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People Who Make $500,000 A Year Reveal If The Money Is Worth The Stress And Hours On The Job

profile Bre Avery Zacharski | May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026
Benjamin looking at you. Closeup on money
Nomad_Soul - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Money can unquestionably change your life, but money isn’t everything, and the more money you make, the more stress and responsibilities you’re bound to have.

A Reddit user by the name of space_god_7191 asked, “For those who make over 500k+ a year, is it worth it for you?” They went on to say that they realize how that kind of cash helps you live a cushy life, but they were wondering whether all the stress was worth it.

Read on below for what people making half a million dollars a year think about it, along with what kinds of jobs they have that help them earn such an insane amount of money.

A Doctor Making $550,000

“Doctor. 550k now, 650k next year. Was it worth it? Yes and no. I had to work incredibly hard to get here. Endless studying throughout my 20s and early 30s. I am not naturally smart; I just had to brute-force learn over and over and over. I gave up a lot. No parties, no drinking, no girls, etc. I told myself one day I would have “my turn”. It never came. When I was finished, I was in my mid-30s, and those experiences were over. Friends had settled down, bought houses, had kids, etc. Those opportunities were gone. A part of my soul died. It wasn’t just my training; it was multiple things. However, training certainly made all of this hurt that much more. 10 years later, things are ok. I have a family of my own. We have had a good life. I’ve been able to provide a level of comfort that I didn’t have as a child. Would I do it again? I honestly don’t know. I don’t need much. I could be as happy with less.” -Mylifereboot

A Molecular Biologist Making $350 to $500,000

“350-500K+ depending on company stock, etc. Love it. I make drugs for children with incurable, deadly genetic diseases. I work fully remote from my house in a forest in the PNW. 35-55 hour weeks, depending on what’s going on. Wouldn’t trade this job for the world. The money is obviously great. I would probably do it (eh, most of it) for free.” -milespoints

A Man Working In Private Retail Making $400,000

“400k here. It depends on your expectations. I work roughly 50-55 hours a week (on-site), but I enjoy the work. Wife drives a Porsche, we take awesome vacations, and [are] able to pay for both kids’ college. I’ll be able to retire comfortably at 60. For me, I’m good.” -jsc4

Benjamin looking at you. Closeup on money
Nomad_Soul – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

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A Tech Couple Making $600,000

“~$600-650K combined here in North Carolina. Wife and I both work in Tech with remote jobs. We immigrated here from Singapore in 2017, and I was the only one of us earning for the first year. My first salary was $100K in San Francisco. Over the course of the last 9 years, both of us have been fortunate to have received multiple promotions. It did come with a lot of stress and long hours, but it was worth it 100%. Today, both of us work no more than 40 hours a week individually. This is truly a great country and [a] land of opportunities. We did get lucky, but I do strongly feel that the chances of getting lucky are higher here than anywhere else in the world.” -Independent_Peach_73

An Investment Banker Making $750,000

“$750K investment banking on Wall Street. Not as bad as people make it out to be at senior levels. Can work from mostly anywhere, take a lot of calls, and send a lot of emails. Stress comes from long lead time projects falling apart after months of work. Stress is worth it. I travel a lot through the world and get to do cool high-end stuff. This year have vacationed in St. Barths, Japan for Cherry Blossom, and Peru.” -Familiar_Ad_9241

What do you think?

You can view the original post on Reddit here.

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By Bre Avery Zacharski

Hi, I'm Bre, Chip Chick's CEO! I have a degree in Textile/Surface Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology, and... More about Bre Avery Zacharski