How Much Do Millenials Make In A Year (Ages 18-34)?

[Darsithis]

You make six figures and still spend most of your time here? Don't hurt me!

Telecommuting has its perks

I really was sitting here wondering how we could be that bad. Sure, there's a huge poverty problem on the reservation, but we also have a shitload of people in that age range that work in tech for the DoD/DoE here. I haven't been at my career as long, as I took longer than I should have on my M.S., but 18 year olds certainly aren't going to make anywhere near what I make.

I'd say let's break it up into 18 - 24, 24 - 30, 30 - 35.

[BourneWolf]

I've found this infograph, that compares 30 year olds of now vs then.

The result of population increase.

[Joeygiggles]

Being 32 and going on 33 and looking at the Median I am wondering what it is that people do for work. I live in NJ and looking at how low that is, is just crazy given the cost of living here. I still however don't own a home but that is due to a contract with work and once that is up I have the ability to move to another department and another state, Im glad VZW is all over the country lol.

[Willias]

Why would they lump 18 year olds into the same bracket? I've been in my career for over a decade and a half and make six figures. John Doe just starting college won't be making that for years to come. Of course the results are skewed.

Well, it is a median number, and not an average. The numbers should be a little less skewed due to this.

[Darsithis]

Well, it is a median number, and not an average. The numbers should be a little less skewed due to this.

Well they put the numbers in order. Let's say the salaries they found per age were 10k, 11k, 12k, 13k, 14k. The median is the center number, or 12k. All a median number is is the center number in a list of sorted numbers. I would argue...maybe I'm wrong...that having brackets based on age would give a more realistic median income, such as 18 - 24, 24 - 30, 30 - 35's incomes.

[Rasulis]

California is a lot lower than I'd expect.

The problem with analyzing California’s economy is that there is not one California economy. Instead, we have a group of regions that will see completely different economic outcomes. Then, those outcomes will be averaged, and that average of regional outcomes is California’s economy.

At one extreme we have Silicon Valley region which continues to be a source of innovation, economic vigor, and wealth creation. The Silicon Valley jobs are rather specific. They require higher skill sets than most workers possess. One consequence is that the Silicon Valley's prosperity hasn't helped California's average workers much. We are left with a situation where California's tech firms search worldwide for workers, while California average workers search for work.

At the other end of the spectrum, a short distance away, in California’s Great Central Valley, there is poverty as persistent, deep, and widespread as anyplace in the United States. A recent report shows that California has three of the 20 fastest growing US cities in terms of jobs, and it has four in the bottom 20.

California’s economic growth is currently far below its potential because it is held back by well-meaning but flawed regulations. At the same time, it has a few super-performing cities which are seeing spectacular growth, at least for now.

Already, many of California’s coastal communities are reflexively averse to any new activity that actually creates value, opting instead to become ever more exclusive playgrounds for the very rich. These communities see rising home prices as they restrict new units, and see rising demand, a result of ever greater concentrations of wealth and amenities available in Coastal California. By contrast, some inland areas will see declining home values and eventually declining populations, as the lack of opportunity drives potential home buyers to places like Phoenix and Houston.

[NED funded]

The result of population increase.

Nah. The result of the goverment not distributing the gains from trade and advances in technology.

[BourneWolf]

Nah. The result of the goverment not distributing the gains from trade and advances in technology.

Nah.

The result of population increase.

[ro9ue]

Damn that chart makes me feel good about myself.

[NED funded]

Nah.

The result of population increase.

Dude. Like what do you think happens when middle class jobs are wiped by technology and trade? And capital leaves the country?

[lockedout]

Why would they lump 18 year olds into the same bracket? I've been in my career for over a decade and a half and make six figures. John Doe just starting college won't be making that for years to come. Of course the results are skewed.

Post your paystub.

[BourneWolf]

Dude. Like what do you think happens when middle class jobs are wiped by technology and trade? And capital leaves the country?

The middle class joins the working class labour pool.

Still not the reason why people are stuck renting or living with parents though. The reason that happens is because too many people, not enough houses.

[Alvito]

The sadest thing I see from this is at no point while I was in that age bracket did I make less then the averages for any of the states. I certainly can't imagine being in your 30s and making 20 to 30k a year. I hope this is driven down by un and underemployed people, because these numbers are depressing.

[IIamaKing]

Lumping the income of an 18 year old college student in with a 30 year old who is more established...thats a way to make figures worthless.

[Deleted]

Will Millenials take over the world by some chance? Scr but that word... really?

[McFuu]

As interesting as this is, it's skewed heavily by college age and young professionals. It would be more accurate to show 26-36. It would show those already out of school with a BA in the work force for a few years, early MA degree holder wages, and what 10-15 years of career building will do to your salary.
I live in NJ and our average is $25k, I've never made less than $25k since I was 18. My lowest paying job (other than the military but I'd argue housing/free medical semantics) was $36k.

Honestly this doesn't take into consideration job benefits as well, which when well negotiated can make a significant impact on actual earnings.

- - - Updated - - -

I think a more interesting post would be BA vs MA vs Doctorates in earnings for specific jobs.
I don't have a BA and will continue to earn on par with my peers regardless of education because of the company we work for and the training provided by it.
I have friends who are accountants and it doesn't make financial sense for them to go higher than BA because their world looks at performance and ability and less so at degrees. I'd imagine sales careers are very similar in that regard.
Many IT professions look at base education when you are getting hired, but moving forward staying on top of emerging technologies in your own time is the biggest career motivator.

[Deleted]

The result of population increase.

Moral decay is the word you're looking for.

[Fahrenheit]

I'm 34, I make 90k, mechanical engineering.
Wife is 35, she makes 72k, special ed teacher, w/masters.
She also runs a fashion blog that grosses about 30k a year.

[Deleted]

Something something gender studies something something bootstraps something something liberals

IKR, those lesbian dance studies paying off fam.

[RaoBurning]

Sweet, I never even made it to the median. Go me, pulling the one government job in the state that pays $13,000 a year. Benefits were nice though. Great insurance plan. Just couldn't afford to live in any meaningful sense. Even filling in the Summers I had off that still only brings the pay up to like $17,000, if that.