People with Associates Degree or Higher: Have you worked at a 'low wage' job after graduation?

[L'Artiste]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

An Associates degree? Wow. Not even sure what to answer here. Let me begin by saying that an Associates is a 2 year degree that few industries will have as an entrance degree to a high paying job. Most places would want a Bachelors or higher. Even in Nursing we want someone with a Bachelors in Nursing or higher. In the old days an RN with an Associates could get a job right out of school and probably with several hospitals wanting the graduate to work for them. An RN can still get work much easier than others with an Associates but you get my point.

As for me, I went to school as a working adult. I have a background in Facilities Management. I have a Bachelors and a Masters. My Masters is in Business Administration, MBA. I have been making no less than $18 an hour for the past 20 years. I currently make much more than $18 an hour. In fact I don't work per an hour anymore. My income alone is in the high 5 figures and both my wife and I make into the 6 figures.

It just depends on the field or dicipline that one enters that will determine how much they will make out of school.

And what year you graduated in

[brightcopperkettles]

What's really tough is when technology and big companies take over the job you're really good at. I have been a medical transcriptionist for over 20 years now, and the only jobs anyone can find anymore is working by the line--mostly for voice recognition--which pays 3 to 5 CENTS PER LINE. Figure out how many lines you would have to review to make a living wage, and also realize that ALL those medical words most folks don't know, can't pronounce, and don't understand, this is what medical transcriptionists HAVE to know. You don't get really, really good in medical transcription for years; sure you can learn one field, but for those who know EVERY field, we are few and far between.

When my hospital finally outsourced, I was making $20.20/hr with benefits and retirement. After they outsourced our jobs (meaning we all lost them), I was one of the "lucky" ones who got a job at $16.00/hr, paying my own taxes, paying my own medical transcription insurance (in case you--heaven forbid--make a mistake), and paying for my own health insurance (over $400/mo.). Since Obamacare, I am one of those few who don't make enough money to pay for my own insurance ($599/mo.) and too much money for Medicaid (which I didn't want to end up on anyway). I am one of those who isn't "forced" to use Obamacare because of the state I live in--thank heavens we moved!--yet still don't have any health insurance.

I am interviewing for a job this week that I PRAY I get--no matter what it pays--as long as they offer to pay my taxes and offer me some kind of health insurance.

It is tough to be 56 years old, have no marketable skills any more, and no insurance.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by L'Artiste

And what year you graduated in

I completed my Bachelors in 2006 and my Masters in 2008. I graduated from high school in 1983. LOL

[TimeMachine]

I have a 40 hour office job, and for a very short while worked nights on top of that as a stocker at a halloween store to save up extra cash to finally go to Ireland.