One of my favorite time of the year is when the annual report comes out in Parade Magazine on what people earn. It’s so interesting to see the occupations that people engage in and how much they earn in their particular cities. This year’s edition (April 15, 2012), their 30th, put a bit of a different slant on their past series – they did a ‘then and now’ look at earnings. They asked some of their previously profiled workers how their lives had changed since they were interviewed. Here is a sampling of then and now earnings – see how you compare:
- Teacher in Bainbridge, WA: 1983 – $18,700, 2012 – Retired Teacher $42,000
- Restaurateur in Minneapolis, MN: 1997 – $80,000, 2012 – $36,000
- Sporting Goods Store Owner in Tennessee: 2002 – $80,000, 2012 – $75,000
- Romance Writer in South Dakota: 1991 – $52,500, 2012 – Ebook Author $59,000
- Archaeologist in Kentucky: 1990 – $29,900, 2012 – $52,959
- Social Worker in North Dakota: 2010 – $58,200, 2012 – $64,548
- Funeral Director in Arkansas: 1996 – $45,000, 2012 – $101,500
- Tour Guide in South Carolina: 2002 – $17,000, 2012 – $7,200
- Hotel Desk Clerk in Las Vegas: 1993 – $23,000, 2012 – Casino Host $118,000
- Graphic Artist in Montana: 1990 – $23,000, 2012 – $67,500
- Public Relations in New Hampshire: 1995 – $18,500, 2012 – ER Nurse $47,698
- DJ in Las Vegas: 2002 – $90,000, 2012 – Marketing CEO $192,000
- Meteorologist in Mississippi: 1992 – $42,000, 2012 – $95,000
- Fisherman in Alaska: 2003 – $40,000, 2012 – Commercial Fisherman $120,000
- Video Game Maker in Boston: 2000 – $52,000, Author $25 million
As you can see, incomes didn’t skyrocket for some of these former interviewees while it did for others; for some, it seems they learned to leverage their skills or to take chances and move forward on their dreams or in their career path. The economy seems to have taken a toll for some of these workers but they were small business owners with one prevailing theme – never give up. I love the entrepreneurial spirit! If you are a small business owner, or have thought of starting your own, what lessons can you learn from this report? Does it give you any ideas or hope for your future?
You can read the full report here:
http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com/2012/04/parade-magazine-what-people-earn.html
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