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I don't care where you live- $12 hour is poverty and you will be an unhappy person struggling thru life.
It's a very low income for a one person HH, but for a married couple if they work 40 hours a week for 51 weeks a year that's $49k. I wouldn't consider that poverty where I live. He11 it's just shy of the median HH income in the US. The real problem is most of the jobs paying $12/hr aren't offering full time work.
I wouldn't consider it good pay, but it's not terrible either and someone could definitely live off of it, and if they lived in a combined HH (either a SO or a roommate) you can definitely live decently off of it.
If I were starting out I'd want $14-17 preferably.
11-12 years ago I would have thought $12 was alright. I worked retail in the Bush years and never made more than $11.
Yeah I worked in a grocery store through HS to a year after college and I topped out at just under $9.75/hr in 2007. I would have loved $12/hr then
But I was living in my mom's basement, while prepping for the GRE and doing a 24 hour a week internship for free. I was paying a small amount to her in rent ($175/month), but I definitely wasn't living on my own on $9.75/hr and couldn't have given I was only working 20ish hours a week for pay and 24 more for free.
The question of whether $12/hour is good pay depends on the situation of the person making said income. For someone in high school or college, sure it's good. For someone in a very low cost of living area it might be considered "good" assuming expenses are low. For someone just needing part-time work to keep them busy (like a retired person, maybe) then they might consider it good. For a single parent or someone in a medium or high cost of living area I would not say it is a "good" wage, but might be just enough to scrape by with some social assistance help or if your personal needs are very minimal (i.e. you are okay living as a bachelor with roommates, never eat out, live somewhere you don't need a car, etc).
I live in a very expensive County about 1 hr 30 min from San Francisco up in the Sierras. I currently make $12.30 per hr+ about $1.25 added onto that because I sell on ebay while on the clock. So I guess that is about $13.55 per hr. I have approval. Work is complete and more. Also make $12.50 per week (.50 cents per mile) to drive one way to work which averages $50-$55 per month in a separate reimbursement check.
If I were single, and only made $12 per hr, I would need to live near my work, shopping, medical care, etc.. so I can cycle to and fro.
Gas is very expensive, upkeep, as is DMV fees so driving would mostly be limited to and from work
I would need at least one roommate, maybe two. I'd live in a cheap apartment or very crappy house.
BUT,,,, I have excellent dental & medical insurance. A HDHP+ a separate Indemnity plan that pretty much covers what the first one doesn't. We also have an accident plan (w/ life insurance component) & a 401k w/ 4% match. 50K Life insurance plan. Twice as much Paid Time off as California requires + a few paid holidays. Some lesser perks.
Is it GOOD pay? For me, yes. BUT I AM MARRIED. I work 2.5 days straight (Wed 3pm-Friday 9:30am) getting paid for 42.5 hrs a week.
I sleep about 6-7 hrs per night in a private room w/ refrigerator, private bath & shower. Yet remain on call yet hardly ever woken
It is only do-able BECAUSE I get 4 days off a week So I have time to budget, plan ahead, etc..Cook cheap healthy meals. Find recipes online during down hours. Do my shopping on my way home from work. They have cheaper Health food stores & Grocery Outlet.
If I had to work 5 days a week at 9 hrs a day to get my same 45.5 hrs, no way. I'd be broke and exhausted. Married or Single
Last edited by TruckeeWannabee; 08-21-2017 at 02:19 AM..
A person can live very well on $12/hr in many low cost areas around the US. This is especially true if one has a partner that also makes around $12/hr. With a smidgen of overtime, that would be a combined income of over $50k.
In many parts of the country you can buy a decent home for $50k. A couple making $50k could live on $20k/year and have their home paid off in less than 5 years. Once that's done, they would be on easy street as long as they don't spend recklessly.
You mean like in this town? I believe the water used to catch on fire when lit
I usually gross 16,000 a year. I'd feel rich on $12 an hour.
If it's ok to ask, what State do you live in? I was curious what you did and where you resided to be able to get by.
Please only reply if you feel comfortable doing so
Last edited by TruckeeWannabee; 08-21-2017 at 02:09 AM..
I live in Atlanta, GA. It's not good money, and my pay is similar to this. If you are single, it's Ok, and you will get by on it, but you will be living in the hood, the ghetto, or a working class area, or somewhere near it. This type of pay, can put you in a high crime area. If you are good with money, a low mortgage is be better than apartment living, because with this type of money, and the way apartment living has went down in Atlanta, in the worse way, it's a better bet. Apartment living in the Atlanta metropolitan area, are crime ridden, not all of them, but many are. If you are making 24,000, to 25,000 a year, you will not be able to afford the nice apartments, where their is low crime, and better safety. I'm working with a home loan program, to get out of the hood!
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