My wife had about $10k in student loan debt for her bachelor's in biology when we married, which is not bad for a 4 year degree at a private school. She was making between $14 and $10/hr 4 years post graduation. I paid off the loans immediately with the sizable savings I had accumulated from working a $17/hr job for the past decade. A job I got with no formal related education and no degree, but with work experience as an intern.
Her first job as a PA will likely start her around $90k.
As an aside, I could easily provide for both her and myself on a single minimum wage salary.
My grandfather always used to stress the importance of obtaining a degree, any degree, to be "successful". That was more true of his day, but 4-year degrees are worth vastly less than they used to be worth. With how commonplace a degree has become, and with the skyrocketing cost of obtaining a degree (and the ease of self-learning), the old wisdom no longer applies.
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Originally Posted by Xist
Do you feel it is reasonable to find a compromise between the job you want and paying all of your bills? I could definitely see myself taking a job that paid more, but I enjoyed less, until I paid off my student loans.
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Yes, of course. If everyone "did what they love", there would be about 10 plumbers in the entire US.
It's often detrimental for people to constantly hear that they should be working at a job they absolutely love. I say, do what you're good at, decide to love it, and continue to pursue both work and hobbies that you enjoy.
... and didn't Uncle Sam pay for your education?