Jessica Su

I make $31,230/year as a PhD student, but I do internships most summers, which effectively doubles that stipend. I am happy with this salary because

1. Money has never been a huge motivator for me (if it was, I probably wouldn’t have done a PhD)

2. As a computer science PhD student I’m financially better off than most other PhD students, because I can do internships

3. I’m about to graduate and make a lot more money

Suman Kumari

I am a professor. My age is 49 And I have been teaching Sanskrit Literature for last 2 Decades in Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Yes I am extremely happy and Satisfied With My Job. In Government Jobs Specially In Education Field There is no tension. I go to My Academic Institute at 10 Am and Come back to home till 4 Pm . The whole month of June is Leave Month. 4 Sunday’s + 2 Special Leaves + 1 C.L + 2-3 Every Month Leave=10 Leaves every Month!

Income: My Last Month Salary was 1,46,647 INR.I also earn 15 K From Flat Rent . My monthly expense is hardly Some 20-25 K . I save rest of my salary for My 18 Year Old Child . There is no one in my home except my child and Me (No Husband,No Parents,Nothing ).I also teach Sanskrit Free of Cost at my home .

Lindsey Storm

My salary is around $52,000 (before taxes.) I am 30 years old, have a master’s degree from Stanford, and I am a 5th year teacher in an at-risk comprehensive high school. No I am not happy with it. I live in the bay area. I can hardly afford housing here with that salary (forget buying,) and I’m very good/frugal with money. Other school districts in the area (richer ones) start teachers at $60,000.

So why am I still there? The kids are fantastic. They have very few quality teachers, and I can’t justify leaving them to make 10K more to teach rich kids who don’t really need me in the same way. I joined this profession to help the achievement gap, not contribute to it. I’ll likely have to move to somewhere I can still work with at risk youth, yet afford to live :-(

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Anonymous

I make around Rs. 5–6 lakhs per month. My annual income has been around Rs. 70-80 lakhs since 2 years.

I’m priest at one of the famous temples in the state of Maharashtra in India. My father was acharya here and after completion of my BA, I joined my father. I perform poojas everyday and I get payed back as Dakshina which I cannot refuse. I don’t take any salary from the trust. I live on what I get. As this is a very famous temple thousands of devotees come here everyday. I belong to well known acharya family here. Around 40–50 people visit me and offer dakshina . Most people pay around Rs. 500-1000 and this amounts to atleast Rs. 20000 per day. I have never asked money for anything from anyone. But, I never refuse what I get. Some times during festivals, I make around Rs.50000 per day. I have two children, one of them is in Yale university pursuing his Masters and the other one completed his MBA from Wharton school of business and is working in California. I am blessed to afford their Masters tuition fee without any loan. I have never forced my kids to become like me. But, I have told them not to settle abroad to which both of them have agreed. My child makes around $120,000 staying in California. I make more than him staying in a village in India.

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