Given what you've stated about your education and experience, you could be making double your current pay. You'd be amazed at how many jobs are actually available out there. Go to Indeed or Monster or any of the job search sites and take a look. Doesn't a 50% raise sound better than a .75 cent per hour raise?
Here is a list of 40k+ accounting jobs paying $15 per hour or $30k per year.
Accountant 30 000 Jobs Employment Indeed.com
Here is my income for the last 12 years.
2003 $14,269.09
2004 $17,540.55
2005 $23,082.84
2006 $22,486.64
2007 $23,108.60
2008 $26,400.05
2009 $24,666.34
2010 $22,204.23
2011 $11,859.24
2012 $12,664.64
2013 $15,832.92
2014 $22,316.66
$22,316.66 is enough to pay my living expenses and meet my financial obligations but as you can see I have made more money in the past. Should my past income even factor into the equation or should I just be tickled pink that I have a job that provides my living? I'll have a good life either way but what kind of things should be considered?
This seems to be simple but I hear a lot of political ideas about who poor people are and what poor people should be. Those comments makes me kind of question what my responsibility to society should be. It is never my intention to cause anybody harm with my income but it sounds as if I do cause a great deal of suffering by having such a little income. I was taught to be responsible. It becomes very hard to reconcile these things emotionally. It hurts really bad to be considered a failure but should I really consider myself a failure? After all, what have I failed at in life? Every other area of my life is going fine. My family is happy and healthy. I enjoy my job and my co-workers. My car runs good. My dog is pretty nice. I have 3 of the coolest black cats. I graduated from college. I published a book. I ran for public office. I have plenty of money. It just seems that I cause a burden to Conservative Republicans which I consider to be on my side. A larger income might help me gain favor in their presence.
I suppose my mom just raised me old school. I don't fit into my mom's fantasy of what a man is supposed to be. Any other males from the south kind of understand where I am coming from? My life is good but I don't fit into the stereotypical image of a self reliant man that provides for his family. or do I? Does anybody get what I am saying?
Is there any such thing as being an underacheiver? and what does that look like?
The very fact that you've been in the job market for 12 years and you've topped out at 22 grand tells me something about you just aint right.
I dont have a college education and I was making twice that in twelve years.
The very fact that you think it's all a matter of what the final number is tells us volumes about your values.
It isn't.