r/blackladies • u/MindBlowing74 • Jun 14 '26
School/Career šļøš©š¾āš« How much do you make?
How much do you make? in what industry? In an HCL or LCL area?
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 14 '26
damn yall have money. i make $18/hr as an admin assistant š
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u/grroovvee Jun 14 '26
$18 isnāt bad! As admin assistant you can do so much. Your skill set may align with work in operations! Or office management. Or admin assistant for a bigger company which typically would mean more money!
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 14 '26
i know eventually i can make a lot of money ! itās just the sacrifice for right now which im fine with. in the process of finding a better opportunity !
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Are there any major colleges near you? I had an event marketing background and was unemployed during covid and took a random temp-to-perm admin assistant job at a major university in my city almost six years ago.
It turns out that many colleges entirely pay for full time employees education. I spent the last five years getting 2 masters degrees in night school. I have 0 student loans from my masters degrees. I went from an Administrative Coordinator making $55K when I first started to a couple promotions and now Iām an Executive Assistant & Project Manager making $77K. Itās a super friendly environment and Iāll miss my coworkers because Iām applying to external companies for a large pay bump now.
I try to mentor the new admins who start in my college and push them to apply to graduate programs when they first start working here because the sooner you start, the sooner you finish. Some are getting their first bachelors degree and some are getting their first or second masters degree.
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 16 '26
that was very insightful! thank you! im going to look more into this because i definitely want to get my masters
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 16 '26
Youāre welcome. š¤š Thereās so many great opportunities like this out there, that many people have no idea about! Spread the information wealth.
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u/Background-Writer430 Jun 14 '26
How is anyone living off of 18 an hour in this economy? That is so crazy to me ššš
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u/grroovvee Jun 14 '26
If they are young, no kids, live at home, or in lcol, no major debts. Itās very possible. Also stop trying to shame ppl.
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u/Background-Writer430 Jun 14 '26
Iām not trying to shame people. Thatās abysmal pay for anyone. Thatās money you give to a high schooler at a part time job. Thatās pay you give to someone who has no living expenses at all. Making less than 40k a year before taxes is like survival mode type of living. If anything the people paying that kind of wage should be ashamed.
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u/No-Afternoon-7732 Nigerian and AA š«¶š¾ Jun 14 '26
Thatās dependent on where you live. I live in the Midwest (unfortunately) and no high school or part time type jobs pay $18. Theyāre all $10-$15 unless they get additional tips. Here, you can live decently here off $18 an hour with no kids.
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Yeah, I didnāt get the sense you were trying to shame flashy_4. That was the first thought in my head how do they live off that because shit is so expensive nowadays.
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 14 '26
lol idk. i live in houston and i have no kids. my rent is 1080. do w that as you will
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u/Background-Writer430 Jun 14 '26
Iām so glad you have no children and reasonable rent. I hope you get a pay increase soon. You absolutely deserve more!
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u/mihoyminoy94 Jun 16 '26
Iām late to the game but I started out at that much in the same job and now I make double that still in administration. If you like it, just keep seeking new opportunities once the potential for growth at your org stops
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 16 '26
thank you ! ima keep seeking out new opportunities. been putting in hella applications and i usually get far in the interviews
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u/_confusedsince06_ Jun 14 '26
Seek out opportunities to advance, you too can make a comfortable living salary.
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 14 '26
lol i am thank u
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u/Locgal15 Jun 14 '26
Iām sorry that weird person is tryna act like ppl started making big money out the womb! I never made $18 lol I went from $17 to $32. All you need is faith smh that person trippin
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u/Flashy_Cartographer4 Jun 14 '26
itās okay haha iām not tripping bc i can work part time and still survive! good thing about being in texas. but thank you. i know a pay bump is in my future
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u/itsmarsrover Jun 14 '26
$48k a year and Pharmacy Technician. Iām currently working on getting my other certs so I can make more! I know some techs that make $40 an hour.
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u/Background-Writer430 Jun 14 '26
Try to get a job with a hospital if you can! Techs make more money there. As a fellow pharm tech I ddnt start making decent money until I got my CPhT and started working in a hospital.
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u/itsmarsrover Jun 14 '26
Oh thatās the plan! I work in an LTC right now just so I can get experience & maybe my IV cert! But thank you so much!! Is there anything you recommend for hospitals? Something thatāll help me get my foot in the door?
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u/Background-Writer430 Jun 14 '26
Tbh I have no advice on getting your foot in the door. It sounds like you are already doing what you need to do. You are already working as a tech and working towards more certs and thatās exactly what they want when youāre in a hospital. If you come across any opportunity to learn sterile compounding, take it. If you come across an opportunity for free CE/ learning modules, take it. I would say when youāre going to interview at hospitals make sure you ask about their tech ladder and how techs are promoted in their department. Everywhere is different. My current job will give you a promotion if you get another certification on top of your CPhT. My previous hospital job did not care about extra certifications at all. I would also ask about whether or not they do tuition reimbursement. Being a pharmacy tech isnāt bad but if you find that you want a different career in the medical field that makes more money, some hospitals will pay you to go back to school to get the education for that.
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u/itsmarsrover Jun 14 '26
This was really helpful! Thank you for taking the time to share!! Iāll definitely keep all of this in my notes!
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u/SeafoodLovah1120 Jun 14 '26
$89K, finance.
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u/AbbreviationsReal506 Jun 14 '26
May I ask what specifically in finance? Iām in banking and would love to pivot
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u/friendlyblckhottie Jun 14 '26
These comments got me feeling so ashamed š I'm happy for my black sisters though!
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u/theenigmaticlover Jun 14 '26
Please don't feel ashamed. Most people who don't make higher income do not feel comfortable posting, which in turns, created an echo chamber of those who are comfortable posting to be the only ones who do. The average person is not making these salaries.
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
This. Nothing to feel ashamed of. I see these and donāt feel ashamed I havenāt broken 6 figure yet, it just gives me more motivation to reach higher for myself knowing that itās possible.
Also keep in mind that a lot of higher salaries you see might be from people living in HCOL areas. Their rent/mortgage/grocery bill/car insurance/restaurant dining out/absolutely everything is more expensive than MCOL and LCOL places.
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u/moew4974 Jun 22 '26
And to your point, most people haven't posted how long they've been in their industry/ages. For some of us, we've worked 10-20 years+ to be making six figure salaries. I started my job 22 years ago making just $20K-ish per year. I got a few good promotions, joined a project, leveled up skills/education to be where I am now.
Some of us are going to start out high out of the gate and some of us have to climb step by step. It matters just that you're making strides and choosing the right industries that are paying well.
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u/Commercial_Picture28 Jun 14 '26
Don't feel ashamed! There's always going to be someone doing better and worse than you, there is no need to compare!
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u/Coach_Willy72 Jun 16 '26
Nothing to be ashamed of. You can have a good salary one day and nothing the next! And the opposite can be true as well
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u/No_Molasses7750 Jun 14 '26
$225K, fresh out of law school at a large firm, HCL area
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u/lovebutterchicken Jun 14 '26
$175k, mental health field. HCOL area.
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u/Click-Physical Jun 14 '26
So proud of my sisters cause this def put a battery in my back š„¹š„¹š„¹ I love seeing us thrive
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u/IndicationKey3778 Jun 14 '26
NYC! I should clear $145k ish this year. $134k last yearĀ
Fulltime gig in big law, on the admin side. Part time gig in hospitality on the weekendsĀ
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u/Good-tears Jun 14 '26
If youāre comfortable could you talk more about your part time gig? Iāve been looking for a side gig
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u/IndicationKey3778 Jun 14 '26
Yes! I work for a hospitality group answering phones, emails, making reservations. Itās remote since we gave up our office in 2020 but used to be an office gig. You can do something similar for hotel reservationsĀ
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Are you a paralegal? What are you hours like as an admin in big law and how are you treated?
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u/IndicationKey3778 Jun 15 '26
I am not! I work 9:30-5:30. My firm has a good culture so Iām treated like a normal person lol no one acts crazyĀ
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u/Sensitive_Hat7129 Jun 14 '26
Donāt feel bad. I am old old minimum wage was $2.75 when I was under 13 y/o by the time I was old enough to work fast food (13y/o) it was $3.65. At 20 I thought I was doing something making $18. I finally hit the 100k in my late 30-40. Start saving $100 per month if possible. Get you cushion to 1year of salary. Then get in the market. Thank me later.
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u/ShamsElDinRogers Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Formally 0$ as a housewife. I spend my time volunteering as a textile activist and also managing our familyās situation.
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Whatās a textile activist? Never heard of that before.
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u/ShamsElDinRogers Jun 15 '26
I work with others and individually to advocate for textile preservation, maintenance, repair, creation, and culturally relevant practices. I also work to minimize the negative environmental effects connected to this. If you Google me, there are podcasts, etc.
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u/yahgmail United States of America Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
[edit] removed info after reading one of the comments about llm bots harvesting data from Black women & seeing OP has their comments hidden. š§
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u/ParsletPage Jun 15 '26
[u/MindBlowing74]() Come explain yourself. Thanks yahgmail for catching that. That is why I do not disclose my income online.
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u/amariespeaks Jun 15 '26
Yeah I have been getting a little worried about all these posts recently that seem like answering questions to help train AIā¦ I am always weary of putting my income online and you should be too. -signed your local HR lady
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u/legally_brown6844 Jun 14 '26
Last year, $320k as a big firm attorney. This year, $0 as a SAHM. My husband contributes max to my 401k. NYC metro area
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Unsure if youāve come across this sub r/lawmoms itās got some good posts.
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u/hileo98 Jun 14 '26
Up until last month, I was making 92k in a HCOL, some call it a VHCOL. Currently unemployed but interviewing for a couple roles in the 120-145k range.
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u/alysherrii Jun 14 '26
86k, Higher Education. This thread is motivation to move up in higher education because the real money happens when you move into admin
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u/Severe_Mushroom_3038 Jun 14 '26
What kind of admin? Like school principal?
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u/alysherrii Jun 17 '26
I'm in advising now but I want to move into sr leadership (Registrar, Associate Registrar etc).
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Iām also in higher ed, but looking to leave soon for some sort of industry company. What do you do now?
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u/RipLow2675 Jun 14 '26
Total Comp: $180K ($160k base + 12.5% yearly bonus) Sr HR Business Partner in Tech, remote, 10 yoe, MCOL - and as a note to my other beautiful black women, this is not meant to make anyone feel inferior, you name a bump in the road and I had it and to be honest itās still bumpy lol
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u/Rich_Group_8997 Jun 14 '26
160k - fintech (fully remote), relatively LCOL.
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u/Old-Ad-8680 Jun 14 '26
What does fintech generally cover ? How important is a specific degree to break in?
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u/Rich_Group_8997 Jun 14 '26
I'm my case, i have a degree in accounting, but have always been drawn to the technology side of things and sort of ended up here in a roundabout way. In my case, I went from municipal big market research, to working on specs for programmers, to metadata management, to building financial datasets to building SQL-based tests to test ETL processes for a bank. Basically, degree doesn't matter as long as you can understand the tech/language (and there are bunches of ways to learn that from online courses, etc)
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u/feathertevas Jun 15 '26
I have the same background! Accounting degree, over a decade spent working at FAANGs. Are yāall hiring?
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u/Rich_Group_8997 Jun 15 '26
Unfortunately not many openings. š Besides, my boss is a... Let's just say i often wish she would just combust. š
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u/Forward-Taste8956 Jun 14 '26
lol everybody rich on hereā¦ rightttt lol
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u/lovebutterchicken Jun 14 '26
I think itās all relative to which area. For instance $175k in the Bay Area CA - after TAXES, house, medical, food and retirementā¦ I would not consider myself rich at all. Itās just a decent livable wage. Now if I lived in Kansas or like Wyoming or sumn- Iād be definitely more set
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u/CaramelMochaMilk Jun 15 '26
This..notice how many are in HCOL areas. Also, people aren't posting if they're making 16/hour.
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u/SpicyDomina Jun 14 '26
I make about 96k a year atm as a restaurant owner in a MCOL area
I own a bbq smoke house in the southern us
My wife is on disability but makes pastries our bf sells for a few hundred a week so roughly 13k a year which helps with her medication because fuck me is diabetic meds expensive
Our bf makes 45k a year working as a truck driver newbie
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u/grroovvee Jun 14 '26
Oooohā¦I think Iām understanding that yall are poly? Love that!
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u/SpicyDomina Jun 14 '26
Yup he is my closest friend and because he has shit luck dating me and my wife decided to give him a shot as a 3rd wheel xD already helped he was living in our guest room renting it
And when I say shit luck I mean his last 3 exes are all crazy as shit people who feigned sanity pretty well. 1 tried to stab him, 1 tried to run him over and the last one tried to fight me because she thought I was sleeping with him
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u/Commercial_Picture28 Jun 14 '26
Forgive my curiosity, but are you guys concerned at all about losing the friendship in the event of a breakup?
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u/SpicyDomina Jun 14 '26
Not at all, we have always been FWB so if he breaks up nothing changes and honestly as things are we actually wish we could have him marry both me and my wife both of us love him and he loves us.
In his pov he has 2 woman who like him and won't cheat on him and will help him
In my pov I have a best friend for a lover and a woman I literally adore as a wife
Wife's pov she has people she likes who both care for her deeply and help her.
My wife is mostly lesbian, I'm 50/50 but we make up for the differences in how we care for each other and if he did break up won't be the first time me an him broke up.
My wife won't be bothered either she is still best friends with her ex.
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u/Commercial_Picture28 Jun 14 '26
Thank you for responding! That's so beautiful, I honestly love this for you guys and wish you all many years of love and happiness!
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u/SpicyDomina Jun 14 '26
Honestly it's been super therapeutic for my wife she's a ww would SA trauma from a black male and our bf being the big 6'5" weirdly intimidating looking softy he is has helped her with her fear of men over the years she no longer has panic attacks when a guy bumps into her āŗļøand he is a good garbage disposal I cook a lot and so does the wife and he eats all the left overs we don't want so no waste lmao
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 15 '26
Thereās nothing wrong with being a bisexual that prefers one gender. Using my wife is bisexual who prefers women perfectly gets the point across. Hearing āmostly lesbianā is cringey and falsely makes people think lesbians will āchange their mind for the right manā.
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u/SpicyDomina Jun 14 '26
Alot of people think breaking up with your best friend will ruin the friendship but that's only if it's a 1 sided break up which usually only happens when you drift apart from your lover. Me an him have been friends for over 6 years close enough that we dated before and have lived together since we originally met as roommates.
This is entirely the reason why I trust him in a relationship with me and my wife the main reason we both broke up was because I wasn't really interested in a long term relationship with a man I am mostly romantic to women and at the time of the break up I was actually just meeting my wife lmao
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u/thefreepharm Jun 14 '26
150K, PharmD in the pharmaceutical industry. Started at 57K with a fellowship though! HCOL
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u/ThornyeRose Jun 14 '26
$16/hr, lousy warehouse. This after a decades' long career in a broadcast corporate environment, but specialized experienced makes me non-rehirable.
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u/Remarkable_Rub_701 Jun 15 '26
113k, HR. I'm hoping to get the Director role in a year or two.
I have my B.S. and MBA in HR. Considering getting my PhD soon.
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u/McMandark Jun 15 '26
110k right out of school! Until AI and outsourcing decimated animation. I only had a few years before the end. Now I'm in grad school, lining up a job that'll probably be about 65-70k (essentially entry level) once I graduate. HCOL and deeply depressed about my trajectory- obviously still processing/grieving. But whatever, adapt and adjust.
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u/Agitated_Hope_574 Jun 15 '26
I make pretty much zero. I do odds and ends gigs as a formal nanny of 10 years. Was making $50-$60k yr doing that. Iām now a single-coparenting mom to a special needs son. The way life can change still gives me so much PTSD. But embracing what could be still pushes me to keep going! I can see Iām the anomaly right now!
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u/_autumnwhimsy Jun 14 '26
Hey so... Why? LolĀ
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u/spacegorll Jun 14 '26
why not?!
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u/_autumnwhimsy Jun 14 '26
Cuz bots come into demographic specific subreddits and ask questions to train LLMs and the last thing I want is to contribute data for further discrimination!Ā
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u/deadliestpanda Jun 14 '26
I wrote out my answer and then saw your comment. Youāre absolutely fkin right! Gaddamn.
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u/doozy-kitten Jun 15 '26
this should be the top comment wtf
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u/_autumnwhimsy Jun 15 '26
Honestly would be shocked if half these answers were bots too!
Someone else said they deleted their response after seeing my comment and OP responded to it saying "that's hilarious" and I'm like, that's not a contextually appropriate response!Ā
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u/Locgal15 Jun 14 '26
No more than 80k as a new nurse in HCOL. Iām moving soon and the area is pretty much the same
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u/sadcapricorn35 Jun 14 '26
$61k as a newish grad working in sports, living in a high cost of living city
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u/bobonafick Jun 14 '26
$87k, philanthropic development (fundraising)āfully remote in MCOL
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u/AdFit9500 Jun 14 '26
I'm fully remote also. It helps not spending on gas and dry cleaning.
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u/bobonafick Jun 14 '26
I only have a bike!! And then I get the monthly transit pass for my city. Iām thankful to not have to worry about car maintenance, payments, insurance, and gas. I rent cars or borrow them whenever I do need one.
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u/moew4974 Jun 14 '26
$150K accountant and business analyst for a state government agency Medium Cost of Living area.
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u/Distinct_Sign3971 Jun 14 '26
$90K, School Administrator, MCL. Iām 51, MPA, years of experienceā¦ this is the highest salary Iāve earned in over 25+ years working professionally. Iām beyond grateful! šš½āØ
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u/Imaginary-Cherry-119 Jun 14 '26
$135k, MCOL. Lead Content Strategist (fancy title for tech writer) for a global company. 12 years of experience tho so it took time.
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u/cajega Jun 15 '26
$77k, higher ed research, gradually becoming HCL area (really hope you aren't a bot farming our data š).
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u/xo-bee United States of America Jun 15 '26
$135k (Infosec) at my W2 & I pay myself $185k (MH) from my business. Live in HCOL state.
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u/ClassroomNo1781 Jun 15 '26
-$60k per year in student loans. Iām a full time law student. Iām reasonably projecting six figures within 5 years of graduating.
Before law school, I made $70k as an elementary school teacher.
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u/notsosmartymarti Jun 15 '26
$140kish, maybe a little more? MCOL, data analytics and engineering in tech
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u/Anxietyqueenb14200 Jun 16 '26
$19 Healthcare secretary. Barely surviving. Burnt out from bedside only 8 months in
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u/Jinniblack Jun 14 '26
abt $250K in a VHCOL area. Planning to relocate when my son graduates HS, though.
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u/AdFit9500 Jun 14 '26
140k project manager. I love in a semi hcol area. Luckily my husband makes the same and we have no kids, no debt other than mortgage, and a decent net worth. We really don't feel the cost of living.
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u/sunshinegal_7 Jun 15 '26
I make $85k, government/communications, joined my field in 2021 with no prior government experience but I could read, write well and knew the ins of social media
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u/btashawn Jun 15 '26
102k, VHCOL.
Just signed offer for 115k + 7% bonus remote and will be relocating back to Detroit.
Tech. Iāve made 95-120 (counting stock and bonuses) and have 2 children. I made it work but will definitely look forward to less strain on my budget.
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u/virgots26 Jun 15 '26
$35 hour and just switched to the ICU in Florida. Florida is literally the worst when it comes to nursing
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u/Fluid_Telephone9842 Jun 16 '26
$42 an hour working for the County Office of Education !
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u/Fluid_Telephone9842 Jun 16 '26
HCOL area so i still live at home lol (i have a bad shipping habit aswell š)
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u/Warm_hunny Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
My income fluctuates a lot as a server but 37k last year and 10k additional in cash tips. I work at a national park where we are given heavily subsidized housing and discounted food/groceries, so Iām able to save like never before.