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Young Workers Say They Need a $120K Salary to Feel Like They’ve ‘Made It’

- Rangely García for Money
Rangely García for Money

How much pay would it take to make a Gen Z-er or millennial feel successful? New analysis says it’s much more than what the average American household makes yearly.

Call it youthful idealism or plain-old ambition, a study from the invoicing solutions company Skynova found that workers around the ages 21 to 42 have lofty salary expectations. Most aren’t content with what they’re making now, and on average, they think it will take at least $121,553 annually to feel like they’ve finally "made it."

Skynova analyzed state-by-state salary data and survey responses from more than 1,000 millennial and Gen Z workers. Here's what the company found.

What the data says

The best-paying jobs for young workers

Annual average salaries for the most lucrative jobs for millennials and Gen-Zers aged 22 to 35 range from about $100,000 to $150,000. Lawyers top the list, according to Skynova, but tech and healthcare jobs dominate the ranking.

  1. Lawyers: $149,646
  2. Securities, commodities, financial services and sales agents: $134,029
  3. Web developers: $120,595
  4. Architectural and engineering managers: $115,875
  5. Software developers: $113,066
  6. Public relations and fundraising managers: $111,071
  7. Physician assistants: $110,986
  8. Other physicians: $110,130
  9. Pharmacists: $105,555
  10. Nurse practitioners: $101,407

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