If you need $300K to support your expenses, than that's a choice you can make -- if you have the ability to have a $300K plus income. That's of course a choice

If you need $300K to support your expenses, than that's a choice you can make -- if you have the ability to have a $300K plus income. That's of course a choice not available to 95% of the USA. (300K happens is around the 95h percentile income in the USA). That some people live in houses they couldn't pay for on $150K doesn't mean that $150K isn't possibly a "full time salary". $150K is definitely in the category of "a full time salary", many people make this much or less working full time. That a skilled engineer could possibly make $150K for working 50% time -- is a choice not available to most people, most people don't even have the choice to make $150K working full time! So a skilled engineer has that option, make would be a (healthy) full-time salary for most of the USA, working only half-time. Or anyway would, if employers would hire like this. That's the point I meant to be making. Income distribution in the US does continue to get more uneven every year.