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Old 04-25-2011, 08:05 PM
 
4,471 posts, read 9,819,005 times
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It also depends on where you live. I have a girlfriend who is making $68,000 as a designer (fashion tends to not pay that well so it's awesome she got that salary) and has only been at her job 2 years. In NYC that isn't very much money. Where as you would need to work a for a longer period of time to work up to that salary. Also in Cleveland you could get an amazing apartment with lake views in a great area for $800 a month. So $68,000 could afford you a lot more.
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Old 04-25-2011, 10:03 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
15,088 posts, read 13,423,185 times
Reputation: 14266
Quote:
Originally Posted by BackinHenderson View Post
I graduated college in 2006 with a degree in business administration and I feel like I've been spinning my tires since then.
Any of you making this much money or more I'd like to hear from you on your path that got you there today.
I have about seven years of work experience now in the business world - specifically corporate FP&A. I'm at about $110K right now. That's not going to win me any contests, but I'm happy enough so far. Here's the step by step of how this has gone down.

1. Went to a private college prep high school. Attended on partial scholarship. Cumulative GPA around 3.9.

2. Earned a BA in Economics from solid tier 1 private liberal arts college. Cumulative GPA around 3.75, full-tuition scholarship, completed four-year honors program w/ thesis defense, completed three internships.

3. Landed a job with a global pharmaceutical manufacturer in FPA / budgeting. Came in at around $42K. Worked hard at developing myself, achieved solid results, and did three rotations in five years. Left at around $60K.

4. Went back full-time for an MBA at a large state school - a top 20-25ish program in some of the big rankings. Focused on corporate finance and took on other projects outside of the classroom. Focused a lot on interviewing and figuring out how to sell myself. Did a ton of work. Earned a 3.7 GPA, top 10% of the class. Took on $50K of debt.

5. Went back into the workforce in late 2008 at $95K for a large manufacturing conglomerate. Did well for six months, then got laid off along with most people when the economy went down the crapper.

6. Moved to the SF Bay area and got some headhunters working to sell me to companies around here. I figured this place would bounce back better than others. Worked hard trying to land a job and got a break after about a month with a software company at $85K - more corp FPA stuff. Hit the ground running and improved a lot of processes.

7. Company got taken over by a large global software company you've definitely heard of. Got to keep my job and transferred into a very coveted corporate consolidation position that deals with top-level financial projections and directly supports the CFO / BOD. Still a sr. analyst title but goal is moving up within two years.

8. Continue to work on my competitiveness by having good accomplishment stories and keeping my skills fresh and transferrable. Plan to do some additional targeted accounting education soon. Debt is now around $19K. Continue to network on Linkedin and other forums and selectively interview with other companies; just recently turned down a startup, but I fully expect that I'll have to bounce soon...I've learned not to get too comfortable in any one place.


So that's basically it.. Strong academics, in-demand field, hard work, strategic focus on the next resume development steps required for my long-term plan, and of course luck. I note that most of the things I did are the ones that conventional wisdom around here seems to tell you not to do. I know there are no guarantees and that all these things can be taken from me at any time, but things have generally held together so far. I'm working hard to keep it that way to the best of my ability.

Last edited by ambient; 04-25-2011 at 10:31 PM..
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Old 04-26-2011, 06:45 AM
 
Location: Evansville
200 posts, read 504,567 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by ambient View Post
I have about seven years of work experience now in the business world - specifically corporate FP&A. I'm at about $110K right now. That's not going to win me any contests, but I'm happy enough so far. Here's the step by step of how this has gone down.

1. Went to a private college prep high school. Attended on partial scholarship. Cumulative GPA around 3.9.

2. Earned a BA in Economics from solid tier 1 private liberal arts college. Cumulative GPA around 3.75, full-tuition scholarship, completed four-year honors program w/ thesis defense, completed three internships.

3. Landed a job with a global pharmaceutical manufacturer in FPA / budgeting. Came in at around $42K. Worked hard at developing myself, achieved solid results, and did three rotations in five years. Left at around $60K.

4. Went back full-time for an MBA at a large state school - a top 20-25ish program in some of the big rankings. Focused on corporate finance and took on other projects outside of the classroom. Focused a lot on interviewing and figuring out how to sell myself. Did a ton of work. Earned a 3.7 GPA, top 10% of the class. Took on $50K of debt.

5. Went back into the workforce in late 2008 at $95K for a large manufacturing conglomerate. Did well for six months, then got laid off along with most people when the economy went down the crapper.

6. Moved to the SF Bay area and got some headhunters working to sell me to companies around here. I figured this place would bounce back better than others. Worked hard trying to land a job and got a break after about a month with a software company at $85K - more corp FPA stuff. Hit the ground running and improved a lot of processes.

7. Company got taken over by a large global software company you've definitely heard of. Got to keep my job and transferred into a very coveted corporate consolidation position that deals with top-level financial projections and directly supports the CFO / BOD. Still a sr. analyst title but goal is moving up within two years.

8. Continue to work on my competitiveness by having good accomplishment stories and keeping my skills fresh and transferrable. Plan to do some additional targeted accounting education soon. Debt is now around $19K. Continue to network on Linkedin and other forums and selectively interview with other companies; just recently turned down a startup, but I fully expect that I'll have to bounce soon...I've learned not to get too comfortable in any one place.


So that's basically it.. Strong academics, in-demand field, hard work, strategic focus on the next resume development steps required for my long-term plan, and of course luck. I note that most of the things I did are the ones that conventional wisdom around here seems to tell you not to do. I know there are no guarantees and that all these things can be taken from me at any time, but things have generally held together so far. I'm working hard to keep it that way to the best of my ability.
That's pretty good. I'm gathering you graduated and entered the workforce around 2004?
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Old 04-26-2011, 07:10 AM
 
98 posts, read 238,931 times
Reputation: 65
OP, with your degree, I think it will be tougher for you to get a job making $60k+. Getting a Masters degree may help you.
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Old 04-26-2011, 07:51 AM
 
Location: Evansville
200 posts, read 504,567 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by muochoir View Post
OP, with your degree, I think it will be tougher for you to get a job making $60k+. Getting a Masters degree may help you.
I've thought about that as well, but with the current job market and economy I feel like it's better to be working right now than going to school, regardless of what it pays. I'm lucky to have a Bachelors debt free and I really do not want to go into debt for an MBA that has no guarantee of paying off more than my Bachelors. I'd lean more towards taking the remaining four or five classes I need to get a double major in accounting and then sit for my CPA than I would getting my MBA right now.
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Old 04-26-2011, 08:27 AM
 
623 posts, read 1,600,281 times
Reputation: 723
The best advice I can give is find a field where the top end is much higher than 60k and start at the bottom and work your way up. (this is sometimes what people don't want to do) I see many people who want to make what the job tops out at right away.
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Old 04-26-2011, 08:42 AM
 
98 posts, read 238,931 times
Reputation: 65
Quote:
Originally Posted by BackinHenderson View Post
I've thought about that as well, but with the current job market and economy I feel like it's better to be working right now than going to school, regardless of what it pays. I'm lucky to have a Bachelors debt free and I really do not want to go into debt for an MBA that has no guarantee of paying off more than my Bachelors. I'd lean more towards taking the remaining four or five classes I need to get a double major in accounting and then sit for my CPA than I would getting my MBA right now.
I think what you're doing is a good strategy. I'm not familiar with your field and the options available so the only thing I could come up with was to pursue a masters. My main point was actually to get more than what you have, and
it looks like you are already doing that. So, just be patient.

BTW, I would find an employer that offers tuition reimbursement if you want a masters in the future.
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Old 04-26-2011, 08:43 AM
 
2,279 posts, read 3,965,725 times
Reputation: 1669
Quote:
Originally Posted by muochoir View Post
OP, with your degree, I think it will be tougher for you to get a job making $60k+. Getting a Masters degree may help you.
So a Bachelor's in Business is only good for sub-60k jobs anymore? Wow, did we all get screwed.

Best Undergrad College Degrees By Salary / Starting Median Pay / Mid-Career Median Pay

Petroleum Engineering $93,000 $157,000

Aerospace Engineering $59,400 $108,000

Chemical Engineering $64,800 $108,000

Electrical Engineering $60,800 $104,000

Nuclear Engineering $63,900 $104,000

Applied Mathematics $56,400 $101,000

Biomedical Engineering $54,800 $101,000

Physics $50,700 $99,600

Computer Engineering $61,200 $99,500

Economics $48,800 $97,800

Computer Science $56,200 $97,700

Industrial Engineering $58,200 $97,600

Mechanical Engineering $58,300 $97,400

Building Construction $52,900 $94,500

Materials Science & Engineering $59,400 $93,600

Civil Engineering $53,500 $93,400

Statistics $50,000 $92,900

Finance $47,500 $91,500

Software Engineering $56,700 $91,300

Management Information Systems $50,900 $90,300

Mathematics $46,400 $88,300

Government $41,500 $87,300

Information Systems $49,300 $87,100

Construction Management $50,400 $87,000

Environmental Engineering $51,000 $85,500

Electrical Engineering Technology $55,500 $85,300

Supply Chain Management $49,400 $84,500

Mechanical Engineering Technology $53,300 $84,300

Chemistry $42,400 $83,700

Computer Information Systems $48,300 $83,100

International Relations $42,400 $83,000

Molecular Biology $40,200 $82,900

Urban Planning $41,600 $82,800

Industrial Design $42,100 $82,300

Geology $44,600 $82,200

Biochemistry $39,800 $82,000

Political Science $40,100 $81,700

Industrial Technology $49,400 $81,500

Food Science $48,500 $81,100

Information Technology $49,600 $79,300

Architecture $41,900 $78,400

Telecommunications $40,000 $78,300

Film Production $36,100 $77,800

Accounting $44,600 $77,500

Marketing $38,600 $77,300

Occupational Health and Safety $52,300 $77,000

Civil Engineering Technology $48,100 $75,600

International Business $42,600 $73,700

Advertising $37,800 $73,200

History $38,500 $73,000

Philosophy $39,100 $72,900

Biology $38,400 $72,800

Microbiology $40,600 $72,600

American Studies $40,900 $72,500

Fashion Design $37,700 $72,200

Communications $38,200 $72,200

Environmental Science $41,600 $71,600

Global & International Studies $38,400 $71,400

Geography $39,600 $71,200

Business $41,100 $70,600

Public Administration $39,000 $70,600

Landscape Architecture $43,200 $70,300

Biotechnology $47,500 $70,100

Zoology $34,600 $68,800

Drama $40,700 $68,300

Nursing $52,700 $68,200

Health Sciences $38,300 $68,100

Radio & Television $39,200 $67,800

Hotel Management $37,900 $67,600

English $37,800 $67,500

Forestry $37,000 $67,200

Journalism $35,800 $66,600

Hospitality & Tourism $36,200 $65,800

Literature $37,500 $65,700

Public Health $37,800 $65,700

Liberal Arts $35,700 $63,900

Public Relations $35,700 $63,400

Anthropology $36,200 $62,900

Psychology $35,300 $62,500

Animal Science $34,600 $62,100

Sociology $36,600 $62,100

Human Resources $38,100 $61,900

Kinesiology $34,400 $61,600

French $39,600 $61,400

Multimedia & Web Design $40,100 $61,200

Photography $35,100 $61,200

Health Care Administration $37,700 $60,800

Organizational Management $41,500 $60,500

Fine Arts $35,400 $60,300

Humanities $38,600 $60,100

Sports Management $37,300 $59,800

Agriculture $42,300 $59,700

Theater $35,300 $59,600

Fashion Merchandising $35,000 $59,300

Medical Technology $43,800 $59,300

Exercise Science $32,800 $59,000

Spanish $37,100 $58,200

Criminal Justice $35,600 $58,000

Visual Communication $36,800 $57,700

Social Science $38,100 $57,200

Art History $39,400 $57,100

Music $36,700 $57,000

Graphic Design $35,400 $56,800

Nutrition $42,200 $56,700

Interior Design $34,400 $56,600

Interdisciplinary Studies $35,600 $55,700

Education $35,100 $54,900

Art $33,500 $54,800

Religious Studies $34,700 $54,400

Dietetics $40,400 $54,200

Special Education $36,000 $53,800

Recreation & Leisure Studies $33,300 $53,200

Theology $34,700 $51,300

Paralegal Studies/Law $35,100 $51,300

Horticulture $35,000 $50,800

Culinary Arts $35,900 $50,600

Athletic Training $32,800 $45,700

Social Work $31,800 $44,900

Elementary Education $31,600 $44,400

Child and Family Studies $29,500 $38,400

Source:http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp
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Old 04-26-2011, 08:58 AM
 
Location: Whittier
3,004 posts, read 6,257,490 times
Reputation: 3081
Philosophy $39,100 $72,900

Business $41,100 $70,600

LOL, I have hope yet!


I'm doing IT at my current job (that really doesn't have much to do with IT), and going to make a lateral move to a full-time IT job, then work on some certs while putting in extra time, then hopefully move up to a server/network admin position and make anywhere from 50k-70k.

I don't really think it's a mystery to get a well paying job. Hard work (making more than a contribution), networking, being smart and creating your own luck, will get you far.
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Old 04-26-2011, 09:03 AM
 
2,279 posts, read 3,965,725 times
Reputation: 1669
Quote:
Originally Posted by harhar View Post
Philosophy $39,100 $72,900

Business $41,100 $70,600

LOL, I have hope yet!


I'm doing IT at my current job (that really doesn't have much to do with IT), and going to make a lateral move to a full-time IT job, then work on some certs while putting in extra time, then hopefully move up to a server/network admin position and make anywhere from 50k-70k.

I don't really think it's a mystery to get a well paying job. Hard work (making more than a contribution), networking, being smart and creating your own luck, will get you far.
Are you a philosophy major? I've heard that the logic/reasoning skills you learn in that curriculum are often transferable to IT related fields. I'm an Econ major from a top tier school, been working for three years, and have yet to even break the starting salary barrier. Hahaha. Granted, I work for a terrible company that is known for paying their employees very low. Also, I haven't really tested the job market since I got this job three years ago. Hopefully, I'll find something soon.
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