12 People Share How They’re Making 6 Figures- And If It’s Worth It
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Have you met a wealthy person and you want to ask them the famous movie line, “What do you do, and how do you do it?” Thanks to the internet, we can now approach strangers online and get an excellent opportunity to gain insights on achieving a six-figure income.
An online conversation starter asked, “For everyone making six figures, what do you do for work?”
1. The Health Sector
The long queues at the doctor’s office and the late nights aren’t in vain; being a doctor is a lucrative career. Once you withstand the many years in school and residency, you’re well on your way to 6-figures.
One contributor answers, “[I’m a] Doctor. But I sold my life and my youth. It’s not worth it.”
Someone adds, “Same. 35-year-old OBGYN here. Obviously, [I] went into it for the lifestyle and family life.” We hear your sarcasm from here.
2. Bartending
Did you know that you could make 6-figures from behind the bar?
One user says, “Bartender for 16 years, started making around $80k and have slowly moved up to $110k. I recently made a pivot to a new career but still bartend to pay the bills for now.”
3. Working In Construction
Construction is hard work, but it’s the kind of hard work that actually pays. One user says to succeed in construction, you have to be confident in yourself, and the more you can do, the more you’re worth.
He adds, “Remember, this is a field that you can get into with a GED and no experience and make a damn good living, but you cannot slack. You’ll pay your dues and endure some rough days. You’ll go through some shi**y companies and meet some shi**y people, but eventually, it will pay off. You’ll meet the good people, find the good company, and be comfortable in your job. It’s worth it.”
4. Scientist At A National Lab
What does a scientist at a national laboratory do?
“I basically get to chase down whatever cool ideas I want, though, within reason. Shoot positrons through magnets to make X-rays? Let’s do it. Can we make a better jet engine using //redacted// for compression blades? Here’s 20 million dollars, go find out.”
Is it worth it?
“You go to college for 9 years first, and lots of analysis shows the better money is taking an undergrad engineering job, getting paid sooner, and working up the corporate ladder.”
5. Microbiologist
Working as a microbiologist is an excellent way to make money after enduring the first decade.
A user says, “We had a microbiologist work for us once. Needed the money, and he said it takes a solid 10 years tenure in his field before he could match the energy sector, but would triple it by the 2nd decade. [He] worked a few years, paid off whatever debts were holding him down, and went back to being a professor, doing whatever microbiologist researchers do.”
6. Crane Operator
Operating a range is not only fun, it turns out it gives you time to rest and pays enough to make 6 figures. One crane operator says this is the easiest job they ever had.
“[It takes] $3000 to get your NCCO and $6500 to get your CDL. I work 12 hours/day but only on the crane 1-1.5 hours a shift. The other 10.5-11 hours is spent sleeping, playing Xbox, watching movies, etc.”
Someone agrees, “Yeah, my dad is a crane operator, too. Six figures in his salary alone but also gets $150 per diem since he has to live in whichever city his crane is, and his crane is nowhere near his state of residency.”
7. Fossil Fuel Industry
If you can deal with the crazy hours and commute, working in the fossil fuel industry is a sure way to make 6-figures.
A contributor says, “… The fossil fuel industry pays incredibly well. My neighbor for a while was some kind of engineer who worked on offshore rigs in the Gulf, made north of 250k/yr, but he was 3 weeks on/3 weeks off cause you can’t exactly commute back and forth to work in that kind of situation so it has its downsides.”
8. Aircraft Mechanic
Being a mechanic is awesome, but being an aircraft mechanic seems even better! A career in aviation sounds lucrative, and there’s more to do than flying planes [although flying the planes is still pretty cool].
One mechanic says, “I work as a machine mechanic, and my uncle’s best friend works in aircraft. His schedule and on-call pay make me suuuuper envious.”
9. Mushroom Farming
If you’re willing to get your hands dirty [literally], try a hand in farming. One gourmet mushroom farmer is whistling all the way to her six-figure bank account.
She says, “I own a commercial gourmet mushroom farm bringing in high six figures. Zero student debt, no wage ceiling.”
She’s only 28.
10. The Banking Industry
Crunching numbers at the bank is not very hard when you get your checks to balance, and anyone with a penchant for numbers can do it.
A user says, “My best friend is a senior underwriter for [X] Bank. He makes about $115k. What’s really a slap in the t**s is he’s a high school dropout.”
Someone adds, “It seems like there is a lot of room to grow at a bank. A friend started an entry-level job at a local bank and a few years later got hired by a mortgage broker and made $750k in 2021. They’re having a bad year now and only making $200k. Wild.”
11. Painting
Get your overalls on and get a bit dirty as you work your way to 6-figures, if the testimony of one house painter is anything to go by.
He says, “I own a house painting company. 20-30 hours of manual labor a week and about 10 of office/paperwork. 2 employees … From my perspective, it is a very rewarding and fun job.”
12. Working In Sales
Salespeople may seem a tad annoying, but they’re taking home some serious figures at the end of the day.
Someone says, “I make $400k/year, occasional travel, probably work 35 hours a week.”
They add that you can definitely make a lot of money in sales. But it’s a hustle, and you get out what you put in.
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