People Who Make $150k A Year Explain What They Do For Work

Everybody wants a great salary.

In this day and age, a large salary is becoming a must for survival.

A three-figure career is feeling like a necessity.

So what are these jobs and how do we find them?

I've heard about a few of them that were a no-go right away for me.

That's because they involved death-defying actions.

Window washers for skyscrapers make about $85/hr to start but you have to hover on top of the world and trust the strength of the plywood you are standing on.

There is also crime scene cleanup, but my stomach couldn't handle it.

I need to hear more options.

Redditor Iliketrainsz1 wanted to hear about the high-paying jobs we all need to know more about, so they asked:

"For the ones who make over $150k a year, what do you do to get that?"

Just a regular day...

"Software Engineer, 150K plus stock. 40 hours a week, work from home so I get my cats to hang out with. Every 6 weeks or so I'm on-call for work, which can occasionally make me work another few hours (and potentially get woken up at 4 AM by a page to my phone)."

- entropicdrift

Working Out Of Office GIF by This GIF Is HauntedGiphy

Bonus

"So this doesn't help anyone... but it certainly fits. I worked in sales for a company that sold ATMs. We hired a new guy the first week on the job a Chinese bank cold-called him and ordered no joke 20k ATMs. The dude got his bonus check and quit. He makes over 200k that year (lol)."

- baldieforprez

"Imagine you're making like $30k to $45k a year and then you suddenly had $200k for like approximately 2 months of work?"

"You'd dip out and just mess around for a few months to a year living life."

"But he must be really young, sub 25 to do this..."

- TurkeyBLTSandwich

Long Hours

"Orthopedic surgeon. Made big sacrifices socially/traveling/income during 20s and early 30s while training. I’m 36 years old just starting my 3rd year of practice and make $840k straight salary. Probably work about 55 hours/week. It’s incredibly rewarding but also very stressful."

- CrzyJoeDavola

"Yep, a childhood friend of mine was the son of an orthopedic surgeon, yes they were on the richer side of the city and always had fancy cars and a huge home theater, however on a few times I got to spend with him late at night or at a sleepover with some other kids, I could see why they were that rich, his dad would almost never be at home because he would be paged at odd hours needing him to go to the hospital to perform or assist in surgery, I always thought it must suck to be my friend, his mom sadly passed a few years earlier so most of the time he had to spend with a babysitter or at another friends house."

- Marcos340

In the Bay Area

"I do transport for a mortuary in the SF Bay Area (picking up dead bodies). My base pay is about 80k, but I get plenty of extra hours and overtime because I'm pretty much the only one who volunteers to do the So-Cal and out-of-state trips (we will only go as far as Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and the border towns of Mexico). With all the overtime I easily make $150k+."

- Jack_Torrance80

High Tech

"I'm in B2B technical sales. I sell industrial starch to paper mills and charcoal plants. Base salary is $135K/yr, over the past 5 years, the bonus has ranged from $40K - $70K based on company performance."

"We mostly hire engineers or at least people with technical backgrounds for our sales roles."

- peon2

"I also work in B2B technical sales, in the industrial automation sector though. Most of my customers are in manufacturing. I have an engineering background. My base is $70K and my total target compensation is $87.5K. I don’t get any bonuses.

"Man, do I feel like I’m getting f**ked."

- CH4cows

Good Biz

"Small paint repairs for car dealers. Body shops have gotten crazy expensive so biz is good for me. ~300k a year."

- KCpaintguy

Donald Duck Money GIFGiphy

Rigged

"Slot game mathematician. Do you know how they say the games are rigged? I'm the guy who rigs it from math scratch work to the code that runs it."

- Trickishwheat8

"If you look at it as entertainment, it's fine. Go in with 50 bucks, play for a few hours, walk out with either nothing (what you planned on spending for a night of entertainment), the same amount (got several hours of entertainment for free), or maybe ahead (well, look at you go!). If you look at it as a way to make money, you're screwed."

- ghosttowns42

I don’t fix bones...

"Trauma Surgeon. The scope of the trauma surgeon varies from surgeon to surgeon. I don’t fix bones (outside of reductions and splinting), and I don’t operate on the brain (I do manage head bleeds in the ICU on a regular basis). Outside of that, I do most everything else, including vascular and urology, though I will say that is a bit outside the norm for most trauma surgeons. I call for help if things get weird."

"Hospital employed. I work in a large group, and we all get along. I can legitimately take off 1-2 weeks whenever I want if I give a couple of months' notice. I could do that every month and no one would bat an eye as long as I hit my required number of shifts over the year. Never technically have to cash in PTO. We split holidays equitably. If you want a weekend off, or a day off, you’re essentially guaranteed to get it so long as you give enough notice. It’s a pretty sweet gig."

- Thin-Midnight291

Legal Eagle

"Lawyer (USA). Undistinguished academic record from an undistinguished law school. Took me a while to get my first legal job, which I still have. Started at 65k. About to start my 4th year at 150k. Strictly WFH, no billable requirement, generally very easy and low-stress. Occasionally I get to help people. Can't complain!"

"By the standards of the profession, I am not paid well. By the standards of the profession in my geographic area, it is a fine living. By my standards - grew up rural and pretty poor - I am doing just dandy."

"The real question is going to be: do I try to job-hop to increase my salary (and possibly find more stimulating work, too!) - or do I just look in the mirror every morning and say 'Bro we are SO lucky' and use my copious free time for other things?'"

- daxelkurtz

Home Check-up

"I started a home inspection company about 2 years ago. Hit $100k the first year and already crossed $150k this year. Recently hired an admin for all the office and prep work and am currently hiring another inspector. Need them to go out and climb in these hot-a** Florida attics instead of me 😅."

- Thick_Newspaper9527

Look to the Skies

"Air traffic control."

- your_real_beauty

"Used to live with a couple of air traffic controllers. They were recently qualified, and exams seemed insane, but as long as you can do it, it seemed like an amazing career. Frequent breaks due to intense hours, great base pay, and lots of ways to advance/specialize."

- HuntedWolf

Talking Comedy Central GIF by Crank YankersGiphy

One Weeklong Course

"Scalp Micropigmentation artist. Took a weeklong course 12 years ago after getting laid off from my job as an entertainment editor at Playboy.com. Making way more money now than I ever did in publishing."

- Ahead_Ink_SMP

Wait. I didn’t know this was a thing. I don’t have issues with hair loss, but from what I can tell you make guys look like being bald is a choice. I’m not shi**ing on it at all. Very cool."

- memphis-mane

"This is such a genius thing that’s happened in the tattooing profession. Love seeing the results."

- CoffeeNearby

The Fixers

"Field Service Technician. Travel 300 days a year with a 50lb suitcase and 50lb toolbox troubleshooting and fixing industrial equipment."

- r3q

"It’s great for younger guys who want to see the country (or world even). Don’t even need to have a place to live as you live on the road. $80 a day to eat. Hotels are all paid for. Rental cars are all paid for. It’s fun when it’s fun."

"Never done it myself but managed field teams. Holy hell the budget for this stuff when you add it all up. Teams travel budget… next day flights are not cheap. People wonder why airlines don’t do more discounting at the last minute… field service techs are why."

- mallclerks

Shocked

"On behalf of my dad. He makes around $200k-$250k a year. He has got to be one of the top-paid welders in Texas. He gets paid an hourly rate, on top of his truck gets paid hourly as well, and then he gets a set perdiem daily. When I realized that his truck made more than me, I was shocked. My first week working I made around $1800, I was surprised to see that his truck alone made my whole check."

- GoldCopy5323

Plenty of work

"Lineman. Applied for an apprenticeship after I got my CDL, rest is history. Pay varies by OT, can range anywhere from $170k-$300k depending on how much you want to work."

- RPU97

Pay Me Kim Kardashian GIF by GQGiphy

Nothing here is sparking my interest.

Well, the money is, but how to get it isn't.

I can't work in trauma.

It would be too traumatic. ;)

That air traffic controller idea could be something.

I wonder if all of these fields are looking.

No one really mentioned if most of them are filled up.

More research must be done.