The More You Earn, the More Stress You Feel
I know that money doesn't always bring happiness, but it can definitely provide a sense of security which is why I disagree with the results of a new study that claim people who make $200,000 or more a year are more stressed out at work.
According to a LinkedIn Learning study, 68 percent of people who make more than $200,000 a year report that they feel extremely stressed at work. Only 47 percent of people who make $35,000 to $50,000 said they feel stressed, and an even smaller percentage of people, 38 percent, who bring in between $50,000 and $75,000 a year say they're stressed.
I remember when I was in my 20's and only making $22,000 a year. After I paid my bills, more often than not, I only had pennies leftover for groceries and such. If you want to talk about stress, I could run circles on the subject. I was terrified of losing my menial paying job because it would mean I wouldn't have a place to live or a car to drive. My stress level at work was through the roof because I couldn't afford to mess up. I needed my job or I'd be on the street.
I'm in my 30's now, but I definitely make less than $200,000 a year and I still feel stress at work. Maybe not as much stress as I felt when I was only making $22,000, but much like when I was in my 20's, I still can't afford to lose my job. Things are different now. I'm married and I have a toddler. I have people other than myself that I need to provide for. While we don't live paycheck to paycheck, we still have to budget everything and definitely don't have much saved in the bank in the event of job loss. The possibility of not having income from my job terrifies me and there's no doubt that it causes me stress at work.
I'm not trying to poo-poo on people who make $200,000 a year or more, but I know that my job stress isn't as intense as it was when I was making only $22,000 because it means I've been able to bank a little. I can only imagine how much more secure I'd feel if I were making more money. It would mean that I'd have more to save (I can't imagine ever not living a frugal life, no matter what my income is) and that would mean that my family would be okay for a while in the case of job loss.
I suppose it all depends on what a person does with the extra money they make. If they buy a bigger house or nicer car, they're going to have more bills which can lead to more stress, but if a person makes more money and continues to live a simple life, that extra money can alleviate stress at home, which plays a big role in the amount of stress a person feels at work.
[via LinkedIn]