Individual Income Poll

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I did vote in this poll and I did cry a little inside when I think about how poor I am compared to people my own age (according to CP). I even have a decent job and a University degree and I felt a little bit worse about myself. Imagine how someone less fortunate might feel. Maybe they didn't graduate HS and are working a physical type construction job. Really think they want to come into this thread and read all the dick swinging $100k+ people talk about how common it is? Probably more likely to just not vote.

First of all, people here aren't necessarily your age as I think you're pretty fresh out of university so I wouldn't sweat it. You'll likely be doing much better in 10 years.

I'm also surprised this thread was started as it will just make the high earners feel like big shots and the guys making less feel lame. What's the point, really? There are lots of accurate polls I'm sure we could find that show what people in the various age groups in Calgary make, so what good this does I don't know.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

That's awesome, when the commodity cycle moves the other way a lot of O&G workers will be either out of work or making significantly less. A lot of people in the high income category spend their money with the same ease they make it too and could ultimately end up with less than nothing if you factor debt.

It's not how much income you make, it's what you do with it that counts!

Wait a minute. Are you saying that a mortgage is debt?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sliver

First of all, people here aren't necessarily your age as I think you're pretty fresh out of university so I wouldn't sweat it. You'll likely be doing much better in 10 years.

I'm also surprised this thread was started as it will just make the high earners feel like big shots and the guys making less feel lame. What's the point, really? There are lots of accurate polls I'm sure we could find that show what people in the various age groups in Calgary make, so what good this does I don't know.

It would be a pretty good thread to send to potential advertisers.

'Hey, do you want to reach a group of predominantly 18-40 year old males 40% of whom make six figures? Did I mention that they can be convinced to put their full energy into completely asinine things at the mention of the name Michael Ha?'

[Displaced Flames fan]

I didn't include OT that I may work (paid at straight time). My income for 2011 will be about 20% higher than my salary.

I think of who in my organization makes 6 figures and I come to the conclusion that there are a lot of fortunate souls on calgarypuck.com

Fortunate or orverpaid!

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Fortunate or orverpaid!

I think too many companies in Calgary willingly put excessive trust in 20-somethings, which shows through their salaries. But maybe it's just me.

[Ryan Coke]

Yeah, I wouldn't feel too bad just because of this poll. I am well into the top bracket, but until 2006 I had spent most of my life making 50k or less. I am 38 now, so for 34 years I was living somewhere between poverty and merely comfortable.

[Jedi Ninja]

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Yeah, I wouldn't feel too bad just because of this poll. I am well into the top bracket, but until 2006 I had spent most of my life making 50k or less. I am 38 now, so for 34 years I was living somewhere between poverty and merely comfortable.

You're 38 and you've been making 50k or less for 34 years? Man your parents must have started you on the chores/job bandwagon when you were barely out of diapers!

[chemgear]

So is CP "part of the problem" and the nemesis of occupy Calgary now?

[Tinordi]

CP: where people lie.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by chemgear

So is CP "part of the problem" and the nemesis of occupy Calgary now?

Haha I was thinking the same thing . . . At least 30% of the 1%'ers are CP members

[bradster57]

I believe it. Look at a salary survey of a professional like a CA or engineer and you'll see higher than 100K pretty quickly. I'd be willing to bet a lot of the posters here are young professionals.

I think the median salary in Calgary is drawn down by a ton of part time jobs, retail, fast food, student etc.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Haha I was thinking the same thing . . . At least 30% of the 1%'ers are CP members

Not necessarily. I recall reading that you need to make $180k or more to be part of the top 1% in Canada. I suspect many of the people who voted >$100k in this poll make less than $180k.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

CP: where people lie.

I don't think thats the case. I've met a lot of CPers (I would guess around 50-75?) and know that there are a number who make a good wage.

I think that we have to realise that CPers in general are working in a specific class. Not to say anything about certain occupations, but really how many couriers, taxi drivers or blue collar workers post on CP all day? I would guess that is a really small percentage. In other words we are sampling from a group that is likely holding positions that require post-secondary education of some sort or have people owning their own businesses. Its not that far-fetched when you remove a fairly large segment of the working popluation right off the start.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not necessarily. I recall reading that you need to make $180k or more to be part of the top 1% in Canada. I suspect many of the people who voted >$100k in this poll make less than $180k.

Thus part of why I really had hoped the original poll went something like:

100 - 125k
125k - 150k
150K - 200K
200K - 300K
400K+


But that is not a complaint about the poll, I'm just a numbers guy.

[V]

Originally Posted by flameswin

NHL009 was....

an Oilers fan - check
east indian - check
used to brag about wealth - check

So was Sundeep. He's been re-incarnated so many times on this and other boards it's turned into a very long running joke.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not necessarily. I recall reading that you need to make $180k or more to be part of the top 1% in Canada. I suspect many of the people who voted >$100k in this poll make less than $180k.

You are correct per this story on CTV.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/200...arners_070924/

In order to make it into the top 1 per cent of earners, or the top 237,000 people, a Canadian would have to earn $181,000

Edit: I thought from the date on the top of the page this story was written today. From the date on the story, it's from September 24, 2007. The $181,000 is likely higher now.

[Bownesian]

A relatively inoffensive way to probe the source of these reported incomes would be to have another poll asking what everyone does in broad categories:

Management
Professional (Accountant, Lawyer, Engineer, G&G)
Technician (Medical, engineering etc. tech.)
Trades (Journeyman and above)
IT
HR/Clerical
Transportation
High end Sales (Real Estate, technical sales)
Retail Sales
Labour
and so on.

If you look at the level of answers you can get from CP on almost any topic, I would bet that this user community is heavily weighted to the sitting down at a desk Professional and Managerial careers than to the relatively unskilled careers that frankly leave people with a lot less opportunity to be arguing on the internet.

[ThisYear]

OR, the longer you are on CP the more you will make. Can you tell I'm in sales?

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not necessarily. I recall reading that you need to make $180k or more to be part of the top 1% in Canada. I suspect many of the people who voted >$100k in this poll make less than $180k.

From Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:

There were 24.6 million taxfilers in Canada in 2007. The richest 1% made more than $169,000 and had an average income of $404,000. The richest 0.1% made more than $621,000 and had an average income of $1.49 million. The richest 0.01% made more than $1.85 million and had an average income of $3.83 million.