This is a pretty cool infographics. The over 200K tier is dominated by health care professionals, and airline pilots.
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Surprised to see lawyers in the same bucket as software developers. 
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There are a lot of diploma mill law schools turning out sub par lawyers. Now CA wants to waive the bar requirement, so they can all practice law.
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I don’t want to pay people that are “practicing” anything. I will only pay those who have already perfected their craft.
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For the Wall Street Journal, Joe Pinsker reports on income and happiness, or more specifically, on the raises people said they needed to be happy. The more people have the more they need.
Bad news. If you make over 200K, you need to make 150K more to be happy.
The least miserable income band seems to be the 100-149K range. You only need to make an extra 15K or so to be happy.
Maybe the moral of the story is you will never be happy.
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There is a point of diminishing returns where time becomes more of a limiting factor than money. At that point, you either make the leap to startup founder in pursuit of a private jet lifestyle, or you structure your life to maximize free time.
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How come use absolute dollar? What is the ratio of happy median/current median? Look at $25k-$34k, look like $50k/$25k, need 100% jump in annual salary. Income tax is progressive, for a certain percentage increase in net take home, need a higher percentage jump in salary. Joe intentionally paint a picture of greediness of high paying people.
The question is how come a person making over 200K is still unhappy and needs more money?
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Happiness can only come from not having expectations… remember the buddhism teaching? Money is not the only thing people want… spouse, status, better college 
, etc.
These people think money can solve their problems though. The survey question was how much more money will make them happy, and people who make 250K want a 100K raise.
My theory is that at the over 200K income band, they know people who make far more than them in their social circle. Maybe an accountant who can see their rich clients’ tax returns, or a young lawyer knowing how much the law firm partners make. So they want the rich people’s lifestyles. There is no end in sight. Once they make 350K, they will want 500.
People who make around 100K are mostly the king of their local hills. They haven’t moved onto the rich social circle yet. They already make more than their high school or college buddies and they are happier than the 200K people.
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Sound like talking yourself Which one is you? $100k or over $200k? My guess is…
The local hills of San Francisco have too many billionaires for me to feel like a king. Probably need to move to a place like Austin.
So you’re one of those $100k who don’t feel like a king. Isn’t this a counter example to your theory?
Did your Singapore university teach logic reasoning?
People making 100K => king of local hills.
What does “not king of local hills” imply?
BTW I learned this basic logic reasoning from my high school in Hong Kong.
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$200k isn’t much for a family in a high cost city. Especially when it costs a fortune for a home in a good school district, or you’re facing private school cost. Then there’s the cost of college.
$200k
-$22k maxing 401k ($44k if maxing out two people)
-$44k federal, state, and payroll taxes
-$5k for FSA/HSA and benefits
$129k take home
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$10,750/mo
That goes fast when you’re talking mortgage, property tax, insurance, car insurance, utilities, food, etc. That doesn’t even count sports and activities for kids. Car payments make it worse, but no car payment you have to save to eventually replace them.
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Avg 4 bd home rent in Fremont is around $4K. Why is 200K not good enough if you don’t want to spend millions in buying a home.
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No idea. Only know you said you don’t feel like a king. I have the impression that you’re envious of those earning more than $200k.
IMHO, the report by Joe is worthless because…
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Then you need to add renter’s insurance and utilities. What about car insurance? Then there’s car maintenance and gas or electricity. The family needs food. How much is being saved for college? What about sports and activities for kids? Grades aren’t enough to get into college anymore. I don’t think $200k is much to raise kids on in the Bay Area.
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In the current remote/ hybrid era, you can live in places like Oakley/ Brentwood with good school , less rent or even less mortgage buying home and can easily save 4k per month on $200K salary.
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I said in a high cost city. It’s a huge difference.
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