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Honestly, I make a low six figure income (starts with a 1), with a couple of kids, and a stay at home partner, and work from home in a moderate city for housing

Honestly, I make a low six figure income (starts with a 1), with a couple of kids, and a stay at home partner, and work from home in a moderate city for housing and costs on the west coast. We make ends meet, can afford the things we want to do, but never seem to actually build any savings. (grocery costs are eating us alive this past year or two)

pc86 3y ago
Median household (not individual) income in the US is barely $70k, not sure I'd consider 50% above the median at the low end "middle." But most people here, myself included, probably make $150-200k/yr before any stock or RSUs so I'm looking forward to the mental gymnastics calling that middle class.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Basing class structure on difference from the societal median is a bad idea. It means making the entire country except a few poorer grows the "middle" class. There are three classes: Struggling, comfortable, and rich. If paying for necessities like transport, housing, and food requires significant efforts to manage cash flow or is even impossible, you are struggling. If you don't know when your employer pays you because you haven't had a cash flow problem in a decade, you are comfortable. If you don't have an employer because your wealth comes from things, you are rich.
  - pc86 3y ago
    I mean you can simplify it even more into "haves" and "have nots" but there's a reason nobody serious does that anymore, because it doesn't give you any useful information, nor does those three categories. That doesn't change the fact that almost everybody wants to think of themselves as middle class, but especially here on HN most people are definitely not. If you make $200k cash plus RSUs on top of that you may not be rich but you're certainly on your way there and you're certainly not middle class in the way that carpenter making $75k with his stay at home wife in Houston is.
    - bdcravens 3y ago
      In different parts of the country that plumber would need to make $100k+ to have a similar lifestyle as in Houston.
- ipaddr 3y ago
  Most people on here do not make that much unless they work at a faang but if there job openings where you are please share.

pc86 3y ago

Median household (not individual) income in the US is barely $70k, not sure I'd consider 50% above the median at the low end "middle." But most people here, myself included, probably make $150-200k/yr before any stock or RSUs so I'm looking forward to the mental gymnastics calling that middle class.

mrguyorama 3y ago
Basing class structure on difference from the societal median is a bad idea. It means making the entire country except a few poorer grows the "middle" class. There are three classes: Struggling, comfortable, and rich. If paying for necessities like transport, housing, and food requires significant efforts to manage cash flow or is even impossible, you are struggling. If you don't know when your employer pays you because you haven't had a cash flow problem in a decade, you are comfortable. If you don't have an employer because your wealth comes from things, you are rich.
- pc86 3y ago
  I mean you can simplify it even more into "haves" and "have nots" but there's a reason nobody serious does that anymore, because it doesn't give you any useful information, nor does those three categories. That doesn't change the fact that almost everybody wants to think of themselves as middle class, but especially here on HN most people are definitely not. If you make $200k cash plus RSUs on top of that you may not be rich but you're certainly on your way there and you're certainly not middle class in the way that carpenter making $75k with his stay at home wife in Houston is.
  - bdcravens 3y ago
    In different parts of the country that plumber would need to make $100k+ to have a similar lifestyle as in Houston.
ipaddr 3y ago
Most people on here do not make that much unless they work at a faang but if there job openings where you are please share.