Disclaimer: I don’t live in the USA. I have 2 BAs and 1 MA.
I found a job in 2019 as a dog walker, dog, and cat sitter. In the country I live in my monthly wage for my job is the equivalent of 1,300 usd after tax. I work full time and have a flexible work environment. Making that amount of money I struggle with bills sometimes and my mother helps me out. I’ve started doing side jobs to compensate but sometimes it’s not enough.
Now, here’s the kicker. I started looking for full time positions and the entry level salary before taxes is around 1,000-1,100 usd. BEFORE taxes.
The pet care company I work for gives me bonuses at the end of each month depending on customer satisfaction (ranging from 50-100 usd) and I can schedule time off as needed as long as I give them at least 24 hour notice.
How can big companies justify a lower salary, with more hours, to hire someone who has ‘an MA as a minimum requirement’? It feels dystopian that I earn much more as a pet carer than I would as a data analyst or any other position.