People Who Make $200k+ A Year Are Sharing What Their Jobs Are, And I'm Completely Fine And Not Reconsidering Everything At All

    "I don’t really feel qualified, but I don’t plan on leaving until they fire me."

    Amy Glover
    by Amy Glover

    BuzzFeed Staff

    In a recent post shared to r/AskReddit, site user u/H-U-I-3 asked, "For those that make over $200k a year, what do you do?" Here are some of the most-upvoted replies:

    Side note — BuzzFeed didn't confirm these.

    1. "Airline pilot. I've been flying professionally since 1997."

    Portra / Getty Images

    "I was an aircraft mechanic before that. I grew up at an airport and was flying before I could legally drive. Unlike some people I know, I love the job. I can’t believe I get paid to do it. I own an antique plane, and I fly warbirds for a couple of museums, doing rides and airshows. I’ve also been an electrician and an electrical contractor. Flying is the best damn way to make a living I can imagine." 

    u/Aeronaut_condor

    2. "I'm a Michelin-starred private chef. I left the industry for this one family. They are no one important. No NDAs. They just have a cyber security company in the Bay Area. I work 25-40 hours a week."

    A chef in a professional uniform serves food on an outdoor dining table near a pool. Several plates of breakfast items and glasses of juice are on the table
    Gahsoon / Getty Images

    "$240k plus a discretionary annual bonus." 

    u/EnzolovestoLatch  

    3. "Photolithography researcher at a big tech firm. Nearly 300k this year. All it took was over a decade of higher education* and being in the right place in contact with the right people. I have no idea what I'm doing half the time lol, but I'm told nobody actually does."

    A person in protective lab clothing and goggles sits at a desk in a laboratory, holding lab tools, with various scientific equipment around them
    Froggyfrogg / Getty Images

    "*BSc in electrical engineering (five years), MSc in computer engineering (three years), PhD in semiconductor physics (four years). All that, and I had to look up Ohm's law yesterday." 

    u/Affectionate-Memory4

    4. "Lawyer at a big law firm. Wouldn't recommend it."

    A group of business professionals in a meeting room, seated at a table with documents and coffee cups, engaged in a discussion. Unknown individuals
    Shapecharge / Getty Images

    u/sirSw0le 

    "One day I’ll meet a lawyer who is not absolutely beat down by their profession." 

    u/minusthetalent02 

    5. "Electrical engineer. To you young people… YOU NEED TO CHANGE COMPANIES."

    A woman in medical scrubs operates medical and electronic equipment in a lab, monitoring data on several screens and devices
    Andresr / Getty Images

    "Whenever you feel like you are 1) taking on new roles without your pay increasing significantly or 2) if you feel ready to take on new roles, move on. You will never keep pace with inflation or get ahead at one employer." 

    u/ILLEGAL_TRAIN_PARTS

    6. "Cyber security and compliance for a 2,500-employee company."

    A man is seated at a desk in a modern office, focused on working on his laptop. He has headphones around his neck and is surrounded by work materials
    Jasmin Merdan / Getty Images

    u/Few-Budget-3223

    "I work in compliance for a smaller org, don't make over 200k, but my mental health is UNWELL lol." 

    u/adventurouscake1109

    7. "I play with Excel and make nice PowerPoints and am good at presenting."

    A woman in a business setting points at data charts on a screen, explaining to a colleague. She wears a light blouse and dark pants
    Hispanolistic / Getty Images

    u/limitbreakse

    "That's like 95% of corporate jobs." 

    u/flyerhell

    8. "I'm a software engineer at a FAANG company. I don’t really feel qualified, but I don’t plan on leaving until they fire me."

    Two men are having a discussion while looking at a laptop. A woman is standing in the background, working on a large chalkboard
    Maskot / Getty Images

    u/TheAppleCriesAtMidni

    9. "Woodworker. I have relationships with high-end interior designers in NYC but don’t live there. My work appears regularly in magazines and galleries."

    Hispanolistic / Getty Images

    u/Princess_Snuggles

    10. "I might clear 200 this year depending on my bonus... I'm a senior-level construction manager."

    A construction worker in safety gear, holding a harness and rope, against a blue sky background
    Visoot Uthairam / Getty Images

    u/zeroentanglements

    11. "I work as a macroeconomist and quantitative analyst at one of the world's largest banks."

    Violetastoimenova / Getty Images

    u/laughingwalls

    12. "I'm a surgeon."

    Two surgeons in surgical attire, including masks, goggles, and hairnets, focus intently on a patient under bright operating lights
    Fangxianuo / Getty Images

    u/the_weak_sauce

    13. "I'm a primary care physician."

    Fatcamera / Getty Images

    u/Tanglebones70  

    14. "I'm a VFX supervisor for film and TV. It's an awesome job — I feel very lucky."

    A person wearing glasses sits at a desk, using a computer to design a 3D model of a futuristic vehicle. The workspace features a plant and a lamp
    Evgeniyshkolenko / Getty Images

    u/canadianmatt

    15. "I'm a cancer research scientist in biotech/pharma. I've been at it for a decade."

    A scientist in a lab coat and gloves works on a computer while holding a test tube
    Sanjeri / Getty Images

    u/NuclearHoagie

    16. "Not consistent but I make between 180-220 depending on the year as a crane operator."

    Construction site with multiple cranes working on high-rise buildings, cityscape visible in the background during sunset
    Anton Petrus / Getty Images

    u/-Kaldore-  

    "180-220k operating cranes? I guess it goes up and down." 

    u/illuminatisdeepdish

    17. "I made my money the old-fashioned way, I got run over."

    David Sacks / Getty Images

    u/KampferMann

    H/T to r/AskReddit and u/H-U-I-3 for having this discussion.

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.     

    Do you have a well-paid job you'd like to share, or are you surprised by some of these? Let us know in the comments below!