Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Okay, I'm Asking Again!

At the suggestion of a commenter, I'm asking the salary question again. My post from October 2007, "Okay, I'm Asking", has gotten 275 comments to date, such as these:

24, single, 54k a year + possibility for bonus, work in the financial realm.

I am a 25-year old woman living in Lima, Peru, earning $7,200 a year.

29, single woman living in Vancouver, Canada. I make app $55K/year with guaranteed raises ranging from 5-9% each year.

22, F, married in DC metro (one of the poorer sections) trying to make ends meet on $30k plus

$5k from my husband's student teaching. Working as a receptionist/admin assistant.

30 something single mom with an MBA, earn $103k in the DC area.

34, unmarried male, living in Bergen County, NJ. Work in IT Security - $80k/year.


How about now, over a year later with a totally different economic outlook gripping our country? How much do you make now? Do you make more or less than you did a year ago? Do you still have a job? And this time, I'm also asking what your net worth is, and how it's changed over the last year. Please give us a little context as to your age, location, and work industry, and feel free to be as anonymous as you want. Pass this link on to your friends and encourage them to chime in too!

209 comments:

1 – 200 of 209   Newer›   Newest»
HEALTHY AMELIA said...

31 year old woman living in Washington DC working in the nonprofit sector: mid $50k per year (4% raise over last year). I am very grateful to still have a job and that they were able to still give us raises this year. We’re cutting back in many ways (hiring freeze, reduced travel, etc.) but are in generally good shape, considering the economy.

My net worth has improved since last year significantly – I’ve moved from being in the red to black. I went from still working my way out of credit card debt to actually having a $1000 + emergency fund. I had been working on my 401K for a couple of years but upped my contributions after paying off the debt.

Anonymous said...

37 single male in southern california, mba, $100k (flat from last year), still own my own business and thankfully business is actually booming right now. Decided against giving raises to my employees this year in order to conserve cash in case things turn for the worse, although we still gave bonuses. Although times are scary, there are also some incredible investment opportunities right now.

My personal net work dropped from $200k to $160k, primarily due to stock market investments. I do not include the value of my company in my net worth.

Mad Cat Mom said...

29 yr old female in San Diego, California. Supporting myself and a full-time law student. 2008 made $77,500 in the financial sector, up 6k from previous year.

Job eliminated as of 1/9/2009.

Last year net worth remained the same (due in large part to market tanking my 401k and an unexpected $7,000 vet bill). Savings fluctuated throughout the year but by end of December returned to its former, meager level of $2,000.

Caleb said...

21 engaged male attending school in Arkansas. Income of around $7500 from working on campus in computer lab and waiting tables over breaks and summer vacation. Being a server, income is greatly dependent on tips. Over the summer things seemed a little slow but not too bad. This Christmas break things were pretty slow and I definitely did not make as much money as I thought I would.

Anonymous said...

24 yr old single female living in San Diego, working as a paralegal. I got a raise last summer from $40k to $45k, but no bonus, and I don't expect another raise soon. I'm paying off a small car loan and I've managed to keep my networth around $25k since August, despite losing about $3k in retirement savings - I didn't have much to start out with!

Anonymous said...

Married, mother of one, Minneapolis. I make $44k, working 30 hours per week for a large university. My job is stable, or at least as stable as any grant-funded position can be.

Anonymous said...

34, single male, $94K/yr. No raise of bonus this year. Make less than a year ago, $5K. Took a new position at a more stable company 4 months ago for $5K less, but also spend less because I commute by train downtown, instead of driving to burbs. Well worth it!

Anonymous said...

44, married female pharmacist in Texas. My salary improved a little with a 5% raise to be $90,000 based on a 30 hour work week. My net worth decreased from $1,100,000 to $925,000. The job is stable regardless of the economy and l'm sure a raise is on the way for this year as well, so l am very grateful.

Anonymous said...

24 year old female in Texas, I live with my fiance. I am a graduate student and he is in technical support. I work part time in my intended field for our county. He works full time. Combined, we make about $40,000/year. A small raise for him as a result of a promotion. Standard 3% county raise for me. I graduate in May and student loans will go into repayment 6 months later. I'm still looking for a post-graduate job in my field.

Valerie said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

25, single F, living in LA and working as an executive assistant in the entertainment industry. $45k/year, with regular salary increases each year (except for 2009, b/c I was hired two months before the annual month when raises are granted).

I feel really, really lucky to have this job, as I was JUST hired in early-November. Made it just under the wire. It's my first "real" job - I graduated university in 2006 (worked at a res. hall front desk there for 3 years making min. wage), then moved to London (for adventure) for 2007, worked temp jobs; returned early 2008, worked temp jobs and tutored until finally hired full-time here. I realize how fortunate I am to have found a good salary and a relatively stable job with my resume and this economy. Counting my blessings.

Anonymous said...

27 in Boston in Ed. Publishing. Make around $48,000 per year plus small bonus (but those may be cut this year).
A year ago I had $35,000 in mutual funds (family gift) and $10,000 in 401ks, and only about $600 in savings, and $6,000 credit card debt.
Paid off debt, cashed out mutual funds for down payment on a condo.
Now I have $5,000 savings, about $12,000 in 401k (darn market tanking) and a mortgage of $180,000.

Miss M said...

Early 30's, civil engineer, live in Los Angeles with my boyfriend of 6 years. I'm making around $100k with overtime. Same job/pay as last year and the future looks strong for my field. My net worth has crept up cause I paid off some loans, but my investments were hit hard last year. The value of my house has crashed and I'm horribly underwater. Hoping for a better 2009.

Anonymous said...

I commented on your previous post.

I'm a now almost 29 year old single mother in Minneapolis. Still employed as an HR administrator at the same employer. Salary is at $43,000 and I probably will not get a raise this year due to budget issues. Child support is roughly $7000/year.

Anonymous said...

Combined household income is $300,000 split evenly between my wife and I. We get bonuses, but who knows how much in 2009? 2008 was a tough year for us with our net worth declining from about $5.5 million to $4.5 million. Track our progress at www.hedgefundhustle.com.

Anonymous said...

27 married guy with 2 kids, $62K working as an Auditor. We're on my wife's benefits through the teacher's union, and she makes $47K. We live in a relatively low cost of living area. The poor economy has affected our home value and our retirement investments. Both are down nearly 30%. Thankfully, we both have our jobs.

Anonymous said...

28 year old sing F living in CT (one of the most expensive states in the US), making $51,000 base salary a year in the insurance industry. Last year with bonuses I made about $58,000. I don't know if that is going to be realistic this year but I am so thankful to have a job. I have law school loans and a mortgage (I bought a house in 2008. I have about $25K in cash for my emergency cushion, but have a chronic health condition.

My investments took a 35% hit (I'm 100% in stocks becuase clearly I will never retire) in 2008 but overall becuase of the house I still came out about $10K ahead of 2007.

I hope that 2009 is more stable and I know that I am incredibly fortunate to have all that I do.

Kathy Storm said...

Mid 30's, single female no kids, registered nurse working a little less than full time for $130,000 last year, $10,000 more than the year before due to raise and increase in overtime worked. Have no debt except mortgage, $30,000 savings, my retirement was six digits but is now five due to stock crisis. My 2 year old car is paid for, my house is less than two years new to me and deeply underwater. I paid off $10,000 but am still $80,000 negative equity. My job is stable and unionized. I will get a 5.5% raise as per our contract. Next year will be a new contract and I suspect raises will be very small. My department has not been replacing people who quit and probably won't until it gets dangerous for patient care. Because of union rules layoffs will be the last hired to go first and I have enough seniority to be pretty safe. I just can't quit or get hurt.

Anonymous said...

23, single male, $68k salary + bonus, net worth of ~$25k, DC metro, undergrad degree. Making more than last year, net worth has [barely] risen. Feeling pretty secure in my job and very fortunate.

Jennifer said...

25, single female. I made $28k last year and will make about $30k this year. I'm an administrative assistant working for a security company. My job is relatively secure so long as the company we contract for remains in business. My net worth is currently in the red, something I'm working to correct!

Anonymous said...

23, single female, northern NJ, living at home with parents. Making ~$59k, full time, at big pharma as a Jr. Business Analyst. Little hope for bonus/raise this year. Even less hope for promotion due to hiring freeze. Net worth is in the red-still paying back (designer) undergrad school loans and car. In grad school on the company's dime. Not looking forward to more layoff announcements, possibly even down to my (low) level. Counting my lucky stars....

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

25, female in a serious relationship living in Canada.

Earned $65k/year until August 2008.

Quit job, became freelancer and ended up earning $85k from Sep-Nov 2008.

Which is roughly $336k/year, or $28k/month.

Net worth increase from 2007 to 2008: -$60,000 to +$83,000

Am not working at the moment (trying to move to the U.S.), but am feeling secure and happy as my monthly expenses are $1500/month or lower.

Looking to secure a job in the U.S. around ballpark of $100k-$130k which is reasonable for my line of work.

Fabulously Broke in the City
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver...

Anonymous said...

31, Single female Houston, TX. Earning slightly more than $51,000. Quite a nice salary here as I own my own 3/2/2 home 20 minutes from downtown and have extra money. GREAT benefits: company gives (not matches) 10% for 401k, $900 to HSA spending account, and $2500 a year to travel to conferences. Secure job (no one gets fired from academia) and I get cost of living increase each year...yes including this one. When the economy is shit...people flock to graduate school.

Anonymous said...

23, single male living in Boston, MA. Earning $67K/year as an engineer. I was given a slight raise from last year.

Anonymous said...

28, married female living in north Florida. I'm an attorney, earning $79,000 with bonuses every year of approx. $10k. I just graduated law school, so I have $80k in student loans, and about $10k in credit card debt. Also just got married and paid for most of our $22,000 wedding. My husband is a PhD fellowship student, he gets $22,000/year. We are paying off my credit card debt at a very fast rate. It will paid off in 2.5 months. North Florida is cheap, so we'll likely be buying a home soon.

Anonymous said...

i am a 24 year old female new yorker working in publishing as a magazine assistant. salary is $25,000, plus i earn overtime for anything over 40 hours. (it usually ends up equaling out about what was taken for taxes). same as last year. no bonuses and no raises.

Anonymous said...

I am 27 year old, married, mom of two in Minneapolis. I work as a nursing assistant and my husband is a restaurant manager. Together we make about 65k.

Anonymous said...

32 male, Development Consultant, Nebraska. Took a 10% temporarily pay cut in December from my $50,000 salary.I Could last a few months. My girlfriend and I have a net worth of -$24,000. In 2008 paid off over $25,000 in debt. Still have around $52,000 in debt, not including the house.

Anonymous said...

29 year old single female living in the D.C. metro area. I just received my last big raise at my government job. My annual salary is now 73K, up about 25% from last year. I owe 20K in student loans (for both undergrad and grad) and about 8K on my car. No credit card debt. I contribute 5% to my 401K and gov't matches that. I currently have about 7K in my emergency fund and hope it continues to grow. I plan to open a Roth IRA next month and contribute $200 (minimum) a month and begin creating a CD ladder.

Anonymous said...

32 F, in a relationship but living separately, no kids. I work as a software developer in VT making 82K, up from about 60K last year (job change from sinking financial company to growing software company). No bonuses in old company, not eligible yet for new company. BF makes about 60K (up from 22K last year, now out of grad school) and he'll be moving in soon, saving about $700/mo in expenses.

Things are much better now than they were a year ago. Not carrying any debt except the mortgage on my house, about 100K at 5.85%, and his student loans, about 15K at 3%.

dollar incense said...

Love reading all the different data points, thanks to myopenwallet for asking and everyone else for being so candid. :)

Im 30, female and live in San Francisco with my BF.

My salary and bonus at job #1 are flat over the last year - ~$130k/yr total comp. I did take on job #2 at 10 hours a week to add $25k/yr this year. Both jobs are in Software Dev Management.

In the last year I paid off $43k in cc debt, which raised my net worth by about that amount.

Anonymous said...

29F, NYC. I work as a computer programmer for a university. Got a raise to $58k in 2008. Net worth is about -$44k (student loans except for a few thousand of steadily-diminishing credit card debt). Very little saved or invested but I plan to work on that this year!

The decline in the economy has actually been good for me, since I have very little in retirement funds and the interest rates on my student loans continue to drop.

Teezy said...

28, single female, WA.

I made just under $15,ooo this year working retail, plus an extra $3,000 or so on a small-business venture teaching theater to kids.

I received two raises this year, and received a promotion, because the company I work for has actually been boosted by the failing economy.

I have a savings of close to $1,000, which is up from last year by about, oh, $1,000. I actually donated more this year to charity than any other year, both monetarily and in service.

The nice thing about being below poverty-level is that in times of trouble, there's nowhere for me to go but up!

Anonymous said...

I'm a single 23-year old male living in SF bay area (south bay). Graduated college in 2007 in Biology. Worked as a technician for a multi-national pharmaceutical company and made $50k in 2008. The position gives 4-8% salary increases a year as well as bonuses.

Came out of college with no debt but also no savings. Current net worth is about $35k (living with the folks, living below my means, still enjoying life (took a 3 week trip to Asia)).

Planning to go back for a PhD in the very near future.

Anonymous said...

I am a 24 year old male working in finance. Last year I took home 63k + a bonus (under 10k). No debt and approx. 32k in savings, investments and 401k contributions.

AD

Anonymous said...

I'm 36 and a stay-at-home mom. My husband's salary rises and falls each year since he's on a quota system. His pay was cut in half at the beginning of 2009. No more 401K match either. We are debt free except for our mortgage.

We live in Michigan and are very thankful he still has a job. Every week, one of our friends either loses a job or knows someone who does.

The future may seem scary, but we look ahead with hope. After all, this is America, where anything is possible.

We aren't as stressed out as we expected to be because we started living frugally eleven years ago. We know there's always something we can eliminate to keep us on budget.
Thanks for this blog. I really enjoy it every week.

Anonymous said...

I am a 26 year old married male with one child and I make ~35k as the sole wage earner living in San Diego, CA.

Anonymous said...

27 y/o single male resident physician in NYC. Earned $60k last year. 403b/Roth Maxed. Salary once residency finishes in another year is $200k-$300k. Net worth is -230k (student loans locked @ 3.75%).

Anonymous said...

28 y/o married female (architecture field) living in London. Job secured for now...but industry not easy. No house, no children, no 401K, no savings, not much investment...$3K in investments.

Paid 28K GBP (41K USD) + tiny bonus, take home 21K GBP (31K USD). Husband makes 2K GBP more + better bonus. We are both doing better than last year as he was looking for work after grad school, I received a small raise.

1000 GBP goes to $70K student loans shared between spouse & I & $10K credit card debt. The exchange rate determines how much actually pays of existing US bills...and is getting worse and worse.

galenisforever said...

25. m. retail banking. 40k/year. In school for Physician Assistant position for 3 more years, then its 80k starting, if everything falls into plan.

Gord said...

56 yr old male in Transit industry as trouble shooter, with OT made $91K gross, net of 58K last year, unfortunately that's Canadian dollars, but I'll get a 5K tax refund.

Anonymous said...

I commented last year too!

SBF, Houston, 35, financial analyst, home still worth about 120K, got a new job so salary went up to 67K, placed student loans on deferral so still about 70K, started an emergency fund with 1K in it so far and paid a little on credit card debt.

Anonymous said...

"34, unmarried male, living in Bergen County, NJ. Work in IT Security - $80k/year"

Madame X, here's my VH1 "Behind the Music" Update:

I'm 35 now, and still working for the same healthcare services company in IT security. Transitioned from being a consultant to a full-time employee. Salary went from $80k to $75k, but when you factor in the dollar value of all the added benefits, I'm coming out way ahead (dollar-for-dollar 401k match, full tuition reimbursement, 3 weeks vacation, yearly raises, cheaper healthcare, etc.)

Also, I just got engaged. My fiance also works in the Healthcare industry and earns $56k a year.

My net worth dropped from around $500k to $300k due to losses in the stock market and the value of my townhouse (yes, even Bergen County is not immune).

Anonymous said...

Late 30's, married female with two young children living in Australia. We rent, and hubby earns what is an average salary in Australia of $50,000 (living expenses are higher here). Our savings were in stocks and we went from around $130,000 to about $55,000 this past year. Ouch!

Anonymous said...

26 y.o. single in Chicago. Financial consultant. 73k...find out about bonus/raise next week!

Savings aren't so great - around 8k. 40k in student loans that I'm paying off at a higher than required rate. Hopefully will have enough for a downpayment on a condo in 3 years!

Anonymous said...

ha, I found my comment from last time. I make a little more, owe a little less, and am appreciative of my relatively stable tech support gig. the basics: swf, bay area, 37, 60k.

I'm down to owing only ~5k on my student loans, and intend to pay them off this year AND pay cash for a trip to Europe. I tapped my e-fund to pay down debt, so it's only 2k, and my retirement savings are down about 25% from the last time I posted my answers - about 60k now.

Factoring in my paid-for car and what's in the bank, my net worth is about 65k.

Anonymous said...

30 year old married native New Yorker. i earn $80k per year with no bonus and my husband earns about $290k per year plus a possible bonus. We haven't fully tallied our net worth yet because everything is fluctuating with the stock market but our solid savings are set at around $220k (this does not include our 401k, stock market investments, retirement investments). We have not invested in any real estate because the market was stupid high. We plan to buy in the next 2 years once sellers come to their senses. I work for a nonprofit and my husband is a lawyer.

Anonymous said...

30 y/o married female. 75K insurance position eliminated November 08.


I would like to know what type of work fabulously broke does!!

Anonymous said...

32, single male in Wisconsin. Work in IT security making 87K. Do not own a home, net worth approx $50K.

Anonymous said...

Early 30's, married female with no children living in Australia. We rent, have a second hand car, and no debt.I work in IT and earn approx 75K and hubby earns about 55K as a credit controller. We have some money in stocks but most in cash due to the credit crisis and currently our net worth is about $250K

Anonymous said...

26 y/o single male software engineer in Boston. $86k last year + bonus. Management claims we're stable and there won't be any layoffs, but I'm sure they'd say that anyway :p

Net worth about $325k (including 401k), largely thanks to (very significant) annual gifts from relatives (as in your recent post) and no student debt. I'm really fortunate financially, but determined to not depend on family money. As a wild guess, maybe 1/3 of it is my earnings.

Net worth is up from $308k the previous year, but only because of all my contributions and the previously mentioned gifts - most of my net worth is in the stock market, and 2008 was pretty bad. Salary is up a little bit from last year ($84k), but I'm not expecting a raise this year due to the economy.

Anonymous said...

Last year I wrote: "Mid-40's, male, married, no kids, Wall Streeter, live in same part of Brooklyn as Madame X, own brownstone and investment properties w/rental income. Total income ranges from upper six-figures to over $1mm depending on what year, what you count, and how you count it (ex. stk options, rental income, invmnt distributions, etc)."

This year, I am truly fortunate to actually have a job and expect total earnings to be in the range of approx $400K. Rationally, I know that I am still in the top 1% of earners and that any sane person would be thrilled to have my income & NW, but on an emotional basis, feels like a big setback because the bonus is the worst I've had in several years and invmnt portfolio is down 40% (yes I know and I'm not expecting any sympathy). We have cut our 2009 budget for discretionary expenses (ex. travel, eating out, gifts, etc.) by 50%. Focus right now is on beefing up emergency fund given continued risk of lay-offs, rather than investing. IMO, I need to have 2-3 years of living expenses set aside in liquid funds. Extreme, yes, but I think 2009/2010 are going to be god awful for my industry.

- Wall Streeter

Anonymous said...

This is an interesting look back.

Last time, I was:

31, female, earning about $86,000 as a government attorney. I live in a large midwestern city. I've paid off all my student loans but am still saving for a condo. (My goal is to have $70,000 in savings by the end of this year, to cover a down-payment, closing costs and an emergency fund. Right now I'm at about $64,000).

This time, I am:

33, still female, basically the same job with slightly (but not much) more pay. My savings are currently at $92,000 (I still haven't bought the condo, and am now saving to buy a new car in the next few years, too). Due to the stock market slide this year, my work retirement account is at almost the exact same level as in October 2007. I've also started a Roth.

Anonymous said...

38, non-gender identified, no kids, rent apt. in Brooklyn, NY

Feeling very lucky as I still have a job that feels like a good career choice for me. I work at a University doing project management. Pay is $80k per year including tiny bonus.

Great benefits like four plus one weeks of vacation, free education, nice people to work with, 401k 7% gift yearly from employer.

My 401k took a 35% drop this year due to the recession.
Trying to save more, but still like to do things like frugal travel and cultural outings.

Cooking at home 6 nights a week.
Good luck to all of you looking for work, I hope the economy picks up soon.

frugal zeitgeist said...

40, divorced, living in Manhattan, in a relationship but living separately. I make just a hair under $150,000 with no bonus, and that's significantly more than I made last year. I got a big promotion and a large raise right before the economy truly went to pot. Being new on the senior management pay scale, as long as my performance is up to scratch, my salary alone shouldn't put me on the layoff radar.

My investments took a dump like just about everyone else's in 2008. I paid my mortgage off in July and have a decent amount of cash saved up, so if worst comes to worst and I get laid off, as long as I get three months of severance (which is in my employment contract, so it's pretty safe), I can sit out the job market for about two years without touching my investments if I really, really have to.

Anonymous said...

My wife and I are in our late 20s. We made 200K in 2007, but bumped that up to 258K in 2008. We are both pharmacists in rural OK. Our net worth went from about 80K to 180K, and we paid off our home in 8 months. Go team.

Anonymous said...

Last year: $40,000 income, $235,000 net worth.
This year: $42,000 income, $252,500 net worth.

Biggest changes: raise, increase in equity of house (16K increase in value, 4K decrease in debt), decrease in IRA (12K), increase in pension (5K)

S said...

25 m living at home w/ rents in suburban Philadelphia. Make 60k a year as a data developer and have a networth of around -80k due to insane undergrad student loans

Anonymous said...

Married, NYC, mid 30s. I'll make 230K this year unless I'm laid off, which is a real possibility.

Anonymous said...

25, live with boyfriend in small city in Wisconsin. I work as a municipal attorney making about 60k and he works for a firm making about 45. We don't own a home and are trying to save up for one but between the two of us we have a mortgage worth of debt in loans. Neither of us has any debt other than those loans and one car payment, but we don't really have a net work either. I'm just grateful we both have jobs because many of my classmates are still looking.

Anonymous said...

27-year-old single female with an engineering degree, living in Cleveland, OH. I'm paid hourly, so my total annual pay depends greatly on OT and bonus.

2007: $55k (hourly pay $20.50)
2008: $65k (hourly pay $23.75)
2009: hourly pay $27.25

I'm in a union, so I get guaranteed raises, but I can't necessarily count on the OT and bonus.

An iMperfect wIfe said...

20 somethings in New England, married, both employed in large regional hospital working overnights for more money.

I have a 4 year science degree and make 60-65k annually depending on bonuses/OT. DH has a 2 year liberal arts degree and makes about 25k annually.

We've reduced our weekly hours from 40 to 36 for this year to enjoy life and spend more time together but our income will reduce by about 10k accordingly. If we were to work weekday shifts our income would reduce by another 20-30k.
dec 07 net worth- 30k
dec 08 net worth- 55k (mostly in retirement accounts which plummeted 15k this year)

I'm furthering my education to improve my prospects for better "day" jobs in the future! DH has taken some continuing education classes but not settled on whether to pursue a BA.

Anonymous said...

Single female Biology Student with an BSc from Germany, earnigs about 8500$ fron University related job.

Anonymous said...

Married female, 39, with 2 kids, living in Alabama. I'm an attorney and made approximately $375,000 last year. Expect 2009 income to decrease due to economy. Net worth is approximately $715,000 - big drop from beginning of 2008 due to 401(k) tanking.

Anonymous said...

22 yr old female, in a relationship, working full time in the accounting department of an industrial company in Pennsylvania - 32K last year. Going to school part time - hope to finish associates in 1.5 years and continuing on to a bachelors degree.

Anonymous said...

25 year old single male, working full time at a consulting firm in Chicago. My salary is roughly $70k yearly.

My net worth is off significantly - but then that's not uncommon right now. Fortunately I have plenty of time to make it all back.

Lindsay said...

24 year old female, married
I earn about $6-800 a month substitute teaching (9 months a year) and about $600-$1200 a month state paid child care (year round)
my husband is in the military. This past year with him home he was about $2000 a month take home with housing, utilites, and medical free. He is deployed all of 2009 and getting promoted in May we are expecting about $3500-5000 a month due to tax free, combat pay, etc.

So totaled 2009 should be around 50-60K

Anonymous said...

34 year old male, single
Last year: software project manager in NYC making ~$90k with bonuses
This year: analyst at a software company in CA making $120k
(I was underpaid at my last job as they were also paying tuition for my master's degree from Columbia)

Last year's net worth: ~$430k
This year: ~$350k

Most of the damage in net worth was due to my retirement accounts being in mutual funds and losing 40% of that value, the rest being due to my condo losing value (but since I bought in 2001, the condo is still net positive for me).

Anonymous said...

33, SF, Fort Lauderdale. Web developer making 40k per year plus bonus. Also have a "hobby" job that brings in about $2k per year. Also wind up with a few freelance gigs throughout the year. Total around 43k.

Job is relatively secure. Finishing up my BA to improve my income. Only debt is student loans. About $6000 sitting in emergency funds and growing. Just opened an IRA.

Anonymous said...

I am female, mid-30s, married with one child. I work at a private school - education AND non-profit, where the salaries are notoriously low! I have been here 5 years, and I make $44k, and I am grateful to have a job at this point. My hubby and I live beneath our means. Don't know our exact net worth, but we have seen our 401(k) and Roth account values plummet from around $200k total to about $140k now...but we are still faithfully making our contributions!

Anonymous said...

26 year old married female in the DC metro area. Got a new job for the federal government in October making $83k. Was a raise over last contracting job at $55k. Net worth is approx. -$10k because of student loans, but it's slowly improving, and will get better because of the new job.

Anonymous said...

24 year old female, single mom of 1. Make $60,000 annually as internal auditor for tech company in Minneapolis. In the process of purchasing home, (made offer today), and have plans to get out of corporate America and do something in the non-profit arena. Also seriously researching purchasing investment property. I have a good amount of debt (student loans and credit credit cards) but I am paying more than the minimum to pay the CC's off first and the student loans off a couple years early. I will probably get a 2% to 3% raise, but I'm not betting on a bonus.

Unknown said...

30, male, single, Florida, insurance industry. $32k in 2008 up from $27k in '07.

Anonymous said...

32, female, married, living in San Francisco Bay Area. Work as a product manager at an internet company, making $127K plus ~$12K bonus. Husband is an engineer at an aerospace firm, making $93K with the world's best benefits.

Our net worth...is unknown. In order to avoid getting upset, I'm refusing to look at our 401(k)s, though we max out contributions every year. We probably have $100-150K in equity in our house, and emergency fund savings of $30K (I prefer to be closer to $40K, but I had to tap the e-fund for..well..emergencies (surgery on a foot and on some trees)). But, we've also got about $50K in student loans, and we owe my parents $85K.

Anonymous said...

Oh, shoot...forgot to talk about change from before. Husband makes ~30% more than he did a year ago, because he changed jobs. I'm at about 5% more if my bonus comes through, and I'm making less money if the bonus doesn't come through. Net worth is probably about equal--the 401(k) has plummeted, but we're in a micromarket where our house has actually edged up in value in the last year.

Anonymous said...

28 married female in the DC area. My income is $170k (lawyer). My husband (28) will receive his MBA in May and start earning $86k (consulting).

Net worth... oh, don't even ask! The JD and MBA were expensive. No credit card, car, or mortgage debt... but $181k in student loans, for a total net worth of NEGATIVE $113k. Looking to buy a house (about $600k) in the next few months, so that number will creep much closer to negative $1 million.

Anonymous said...

31yo, female, in relationship, living seperately, located in the South. I work in an admin position in higher ed, and have a p/t at a non-profit. Combined income from 2 jobs is 35k. 3% raise last year at main job, not sure if I'll get one this year.

Anonymous said...

28, married, white, male, some college, $120k/year ($160k/yr combined), Northern Virginia, $110k net worth, home owner, income up slightly over last year but not expecting a raise this year, no debt other than mortgage anymore, no kids yet (maybe next year).

My job is stable and I know that I am doing well financially (although I lost 25% of total net worth due to stock market down turn). However, I still feel like I am poor.

Anonymous said...

27 yo married female in Minneapolis. $45,500/yr, usually a bonus, usually anywhere from $1k-$8k/yr of extra income from freelance work.

No raises this year but no layoffs yet either. Less freelance. Things are OK but not terrific. I am grateful to have my job however.

My husband pulls down about $40k as well.

Anonymous said...

27/M working as an audit associate (only 1.5 yr experience) in Boston making $58,500
wife is 24/F working as electrical engineer (3 yrs experience) making around $70,000 after profit sharing.

moocifer said...

I am a 40 year old swm and I earned 27,000 in retail sales in 2008. My net worth is -6,000.

Anonymous said...

Last Year:

San Francisco

Large Firm Mid-Level Legal Asst.
$72K base, with OT & bonuses will be at least $82K.

Partner is a Software Engineer, $97K base, $20K bonus, total $117K.

No debt.
Socking away combined 80K a year in savings (retirement and non-retirement). Will continue to rent for another 2-3 years before buying.

This year:

My base is now $88K.

Partner's base is now $112K. $20K bonus.

We are on track to put away 100K in combined retirement/non-retirement savings in 2009.

Will still wait 2 yrs to buy a house.

Anonymous said...

32 married male with one child living in Northern Virginia.

Just started a $54,000/yr job as a graphic artist and stage lighting designer at a church.

I used to be a completely freelance tv cameraman earning about $40,000. That was working about 90 days out of the year. Due to the economy, I decided to get something more stable. Will continue to freelance, which will probably bring in another $15-20K .

Wife is a elementary school teacher with her Masters, and brings in about $58,000/yr.

Bought a townhouse 2 years ago. Should have waited until now. Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20.

Seeing some of these posts makes me feel like a slacker. Well not really. I get to spend a lot of time with my family, and have a pretty stress free life.

Anonymous said...

30, Single Female, Canada, Working in Logistics Industry
2008: $40K + $5K in bonuses
I didn't get a raise last year but I got a $4K bonus. $1K bonus for Xmas.

Budget Save Buy said...

26, Engaged Female, Los Angeles, CA. Working in Engineering, making $78K/year, an increase of about $6K from a year ago.

As of Jan '09, my net worth is just under $76K, a decrease from year ago because my investments in the market took a nosedive.

genomeboy said...

42 year old male Ph.D. in life sciences working in mid sized Pharma in clinical research $175K salary with 20% annual bonus. Married to a physician (internist) making $179K, no bonus typically. new worth including home equity of approximately $300K. Retirement savings have taken the typical hit, but we've been in the house for 8 years with a 20 year mortgage, so good equity there. High expenses due to 2 young kids and us both working full time, but I recently switched companies and got a ~30% raise, so jobs are stable and income is rising

Anonymous said...

Well isn't this a fun trip down memory lane. I found my old post (summary: 32 yr old accountant turned SAHM of 2 in Michigan, husband makes 78k as software developer, no debt except 200k mortgage, 100k 401ks, 20k efund).

Three months later husband took new job making 85k, 15k signing bonus, plus the POSSIBILITY (we find out next month) of 15% yearly bonus. Downside is that new job is 80 miles away in less-desirable area; between commute time and the price of gas when he accepted we decided to buy an inexpensive second residence and he just comes home on weekends. If we sold main house we would lose about 90k (our 20% downpmt and cash improves); while we are slightly above water this is still too big a hit for us as it was almost half of our (once decent) net-worth.

While it's not fun functioning as a single mom during the wk, I'm very thankful he has a good job in this economy; the company he left isn't doing well at all. New company is about to layoff though (right b4 bonus time we've heard), and while we think he will be ok it's still scary....

Anonymous said...

42 yr old female, working as a nurse case manager for an insurance company in Central NY. I make $64k/yr to support my partner, myself, and our 4 kids (take home barely $40K).

Scary to us as a family is retirement. Hubby will have little social security income since she is a stay home mom. IF social security is around (and I go first) she'll have no claim to my social security money since no recognition of our marriage at the federal level.

Anonymous said...

51, single, female, Albuquerque, 88k, project manager.

Recovering from some poor financial decisions and financial problems over the last 10 years. Wonder if there aren't more like me at my age but you don't see them b/c this is not their forum.

Regardless - recovering nicely - debt shrinking. Saving about 25% of my income and hope to retire by the time I'm 90..just kidding. Net worth close to 300k.

Anonymous said...

25, Single, Male, Live: Bronx, NY, Work: Fin. Analyst, Wall Street, currently paying MBA parting time, $60K year, last year bonus 5k, this year..zippo.

Net worth: $3k savings
$10k 401k
-$19000 undergrad loans
-$6,000
No credit cards.

Anonymous said...

23/female living in Manhattan. Working in consulting, earning $66k/year, and trying to pay off another $18k in student loans (undergrad) in the next 18 months. It's tough, but doable, and I don't consider myself that frugal. Sometimes it surprises me all the things people can find to buy!

Anonymous said...

(This is anonymous above from 7:28 PM)

Also wanted to add that I currently have about $3k savings.

Anonymous said...

28 female NYC. Approx 65,000 which varies depending on hours at a part-time gig. This is an increase from 2007 of almost 10K.

Networth is still in the red due to credit card debt and car loan.

Anonymous said...

28 female NYC. Approx 65,000 which varies depending on hours at a part-time gig. This is an increase from 2007 of almost 10K.

Networth is still in the red due to credit card debt and car loan.

Anonymous said...

30, engaged, female surgery resident MD in Southern New England. Salary was $58K last year. After I complete a two-year fellowship in plastic surgery, I anticipate an initial salary of $250-300K. Own a condo with mortgage of $180K, and have $120K in consolidated student loans at 3.25%

Anonymous said...

Wow, am I your only retired reader?

I'm 63. Both my husband and I are retired and live in central PA.

Household is income about $70000.

I love to read about an independent woman and her life in the city. You always keep me entertained and occasionally you write something useful to my situation.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

24 year old engaged female in the Midwest. Graduated May of '08 so I've been working a 'real job' for just 7 months, making 51k as a programmer. Obviously, I make more now that I've graduated and can work full time. I'm currently living on less than half my income, which is fantastic!

My net worth is currently about -8k and rising quickly. I don't normally track the value of my car, so that's an estimate. Debt is student loans and car. I'll have that gone in 3 years at the most, more like 2.

Anonymous said...

27 yr old female working in a suburb to NYC as a graphic designer. Just found out that my company won't match 401 k contributions for 2009, which I had been hoping for as I have yet to start saving for my retirement. I make 40000k but will try to contibute 10% beginning from next month. My Christmas bonus was a depressing $700. Luckily my husband makes more - 90000 as a high school teacher.
I can't believe I just read through 100 posts:D

Anonymous said...

45 yr old woman, married, working as a web editor. I make $75K and am up for review soon...I have a feeling it's going to be a very marginal raise, if any. I live in Brooklyn and paid a very modest amount for my apartment 10 years ago. Since then it's tripled in value (on paper, anyway). My husband is an adjunct teacher and brings home much less than I do. Hoping we can all get through 2009 ok, and I do realize I'm still lucky despite my fear.

marisol said...

29, single, 65k a year + possibility for bonus, work in the financial industry (banking).

However, I just relocated for a job opportunity to a city that has a higher cost of living than my previous one so it's almost like I took a small pay cut but in the long run, it will be work it.

I hope.

Anonymous said...

35, married, no kids, PhD in education. I make 88k in education research and another 9k teaching a class at a local university. Hubby makes about 35k/year in retail.

Networth down big in 2008 due to stock market but also huge housing bust in Phoenix (value of our house down 100% since peak in 2006)

Anonymous said...

25f, living with 25 yr old boyfriend in NYC. I work in Finance (still have job, but layoffs are coming soon so very nervous!), earning 70k with potential for approx 5-10k bonus if I still have a job by February, my boyfriend works for a hedge fund making 80k (20k bonus). We both have student loans, totaling 40k between the two of us.

Anonymous said...

mid 30's, married, no kids, no debt, Washington DC area.

combined income (salaries no bonuses) jumped from $135k to $240k and is set to jump to $265k

net worth = cash and equities = $1.5m

net worth flat since market decline but offset by contributions into savings and investments.

Anonymous said...

-age 40/F/Baltimore/employed FT
-$47k annual/no bonus/3% annual raise the new max
-analyst for non-profit health system
-networth: approx $100k
steady from 2007. any new money I've put into investments isn't "showing" - I lose at the same rate I increase. I've lost roughly 10% of principle in my employer's 403b - but I still am earning 4.78%. 4% is guaranteed regardless of market factors. Based on horror stories I hear, I'll take it without complaining.

Anonymous said...

I'm anon from above - forgot to mention I am in a revenue producing position - on a good day I can earn five times my annual salary in 4-5 hours. This most likely will help keep my employed for now (that and the fact I make a paltry salary compared to some many of yas!)
-FW

Anonymous said...

32 year old female, married, one kid, living in Baltimore/ DC area, working as government contractor, bachelor's degree. Last year I made $102k working stateside; our combined net worth was approximately $205k. This year I'm working in Afghanistan and I make approximately $280k. I have no idea what our net worth is at this point- I need to go home and talk to our accountant- but we are debt free with $45k liquid in the bank right now, not including long- term savings and investments.

Anonymous said...

23, Male, Software Developer in Los Angeles - $70,000

Anonymous said...

27/F, living in NYC. Worked in public relations for most of last year, then started a job in a support role at a private equity firm in the fall. Old salary = $63k plus bonus; new salary = $75k plus bonus and profit sharing. I feel incredibly fortunate to have this job, particularly given the market situation around NYC. Despite the higher salary, I am saving about the same amount as before, since I bit the bullet and moved into an apartment by myself. Very low net worth due to about $11k in student loans and the declines in my already-meager 401k account. No credit card debt.

Anonymous said...

23 y/o living in Silicon Valley. Got my first job out of college one year ago, 60K per year, as an engineer. Got a half a month's worth of bonus for Christmas. 22% of gross income goes to 401K, 27% of net income goes to savings. Net worth is currently 92K.

Anonymous said...

from above, forgot to mention that im female :P

Anonymous said...

35, single, programmer/tech consultant in NYC who works for himself, generally make $175-225K. Net worth is around $825K as of January 2009, down from about $1 million in August, 2008.

Anonymous said...

Madame X,

I posted on your previous thread:
http://www.myopenwallet.net/2007/10/okay-im-asking.html?showComment=1191975180000#c421421500988832555

Now I'm 26, still married computer scientist making 88K base a year.

Husband is 29, electrical engineer making 120K base a year.

We have a baby now so things are a bit different.

We make a little more than we did last year, but that is coupled with the fact that we lost 5% of our salaries for moving to a lower cost of living area. I started working on my PhD but quit due to pregnancy complications so we are still both at the Masters' level.

We sold our 4 year old house, broke even, then bought a house in MD. Our net worth shot up and went down due to the large down payment we put on our new home. I don't usually put in the worth of the house in my net worth calculations. After I dumped our cash into the house, our net worth decreased significantly. If you put in the value of our home vs. mortgage, our net worth would probably have increased a slight amount from last year.

Our jobs are extremely stable.

We eat out a lot less than we did before because there aren't as many good restaurants in the area we moved to. I cook most nights now... which means that we spend $250 on food vs. $650 a month.

Anonymous said...

27, married, quit full-time 31k/year job in southeast six mos. ago, moved to northeast, working part time for 22k/year while spending average 10k/year on school for next 3 years, hubs making 48k full time. Net worth is around -15000 thanks to student loans!

Anonymous said...

25, single female, work as a professional in the construction industry making 62,950 + bonuses (prolly wont' see any this year)

My net worth has stayed about the same since the economic crisis started, meaning that I'm contributing and saving about as much as I am loosing each month. Current net worth just shy of $150,000.

Anonymous said...

I'm a 40 year old female lawyer, working in-house for a large corporation in the South, married to a stay-at-home dad.

My salary is unchanged from the last time I posted -- $152K plus, in normal years, a bonus. This is not a normal year, though, and I won't be getting a bonus.

Thanks to the market's tanking, our net worth dropped (and dropped hard) last year for the first time in a decade, to around $435K. Given the way things in my industry are going, we are grateful to still have work, savings, and no debt beyond a mortgage.

Anonymous said...

30 year old attorney from Southern California. Last year I made $165k (no billable hours required) but firm has had issues and this year I will make $95k...

Anonymous said...

38 Year Old Single Male, working for an automotive company as an engineer in Midwest. I will know next week if I will be laid off.

My salary will be down some to $82K, due to elimination of Overtime & 401K matching. No Bonus.

Thanks to stock market crashing and real estate crashing, my net worth has dropped about $30K, even though I had max contributions last year to 401K & Roth IRA's. New net worth is about $380K.

Anonymous said...

Mid 40s male northern Colorado. $90K plus bonus. Civil Engineer. Bonus $20k last year. Part owner in the company as it is employee owned. Another 20k in dividends from company income. Total $130k last year. Wife only works part time. Two kids in elementary school. Been with the company for about 15 years.

Net worth took big hit in the stock market last year. Including house equity networth is close to $700k. Contribute max to Simple IRA, Regular IRA for spouse, Roth IRA for myself, plus buy some company stock every year.

Everything is good so far. Enjoying the peaceful life in Northern Colorado.

Anonymous said...

First time posting networth. 24 year old single female living in SF, CA. Making 45k a year in the Bio/Pharma industry with about 40k networth. Finished paying off college loans last month and on my way to saving for a home. Networth has increased, salary stayed the same since last year. Working fulltime since graduation in 2006.

Anonymous said...

In my second job outta college, I graduated school Summer 08 and went to work for Lehman making 45K...then everything went down hill and I am now working for UBS making 60K! (maybe this economy worked in my favor?) Net worth about 30K in the hole due to student loans and bad credit card habits while in college.

I'm 23 and living in NYC fully supporting a handicapped father and two siblings in school.

Anonymous said...

31 year old M, Controller in Los Angeles, 6% raise in Dec to bring me up to 95,000/year and partial rental reimbursement of $10,000/yr tax free. Own a rental property back east profiting $300/month, but tenants just moved out. Probably will only break even on that going forward until things improve.

Net worth down $50,000 to $150,000 after 401K/IRA hit and estimated reduction of equity in house.

Doing my part to stall the economy by socking away more cash!

Anonymous said...

36 y.o. university administrator in Boston, $80k/year. Up 3% over last year (due to COLA, which we won't be getting this year). I only really started tracking my numbers last summer, but I'm guessing my net worth hasn't really changed over the last year - my increased savings, employer retirement contributions, etc. being offset by the dropping market.

Anonymous said...

36 yr old MBA, married to 28 yr old JD; joint income: $400-450k annualized income.

Anonymous said...

28 married with unemployed husband making $35,000 in San Diego, CA. Just finished my undergrad degree last year. Have a bit over $13,000 saved in retirement. Have a bit over $10,000 in credit card debt incurred during the past few months while job searching (and I also moved to a new city). All at 0% interest that expire in May 2009. Savings is $4,000. Student loan is $6,000.

Anonymous said...

27, F, single, Albuquerque, NM: $18,000 annual through two part-time jobs, homeowner. Able to make ends meet nicely, but I practice frugality.

Angie said...

24, female, DC Metro - Engineer Salary 96,000. Net worth (excluding 401k) raised about 15k over 2008 due to repayment of student loans. Early 2008 received raise of ~10%. Jan 2009 received raise of ~5%

Anonymous said...

28 year old female in Philadelphia. Salary is $42,500 with a 3% company contribution to 401k and good benefits. Girlfriend's salary is about $27k plus side jobs averaging another $5k per year.

We own a home (so far the market here is good) and have $50k combined in student loans. We only have about $3,500 saved up right now (including for retirement), so we have a long way to go until we are financially healthy. We are definitely in the negative in terms of net worth.

Anonymous said...

I'm a 20-something married female living in Philadelphia working in publishing. I make around $34,000 annually, up about 4% from last year with no bonus and now no employer 401K contrib., and support my student husband and myself, aided by his school's stipend and waived tuition. Our net worth is about 125K combined, including stock and trust funds left to us by grandparents. We lost about $20 to $25K in our stock holdings this year. I try not to look. All in all, we are more than okay.

Anonymous said...

Single 22, DC Metro area. ABout $58,000 salary, pension contributions + 25% 401(k) match. Last year's bonus was $1,000, though higher-rated employees at my level got up to $10,000. I expect $6-7k plus a $15,000 raise with a promotion this year.
Currently have just under $16,000 in student loan debt...pay off credit cards each month except one that has 0% - have the money in savings to pay that off when the 0% expires in May. Have about $2,000-$3,000 extra in savings, which I am trying to bulk up. Plan to attend grad school soon, at a cost of about $40,000 (will take out a loan)

Anonymous said...

Male, married, work in IT, live in Seattle

$100K a year

Anonymous said...

40 yr old male, married, 2 little ones. Currently work for software company (that is in midst of doing layoffs)in MA.

My salary is about 80k which is a bump up from last year. Can forget about bonus and raises this year.

My net worth (not including house) has dropped from beginning of year due to the decline of the market. Was 638k and now 470k. Note, this is just my new worth. Not including wife or stuff from our joint account.

contribute to 401k (though dropped contribution to 6% with match to help build emergency fund), college funds, and also to taxable accounts on monthly basis (about $350).

only debt is mortgage which I refinanced 2/08, and adding extra principal payment each month, saving about $400 monthy.

Shuchong said...

25 year old female, working for a non-profit attached to a university. I'll make about $48K this year, and probably get a bonus of around $1K. The 48K represents a 7% raise from last year.

My net worth has flatlined at around 60K, despite me adding money to my 403(b) each month and saving aggressively (over 50% of my income, because I'll be attending law school next year).

Anonymous said...

25, F, not married but living with boyfriend in Binghamton, NY.

I'm a PhD student and work as a research assistant in the lab. The stipend is $18,000 for the academic year plus a tuition waiver and then a mystery amount during the summer (usually around $3000).

Anonymous said...

27 y.o. single women in OK. Working in an industry that is constantly faced with challenges. I am fortunate to have my job, but the company is always makeing changes. My salary has increased less than 2% since last year and I currently make about$72K.

I have made great strides on improving my network over the past year and a half. My network was negative $100K now it is about negative $70K (just one year of my salary. With this amout of negative network I feel very comfortable with the progress I have made and I feel like I have good control over my financial situation.

Prior to the market tanking I made some good decision that have helped to maintain in the current ecomony. I do not feel that I have lost any ground on my financial progress.

Anonymous said...

My Stats

27 Years Old
Oklahoma
Salary: $71,000
401k: $400 (temporarily stopped deduction)
Savings; $1,000
Debt: $70,000 (whole years salary)

In the past year and a half I paid off $35,000.

mOOm said...

44 years old, Canberra, Australia. Just got a one year academic research position. The salary is still being worked out based on the budget but will probably be about $A70k per year (about $US45k currently). This will be set up as a part time position because someone with my experience should earn more than this (this way I get a higher rank on my resume). My wife, Snork Maiden, makes $A70k a year as a post-doc. Our net worth has fallen from $US437k last January to just over $US200k now due to poor investment moves/performance and the fall in the Australian Dollar. In AUD terms we fell from $A488k to $A312k.

Anonymous said...

24 year old single female in the Hamptons (east end of Long Island, NY), college + technical schooling, making 28k a year -- but employer pays all health insurance premiums (I have vision & dental on the plan, too, not just basic, so this is better to me than getting a higher salary but getting part of the premium taken out of my check). Non-profit organization. Net worth is about a wash, with my assets (my car, paid for in cash) coming in worth about what my debts (significantly paid down student loans) equal, with a 4500 emergency fund.

mapgirl said...

I have no idea why I didn't leave a comment the last time, but here goes:

I live in the DC metro area and live in Northern VA. Single, F, mid-30's. BA degree in non-technical field, working in software/IT/government consulting. My college loans are paid, but I received gift money for a downpayment on my condo. I bought it in 2004 right before the market started to peak. I believe I am upside on my mortgage. My car is paid off and I do not own a TV. I subsidize many expenses for my parents and have undergone major medical expenses (~$20K out of pocket in 3 years).

Last time in Oct 2007 I was making about $65K/yr with a 10% possible annual bonus. My job there was not secure.

Now make $80+K/yr with a possible 5% annual bonus and my job is fairly secure as a federal contractor.

My net worth in Oct 07 was $49.7K. As of Dec 08 it was $48.5K. My credit card debt is down by about a very small amount, but my home value and retirement accounts are down by a lot more.

Anonymous said...

I'm a 23 year old female living in Seattle with her 30 yr old boyfriend. I'm making 35k (with a bonus this year!) as a graphic designer plus 2-3k from freelance. Luckily I don't have any debt to worry about other than a mortgage thanks to parents paying for school.

I have about 20k saved up and about 12k (was 20k last year...) in Retirement accounts.

The BF brings in about 68k but has lots of debt and essentially lives paycheck to paycheck. We keep our finances separate but I'm trying to help get him out of that cycle.

Anonymous said...

I am a 24 year old woman in DeKalb, IL. I Make between 1100 and 1500 per month after taxes. So $18000 per good year after taxes. I have a college degree in education but decided it wasn't for me after all (too late to turn back by then). I work 2 part time jobs--one clerical and one coffee shop job. And I love it. Saving money every month!

Anonymous said...

26, M, Living in CT. Making $90k + 10-15% bonuses as a Management Consultant

Anonymous said...

I'm a senior in college in boston studying engineering. My part time job pays $20/hr and I have a net worth of about $35k.

Anonymous said...

35 year old married female, no kids. Making 64k as a business analyst, husband makes about the same, but from two jobs. My salary is up about 10k over last year due to a promotion. No bonus.

Not sure how to figure net worth when we can't tell how much our home (a condo) is worth. With nothing selling, it's hard to estimate. But I'd guess we're in the negative counting mortgage, student loans, car loans, and a little cc debt.

Anonymous said...

I am a 35 year old single female working for the federal government in DC (just over $100,000 as a GS-14). Net worth is roughly $116,000 - lost between 30-40% of mutual fund investments and tsp (gov't 401K) last year, but kept up the contributions. Paid off my student loans in Oct 08, no car loan, mortgage, or credit card debt. I am very, very grateful to have job security right now and hope everyone out there gets some relief soon.

Anonymous said...

30 year old female, living in the midwest and working in a corporate position at a major retailer. I make $107K, net worth of $241K, down 15% from last year. I received a 3% raise last year and will probably receive about the same this year. I am bonus eligible, but there won't be one this year.

Anonymous said...

My daughter gave me the Dave Ramsey book in October 2007.
It gave me hope.
-I make 30-32k per year now (up from about 12k 4yrs ago)
-My only net worth is my vehicle & an insurance policy & my $1000 ER fund(more than I had!)
- I've gone from almost 40K in debt to 10K and counting DOWN!
When I first started the plan my original time-line goal was October 2010. I had it down to March 2009 but as Murphy's law would have it, I am looking at June 2009.
So, 5 months and I will be debt free!

Anonymous said...

25/F, accountant, live & work in NYC. I make 60k a year and am not eligible for a bonus in my current position. One year ago, my net worth was about -3k. Now it's 10k. It may not seem like that much but last year was the first year I actually paid any attention to my finances. I feel like I've accomplished a lot and hope to keep making progress paying down my student loans and saving money!

Anonymous said...

24F living in NYC, working in book publishing; I make $34k/year, plus (mediocre) health plan (medical, eye, dental), and a minimal 401k match.

Anonymous said...

Mark Tennessee, sales construction last year $130k, this year hopefully about that, 100% commission. Net worth about 475K, real estate and mutual funds.

Anonymous said...

45, male, married w/kids (3 adult, 1 minor), Michigan.

$56,000 - public school teacher, plus two coaching stipends ($3,600 total), and one lunch stipend ($2,800) for giving up my lunch all year to supervise 400 6th graders.

No chance of a bonus or incentive raise, but my job is secure, I have a decent retirement pension, and I thoroughly enjoy June, July, and August!

Anonymous said...

22 year old single lady.

Teacher.

36K a year.

Anonymous said...

23 year old investment banker. income ~$160K + 401K. net worth 60K in cash and stock.

Anonymous said...

20 yr old, single but taken female living in SoCal. Still a student making almost minimum wage, but has saved by about $8k. Still working for the same amount as last year.

Anonymous said...

36 Year Old Single Male in SoCal: Job - financial services consulting. Salary - $135K plus bonus and 401k matching. No debt. Net worth: approx $180K with $45K in cash.

Anonymous said...

32 single male in Birmingham, AL, $103K in 08 as an Account Executive (up $25K from last year, same company, same position), I bought 2 houses in 2008 as investments. Will close on another in February and looking at 1-2 more in 2009.

My personal net worth increased a bit in 2008, but my investment portfolio was down 40%. As I steadily add more rental properties (foreclosure market has made for great opportunities), my monthly income steadily grows. This has helped offset the declines in the stock market.

Anonymous said...

40yr old, female, hospitalist making $415K plus $100K bonus. Consulting income ~$100K/yr. Sounds like a lot, but I have to support several relatives, the taxes are huge, and I work 70+ hours/wk. 401K took a 40% hit, but TIP bonds in an IRA actually made 2%, so it's overall about a 30% loss.

Unknown said...

Looks like I'm the youngest of the group - 20, female, making 16.23/hour as a customer service rep, up 4% from last year. At 40 hours a week, that's just under $34,000 a year, but my normal schedule is only 32 hours a week - $27,000 a year. Right now, though, I'm working the monetary equivalent of 46 hours a week. If I kept that up for a year, I'd come out at almost $39,000. The extra hours are going towards an internship in IT (the field I'm studying) with the possibility of a full-time, higher-paid permanent position opening up in the next few months. My employer also pays $10,000 a year towards my tuition and textbooks, which covers about 99% of my education expenses. I'm a lucky duck.

My mother pays my rent as long as I'm working and attending school at the same time. Since her finances have never allowed her to purchase her own home or save much money for retirement, my eventual plan is to buy a duplex and "rent" out half of it to her for much less than what she's currently paying for my rent plus her own.

Anonymous said...

32 yr old single gal from canada earning $73K as a college administrator.. i believe my position is secure but who knows.. my net worth is ~135K.. up only because i'm an extreme saver and want to be financially independent in my 30's..

Anonymous said...

23-yr-old single female, working in NYC and living in the suburbs. Salary $38K, in an entry-level job in media. Net worth is about $14K, soon to drop when I move to the big city.

Anonymous said...

23 year old woman living in Silicon Valley & working in investment industry. Salary was 75,000 last year + 25% bonus.

Received raise for 2009 to 78,750 + bonus. 22% of gross income goes to 401K, 47% of net salary goes to savings (max out roth ira). Net worth is currently 40K.

Anonymous said...

50-yr-old. 2008 salary was $140k. 2009? Can't predict since my job was just eliminated along with 10 percent of the company. Had filed Chapter 7 in 2005 (as an indirect result of credit card debt -- the attorney negotiating me out of cc debt pissed someone off and I ended up saddled with cc debt AND attorney fees.) Had worked really hard in past three years to get credit score to 700 and build savings. Now, I've got my challenge cut out for me. Probably will start a business in my area of expertise, considering that large employers are on a mad axing spree (irrational inexuberance... madness of crowds in reverse). Current net worth: $220k. Lost about $30k in the market last year.

Anonymous said...

29 year old woman from Australia. I earn US$43 000 as a junior academic.

Anonymous said...

25, female, san francisco, graphic design, $55K

Anonymous said...

23 year old female, in financial services, living in New York. $65K base, annual bonus (about 16K this year), 401k match on up to 3% of my salary

KB said...

26 year old single female, living in Sydney Australia and actually start a new job tomorrow as a research assistant in the law school of a university.

Salary is $55,800AU + 9% superannuation (think 401K - but in Australia it's compulsory).

I have 2 bachelor degrees (law + accounting) and am halfway through a Masters. I started work in February 2006 at Big 4 Accounting Firm earning $36,238AU (+ super), by July 2008 I was on $65,137.61).

Anonymous said...

27F CPA, Minnesota, $68K+bonus (5-10%).

Net worth has decreased a lot! 401k/Roth IRA down by 40%, I've done well saving. Still have net worth around $147K, but this is after years of saving and investing. Since the market tanked I've lost about $40K.

Anonymous said...

23 year old single female in DC--

$42,000 +2%annual raise and profit sharing in the marketing field.

$9,000 in savings and no debt. thinking about getting a second job..

Anonymous said...

Last year...
23 years old, married, living in the Midwest. I'm an accountant and make $50k plus around $5k+ in annual bonus. My husband and I bought a home a year ago.

This year...
24 F, married, still living in the Midwest. Now a CPA, working for the same company (within the Finance sector), making $58k. Was just paid annual bonus of $11k. Also received an additional $3k recognition. Merit increases/annual raises were eliminated company-wide this year. Hubby makes $36k.

Anonymous said...

28, single but living with boyfriend. $160K a year as an attorney. Just graduated from law school last May and have a negative net worth of $187K. Yes, negative $187K.

Amy K. said...

Let's see, since last year my pay has gone down slightly to $63K, still in IT, same company, just some unpaid time off due to state of the business. Still employed, but there are constant rumors of impending layoffs.

Net worth has dropped ~20% since last year, thanks to the falling value of my home and investments. Last time I calculated, I think I was at $120K, but it's hard to define my net worth when my accounts are mingled with my husband.

I turn 31 next week, I'm married, and living in Massachusetts.

Anonymous said...

47 year old broker in jersey city,married with 2 children. have made 1.5mil for the last 2 years but will be lucky to make half that this year. net worth 2.5 to 3million

Anonymous said...

23 y/o female living with 24 y/o male in NJ. Graduated w/ B.A. in May 08, earning 50K in the technology/software field as federal contractor. Boyfriend is earning 40K in Emergency Medical Services field. Combined savings of 20K, plus additional 40K from family gift.

We are both blessed and lucky to have stable jobs and good families. We are continuing to save money, and hope to buy a house in the future w/ lots of land for growing our own food.

Anonymous said...

23 y/o female living w/ 24 y/o male living in NJ. Graduated in May '08 with B.A. Earning 50K as federal contractor in the technology/software field. Boyfriend is earning 40K in the Emergency Medical Services field. Combined savings of 20K, plus additional 40K from family gift.

We are both blessed and lucky to have stable jobs and good families. We hope to continue saving money, and buy a house in the future w/ lots of land to grow our own food.

Anonymous said...

24 yr old female, living in jersey city, working in investment management, $48k a year, up from $41k last year. No credit card debt, $500 installment loan and $24k in student loans.

Anonymous said...

28, male, Boston work as a research scientist making 100K per year up from 85K last year because I switched companies.

I have 25K in cash and 35K in retirement accounts.

Anonymous said...

27M, software, Manhattan. $104k, 10% 403b match, 3% raise, 1% bonus at private university. Net worth $119k, down 5% from this time last year. My 100% equities portfolio tanked with the market, though having 1/3 of my net worth in cash cushioned the blow. Following the old adage that you don't invest money you'll need in 5-10 years in stocks, I've been building up cash to pay for future diamond rings/house down-payments. Whether she'll say 'yes' is another matter entirely.

Anonymous said...

26 y.o. female in The Woodlands, TX (Suburb of Houston). I am a teacher I am currently broke since I am going through a divorce. No children, no property. My retirement is sad because ex forced us to move 4 times in the past 2 years so that doesn't work well with teacher retirement between different states. Only one state offered a non-traditional retirement savings plan.

Anonymous said...

29 year old engineer in the West. Single. $62k salary. I'm making about 8k more now than I was a year ago since I changed jobs this year. I did not get a bonus this year because I am new to the company, but I did get a raise. Honestly I kind of wish I hadn't gotten the raise because I worry that layoffs or hours reductions are in our future and as the new kid on the block, I worry that I'll be one of the first affected. I increased my cash on hand reserves about 20K last year, which was earmarked for a downpayment but is now being held as extra emergency fund for worst case scenario.

Anonymous said...

35 yo female, estimating/pricing manager for an engineering company - I made $65K last year and a bonus of 9K. This year, I'll make $68K and bonus of (likely) $0! And I live in Austin, TX.

Anonymous said...

26 year old registered nurse living in los angeles, earned 76K last year. lucky to have a stable job in these economic times. i earned a little more this year due to a raise. the good thing about my job is it's virtually recession-proof (thank God) and if I want to make more money (for a vacation, wedding, or just a shiny new little something-something), I can always work overtime (4 days a week, instead of 3.. it makes a huge difference) because of the current nursing shortage.

L. Marie Joseph said...

35 Atl, 65K+bonus hh income over 100K

Staci said...

32, SAHM +3 kids, 29k
we recently added a bonus in the form of a 3rd child tax credit last April.

Anonymous said...

29 year old teacher, newly married, 1 child, F Atlanta Metro, 45K/year. Pay increase next year to 51K thanks to masters degree. Own a home, savings of 1k, 403(b) valued at 6K. Student loan debt, no CC debt as of 2/13 (paying in full.) Personal goal is to save an additional 10K of my personal money for my personal savings acct. Hubby was an IT professional making ~90K but was laid off late last year.

Anonymous said...

37 year old woman, married consultant for a large tech firm based in NYC.

Had a baby in late 2008, husband is now a stay at home dad with a small consulting gig on the side.

Combined yearly family income is ~130K.
Net worth is ~250K
No credit card or student loan debt
We have a rental property that has just begun to cover its carrying costs.

Anonymous said...

One year ago: Age 26, married woman w/student husband, Western NY area, marketing services$70K salary plus up to $10K bonus, Net worth ~$40K

Today: Age 27, married woman w/student husband, Western NY area, marketing services, $78.5K salary plus up to $20K bonus, Net worth ~$35K

Anonymous said...

Single 39 year old accountant, living in Brooklyn, NY: I made 89,000 in 2008 up from 72,000 in 2007. I adjusted my clientele, and my rates and work less than I did last year. The current financial situation makes work more plentiful, collections more arduous!

Anonymous said...

21 year old. 1 term co-op = $15k. roughly 45k a year if full time. in finance industry.

Anonymous said...

35 y.o. single female, in Silicon Valley CA (specifically Los Gatos). $71k/year until the end of May when I will be laid off from my inside sales job. Last year it was the same salary, but I had the option of additional $6k in bonuses. My net worth? No clue,but my 401k tanked from $65k in June to $38k in December this eyar.

Anonymous said...

30 yr old single M. software engineer in San Francisco. 125K base. net worth drop significantly during last year market collapse. trying to rebuild.

Anonymous said...

35 year old married male in finance. I make $165K base and my wife (marketing) makes $105K base. We have a combined $40K bonus. No kids.

Lat year I made $125K and my wife made $100K. Current net worth is $520K (roughly $180K is home equity and $260K of retirement savings), up from $430K last year. $50K in mortgage debt, no other debt.

Anonymous said...

36 yo married male with 2 kids. Made $140K base + $35K bonus last year in consulting. Wife made $65K. I'm laid off now and searching. Wife has a stable job. No clue about net worth though have about $130K in home equity and other than the remaining mortgage, have zero debt.

Anonymous said...

22 yo female living in Texas, recently hired as defense consultant. $40/hr plus perdium (so, about $105k annually). Just finishing school now, so no savings yet, -80k net worth (hefty student loans). Feel exceptionally blessed.

Anonymous said...

2008 - ~$95K, 33 y/o male, single, Silicon Valley, Financial analysis manager

2009 - Laid off. Still looking midway through year.

Anonymous said...

28yo female living in South East England (the most expensive place to live after London in the UK).
was making 30K last year, put up to 35K and we get around 6K bonus. No debts appart from mortgage 47K I bought the flat a few month ago, only 25% of it, the rest is subsidised rent.
I rent a room for 475 a month so 5.5K extra income for the year.
I also do a few extras here and there, for about 100 pounds a month, and we get per diem for travel expenses, so that's an extra 200 a month that i can save as I eat and sleep on the cheap.
No CC debt. My net worth went from 16K to 58K in the last 12 months.
I plan to take it to 120K for next April, with huge sacrifices, then let that money grow on a high interest account/investment fund for 12 years then retire on it.
During this time I would take a less stressful job, travel more, and be happy.

Anonymous said...

32 year old unmarried female living in Oregon (state with the second highest unemployment rate in the country). Working as executive assistant in finance/insurance industry. Making $40k/year, $100 bonus per year, free-lance journalism brings in approx. $2k - $3k extra per year. In good years, high performers at company get 2% raises. Currently owe $24,000 in student loan debt (undergrad dual degree) and $20,000 in credit card debt. $5,000 in Roth 401k. Job security is questionable at best-- I'm putting all I can to pay off the CC debt; at this rate, it will be paid off in 20 months and hopefully will be free to pursue a more gratifying and ambitious career path.

Anonymous said...

BS Chemistry + MBA. 33 years old Chicago. Made $109K base last year + $15K bonus. Will make $112 base + $20K bonus in 2009. No debt. No student loans. Sold house in 2008 just prior to market explosion. Renting now until it makes sense to buy again.

2008 Net Worth = $200K. 2009 Net Worth = $180K.

Recession Women said...

I'm a 30 year old female reporter and journalist, living alone and renting and making very little money. Go figure.

I almost went to graduate school to get a Master's degree in journalism while waiting out the recession (so I could eventually get a comfortable job in academia). I was awarded a TA which included a tuition reimbursment and stipend, only to find out that the TA was yanked because of budget cuts.
Now I'm traveling to a larger metropoitan area in search of more lucrative opportunity -- as both a reporter and a freelancer.

I'd be able to survive on 35k a year, which is what they'd pay me if and when I find something. Heck, many reporter positions are starting out at 20k a year!

What a terrific time to be looking for work in the journalism field!

Anonymous said...

I am a 24 year old paralegal living in South GA. I make about $20K a year working 30 hours a week and I am finishing college. I also have benefits, bonuses, profit sharing, retirement, vacation/sick time etc. I just started my second paralegal position a month and a half ago. This job is much better than the first. I make more an hour but the cash evens out since I work fewer hours at this job. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to find in this economy. I was only unemployed for about a month, thank goodness.

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