'Making lots of money is great but...': Wise career-man enlightens job seekers searching for $120k+ per year of the pitfalls of chasing cash instead of passion

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jun 22, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. 

It's rare to love your job. There are many folks out there who rue the moment their alarm goes off every morning, dreading the commute, the office chatter, the insufferable employees, and the managerial incompetence, but with every job, there's a silver (and sometimes gold) lining to each work day–Your paycheck. 

For most people, their paycheck is the sole reason they clock in on a daily basis without complaint and a lot of people find themselves simply chasing a number on a check instead of chasing their truest passions. However, there are wise ol' rangers out there willing to share their sage advice with the money-chasing crowd. 

Keep scrolling for the tried and true simplicity that one guy on Reddit decided to impart to folks looking for a 6-figure payout instead of fulfillment… and maybe question your own motivations each day to find meaning in every moment. 

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  • 01
    "If you can make $150k playing pickleball, all the power to you"
    via canva
  • 02
    r/careerguidance ⚫ Next Pitch3426 Can we stop with the "which jobs pay six figures?" questions?
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 03
    First, use the search, either here or elsewhere. Second, if the best you can do in defining your career search is "I wanna make $120k 2 years out of college what's the easiest way to do this?"
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 04
    is your primary ambition or interest, I wish you all the luck in the world. Chances are that you'll end up with a degree or career that you
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 05
    hate and be back here in 5 years asking "I hate my job what do I do?" Making lots of money is great but if you're ignoring
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 06
    your passions or talents you're likely in for a miserable existence. Unless of course making lots of money is your sole passion/interest. In that case you might be beyond help.
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 07
    EDIT: because people are critical and rightly so, when I say "passions" I'm not talking about a hobby. I'm talking about something that you feel strongly about
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 08
    enough to give you purpose or help you care about your day to day work on some level. If you can make $150k playing pickleball all the power to you but that's not what was meant.
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 09
    amouse_buche 1 day ago "Hi Reddit. I'm having trouble deciding what to do with my career. I have two years of experience in customer service and can't stand another minute of it because of my anxiety. I also dropped out of college two years in for the same
    via amouse_buche
  • 10
    reason. What are some jobs that are fully remote, do not require any human interaction, allow me to make my own schedule, are entry level, will provide me with unlimited PTO, have good benefits, and pay six figures minimum? "Thanks in advance! Boy, this job market sure is lousy!"
    via amouse_buche
  • 11
    Chicken NugsBGood 1 day ago "I've also quit all my other jobs because it was toxic. I'm definitely not the one with the problem"
    via Chicken NugsBGood
  • 12
    Next Pitch3426 OP - 1 day ago lol this one gets me all the time. "I refuse to eat lunch with or speak to my colleagues on a social level, why am I not being offered the same opportunities as they are?"
    via Next_Pitch3426
  • 13
    ArturoOsito 1 day ago Ehhh I mean I am friendly and sociable with everyone but I prefer to take my lunches alone. It would be real stupid if I wasn't afforded opportunities for that reason.
    via ArturoOsito
  • 14
    RoyalBadger3665 1 day ago There are 2 ideal paths you can take for a long and successful career: 1. Find something that aligns with your core values (the passion OP is referring to) 2. Find something you are really good at and don't mind doing on a regular basis
    via RoyalBadger3665
  • 15
    The unicorns are when both of those align, which is definitely not easily and likely why many people make a career switch later in life. Don't be afraid to explore multiple avenues when you're young. As you progress (experience and/or credential wise) the salary will rise. Stop thinking so short-term, you're likely going to be working for the next 30+ years.
    via RoyalBadger3665
  • 16
    TheBlightspawn 19 hr. ago The real unicorns are the ones where the venn diagram includes 1&2 above and intersects with "pays well".
    via TheBlightspawn
  • 17
    South_Stress_1644 1 day ago It's also a bad question because you can make six figures almost everywhere, but you have to move up first.
    via South_Stress_1644
  • 18
    Other-Owl4441 · 1 day ago It's usually paired with something like "what degree will guarantee me this job and I don't like speaking to people" though
    via Other-Owl4441
  • 19
    Chicken NugsBGood · 1 day ago Followed by a "I can barely tie my shoes, and want fully remote, hopefully a CEO position with my 0 years of experience"
    via Chicken NugsBGood
  • 20
    CoolBaked Bean . 23 hr. ago nah bro. i only do my job for the money. i hate everything except chilling on the couch watching tv. there's no job for that. i found a career that pays $150k and i hate it. but i would hate anything. i'm so annoyed by meetings, by morning alarm clocks, etc. all that matters is the money you make from you job.
    via CoolBaked Bean
  • 21
    Embarrassed Flan_869 1 day ago These questions are always amusing. You give an honest and respectful piece of advice and they immediately dismiss it as too much work! "What do you mean I need to work in an office for 40 hours a week? I see people working 5 hours a week and make $300k!?!"
    via Embarrassed Flan_869
  • 22
    Back when I was young/thinking about what to study, being a Pharmacist was one of the few jobs where you could walk out of school with a BS into a $100k job. This was 20+ years ago. Go to school 1 more year and get your Pharm-D. Then,
    via Embarrassed Flan_869
  • 23
    the market got oversaturated with people going to school for pharmacy degrees. Tons of foreign students came to go to school for pharmacy jobs. Now? The chains realized they can hire 1 Pharmacist and the rest are techs. So it's very hard to find the good jobs anymore and salaries haven't grown.
    via Embarrassed Flan_869
  • 24
    jpoolio 1 day ago I can appreciate college or soon-to- be college students being mindful of their return on college investments, especially after we've previously seen people occur high debt for low paying fields.
    via jpoolio
  • 25
    That said, so much is relative, even within the same field, the pay can be pretty different between niches. And, to the OPS point, you're most likely going to get paid more if you are good.
    via jpoolio
  • 26
    Slow_Opportunity_522 21 hr. ago This is a really good point -- if you're going to college for fun don't go to college lol it's a ripoff. Make sure you're studying something that will transfer into a lucrative (enough) field.
    via Slow_Opportunity_522
  • 27
    robz9. 23 hr. ago While I agree with a lot of the comments, you have to admit a lot of people want to have enough money to enjoy their life too. Working like a dog for 10 years and having nothing to show for it is a real concern among young people.
    via robz9

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