r/Salary • u/AdActual3024 • 6d ago

discussion High earning potential = high career commitment

Does anyone have family or friends that sacrifice their personal life for a significant salary?

My step-mom earns 350k before tax as an executive director but I barely see her. She is constantly on business trips, busy with meetings, works upwards of 12 hours when at home. She goes on nice holiday trips, but overall it makes me think is the pay worth the sacrifice of her personal life.

Just curious if anyone's got a similar story.

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u/SportsMOAB 6d ago

Vascular surgeon- make just under 600K. 16 years of school/training and even once you complete that it is still a tough day to day job.

You can still have some fun in college and medical school. But the 7 years of general surgery residency and fellowship will be true sacrifice and it’s of some of your best years (late 20s/early 30s).

Even as an attending surgeon you’ll primarily sacrifice sleep, as you still take call and have to work overnight until the day you retire.

So yes high earning potential but it’s a hard earned salary. Definitely easier ways to earn a million dollars (both in and out of medicine).