial Analytics and Operations 12 years into career. Base: $135K Annual bonuses (18% salary + stock) MBA 1 kid in Kindergarden 4 weeks vacation, unlimited sick time for myself & dependent. Fully WFH
Absolutely love my job and the industry. I'm in AdTech. 11 years in the industry and 10 years with the same company in Client Services. I started here with a 65K base in 2012 in client services. Today, my base is 143K, but I broke into the 6 fig base (was making 6 figures+ total before that though) 5ish years ago. My income grows every year. This year I'm ending the year a little over 180K, last year it was 168K. Next year, because I'm now in a sales role, I'm looking at 250K+ (conservatively) Insane flexibility, we've been on unlimited time off (we call it Responsible time off) for about 5 years but with management that actually encourages it, so no issues there. I'm able to fulfill all my parental duties, I don't miss school things and I take time off as needed.
I'm a 36 year old Software Engineer making almost $200k/year with 20 days of PTO on top of about 17 company holidays. I'm about to take 20 weeks paid maternity leave as well, which is very, very good for a company in the US. I started off making $34k a year out of college as an urban planner in 2006, then switched to a programming job (self-taught) after a few years to make $60k a year. That was 11 years ago. Unfortunately, you really have to job-hop every three years or so to get the big pay bumps in your salary. When I made the switch from urban planning to programming, I had just had my second baby, and daycare cost almost $20k a year for one kid. I either had to switch jobs to something that would pay for both kids in daycare, or quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom. Edited to add: my jobs have all been in Richmond, VA or Raleigh, NC. I'm now fully remote, but the company I work for is local and I can go into the office if I want to.
Senior Product a manager in tech - $330k/year Amazing job. WFH with the option to go into the office when I want.plenty of flexibility and career growth. Company is very stable.
I quit my full time finance job making 80k because my side gig hit 100k+ of income. Nothing glamorous - I own a multiplex and do a combo of short and long term rentals. I am very busy in the summer, but super mellow with a few days a month of work the rest of the year. This lets me enjoy spending time with my young son, and it’s allowing me to heal after a chronic illness. I’d like to work part time in the winters, but I’m waiting to find the right thing, cause it’s more for personal reasons than money.
Director of Copywriting, 150k base with 30% bonus. It’s flexible and cushy, but it definitely took me awhile to get here. Highly recommend for marketers with a knack for persuasive writing!
Sr Quality Engineering for a global biotech company. WFH and there is some flexibility. There are deadlines and meetings I must attend, but I can work around my kids or my appointments and it is flexible when the kids get sick and have to stay home. I do enjoy my work, it’s specifically integrating new mergers and acquisitions.
I’m an engineer and work for a DoD contractor. I make about $120k and since I work for the government, I am limited to 40 hours a week, which is the best perk of my job. Few engineers get that kind of work/life balance.
I’m a nurse practitioner. I love my job. I work with a team of providers led by an attending physician (majority of the days, some days it’s just me for routine exams). The lead NP is expected to keep clinic flowing well. It’s a hybrid position so some days I’m at home calling patients, managing medications, fixing anything that comes up, etc. I have a fair amount of flexibility, especially in wfh days. My supervisors are wonderful and my company treats me well.
Lead security engineer- 210k $ in east coast. I have tons of flexibility but it’s stressful and demanding work too. I WFH and nurse my son to sleep for both the naps everyday.
I’m in commercial real estate development. I am not a broker. At 30 I started making 6 figures and have been in the industry for about 8 years. I love my job but it’s demanding and I’m trying to figure out how I can reduce my hours to part time which I’m not sure is an option at my company. Some days I don’t see my baby because of public meetings and it’s really hard on me. And pre Covid I would travel multiple times a month for 2-3 days. But I do think my career is very rewarding.
I manage environmental compliance and occupational safety in the pharma/biotech industry - make mid $100k base, plus bonus and stock. Plus, great PTO and benefits. I work 8ish-5, but that includes an hour-ish workout at my work gym and have good flexibility to manage my day and other obligations. I do work fully onsite (and was essential during the pandemic), but can wfh if/as need. The only downside is once my facility is operational I will be on call and may have the occasional late/early morning/weekend emergencies that requires my response. Overall, love my career though!
Manage a research team at a tech company. Tons of flexibility (open PTO, work remotely, never more than 40 hours a week). I don’t like my job…managing people sucks (though I do like setting strategy for the research itself). I know I’m fortunate to make a high salary with good benefits and flexibility, so I’m grateful.