this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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If you seriously believe we still have a middle class, let alone an upper section of it, I’ve got a bridge to sell you
You know why they are your peers even before the salary bump you mention? Because you are INFINITELY closer to them then you are the upper class elite.
You need to zoom out and stop bashing heads with your fellow workers simply because they don’t perform the exact same job for same compensation.
$250k+ household income is absolutely upper middle class, what the hell are you talking about
Meaningless distinction. The upper middle class doesn't have to worry about their utilities getting shut off due to nonpayment. They don't have to worry about eviction. They have an emergency fund and college tuition fund for their children.
Sure in terms of pure monetary wealth, they're closer to poor than rich. But in terms of life experience, all 3 classes are very different from each other.
You keep saying 200 and 250k, where are you getting these numbers? In my 20ish years in IT, I haven't seen or met anyone making that. The only jobs I heard about that paid anywhere near that were overseas during the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. Defense contractors were paid insane amounts of money to do next to nothing other than be near an area of conflict and render simple IT services.
I've read about some engineering positions in big tech companies that made 200-500k, but we are literally talking about .01% or maybe even .001% of tech jobs making these amounts.
It's not impossible that a household is pulling this, but you are also talking about 2 potentially highly educated and highly employable people able to make 100-125k each to make those numbers.
These 100k+ positions are also usually found in higher costs of living areas. It's not like these people are pulling in these salaries, but paying the cost of living equivalencies as in rural areas. If you don't already live in a major city in the US. I want you to do the math, double or triple your salary until you cross that 100-125k mark then look at the nearest major city to you (ie San Fran, Atlanta, NYC, DC, LA, Houston, Philly). Then look to see if you can afford a house/condo, food, utilities, transportation for your family in or near that city to live a lavish life like you seem to be claiming.
People seem to think that all of these workers that make more than them are in the same position for cost of living as them. Or have all of the same resources that they do. You need to think outside of your own little bubble and realize that not everyone is like you. As others have said above, you should direct your anger and frustration to people making insane amounts on money that they will never use or have a need for.
That's what I was referring to by "household income".
And I live in SF. I make that amount. And like I said, until recently I was quite poor.
It's night and day the difference. Upper middle class lifestyle is nowhere near working poor lifestyle. Not even in the same ballpark. I'm going to be able to retire in my mid 60s. If I had kids, I could put them through college. I will probably be able to buy a house at some point. These are all achievable dreams for me which are NOT for the average working class person. And most of these middle class people were BORN with those options.
Equating those two classes is just not rational, except in the very specific circumstance of both being opposed to the truly rich.