"Easiest" Job With Decent Pay
I'm currently working in real estate development (5 years in) and am at a career crossroads with regard to work you enjoy with lower comp. or work that you can't stand but affords a certain level of financial security/quality of life. This is leading me to question if it's worth finding a job that you don't love but is also relatively stress free, 8-9 hours a day and then you enjoy life to the fullest after the 8 hours. To that end, what jobs are somewhat cushy from the hours wise and low stress? - Assuming once is ok capping out at 175k - 200k and having a fulfilling life outside of work. Lending?
Comments (35)
Being a regional / local financial advisor once you have a solid book of business probably fits this bill
Wholesaling prodcuts to said advisors I would argue.
bump been wondering this myself
Unless you're in NYC, they're not handing out $175-200k jobs. That's legit comp that takes a legitimate skillset that has to be cultivated over time. The only relatively quick way to an easy job that pays in that range would be to become a government contractor and get a top secret security clearance. If you live in the right location, you can basically get a job in 5 minutes with really excellent pay. Other than that, you've got to really cultivate a book of business (which is not easy at all) or a skillset, often beginning in school (e.g., dentist, nurse practitioner, CPA). I've seen skilled real estate developers (maybe you're at that point) that can get pretty cushy salaried jobs working at larger developers, though the person I'm thinking about had a Harvard MBA and was a licensed architect (he got a $250,000 job with a 35-hour work week at medium-sized developer). So people who get these cushy jobs have to earn them.
I personally have an extremely cushy job making at the top end of that quoted range. I work for a NYC rating agency and telework from a low cost market. I work about 35 hours a week. But my skillset has been cultivated--I have a relevant master's degree and am an expert (well, I have expertise) in an important industry.
Government contractors don't make a lot. The people who make money and have cushy jobs are the consultants to the government contractors. I used to do management consulting to the DoD for 4 years in corporate finance and it was real easy work and WFH with low hours.
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
depends on the project, I have a lot of friends in that field and their experience is all over the place in terms of project quality, but generally not too much stress (although you're completely right that the pay may not be as high).
Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
Gov't contractors with top-secret security clearances do very well. They are in very high demand and do very well.
Absolute nonsense,work in the Federal Consulting space right now, and ya TS/SCI clearences (with tech skills mind you) will get you a secure job, but it won't pay a lot.
Besides cybersecurity, you're not seeing anything past 300k.
Corporate Finance in general. Not very hard to reach $175-200K in total comp if you're somewhat capable and reliable.
whats the supply of these jobs though?
How many YoE to reach 200k in corp finance?
Depends on size of firm and how many people are above you (latter can limit quick promotions). Can be done by age 30 even if not the norm, but need to be decent (not necessarily a rock start by IB standards, though) and in the right spot.
LifeCo Lending or AM
Can confirm
PWM - work under the right person and you'll be golden in a few years
Corporate finance - 2-3 years and that comp is doable, almost guaranteed in larger cities
Controller/restricted fund manager - need a bit of an accounting background but not hard to switch to from finance
hope everything works out for ya buddy IB hours have me stressing too
Are you saying CF in 2-3 out of college, or 2-3 years out of banking?
2-3 years out of college- no way in hell, no matter the location. If you break 100k 2-3 years out of college you're doing pretty well. $175-200k is Sr. manager pay in a well paying industry or city, and Sr. Manager would come at 6 years absolute minimum, 8-10 years if you're doing well, 12+ years if you're average (yet still a decent performer that is, not true average... true average never gets past Sr. Analyst).
100k 2-3 years out in base or total comp?
* I should have mentioned that I don't have a finance background. Majored in Environmental Science and minored in business.
Environmental consulting to learn the market then go solo.
Trading desk at a buy side manager (Fidelity, Wellington). Guys I work with make 300-500k+ depending on experience and work 45 hrs/week. Head of the desk probably makes $1mm and works less. All smart guys and personable, and nobody leaves because the work/life balance is so good.
Are these guys quants or regular traders? That's insane. What experience do these guys have?
Incredible. Know some guys in the office like this, I don't get why they earn so much. Some of these guys earn more than the Analysts which is insane...given what we do is what really makes the big bucks for clients, not slightly above average trading execution
This is going to vary on a shop to shop basis but:
1. Our best traders have incredible relationships across the street, most importantly with a lot of the sell side cap markets teams. Our traders are the ones reaching out to management teams on reverse or early indications of interest and working with our PM's to figure out how much of a deal we would put in for early. This is wildly underrated and a huge deal for our PM's.
2. We have a number of analysts who will update their reports once a quarter, will not give a buy/sell recommendation, and do not work with management teams to get early looks at deals. In my mind, this is no different than the execution trader who brings no value add.
Unfortunately, there are lazy people at every organization. We have some amazing analysts, some not so great. We have some incredible traders, and a few guys that read off Bloomberg for the morning meeting. Best advice is to find the good ones at a company and learn from them.
Regular traders, I don't want to get too specific but usually 3-5 years in a junior role w/ not incredible pay before there is an open trading seat. Then you can plan on $250k-$300k to start and work your way up. Guys with 10 YOE are likely in the $400-$500k all in bucket. Incredibly competitive to get a seat, but once you are there it's a great gig.
Quod porro qui fuga unde voluptatum rem. Fugit qui quaerat adipisci quae ducimus ab sed asperiores. Quas quod explicabo nobis nam. Est non libero unde aut. Quidem voluptatum eos delectus nihil. Vel ea et quos consequatur suscipit.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Autem id necessitatibus a mollitia illo facilis. Nihil inventore exercitationem voluptatem qui sed mollitia excepturi.
Animi a doloribus quisquam a id ut laborum enim. Quis esse id enim non quidem. Assumenda sapiente deleniti praesentium fuga placeat. A aspernatur et eaque odit aut architecto eos. Laudantium veniam quaerat non et itaque. Nesciunt adipisci facilis et cum facere hic blanditiis. Et optio cupiditate sed consectetur.
Velit illo dignissimos commodi asperiores. Officiis asperiores quam facilis magni dolore. Rerum consequuntur consectetur accusantium placeat et. Nesciunt dolor harum maxime ipsam.