What People Earn

Yeah, he's kinda paid.

So although I can't afford the subscription, I love to read the morning paper while having my coffee. I inherit that from my mother. :-) She loves to do it on Sunday mornings, while I prefer Fridays, which are the least stressful days in our weeks, respectively. I like to take Friday morning, a day when I don't have class, sip on a Pike Place Roast from Starbucks (a splurge that I can't do without), and catch up on the news from the week past. I read my hometown paper as well as The NY Times and The Post, and The Huffington Post. Anyway, the reason I tell this story is because out of all the reading I love to do, there is one publication in particular that runs a certain article every year that I run out to grab: The annual Parade What People Earn issue. They always do spotlights on celebrities and regular people, and I love to see what people really make and how they save and spend their money. For example:

A Special Ed Teacher in Texas makes $51, 800 a year;
An Office Manager in Florida makes $52,000 a year;
A Landscape Gardener in California makes $77,000 a year.

Celebrities in particular:

Jennifer Aniston made $27 million last year;
Britney Spears made (only) 2.25 million(!);
and Tiger Woods made $110 million last year - gosh!


The article also reported yearly statistics:


■ The national average weekly income rose 2.5%, from $598 in 2007 to $613 in 2008. Inflation increased just .1% over the same period.

■ The personal savings rate rose from .9% in January 2007 to 5% in January 2009.

■ The average U.S. household had $10,728 in credit-card debt.

■ 56% of workers received health-care benefits through their jobs.

■ 56% of workers participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

So, in reality, I guess some jobs are (or aren't) "worth it" in terms of a dollar value. And, your salary can increase or decrease by where you live. I guarantee you the landscape gardener wouldn't make nearly as much in Alaska; and I thought that with her endorsement deals Kelly Ripa would be earning more.

The article is featured here. Thoughts?