I'm in marketing. Two bachelors (marketing/writing). Around 40 years old and a lot of experience. I don't want to be a manager where I manage other people so my job prospects are probably always lower-mid tier. Seeing people talk about the joke of their salaries when I'm raking in $55k, which is the most I've ever made makes me feel inferior. I live in a very low cost of living state and this makes me middle class by a few `10ks. I have a large savings (30k), no credit card debt, and a $98k mortgage on my 2-bedroom condo/townhome that I bought 2.5 years ago.
I feel okay with my salary because in my state that seems standard. However, I'm scared about my future and retirement. What if I ever want to move somewhere else? How will my savings and retirement (probably around $200k, but I'm single with a pre-teen) be since these are supposedly my “prime years” for career salary and it seems like the basic minimum in most places?