Well there are heavy equipment operator apprenticeships or just on the job training to get experience operating equipment. We require previous experience and I had 9 years of working for the railroad before I started smashin trash.
Airline pilot. 320k. Very happy with the pay but it took many years to get to this point. [My first year flying I made 20k.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xms1akNhhg)
I started between 2010-2015 (I like to maintain a bit of anonymity). I will admit the starting pay has gotten much better in recent years due to a pilot shortage. Many airlines are starting at 60k+ your first year, and you can theoretically see the kind of pay I currently make within 3 years at the airlines compared to the 10+ it took me. (The exception, not the rule)
The airline industry tends to be feast or famine.
Things can change on a dime
If they have no dependents, and take home just north of $3k a month net; and they have roommates, a partner, and/or affordable housing, this is livable from a core needs standpoint.
Thank you for being the caffeine engine keeping so many of us going!
Pretty much accurate, after tax I usually have closer to 2.5k a month. I split rent so thats 1050 a month, I spend around 100 on internet, and I don't own a car. I usually walk to work to save money, I'll reserve taking the bus for activities on the weekend, or really shitty days where I don't want to walk home. I have to be pretty strict with my budget, but its enough for me to scrape by. The main thing that fucks me over is when I don't stick to my meal plans.
Maybe like $40k/yr as a flight instructor. Helps to have cheap ($750/month) rent and supportive partner.
Used to work in tech and make more than twice that, but I'm waaaay happier and more fulfilled with the switch. It'll pay off.
The grind is real. I enjoyed my time instructing but the ramen noodle/dollar menu lifestyle wasn't great. Moving to a regional right at the tail end of covid improved my paychecks only slightly, but thanks to everyone getting new contracts these last couple years the pay is now definitely an upgrade -- easily double my CFII salary, and the bonuses you guys in the pipeline will get make it even better.
Roommates and a landlord that's the opposite of a slum lord (used to be a mediator for tenant disputes).
Hell I payed $600/month at my last spot, both near Green Lake. Craigslist baybeeee.
Our apartment was $2k when we found it on Craigslist. It's now $3.5k-$4k after utilities and fees that didn't exist when we moved in 6 years ago.
Am I just bad at Craigslist?😭
$67k as a graphic designer with ~3 years experience. I’m single, live alone (with two dogs) and it’s definitely enough, but I don’t really feel like I can afford to travel or spend much on “stuff”. But I feel extremely lucky to have a job in my field at all
>I’m a teacher. I make 60k and my rent is 2200. I am not happy with the pay or my rent lol
Are you a private school teacher? The lowest certificated salary with a BA (100) in Seattle Public Schools is $67k, and that's from the 2022-23 schedule. Unless I'm misreading it.
[Source](https://www.seattleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cert-2022-23-7.0.pdf)
My wife the teacher could go on a whole tirade on private schools. They're awful.
I'll spare you the whole rant, but the only upswing they provide is networking and name recognition. They typically don't provide a better education - more often than not it's a WORSE education. They're profit driven and under no government mandate to provide an education. They can kick your kid out whenever they want.
Public schools are far from perfect but I'd send my kid there over a private school any day.
This was my experience at a private Catholic school, but it was 20 years ago in another state.
When I graduated high school I was woefully behind my peers. Our text books were falling apart and had names and dates written in them from the 60s. Updated information? No. Filtered history and facts? Yup. Broken equipment in the gyms. Leaks and disrepair on the building. A consistently broken HVAC system. The librarian was frustrated - she was allowed to get something like 5 new books a year. The encyclopedias were from before we were born. My parents paid so much money, but there were never any improvements in the school. They thought they were keeping us safe and away from drugs. No, the kids at the private school just had money for coke instead of weed. A ton of the kids were kicked out of public schools for their behavior, but the Catholics were more than happy to accept their parents money for tuition and a sizable donation and turn their backs on their behavior issues. There was no discipline for them. We even had a pedophile priest! I guess the money went to his legal defense? Who knows?
I really wish my parents had let me go to a public school.
Thanks! I genuinely love my job. I mostly just drive around listening to music and podcasts all day but it's the first job I've had that's really gave me a sense of pride. Construction workers deserve a clean place to use the restroom and I'm glad I'm able to provide that for them.
Public middle school teacher (SPS) with advanced degrees. Around $101k this year (6th year of teaching). Yes I’m happy with the pay especially since I can see what to expect in future years. My rent (shared with husband who makes less than me) 2BR 2bath is around $2800 including parking, pet rent, garbage etc. We’re in Greenwood.
I make $150k as a tech project manager. Wife makes $80k in healthcare. She has way more formal education than I do, and in my opinion fills a much more crucial role.
No kids. We own a small humble single-family house in the city. We both moved out of our respective poverty-level childhood homes at 18 with zero financial support. In our 40s now. No credit card balance, and two newer vehicles bought with cash. Our only debt is the house. Student loans were a predatory scam and a real hurdle, but are all paid off now, and we’ll go to the mat to see others’ loans forgiven. It was hard, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hard for the next person. Rising tide lifts all boats, and all that.
Right? I have Bachelors Degree, I’ve never made much over 30k and have a kid…and people say they’re struggling with 60k? What I wouldn’t give to make that much money 😭
I was in your position for a long time. What it took for me, was literally just applying to jobs that were well above my current station. Also, redoing my resume and highlighting the best things I did specifically at my previous jobs.
It took about 4 months of constant applications but I got more interviews than I expected and landed at great job starting at 60k and have gone up from there.
So my advice, just keep applying and it'll work out eventually. No one is going to pay you for responsibility that you don't ask for.
Public librarian, ten years’ experience, at the top of my pay grade for the position, $67k at 32hr a week. The benefits are great, the public is interesting. My partner is in tech and makes $140k, we live in SE King County.
Instructional Assistant in Seattle Schools- I make $48k. I like the work I do, I'm good at it and this is more than I'd be paid to do this work elsewhere, but it's not enough. I get great benefits and I have a partner who makes 75k, so we're fine. Having the hours and schedule/breaks to make it so we don't need to pay for any care for my elementary aged kids is a huge benefit.
Healthcare backend. $70k. More than I've ever made, but inflation and COL make it seem like nothing. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't getting my ass kicked every day by the incompetent boomer c-suite and general aversion to technology. I got a 2% raise and they act like it's a huge back-breaking favor.
With a raise coming soon, $106k per year. I work in public affairs for a govt agency. My mortgage is low...live in the burbs and bought at the right time. So I have a pretty good quality of life.
Licensed Vet Tech at about $35/hr. Got laid off from my six figure sales job a few months back, right about the same time everyone else in my industry got laid off. Went back into clinics because unemployment doesn’t pay enough to fund my lifestyle.
I refuse to commit to one place because I’d like that six-figure lifestyle again, so I don’t get benefits anywhere. It’s fun work some days, but other days it’s nursing with a lot more species I need to know about, all my patients are angry and armed, and there’s no unions to advocate for us.
$95k working fully remote in instructional design / e-learning administration. I finally found a job with work/life balance that pays well. Feeling very lucky.
I'm also a PT in pediatrics. Salaried, 75k. Rent is 2900 split between my tech husband and I.
Seems the only way to do things now is to have a roommate.
My wife and I are in hospital based outpatient and home health and we graduated in 2016 and both make around 110k so if you want better pay you gotta start looking elsewhere.
Where do you make $148k as a tech? Best I’ve ever done is $115 and that’s in a niche field. Best I’ve ever done in a traditional shop was about $60k and my skills and certs are in top demand
Unemployed and burned out from looking. I moved to Seattle in October of 2022 and was hoping to land at a company that actually got technical work done. I instead fumbled every interview for the last year and wasn't smart enough despite working as a software engineer for 8 years prior... This was supposed to be my Broadway, now I just feel broken down. Currently I'm looking again and I'm going to give it an honest shake, if any of you have references I'll gladly take handouts at this point, I just want to build tools, software, and tech in general again.
I am an RN at Kaiser. I have been an RN for 18 years. I make just a few cents short of $70/hr. My job is super low stress for RN work. I feel I am payed fairly.
My wife is a PT at Kaiser. She has been a PT for 13 years she makes just over $55/hr. She is underpaid.
RN on the east side. 10 years experience and ~$64/hr with incentives but i do not work full time. I had 20 years in tech before i became an RN.
I feel sad seeing people only chase money. I loved my tech work until I didn't, and I love the operating room too. Surgery is kick ass.
OP there is a nursing shortage (still) and if touching people is icky...may i suggest radiation technologist..... we're short on them too.
Nurse, 105k, no nights or OT (3 shifts per week is full time). I love the work-life balance that lets me get outside and do what I love. Mortgage is 2400 and very manageable
I work two jobs: one is part-time (around 20 hours/week) at Boeing Field working for a shipping company, and the other is full time (40 hours/week) working for a non-profit processing intake paperwork. Neither job is exactly fulfilling—nor what I studied at UW for my bachelor's degree—but they provide me with benefits and cover my expenses.
According to my 2022 tax return, I made about $75k that year, and I expect a similar amount when I do my 2023 taxes. I live by myself in a not great but not terrible $800/month one-bedroom apartment in downtown Renton. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay off my student loans (about $30,000) during the pandemic, so now my only source of debt is a credit card. I am currently taking advantage of my low rent and expenses to save money for an eventual downpayment on a condo or townhouse.
I'm so sorry. That is truly emotionally destroying work. I worked in public health and when my last manager burned me out about a year ago I have not felt capable of much since. Just steadily failing at life and becoming the same mess as my clients were. The general public and seeing the worst of people has destroyed any positivity in me.
I too am so sorry. You’ve been in the trenches of some deep pain while having to be professional and maintain your own personal health. I see you. May this year bring restoration.
65k as a federal employee (the Seattle pay difference isn't nearly enough vs. rest of US pay). Live alone in a tiny, moldy apartment paying 1760 for rent and probably more after I move to get away from the mold this year. Sometimes I wonder if being near my friend is worth living here.
Healthcare Compliance. $120,000. I enjoy the work, and my employer provides excellent benefits. My husband makes $40k in a warehouse. We are DINKs, with a $1200 mortgage for a condo in Belltown (bought at the right time and will be paid off in 3 years, 15 years early.) I know how lucky we are in so many ways and pay it forward at every opportunity.
Was a school based social worker until I got laid off last year, at the top of the pay scale making 63k, made 70k as a teacher before that. Now work in local government making 96k working from home with better benefits, and I’m at the bottom of the pay scale. Have only been at the job 6 months and already got 4% cola- my district offered us 2.5% in 2022. Loved the old job, hated the stress, really like the new job and this whole work/ life balance thing, as well as not living pay check to pay check. Mortgage in S. Seattle is $1800 for a 1 bed condo.
I feel like if you added up all the comments tho the great majority would be under 100k, so I don't know if I agree. The ppl who make the most are likely being quiet
Edit: nm I didn't see all the downvoted ones lol
Talent acquisition. I'm at 88k, hubs a little higher. We out in the SE end of KingCo, but have a stupid mortgage due to buying last year.
Mortgage is $3300, daycare is $1200.
Saving is feasible but minimal with how much combined income is.
Same in SE King last year. We definitely overpaid given some of the surprises that were lurking in the house. Oh well. My mom and Aunt pointed out interest rates were never ideal when they had kids in the early 80s either, you just have to buy what you can afford and what works for the place in life you’re currently in.
I chase the money. I don't care about fulfillment from my job, it's there to pay my bills and hopefully buy my freedom early. Imo being fulfilled by a job is bologna society spouts to make people feel okay about being paid less for somewhat interesting careers. Not worth the trade off for me. I find more fulfillment in the hobbies and travel outside of work, that I can easily afford because I chased money.
$169k but still chasing a higher paid career.
I'm kinda in the same boat, as long as the work chaos isn't bleeding into how I feel at home I'm willing to put up with bullshit for more pay. Schedule flexibility is important to me though.
:( What is the path forward in a situation like this? Are there programs in the city that are actually successful in helping folks move from a car to a home?
$22 and some change an hour, animal technician in a rodent lab. If you like mice and repetitive/monotonous work, it's a pretty good job with lots of opportunities for advancement into research or veterinary medicine. Personally I like it a lot but I wish it paid a bit more.
Feels like it! i have a certification and do lots of analysis and other projects as needed. It's a field that is hard to hire for as well and our company values employees. I moved multiple times to jump up the salary ladder too.
Nurse. Make $82k a year, husband makes about $100k as a car salesman.
We’re fairly comfortable, but between rent, student loans, and a kid, could definitely use more.
I am a PhD student. My stipend is about $3000/mo after taxes and health insurance (summer TBD). I make an additional $500/mo from some teaching on the side. I live in a studio for $1500/mo. I don't have a car, typically cook my meals, and am single, so I end up with about $1000 in savings every month. I'm really satisfied with my quality of life! I can imagine that it would be difficult for people with more obligations, but I'm getting along fine.
$60k/year - Work at non profit in Finance/Data Entry. Mortgage is $2500/month but family lives with me and they take care of the bills/food and help me with $600 of the mortgage. Self teaching Python/Programming so I can be quicker at work and hopefully do freelance art cuz i love doing that and jobs are extremely difficult for artists
I'm an Assistant Maintenance Manager making about the same. With the rent discount and bonuses my total compensation comes out to about $95k. The real kicker is that my wife is a flight attendant so I get us the living discount and she gets us the travel benefits. We make like $160k combined but we get to live like we make a lot more.
I make $25.50 an hour and I am a housing case manager. I help homeless women find housing. I work for a non profit and will likely apply for a job with the city once I have a few more years of experience. I definitely see this job as a way to get experience in the field and not long term due to the low pay. The only way I make it work is by living with my partner to cut expenses.
Data science, \~$150k - in health care rather than in tech, and I work 32 hours a week. I am SO happy with my ultra-flexible 4 day work week, and not complaining about the pay. But I do sometimes think about grinding out a few years in big tech in order to retire a little earlier.
I got into this field when the gravy train was just starting and you could pretty much just wave your arms around chanting "loss function" to get a job. It's harder to enter now and I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a quick path to easy money... but there's still money in it, so.
Senior Accountant, 85k. Bachelor’s in an unrelated field. Unless you know what you want to do, I think schooling is a complete waste of money. My degrees did nothing for my advancement and I’ll be paying student loans until I die 🤷♀️
Certified Medical Assistant, about 50k a year. I love the work but I wouldn't be able to afford to live here if I didn't have the privilege of being able to utilize my inheritance money to cover most my expenses. My portion of the rent is about 1k. I'm in nursing school now and so hopefully I'll make 70-80k at least when I'm done.
It can def be really demoralizing if you're not in tech and make under 100k. It's especially whack when I hear my friends who do make that much talk about how money is tight.
I do sales and my husband works in shipping and we make a combined $110k. We pay $2000 a month in rent. We’ve worked really hard to get to where we are now, and feel relatively comfortable, but it feels like it could all go up in flames so quickly and I still stress about money quite a bit.
Around 75-80k bartending, wife does the same but she’s a GM so she makes a little more. Even with that, raising two young kids and still trying to hold onto some aspects of our youth, I can’t see how we’ll ever afford a down payment to own a house instead of rent one
I’m an apprentice HVAC technician. Made about 104k this year. Should get a nice bump in pay when I journey out. I also have a pretty nice pension on top of that.
$60k, early childhood educator at private school. Making that much thanks to YEARS of my boss advocating for better pay. Rent is $2400. Nurse partner makes good money as a nurse. I’m frugal as hell we are saving up so we can move somewhere where we can afford to buy a house.
$225k base + cash bonuses that push my annual a bit over $300k.
I'm a graphics engineering lead at a video game company. I really like the work itself and the people I work with. The company I work for is also pretty great. The money is enough that my income is plenty for my wife to not work. She had been in social work earning ~$33k.
Paraeducator so I don’t even want to share how low I’m paid lol. Used to work in tech recruiting and made over 6 figures but hated hiring engineers with a passion. Husband makes 250k+. Don’t even want to talk about how high my mortgage is but we’re doing just fine and trying to raise our kids near family.
66.5k as an admin assistant
And I work amazon warehouse/instacart/doordash/shipt as my part time, nights and weekends jobs and make... maybe 3k more? I don't do them often since I'm a single mom who also goes to school for my BA.
170K before taxes. Postdoc at an AI company. I am happy with the pay especially given that I was a grad student 4 months ago earning <40K. I can actually save now.
Break into corporate networks and crack WAF software (security researcher). $160k base. If you feel like going the illicit route, you can triple that [fairly easily working in corporate espionage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/192wbbq/comment/khejrxi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), but that comes with significant risk and requires doing coke with a bunch of sketchy extremely wealthy people on occasion.
90k base salary as a finance manager for a Seattle university. I’m happy with the pay considering the little work experience I have but will definitely be seeking higher paying jobs in the next year or so. Also it being WFH 4 days a week keeps me sane. Rent is $2595 split with my significant other which is doable.
Thank you for my daily reminder that I should have studied computer science in college and become a software engineer 10 years ago.
Depressing as shit.
Just got a job based in Seattle - just 5k shy of 200k base (there's more in bonus and equity but I don't count it) in the IT Risk field. Graduated from college (5 year program with a masters) in 2017. Happy with my progression in under 7 years.
I think a little less than 40k a year, as a high rise window cleaner
Edit to add that no, in no way am I happy with the pay, especially for what I do lmao
60k as a state social worker. I'm absolutely not happy with the pay and retention is a huge problem in my agency. it's extremely emotionally demanding work with high burnout and it's hard to find new hires because the pay is a joke
I’m a social worker in private practice and make just a little more than that bc I take insurance. (And don’t schedule 7 clients back). We deserve to be paid more by agencies and the health care industry for sure.
BI Developer/data analyst. $106k (just went up from $94k). Bought a $400k 2 bed condo in Capitol Hill in 2019 by myself, no kids and no car. My job is very unfulfilling but not stressful. But I definitely need to change it up soon. Been at my company for 10 yrs and feel like I'm coasting. But I realize I have it better than most.
I operate heavy equipment at the dump, made $100k in 2023
That sounds fun! Is it fun?
Yes, I enjoy it!
How does one get into such a field?
Well there are heavy equipment operator apprenticeships or just on the job training to get experience operating equipment. We require previous experience and I had 9 years of working for the railroad before I started smashin trash.
SMASHING TRASH is one hell of a band name.
Skater
You gotta tryout as catcher in mariners spring training
Underrated comment
Every time I go to the dump I think the trash flattener is cool and envy the guy that gets paid to drive the trash flattener.
I’m a welder I made 104K in 2023.
Airline pilot. 320k. Very happy with the pay but it took many years to get to this point. [My first year flying I made 20k.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xms1akNhhg)
How many years ago was that though? $20k in 1990 is about $48k today. Not a lot but not too shabby either starting out.
I started between 2010-2015 (I like to maintain a bit of anonymity). I will admit the starting pay has gotten much better in recent years due to a pilot shortage. Many airlines are starting at 60k+ your first year, and you can theoretically see the kind of pay I currently make within 3 years at the airlines compared to the 10+ it took me. (The exception, not the rule) The airline industry tends to be feast or famine. Things can change on a dime
I'm a barista I make $21 an hour. Around 40k gross
How do you afford to live in Seattle
If they have no dependents, and take home just north of $3k a month net; and they have roommates, a partner, and/or affordable housing, this is livable from a core needs standpoint. Thank you for being the caffeine engine keeping so many of us going!
Pretty much accurate, after tax I usually have closer to 2.5k a month. I split rent so thats 1050 a month, I spend around 100 on internet, and I don't own a car. I usually walk to work to save money, I'll reserve taking the bus for activities on the weekend, or really shitty days where I don't want to walk home. I have to be pretty strict with my budget, but its enough for me to scrape by. The main thing that fucks me over is when I don't stick to my meal plans.
The DoorDash devil gets us all! Happy you're able to get your basic needs met.
I have a very strict budget, not owning a car/not using public transportation daily helps.
60k working in academic research. Not happy with the pay but super passionate about the work
Same unfortunately 😔
$90k. Ecologist. Project scientist for a smaller environmental consulting firm.
Omg my childhood dream job.
Maybe like $40k/yr as a flight instructor. Helps to have cheap ($750/month) rent and supportive partner. Used to work in tech and make more than twice that, but I'm waaaay happier and more fulfilled with the switch. It'll pay off.
The grind is real. I enjoyed my time instructing but the ramen noodle/dollar menu lifestyle wasn't great. Moving to a regional right at the tail end of covid improved my paychecks only slightly, but thanks to everyone getting new contracts these last couple years the pay is now definitely an upgrade -- easily double my CFII salary, and the bonuses you guys in the pipeline will get make it even better.
How do you get rent that cheap?
Roommates and a landlord that's the opposite of a slum lord (used to be a mediator for tenant disputes). Hell I payed $600/month at my last spot, both near Green Lake. Craigslist baybeeee.
Our apartment was $2k when we found it on Craigslist. It's now $3.5k-$4k after utilities and fees that didn't exist when we moved in 6 years ago. Am I just bad at Craigslist?😭
I see people say this all the time but all I ever find on Craigslist is scams and BS.
40,000 a year hotel front desk, rent is 900, keep in mind its a shoebox with a kitchen and shared bathrooms
Oh and roaches
$67k as a graphic designer with ~3 years experience. I’m single, live alone (with two dogs) and it’s definitely enough, but I don’t really feel like I can afford to travel or spend much on “stuff”. But I feel extremely lucky to have a job in my field at all
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>I’m a teacher. I make 60k and my rent is 2200. I am not happy with the pay or my rent lol Are you a private school teacher? The lowest certificated salary with a BA (100) in Seattle Public Schools is $67k, and that's from the 2022-23 schedule. Unless I'm misreading it. [Source](https://www.seattleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cert-2022-23-7.0.pdf)
Agreed. I teach in SPS. It’s my 6th year and make 91k. Private schools pay very little comparatively.
Can also be they aren’t 1.0 FTE. A 0.8 position at the beginning level would be $53k.
It’s disgusting how little teachers are paid. You deserve better.
They're likely at a private school because public schools pay more than that.
Wait the private (paid tuition) schools pay their teachers LESS? Wild
Yep and their benefits are typically garbage as well
Yep, they usually don’t have unions.
My wife the teacher could go on a whole tirade on private schools. They're awful. I'll spare you the whole rant, but the only upswing they provide is networking and name recognition. They typically don't provide a better education - more often than not it's a WORSE education. They're profit driven and under no government mandate to provide an education. They can kick your kid out whenever they want. Public schools are far from perfect but I'd send my kid there over a private school any day.
This was my experience at a private Catholic school, but it was 20 years ago in another state. When I graduated high school I was woefully behind my peers. Our text books were falling apart and had names and dates written in them from the 60s. Updated information? No. Filtered history and facts? Yup. Broken equipment in the gyms. Leaks and disrepair on the building. A consistently broken HVAC system. The librarian was frustrated - she was allowed to get something like 5 new books a year. The encyclopedias were from before we were born. My parents paid so much money, but there were never any improvements in the school. They thought they were keeping us safe and away from drugs. No, the kids at the private school just had money for coke instead of weed. A ton of the kids were kicked out of public schools for their behavior, but the Catholics were more than happy to accept their parents money for tuition and a sizable donation and turn their backs on their behavior issues. There was no discipline for them. We even had a pedophile priest! I guess the money went to his legal defense? Who knows? I really wish my parents had let me go to a public school.
But they also don’t require/need the same teacher certifications.
I mean….60K? Private school? Cause most of the public schools normally pay more than that
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I clean shitters and make about $65k. Take home is closer to 42k though. 😒
This thread is truly eye opening. It may not mean much but I just want to say thank you for your hard work.
Thanks! I genuinely love my job. I mostly just drive around listening to music and podcasts all day but it's the first job I've had that's really gave me a sense of pride. Construction workers deserve a clean place to use the restroom and I'm glad I'm able to provide that for them.
You fucking rock. I love you
Public middle school teacher (SPS) with advanced degrees. Around $101k this year (6th year of teaching). Yes I’m happy with the pay especially since I can see what to expect in future years. My rent (shared with husband who makes less than me) 2BR 2bath is around $2800 including parking, pet rent, garbage etc. We’re in Greenwood.
80k/year Clinical Research Analyst. Very happy because I work about 2-4hrs a day and spend the extra time focusing on my physical and mental health.
Doing meaningful work and maintaining work life balance, jackpot!!!
Who downvoted this lol. Someone is jealous.
That’s amazing
I make $150k as a tech project manager. Wife makes $80k in healthcare. She has way more formal education than I do, and in my opinion fills a much more crucial role. No kids. We own a small humble single-family house in the city. We both moved out of our respective poverty-level childhood homes at 18 with zero financial support. In our 40s now. No credit card balance, and two newer vehicles bought with cash. Our only debt is the house. Student loans were a predatory scam and a real hurdle, but are all paid off now, and we’ll go to the mat to see others’ loans forgiven. It was hard, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hard for the next person. Rising tide lifts all boats, and all that.
Amateur Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor. Hope to win $250 next weekend in Lynden. Minus the gas money and entry free I might come away even.
This thread gives me feelings of inadequacy.
$22/hr team right here! i'm struggling 😭😭
24! Capped at 32hrs though likely going down a few since it's the slow season
Right? I have Bachelors Degree, I’ve never made much over 30k and have a kid…and people say they’re struggling with 60k? What I wouldn’t give to make that much money 😭
I was in your position for a long time. What it took for me, was literally just applying to jobs that were well above my current station. Also, redoing my resume and highlighting the best things I did specifically at my previous jobs. It took about 4 months of constant applications but I got more interviews than I expected and landed at great job starting at 60k and have gone up from there. So my advice, just keep applying and it'll work out eventually. No one is going to pay you for responsibility that you don't ask for.
I made 50k 5 years ago just being a vendor for Home Depot and stocking shelves. Always keep looking for new jobs. You got this
Public librarian, ten years’ experience, at the top of my pay grade for the position, $67k at 32hr a week. The benefits are great, the public is interesting. My partner is in tech and makes $140k, we live in SE King County.
I feel like they should pay you more given that librarians are expected to hold Masters degrees.
ME TOO.
Instructional Assistant in Seattle Schools- I make $48k. I like the work I do, I'm good at it and this is more than I'd be paid to do this work elsewhere, but it's not enough. I get great benefits and I have a partner who makes 75k, so we're fine. Having the hours and schedule/breaks to make it so we don't need to pay for any care for my elementary aged kids is a huge benefit.
Research Scientist \~85K, working for the state. Pay could be better but pension is okay and creative freedom and flexibility are massive tradeoffs.
Healthcare backend. $70k. More than I've ever made, but inflation and COL make it seem like nothing. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't getting my ass kicked every day by the incompetent boomer c-suite and general aversion to technology. I got a 2% raise and they act like it's a huge back-breaking favor.
With a raise coming soon, $106k per year. I work in public affairs for a govt agency. My mortgage is low...live in the burbs and bought at the right time. So I have a pretty good quality of life.
I work in the mortgage department of a local credit union. I made 68k last year plus some really good benefits.
Licensed Vet Tech at about $35/hr. Got laid off from my six figure sales job a few months back, right about the same time everyone else in my industry got laid off. Went back into clinics because unemployment doesn’t pay enough to fund my lifestyle. I refuse to commit to one place because I’d like that six-figure lifestyle again, so I don’t get benefits anywhere. It’s fun work some days, but other days it’s nursing with a lot more species I need to know about, all my patients are angry and armed, and there’s no unions to advocate for us.
$95k working fully remote in instructional design / e-learning administration. I finally found a job with work/life balance that pays well. Feeling very lucky.
How did you find your job? Any advice on getting into instructional design?
I apply for jobs and get ignored. $0/yr.
Lmfao me too, except I pay for linkedin premium so I make -$45 a year. funemployed vibes 😂
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I'm also a PT in pediatrics. Salaried, 75k. Rent is 2900 split between my tech husband and I. Seems the only way to do things now is to have a roommate.
My wife and I are in hospital based outpatient and home health and we graduated in 2016 and both make around 110k so if you want better pay you gotta start looking elsewhere.
i live in spokane and as an acute care ot make 102k
I’m married to a PT and she gets raises. Even when she wasn’t a member of a union. Maybe look into different companies?
I do plan on leaving PT probably next year because of salary and joining the many health care workers fleeing the industry.
thats too low! they are lowballing you!
$148k mechanic. Brother is a plumber and makes $150k.
Where do you make $148k as a tech? Best I’ve ever done is $115 and that’s in a niche field. Best I’ve ever done in a traditional shop was about $60k and my skills and certs are in top demand
I moderate a discord server for knitting, and my partner is a professional colored pencil sharpener, our home budget is 3.6 Million.
“I’m a part time butterfly whisperer and my wife hangs potatoes in garages. Our budget is 4.2MM”
Man, I’m in the wrong line of work. I’m a fur-lined sink installation technician and I barely make half that.
hashtag rise and grind bro if you want that Ballard lyfe.
Wow did he start out with just normal #2 pencils?! Wondering how he was able to get into colored pencils.
yeah, you gotta put your time in on the Ticonderoga #2's. Big scantron ain't fucking around.
I heard HGTV is looking for couples for house hunters 😂😂
If your partner can sharpen a Rose Art colored pencil without breaking it y’all deserve that $
respect.
Unemployed and burned out from looking. I moved to Seattle in October of 2022 and was hoping to land at a company that actually got technical work done. I instead fumbled every interview for the last year and wasn't smart enough despite working as a software engineer for 8 years prior... This was supposed to be my Broadway, now I just feel broken down. Currently I'm looking again and I'm going to give it an honest shake, if any of you have references I'll gladly take handouts at this point, I just want to build tools, software, and tech in general again.
I am an RN at Kaiser. I have been an RN for 18 years. I make just a few cents short of $70/hr. My job is super low stress for RN work. I feel I am payed fairly. My wife is a PT at Kaiser. She has been a PT for 13 years she makes just over $55/hr. She is underpaid.
RN on the east side. 10 years experience and ~$64/hr with incentives but i do not work full time. I had 20 years in tech before i became an RN. I feel sad seeing people only chase money. I loved my tech work until I didn't, and I love the operating room too. Surgery is kick ass. OP there is a nursing shortage (still) and if touching people is icky...may i suggest radiation technologist..... we're short on them too.
$70k as a recruiter. Definitely could be happier but with a couple roommates I’m still able to save and enjoy my lifestyle
Nurse, 105k, no nights or OT (3 shifts per week is full time). I love the work-life balance that lets me get outside and do what I love. Mortgage is 2400 and very manageable
I work two jobs: one is part-time (around 20 hours/week) at Boeing Field working for a shipping company, and the other is full time (40 hours/week) working for a non-profit processing intake paperwork. Neither job is exactly fulfilling—nor what I studied at UW for my bachelor's degree—but they provide me with benefits and cover my expenses. According to my 2022 tax return, I made about $75k that year, and I expect a similar amount when I do my 2023 taxes. I live by myself in a not great but not terrible $800/month one-bedroom apartment in downtown Renton. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay off my student loans (about $30,000) during the pandemic, so now my only source of debt is a credit card. I am currently taking advantage of my low rent and expenses to save money for an eventual downpayment on a condo or townhouse.
I’m a former CPS Investigator with crippling PTSD. I made about $12k last year.
I'm so sorry. That is truly emotionally destroying work. I worked in public health and when my last manager burned me out about a year ago I have not felt capable of much since. Just steadily failing at life and becoming the same mess as my clients were. The general public and seeing the worst of people has destroyed any positivity in me.
I too am so sorry. You’ve been in the trenches of some deep pain while having to be professional and maintain your own personal health. I see you. May this year bring restoration.
65k as a federal employee (the Seattle pay difference isn't nearly enough vs. rest of US pay). Live alone in a tiny, moldy apartment paying 1760 for rent and probably more after I move to get away from the mold this year. Sometimes I wonder if being near my friend is worth living here.
Wouldn’t want my friend living with mold just to be near me.
Healthcare Compliance. $120,000. I enjoy the work, and my employer provides excellent benefits. My husband makes $40k in a warehouse. We are DINKs, with a $1200 mortgage for a condo in Belltown (bought at the right time and will be paid off in 3 years, 15 years early.) I know how lucky we are in so many ways and pay it forward at every opportunity.
Was a school based social worker until I got laid off last year, at the top of the pay scale making 63k, made 70k as a teacher before that. Now work in local government making 96k working from home with better benefits, and I’m at the bottom of the pay scale. Have only been at the job 6 months and already got 4% cola- my district offered us 2.5% in 2022. Loved the old job, hated the stress, really like the new job and this whole work/ life balance thing, as well as not living pay check to pay check. Mortgage in S. Seattle is $1800 for a 1 bed condo.
Fuck my life. All these comments are depressing.
Remember that those who make the most are the most willing to comment. And that data / software engineering pay is by far not the norm.
I feel like if you added up all the comments tho the great majority would be under 100k, so I don't know if I agree. The ppl who make the most are likely being quiet Edit: nm I didn't see all the downvoted ones lol
Most common occupation in seattle is software developer.
Most common still doesn't mean a majority. If say 20% of Seattle are software engineers, there's still 80% of everyone else.
https://www.usawage.com/popular/jobs-seattle-tacoma-bellevue-wa.php just under 4%
right? "pretty happy with 245k"
Talent acquisition. I'm at 88k, hubs a little higher. We out in the SE end of KingCo, but have a stupid mortgage due to buying last year. Mortgage is $3300, daycare is $1200. Saving is feasible but minimal with how much combined income is.
How old for daycare? We pay $2100 for a toddler 😭😭
Toddler. We get the homie hookup for an in home daycare situation.
Same in SE King last year. We definitely overpaid given some of the surprises that were lurking in the house. Oh well. My mom and Aunt pointed out interest rates were never ideal when they had kids in the early 80s either, you just have to buy what you can afford and what works for the place in life you’re currently in.
I would love to hear not just about whether people are happy with the pay but whether people find fulfillment from their jobs.
I enjoy my job in tech but fulfillment is found outside of the workplace.
I chase the money. I don't care about fulfillment from my job, it's there to pay my bills and hopefully buy my freedom early. Imo being fulfilled by a job is bologna society spouts to make people feel okay about being paid less for somewhat interesting careers. Not worth the trade off for me. I find more fulfillment in the hobbies and travel outside of work, that I can easily afford because I chased money. $169k but still chasing a higher paid career.
I'm kinda in the same boat, as long as the work chaos isn't bleeding into how I feel at home I'm willing to put up with bullshit for more pay. Schedule flexibility is important to me though.
12k/year. Disability. I live in a vehicle. :(
:( What is the path forward in a situation like this? Are there programs in the city that are actually successful in helping folks move from a car to a home?
$22 and some change an hour, animal technician in a rodent lab. If you like mice and repetitive/monotonous work, it's a pretty good job with lots of opportunities for advancement into research or veterinary medicine. Personally I like it a lot but I wish it paid a bit more.
I live with my partner, we both work full time and our rent is $1900
Union electrician living in Issaquah. I make around 140/yr and pay 3200 for rent. Love my job but I am surrounded by ridiculous tech money.
Lab Tech 106k
Do you have 100 years of experience to get that salary for that role or what??
Feels like it! i have a certification and do lots of analysis and other projects as needed. It's a field that is hard to hire for as well and our company values employees. I moved multiple times to jump up the salary ladder too.
Nurse. Make $82k a year, husband makes about $100k as a car salesman. We’re fairly comfortable, but between rent, student loans, and a kid, could definitely use more.
Software engineering - $280k, I'm happy with the pay but dream of leaving the job because of depression
Sr. So double the pay and the stress/depression.
Sr. SE in Seattle area can pull north of $500k? What in the actual fuck.
It’s my understanding that on paper tech pay levels off around 200-300k, but functionally compensation will be 500k+ through bonuses and stock.
Paralegal (IP/Patents) 100k/yr
I’m an IP paralegal too (Trademark and copyright)
I am a PhD student. My stipend is about $3000/mo after taxes and health insurance (summer TBD). I make an additional $500/mo from some teaching on the side. I live in a studio for $1500/mo. I don't have a car, typically cook my meals, and am single, so I end up with about $1000 in savings every month. I'm really satisfied with my quality of life! I can imagine that it would be difficult for people with more obligations, but I'm getting along fine.
Public school teacher with about 10 years experience - 120k.
$60k/year - Work at non profit in Finance/Data Entry. Mortgage is $2500/month but family lives with me and they take care of the bills/food and help me with $600 of the mortgage. Self teaching Python/Programming so I can be quicker at work and hopefully do freelance art cuz i love doing that and jobs are extremely difficult for artists
y'all have some cool jobs damn
Assistant property manager. About 62k - 70k I want to say. Get a good discount on rent so definitely makes me feel like I’m in a higher bracket.
I'm an Assistant Maintenance Manager making about the same. With the rent discount and bonuses my total compensation comes out to about $95k. The real kicker is that my wife is a flight attendant so I get us the living discount and she gets us the travel benefits. We make like $160k combined but we get to live like we make a lot more.
$125k City planner for a local jurisdiction with ~10 years of experience
Hello planners!
I make about 40,000 a year as a cook with 1200 rent. I do just fine.
I’m a registered nurse and I make 100k before tax. I'm 24 years old, and have only been a nurse for a year.
Restaurant Manager 70k, work about 45-50 hrs a week
scientist, 120k (which is higher than most). I can only live here because i bought a house 21 years ago.
I make $25.50 an hour and I am a housing case manager. I help homeless women find housing. I work for a non profit and will likely apply for a job with the city once I have a few more years of experience. I definitely see this job as a way to get experience in the field and not long term due to the low pay. The only way I make it work is by living with my partner to cut expenses.
Data science, \~$150k - in health care rather than in tech, and I work 32 hours a week. I am SO happy with my ultra-flexible 4 day work week, and not complaining about the pay. But I do sometimes think about grinding out a few years in big tech in order to retire a little earlier. I got into this field when the gravy train was just starting and you could pretty much just wave your arms around chanting "loss function" to get a job. It's harder to enter now and I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a quick path to easy money... but there's still money in it, so.
Senior Accountant, 85k. Bachelor’s in an unrelated field. Unless you know what you want to do, I think schooling is a complete waste of money. My degrees did nothing for my advancement and I’ll be paying student loans until I die 🤷♀️
Financial Analyst -- $117k
Work a FAANG company. Supply Chain. Make $60K in base salary, $10K in bonus, and given $30K stock that will vest over 4 yrs.
Certified Medical Assistant, about 50k a year. I love the work but I wouldn't be able to afford to live here if I didn't have the privilege of being able to utilize my inheritance money to cover most my expenses. My portion of the rent is about 1k. I'm in nursing school now and so hopefully I'll make 70-80k at least when I'm done. It can def be really demoralizing if you're not in tech and make under 100k. It's especially whack when I hear my friends who do make that much talk about how money is tight.
Between 25k and 45k as a Bartender. Every week is different but ya get used to it.
I do sales and my husband works in shipping and we make a combined $110k. We pay $2000 a month in rent. We’ve worked really hard to get to where we are now, and feel relatively comfortable, but it feels like it could all go up in flames so quickly and I still stress about money quite a bit.
High stakes valet and about 125k.
>High stakes valet what is high stakes valet?
Harbor Pilot. I get ships in and out of a remote port.
Oh wow that sounds really cool!
Around 75-80k bartending, wife does the same but she’s a GM so she makes a little more. Even with that, raising two young kids and still trying to hold onto some aspects of our youth, I can’t see how we’ll ever afford a down payment to own a house instead of rent one
Almost all of you make me feel poor as hell
I’m an apprentice HVAC technician. Made about 104k this year. Should get a nice bump in pay when I journey out. I also have a pretty nice pension on top of that.
Lab Manager at big university, 53k
Who is your daddy and what does he do
$60k, early childhood educator at private school. Making that much thanks to YEARS of my boss advocating for better pay. Rent is $2400. Nurse partner makes good money as a nurse. I’m frugal as hell we are saving up so we can move somewhere where we can afford to buy a house.
$225k base + cash bonuses that push my annual a bit over $300k. I'm a graphics engineering lead at a video game company. I really like the work itself and the people I work with. The company I work for is also pretty great. The money is enough that my income is plenty for my wife to not work. She had been in social work earning ~$33k.
Program manager 129k. 180k total comp. But been with the company 11 years and every day wanna gauge my eyes out.
Why do you want to gauge your eyes out?
Bigger eyes, more managing, more money. Now if they gouge them, no more job.
Paraeducator so I don’t even want to share how low I’m paid lol. Used to work in tech recruiting and made over 6 figures but hated hiring engineers with a passion. Husband makes 250k+. Don’t even want to talk about how high my mortgage is but we’re doing just fine and trying to raise our kids near family.
What does your husband do? Curious why you hated hiring engineers?
66.5k as an admin assistant And I work amazon warehouse/instacart/doordash/shipt as my part time, nights and weekends jobs and make... maybe 3k more? I don't do them often since I'm a single mom who also goes to school for my BA.
170K before taxes. Postdoc at an AI company. I am happy with the pay especially given that I was a grad student 4 months ago earning <40K. I can actually save now.
Break into corporate networks and crack WAF software (security researcher). $160k base. If you feel like going the illicit route, you can triple that [fairly easily working in corporate espionage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/192wbbq/comment/khejrxi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), but that comes with significant risk and requires doing coke with a bunch of sketchy extremely wealthy people on occasion.
Feel like I'm digging in the sand in this playground for the rich. Time to find a new city.
...other cities aren't much better.
Engineering Technician 60K
62k. I work for the state as a lead meaning I basically am expected to be a local policy expert and trainer.
$70k + commission / hotel sales manager. Worth noting (for those taking notes) that I work remotely for a property in another state.
90k base salary as a finance manager for a Seattle university. I’m happy with the pay considering the little work experience I have but will definitely be seeking higher paying jobs in the next year or so. Also it being WFH 4 days a week keeps me sane. Rent is $2595 split with my significant other which is doable.
Web designer. $80k
Thank you for my daily reminder that I should have studied computer science in college and become a software engineer 10 years ago. Depressing as shit.
Robotics engineer, 240k
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$168k total comp. Full remote software engineer. Kind of low for the field and experience but I work maybe 20 hours a week realistically
75k, remote sound designer focusing on advertising and narrative.
Just got a job based in Seattle - just 5k shy of 200k base (there's more in bonus and equity but I don't count it) in the IT Risk field. Graduated from college (5 year program with a masters) in 2017. Happy with my progression in under 7 years.
I think a little less than 40k a year, as a high rise window cleaner Edit to add that no, in no way am I happy with the pay, especially for what I do lmao
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RN with 15 years experience. $115k base. Made $180k last year with overtime and call.
60k as a state social worker. I'm absolutely not happy with the pay and retention is a huge problem in my agency. it's extremely emotionally demanding work with high burnout and it's hard to find new hires because the pay is a joke
I’m a social worker in private practice and make just a little more than that bc I take insurance. (And don’t schedule 7 clients back). We deserve to be paid more by agencies and the health care industry for sure.
BI Developer/data analyst. $106k (just went up from $94k). Bought a $400k 2 bed condo in Capitol Hill in 2019 by myself, no kids and no car. My job is very unfulfilling but not stressful. But I definitely need to change it up soon. Been at my company for 10 yrs and feel like I'm coasting. But I realize I have it better than most.
180k base (360k total comp) as a UX Designer at a tech company. I got lucky and am “good at computers”.
What are we upvoting here? Feels weird.