The most prominent industries in the United States are the backbone of its economy. They are the ones driving the growth of the country.
They were also the ones who contributed the most to the U.S.’ staggering GDP of $21.43 trillion in 2019. Many might wonder, how do the professionals working in these industries live their lives? Can they afford luxurious supercars? Do they live in multi-million dollar mansions?
The answer to that is no. Despite being a part of the biggest industries in the U.S., most of these professionals still earn the median salary of between $55,000 and $44,000. This varies differently, depending on where you live, what industry you work for, and what kind of job you have. Being in that median salary bracket means that you can’t afford anything luxurious, either.
And having that kind of salary is only a fraction of the $500,000 annual income of the top one percent in the U.S. But despite this, professionals who work in the biggest industries in the U.S. still live exciting lives! After all, they are still the best at what they do to be a part of these industries. So if you’re curious, here are the lives of different professionals who work for the biggest industries in the U.S.
Real Estate
The real estate industry is one of the largest industries in the U.S. It earned $16 trillion in 2018 and continues to grow by the trillions every year. However, despite the market’s size, an estate agent’s average salary within the median salary bracket. Additionally, newer dealers sell fewer properties, which places them within the salary bracket of between $45,000 to $60,000. So what kind of life do these dealers live?
Real estate professionals are known to live a very hectic life that centers on flexibility and research. Every professional within the market must know the average price of every property within their state. They should also know the interest rates of mortgages and various deals that different banks can offer. Moreover, these professionals thrive through their connections. The more connections a dealer has, the more chances they can sell a property.
However, for the highest earners in the market, such as Aaron Kirman, who has earned $6 billion from selling properties alone, life is relatively easy. His connections are doing his work for him because of his expertise in the market. This means that he doesn’t have to look for clients because the clients look for him. But this doesn’t mean that he can slack off. Kirman receives phone calls as early as 7 a.m., which is relatively early to start working. He also needs to be aware of the market prices and interest rates so he doesn’t get left behind by other dealers.
Technology
The U.S. technology market earned an overall of $1.6 trillion for 2021. It represents 33% of the global market, making it the market with the most impact on the industry worldwide. However, despite the market’s size, many workers within the sector still earn within the median salary, with some earning lower. Working in the industry is also no joke, with work hours extending well beyond the eight-hour mark.
Programmers, a core job in the tech industry, tend to be very technical in the way they think. Looking at code, fixing bugs, and typing using a whole new language does that to you. However, they usually work in teams, which helps with distributing tasks and brainstorming specific bugs. The job also relies much on learning new things. Technology and A.I. improve each passing day. They must know the ins and outs of any advancement to be ahead of the competition. It can be a quite stressful job but one that delivers great satisfaction. Working your way around bugs, building websites, and surviving through a script can be very rewarding. Many people can’t do what programmers do.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry in the U.S. earned $8.45 trillion in 2018. It’s considered one of the core industries in the U.S. when it comes to GDP contribution. It’s also known to be one of the sectors geared to grow even larger throughout the years. It’s also one of the industries where the core workers (doctors) actually earn much higher than the median salary in the U.S. The average salary of a doctor in the U.S. is $200,000.
This depends can be higher, depending on your specialization. But this high salary rate comes at a great price. Doctors work the worst shifts in hospitals, which pushes them to work almost sixteen hours a day.
Life for doctors, especially during the pandemic, is very stressful. Thousands of patients enter the hospital each day, and the pressure of saving each one of them is on their shoulders. It’s a scary thought to be had, and it’s a thought that can push anyone to their breaking point.
However, despite this, their jobs are very fulfilling. Not everyone can tell people that they saved someone’s life. Not everyone can also diagnose and help people the same way doctors do. They are at the core of keeping society alive, and without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Many professionals from these industries work hard to belong in the market. They keep themselves afloat through sheer will and determination because, in the end, they know it’ll be worth it. These are professionals who are willing to devote their time and effort to their craft because they know that the society everyone knows will fall apart without them.