So I’m 20 and I’ve started looking at the salaries of jobs/careers, and this is the impression I’ve gotten. Like that you could spend years cramming a ton of knowledge about a very niche field, and still only get 2-3x what a run-of-the-mill job makes. Is this true? If yes then I guess this route to wealth would only make sense (due to the diminishing returns) if the topic truly spoke to you, right? Are there alternative career paths to good pay than being really good at something really specific?
This is a great post. I’m mid-30s and toying with a career change. If life’s good to you, you at least can exhale and review options, but no, generally studying (or practicing, whatever) is not going to be that kind of a wage multiplier, unless you are cherry picking (and/or discounting some serious debt). It can help make your job suck less though. I think probably just as lucrative is always being ready to change employers for a raise. But, I don’t have experience with that so I may be talking out my ass there.