4 ms·

You can get rich on salary. I think a portion of us are making more than 200k, 300k, or even higher in income per year.

by kelukelugames 9y ago

cryoshon 9y ago
what, a laughably small proportion relative to the country's population? median income is in the 50k range...
- randlet 9y ago
  Yes, and that's median household income, not individual. It's closer to $60k in the US [1] but your point still stands. [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9 http://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-...
  - adventured 9y ago
    No, that's the median full-time wage. It'll be just near $50,000 for 2018. Two full-time incomes for a household, you can easily get to $85,000 to $120,000. What you're referring to, includes every person that generates any bit of consequential income. Part-time workers, or people earning $8k-$10k over the Summer, are included in the total median figure (which is closer to $30k).
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
- Retric 9y ago
  More than you might think. 1 in 20 people make over 200k / year. 400k is not enough to get someone into the top 1%. So, several million Americans are making 1/4 million + per year before taxes. Which is why millionaire does not really qualify someone as rich anymore. Consider 1 million in 1915 is the equivalent of ~25 million in 2017 which is closer to what most people think of as rich.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - commandlinefan 9y ago
    Hm - well, according to this: http://graphics.wsj.com/what-percent/ http://graphics.wsj.com/what-percent/ 200k/year put you in the top 2% just a few years ago.
    - Retric 9y ago
      Slightly different measurement, on their graph 20% of people made less than 10k/year and they list and use: $27,000 was the rounded median individual income in 2014. But, they are not measuring people on a salary.
      - badestrand 9y ago
        > But, they are not measuring people on a salary. Well, you weren't either so it seems fair. "1 in 20 people make over 200k / year" -> As you probably meant full income earners it would be interesting to see what it would be if measured actually for "people".
        Retric 9y ago
        People in the highest income brackets tend be working full time significantly more in large part because people near retirement get both dividends and a full time salary, but people in retirement are generally drawing down their wealth. So, they may not be making 420k exclusively from their job, but 200+k / year is surprisingly common.
    - gowld 9y ago
      Other reports put 1% at >$400K/yr, 5% at $214K/yr https://www.google.com/search?q=1%25+income&cad=h https://www.google.com/search?q=1%25+income&cad=h WSJ's number is individual not household, and ignores people making $0, most of home are likely in a household with an income-earner.
- maxander 9y ago
  I think he meant “us” as HNers, who include a relatively high proportion of highly paid engineers and the like.
  - manicdee 9y ago
    I mean, you can't include poor people in your statistics when you're talking about how easy it is to get rich!

You can get rich on salary. I think a portion of us are making more than 200k, 300k, or even higher in income per year.

cryoshon 9y ago

what, a laughably small proportion relative to the country's population? median income is in the 50k range...

randlet 9y ago
Yes, and that's median household income, not individual. It's closer to $60k in the US [1] but your point still stands. [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9 http://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-...
- adventured 9y ago
  No, that's the median full-time wage. It'll be just near $50,000 for 2018. Two full-time incomes for a household, you can easily get to $85,000 to $120,000. What you're referring to, includes every person that generates any bit of consequential income. Part-time workers, or people earning $8k-$10k over the Summer, are included in the total median figure (which is closer to $30k).
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
Retric 9y ago
More than you might think. 1 in 20 people make over 200k / year. 400k is not enough to get someone into the top 1%. So, several million Americans are making 1/4 million + per year before taxes. Which is why millionaire does not really qualify someone as rich anymore. Consider 1 million in 1915 is the equivalent of ~25 million in 2017 which is closer to what most people think of as rich.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- commandlinefan 9y ago
  Hm - well, according to this: http://graphics.wsj.com/what-percent/ http://graphics.wsj.com/what-percent/ 200k/year put you in the top 2% just a few years ago.
  - Retric 9y ago
    Slightly different measurement, on their graph 20% of people made less than 10k/year and they list and use: $27,000 was the rounded median individual income in 2014. But, they are not measuring people on a salary.
    - badestrand 9y ago
      > But, they are not measuring people on a salary. Well, you weren't either so it seems fair. "1 in 20 people make over 200k / year" -> As you probably meant full income earners it would be interesting to see what it would be if measured actually for "people".
      - Retric 9y ago
        People in the highest income brackets tend be working full time significantly more in large part because people near retirement get both dividends and a full time salary, but people in retirement are generally drawing down their wealth. So, they may not be making 420k exclusively from their job, but 200+k / year is surprisingly common.
  - gowld 9y ago
    Other reports put 1% at >$400K/yr, 5% at $214K/yr https://www.google.com/search?q=1%25+income&cad=h https://www.google.com/search?q=1%25+income&cad=h WSJ's number is individual not household, and ignores people making $0, most of home are likely in a household with an income-earner.
maxander 9y ago
I think he meant “us” as HNers, who include a relatively high proportion of highly paid engineers and the like.
- manicdee 9y ago
  I mean, you can't include poor people in your statistics when you're talking about how easy it is to get rich!