Money is one of those subjects I'm always trying to understand better and break the taboo on, especially regarding salaries (and those that pay well).
So, I found myself down a reaaal rabbit hole when I came across this thread on r/Money. Someone looking to change careers asked, "People making $150,000 and above, what do you do for a living?"
We're always told that doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and the like are the moneymakers (and they chimed in, too!). However, I was more fascinated by the jobs that weren't so obvious moneymakers but still broke $150K (or even those that didn't require a degree).
So, here's what people who make ~$150K or more do:
1. "Air traffic control! They're hiring. I made $237K last year."
2. "I'm a UX Designer for a Fortune 100 company. I just turned 30. I started at $62k at my first gig, and six years later, my salary is $170K, with a 20% annual bonus and $100K in yearly stock options... I'm very fortunate. I did not go to college and did a UX bootcamp around seven years ago, but the market is definitely more saturated now."
3. "I'm a ship captain. $250K-ish for about 180 days of work a year."
4. "I'm a psychotherapist (MSW, LCSW), and I own my practice. I should make about $165K this year."
5. "I got my license to work on aircrafts 13 years ago. After six years in various shops, I got into managing aircrafts for private owners. I've gotten my last three jobs just by answering my phone and having someone contact me about a job opening. Every time, it has been with a good raise. Today, I manage an aircraft for a wonderful family and make nearly $250K a year. I love what I do."
6. "I walk dogs. I made $210K last year. I have seven part-time employees who do it under me; they get paid $25 an hour. I charge $50 an hour. I'm on track for $275K this year."
7. "I'm a commercial HVAC technician and instructor. I just broke $200K last year. No college debt. It was the best decision I ever made, and when my son turns 18, he has a spot in the union doing the same thing. People who don't know me look at me like I'm some dirty mechanic, but I kinda think it's funny that I am generally the highest-paid person in most buildings I walk into."
8. "I'm a lineman. With that said, plenty of us blue-collar tradespeople make well over $200-300K a year. Don't sleep on the trades!"
9. "I am a tire shop manager. I made $149K last year. I'm an ex-felon with a GED."
10. "I'm the director of operations for a solar company that makes $131K a year. I own an aquarium business that makes $20K a year. Through stock trading and investing, I average $65K a year." Total: $216K
11. "I'm an IT Risk Specialist. I have a broad background in IT — I was a developer for a while and did project management and cybersecurity. I've been in the field for 20 years and broke $150K a few years ago. In addition, I work 10 hours a week in the evening teaching cybersecurity online and make an additional $25K doing that."
12. "I dated a guy who worked three days per week and made $500K/yr. He learned how to install and fix air compressors working at ADM, then quit and started his own business."
"He installed them in hospitals, dentist offices, car dealerships — those are a few I remember. He used to laugh and say who knew air compressors were so lucrative... He would say that almost every business needs an air compressor for something."
13. "I made $164,000 working 96-night shifts a year in a union hospital as a night shift nurse. This includes benefits, and I've been doing it for 25 years."
14. "Find an area that does not attract smart people but needs them. My wife went to work for a large insurance company; she worked hard and got promoted many times, and at her peak, was making about $250K a year plus extra retirement perks. Other agents were making double that and more in commercial insurance."
15. "I own a trucking company. My husband and I just bought one truck in 2009 and grew from there. You definitely have to network in the fields you would like to serve. We have been very fortunate, and things have fallen in my lap. Also, most states have special programs for women and minority-owned businesses to help you grow... If you do it right, you can make millions. We aren't there yet, but we are getting there."
16. I went back to school at a much later age to get an electrical engineering degree after bartending for 15 years in Santa Barbara with a BA in political science. I graduated in 2019. It took me 16 months to find a job as an electrical engineer in research and development for a high-voltage power supply company. It was in a very rural and affordable area in Northern CA. I was laid off 21 months later and then was hired at my current job, where I about doubled my salary in the Bay Area."
"Now, I work on hydrogen fuel cells. I got pretty lucky with the timing. I was getting heavily recruited after I was laid off in 2022. Tech firms offered a lot, and my experience in high voltage helped, too. Now, including bonuses, my salary is about $150,000 a year."
17. "I work as a project manager in the medical device manufacturing industry. Because I work remotely, I take on several gigs simultaneously. My home office looks like NASA, with three computers up and running. I bounce from one laptop to another, from one call to another, from one company to another. Making just under $500K/yr."
18. "I work in construction in welding. All I have is a high school diploma. I make about $180K a year."
"You can find someone to work for and be their helper or go to school. I recommend the oil field if you're willing to sacrifice your time for an early retirement. It's not as much about what you know as it is about who you know, just like any job. Networking will help you excel quickly. You still have to be good at it to get high wages, but since all the older people are retiring, there are not enough people to replace them; you demand your wage."
And lastly:
19. "I work two full-time remote software engineering jobs at once. Each pays $160K/year, so I'm making $320K annually. Work about 30 hours per week tops. I'm 30 and have been doing this for about two years."
Do you make over $150K, too? If so, what do you do? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.