Reply #20: 55k is middle-class

[deadmessengers]

That's a middle-class salary in NYC. My parents live on less than that in the Bronx. It's not high living, as you put it, but it's certainly livable. Living in Manhattan would be out of the question, but the outer boroughs (especially the Bronx and Staten Island) would be comfortable at that salary.

Keep something in mind - the starting salary for transit workers (about 35k) in New York is higher than that of the cops (26k) and not much less than that of a fully-certified new teacher (39k). Not bad for a job that requires no real physical labor, no undue workplace hazards, and no real education other than a high-school diploma.