Hacker News Reader

Comment by techpineapple | Hacker News Reader

300k is not rich, 300k in 2025 is like 90,000 in 1982. How is the aristocracy supposed to maintain their dominance if just anyone can go to a top college? You can’t risk a middle class family sending they’re kids to a school that may qualify them for a top job in law or politics.

View on HN

When I went to a top engineering school in 1982, we were told that when we graduated we could expect to make $35K/year as CS grads. Whoo hoo! Hello, upper middle class!

$90K/year in 1982 was fuckin’ rolling in it.

And 90k in 1982 was what, the change between the couch cushions?

90k in 82 was country club eligible.

> How is the aristocracy supposed to maintain their dominance if just anyone can go to a top college? You can’t risk a middle class family sending they’re kids to a school that may qualify them for a top job in law or politics.

If they want to keep out the middle class how do you explain many of the top colleges now waiving tuition for students from upper middle class families, and waiving tuition and room and board for students from lower middle class families?

300K is over 5.5K/week. How the hell is that not rich? Delusional take.

$300k a year is rich in 99% of the world and 90%+ of the U.S.

However, jobs that pay $300k vastly over-index to a few coastal major metros, where $300k a year is at the lower end of ever being able to own even a condo within a reasonable commute.

Yeah but then your spouse works too, and even if they only bring in like 80K that’s enough to cover living expenses, with the other salary covering housing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com