# Would a person live comfortable making $20-25 an hour?



## nubly

I've been looking into what I can do to make more money. I tried school to be a nurse but I can't do that. I was looking how much certified coders make and the average range is between $20 to $25 an hour. Certified coders for neurology make the most at $32 an hour but thats probably not in deman. Anyway, I was thinking of attempting to go back to school for nursing but looking at how much coders make it looks like thats a better option; especially since I have been a coder in the past (not certified) and I work in the medical billing field right now. Maybe 5-6 years from now I can look into neurology.

So would $20-25 an hour be enough to live comfortably, especially if you are living with your partner (or someone to split living costs)?


----------



## Cedilla

It really depends on the person. I could live very comfortable on that, but im a single 20 yr old, who currently makes $9 an hour and I live the rents. If I was middle aged with a family that I had to provide for, then I would want much more.


----------



## leonardess

I was looking at that same sort of wage, albeit in a different field. It depends on the cost of living where you're at. 

Where I will be living in the near future, $25 would be very good indeed, and with the rent I will be paying, it's just like splitting the costs with someone else. I don't see why you couldn't manage well on that.


----------



## Unlikely hero

of course 25x40=1000x52=52000

thats plenty


----------



## Futures

52K is pretty good. I mean it's not big baller status or anything, but if you're a conservative spender with your money, it should allow you to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle while being able to afford a few extra "toys" each year, especially if you meet someone and have dual incomes.

I used to make 28K and after taxes I couldn't even afford to move out of my parents house on that kind of income around here where I live. After that, 52K starts to look very good.


----------



## letitrock

**** YES! except for the student loan debt, that amount would be perfect!


----------



## tlgibson97

Yes. I make just over that and I could live very comfortably on one income. Luckily I have a working spouse so that allows me to have some extra fun too. 

It is definitley better if you are used to making way less than that. 6 years ago my family of 4 was scraping by on one income of $30k/yr. Everything that came in went back out. I didnt have any rent/utilities because we were living in my moms basement apartment for free (thanks mom). It allowed us to get back on our feet after a rough patch.

A few months ago my wife almost got laid off and I figured if I cut all extra expenses that we could make it on my income alone. But that required cutting everything except mortgage, insurance, retirement savings, student loans, phone, utilities, and internet. Ive since picked up a couple loans for toys so I don't think I could cut back enough to make it on one income (pretty stupid of me but sometimes I can be stupid).

If you are single making $50k/yr in a normal area that doesnt have excessive standard of living costs you would live confortably. Especialyl if you are splitting living costs. If you keep costs low (housing, utilities, etc) that will give you more money to do what you want with. I think the average household income in the US is in the $40k's so I think there are a lot of people that would be happy with $50k.


----------



## millenniumman75

Depending on spending habits, yes. 
I am at least in this range and I am not eating dog food.


----------



## Man Is An Island

I'm pretty sure I would literally kill for $52,000 a year. Too bad I'll never see that kind of money in my life, unless I win the lottery, which I don't play.

I'm amazed that people say it isn't enough for them. Sure, you won't be rich and taxes will consume an absurd portion, but so long as you aren't particularly haphazard with your money, you will live a more than comfortable life: you can afford a car, internet, house, tv, cable, travel and retirement (if you save and invest properly).


----------



## Inturmal

If it weren't for taxes, $10/hr would easily be enough for me. $25 would be luxurious. I'm a somewhat frugal person though, and I don't have to support anyone else.


----------



## Classified

I lived just fine when I started out making that kind of money. If I had a spouse and kids, it may take a little more.


----------



## CopadoMexicano

In my area i think thats a decent amount for living. so yes. :O)


----------



## jane

You can pay your rent, buy food, and save a little extra with 20$ an hour. But you can't do much else. Also, in Canada, 20$ is less than 30k a year, after taxes.


----------



## WineKitty

nubly said:


> I've been looking into what I can do to make more money. I tried school to be a nurse but I can't do that. I was looking how much certified coders make and the average range is between $20 to $25 an hour. Certified coders for neurology make the most at $32 an hour but thats probably not in deman. Anyway, I was thinking of attempting to go back to school for nursing but looking at how much coders make it looks like thats a better option; especially since I have been a coder in the past (not certified) and I work in the medical billing field right now. Maybe 5-6 years from now I can look into neurology.
> 
> So would $20-25 an hour be enough to live comfortably, especially if you are living with your partner (or someone to split living costs)?


I vote for the coder option, I know someone who just graduated school and landed a government job doing it. Since you are already in billing, you know what the job entails.

With nursing....too many people look at the money of nursing and not the actual job. Its a very hard job and not for everyone. I see some nurses at work that are so burned out and they haven't even been doing it that long. :eek Scary.

It all depends on what your expenses are.

I have been analyzing the Vegas housing market and you really should buy a house, I cannot believe how cheap the houses are, it would be far less than rent.


----------



## PlayerOffGames

WineKitty said:


> I have been analyzing the Vegas housing market and you really should buy a house, I cannot believe how cheap the houses are, it would be far less than rent.


----------



## Just Lurking

Of course you can.


----------



## shyvr6

My guess would be that you could live ok. Like the people above said, a lot of it depends on your spending habits and what you would consider living comfortably. When I was making 13 bucks an hour, I was comfortable with my lifestyle, but of course I was single with only a car modding habit. If I made 52K, I would be in baller status for my standards, haha.


----------



## huh

I live comfortably (on my own) making much less than that.


----------



## Roberto

:sus uh HELL YES? Even with a car payment and mediocre apartment. I don't make anywhere near that much.


----------



## FreeSoul

$25 an hour be an awesome amount to make... to me anyway. :/

Of course that depends on the hours and kind of job too.


----------



## TheRob

I am in the $20-$25/hr range myself, and I do just fine. The cost of living is low here... one of the lowest metropolitan areas in the nation.


----------



## copper

I make a little over $19 per hour after withholding, and I live pretty well. I am a cheapskate though. I still have a 27 inch CRT television, a 20 year old stove, fridge, washer, and dryer. Most of my furniture is hand me downs. I did just buy a new mattress set, but bought it online at a huge discount. I was able to pay my $64000 mortgage in 2002. I really watch what I spend on. I don't eat out much or take many trips. Housing is pretty cheap here. The only things is expensive is the winter due to heat, snow removal, and the road salt damages things on the vehicles. I spent $1500 this past November getting new ball joints, sway bar links, new brake caliper, front wheel u joints due to the salt corroding them.


----------



## Prakas

Honestly, I think $16+ an hour would be good. It depends where you live, $20-25 is excellent.

Now I want to know who voted no...


----------



## AussiePea

Obviously depend on their life, where they live, if they are supporting a family, living at home, living alone, paying off school loans and so forth. So I can't answer the poll. It's not a bad wage though, pretty much the average I would imagine?


----------



## nubly

quiet0lady said:


> FYI, I heard a rumor that medical transcription/coding will be phased out in the near future due to newer technology. I don't know if that holds any validity, but it might be something to look into before you decide on it.


 I think its called CAC. I don't think it'll happen though. From my experience, lots of doctors don't code which I think is what they have to do with CAC. The transcriptionist has already been done it was a disaster. Not sure if they are trying to come up with something new though.


----------



## WineKitty

quiet0lady said:


> FYI, I heard a rumor that medical transcription/coding will be phased out in the near future due to newer technology. I don't know if that holds any validity, but it might be something to look into before you decide on it.


Transcriptionists are losing ground to voice recognition which has a long way to go before being perfected. But the real killer of that job is the outsourcing that has been going on. Wages have plummeted for Transcriptionists, its going the way of the T Rex. I dont know about coding though. :stu


----------



## renegade disaster

I know I could certainly live comfortably on that sort of money.


----------



## UltraShy

WineKitty said:


> With nursing....too many people look at the money of nursing and not the actual job. Its a very hard job and not for everyone. I see some nurses at work that are so burned out and they haven't even been doing it that long. :eek Scary.


There are lots of jobs that suck big time. Have you seen the 150+ jobs Mike Rowe has done on "Dirty Jobs"? They just keep coming up with more filthy, nasty, and dangerous things for him to try each week.

Those who haven't seen "Dirty Jobs" have likely seen Mike Rowe doing ads for Ford, pretty much the only job that doesn't leave him covered in filth.


----------



## AceRimmer

Considering the most I've ever made is $14/hr, umm yeah...even in a place like Boston.


----------



## kinaman

any single person can live off 7 dollars per hour, 25 per hour is actually middle class enough to feed a small family of 3.


----------



## ThatWierdGuy

No. The moment a person reaches a certain income level they just want more. 

People don't care about security. They care about their status relative to their neighbor.


----------



## PlayerOffGames

ThatWierdGuy said:


> They care about their status relative to their neighbor.


you are also like this...so am i...so what?


----------



## ThatWierdGuy

inna sense said:


> you are also like this...so am i...so what?


Yup I am. Never denied it.

The point is in the first sentence of my previous post. No one is ever comfortable with their income. Nothing cryptic there.


----------



## PlayerOffGames

ThatWierdGuy said:


> Nothing cryptic there.


hhhmmm *scratches chin*


----------



## ThatWierdGuy

inna sense said:


> hhhmmm *scratches chin*


If you have a point you should spill it before this becomes a flame war. This is the 2nd time you have instigated a rather benign comment not aimed at anyone.


----------



## PlayerOffGames

shhh...they dont see


----------



## ThatWierdGuy

inna sense said:


> shhh...they dont see


*hides from mods*


----------



## PlayerOffGames

ThatWierdGuy said:


> *hides from mods*


*stands in front of Guy with right hand on heart blocking the mods view*...mods...Guy be my homie...dont cuff wid 'im

i has spoken!


----------



## WineKitty

kinaman said:


> any single person can live off 7 dollars per hour, 25 per hour is actually middle class enough to feed a small family of 3.


$7 an hour isnt much after taxes. That would be incredibly hard to do in most cities.


----------



## pita

Even if I wasn't splitting costs with another person, I could live comfortably on 20-25 an hour.

7 an hour... yikes. Not here. That would cover rent & utilities and nothing else.


----------



## lonelyjew

Me personally, yes, but that's only now. If I had a family to support, to get through school, to take traveling, I doubt that would be enough.


----------



## Amocholes

*Watch the Spamming*


----------



## PlayerOffGames

Amocholes said:


> *Watch the Spamming*


each thread is a kindergarten...let us play, father Ö_Ö


----------



## AceRimmer

$7/hr is totally undoable in my area unless you like living in a card board box in the dead of New England winter. Living wage in this area is $13/hr assuming you live in a tiny studio apartment in the ghetto. This also leaves you with nothing to save for emergencies.


----------



## JFmtl

It's a relative to a certain point. I guess when you earn 25$ an hour, you envy the guy who makes 35$/h and wish you had his salary.

It depends on your living cost, tax deductions in your area, and your lifestyle. Also, earning that salary when you are single, or living with a working bf/gf isn't the same thing as having to sustain a family of 3-4-5 alone. A single guy earning 20-25$/hr, or someone with a partner also making 20-25$/hr while splitting some cost are more richer in a way than the guy/girl earning the same salary with children to feed and a housewife/husband for example. 

But overall, i'd say that 20-25 an hour, at least around my area, is a nice salary to live off on, if you don't spend too crazily and are not the sole provider of a family. You should be able to afford comfortable living, a few treats here and then, a not too bad car, and some money saved for the old days.


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness

Roberto said:


> :sus uh HELL YES? Even with a car payment and mediocre apartment. I don't make anywhere near that much.


This.


----------



## ThatWierdGuy

inna sense said:


> *stands in front of Guy with right hand on heart blocking the mods view*...mods...Guy be my homie...dont cuff wid 'im
> 
> i has spoken!


*comes out of hiding, now feeling like a jackass*


----------



## Paul

$20/hour would be fantastic if you like the job. That's $40K/yr. I make about $19K/yr, and it's comfortable enough (car, broadband, nice apartment in a good town) except for the lack of savings.


----------



## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin

Depends on your lifestyle, If you're fairly humble and know how to cook good food from simple quality ingredients, and you don't spend much on unessesary items, and are wise enough when it comes to bills then probably? For your temporary situation it sounds like enough, especially if your partner is bringing home money. But it's something you will have to decide for yourself. That's my two cents.


----------



## lyricalillusions

You can definitely live comfortably on that income. Unless you're purposefully living above your means by getting a place you can't afford, or getting yourself into credit card debt, etc. Most of the people I know who live comfortable lives make less than that.


----------



## Perfectionist

Seeing as I make nine dollars an hour twenty would freaking ROCK.


----------



## echofoxtrot

Interesting that a person with anxiety issues (I am one) would consider truck driving. Before you get the training, consider that if you crash into someone with 75,000 pounds behind you, they will die, and they will take you to jail. That happened to me when I was a student driver. I was tooling along doing about 50-55, then I notice an old codger moving much more slowly just ahead of me. Jammed on the brakes, not too hard, didn't want to jackknife. As a result, closed the distance between me and him much too fast. Very scary. Keep in mind that cops are looking to write tickets to raise money for cash-strapped governments, and longhaul truckers make good targets - they won't travel 1000 miles or more to come to court to fight the ticket. Yes, it's cool not having to deal with idiots in an office job, but consider the other kinds of anxiety that will come your way. Like when you have to back the 53 foot van into a place that was never designed for them. Plus, 8 hours is bad enough, but as a trucker you will drive 11 hours, and be expected to cover 500 miles. When you are exhausted after 11 hours of driving, you have your most challenging detail - backing into a space at a truck stop with other real trucks (not cones) on either side of you, maybe a foot away. Yes, it's a job done mostly by men, becuase men do most of the unpleasant and dangerous jobs in western countries. (and all the government does is worry about women!!)


----------



## Brightpaperwarewolf

I live in an expensive *** area where it's hard to find a place where rent isn't through the roof. But for the most part I live comfortably, but I wish I had enough for my own place rather than sharing with people. Then it would rock.


----------



## Manfi

depends on the person and location.
The US is very cheap compared to Canada, specially Vancouver.


----------



## BetaBoy90

Yeah just don't move out of your parents house.


----------



## Justonekitty

I make a little over than 20/hr and that doesn't pay the bills. I have a Masters and 400 mth I student loan debt. I don't live in a good area so there r little professional
jobs an the pay sucks. I just depends on your bills. I was unemployed for a yr and have a lot of credit card debt. So it depends on the situation.


----------



## toughcookie

I have what I need at approximately $20 an hour (before the tax, union dues and all that wonderful stuff of course!). I have to say that things get really tight sometimes. I don't have any luxuries and I never take trips or anything. I also have no dependents.


----------



## mrfixit

f-yeah! 

the more money people make the more they spend. 

yeah, one needs to enjoy money but it come to a point when one just throws away money.

if i had that luxury i would not care if a threw money away though. but over 20 is enough to live a comfortable life here in the US. heck, even 15/hr.


----------

