re: NY BIGLAW Salary Raise - $190K for 1st Years

quote:

---

Is there any job out there that isn’t miserable at 190k?

Everyone I know who makes more than 150k is busting there arse all the time to just stay in place. It’s a choice to make that money.

One director flat out said, “I got to my current position because i told my boss I wanted to work more and make more money. Then I told him I wanted a break again. Then I said I wanted to get back to making more money and my salary and career advancements flowed based on my dedication to busting my arse.”

---

Depends on the field and age, I think.

If you're in the traditionally uber competitive professional services industries (I mentioned above, but investment banking, strategy consulting, big law, some advertising and marketing, tech, and so forth) and relatively young (say, younger than 35 or 40), it will probably be a grind. The promise is always that you can get a job with similar compensation or prestige after you do your time and that new position will be not anywhere nearly as stressful or as demanding. The other promise is that if you keep on grinding like that, you're ceiling is very, very, very high (mid-six or even seven figures) if you're talented enough.

But I know plenty of PA's, web developers, some experienced tradesmen, industrial manufacturing management types, F1000 (and other large firm) junior and mid-level management, etc., etc. that earn in that range without a horrid amount of stress. The difference is that other than those already in management roles with an upward trajectory, their ceilings are capped.