Photo: TikTok
Many people disagree with her.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Apr 06, 2023
A woman has sparked a debate after admitting that she doesn't want to enter the workforce because of how little she thinks people are being paid in America.
In a TikTok video, Olivia, a content creator on the app, faced a bit of backlash from viewers since claiming that employed people making around six figures aren't actually bringing in enough income to survive when their salaries are broken up month-to-month.
Olivia claims making $117,000 isn't enough money to be making at a job, and she would rather work for herself.
In a video responding to a comment from a TikTok user explaining how much money they make working an hourly-paid job, Olivia claimed that the amount people are paid hourly in this country isn't a fair amount.
"I don't know how many times I have to mention this, but I will say it again. Hourly wage is not worth it," she said. "I will never be going back, working for the white man, I will be working for myself."
She continued, saying she'd rather work for tips as an employee in the service industry, or be able to run her own business. "Working for hourly paid in the U.S. is not worth it."
Many Americans have long been in favor of raising the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, according to data acquired by the Pew Research Center. About six-in-ten adults (62%), including majorities in nearly every demographic group, support increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Since the minimum wage in America is significantly lower than in other countries in the world, an estimated 5 million to 10 million low-wage earning people in the U.S. — nearly 8% of the working population — work more than one job to support themselves and their families.
She explained that bringing in $10,000 a month wouldn't be enough for her to live off of.
In another video, someone pointed out that they make $117,000 at a corporate job, but Olivia shared that for her, that's not a lot of money to make.
"A $117,000 a year is not a lot of money," she pointed out. "It's a lot of money to some Americans because Americans are broke, but $100,000 is not a lot of money."
She further explained her belief in a follow-up video, saying that if someone is making $100,000 a year, that's $10,000 a month, which Olivia remarked is not enough for her to survive.
"It's not that I live a lavish lifestyle, it's that I live an adult life," she explained. "I'm 25 years old, you cannot survive on $10,000 a month. I can't."
According to Statista, the median American income in 2020 was $71,456. Only 18% of American individuals make over $100,000 per year, while 34.4% of U.S. households make over $100k per year.
Recent data from SmartAsset, via CNBC, found that in order for Americans to live comfortably in the U.S., they need to have an average post-tax income of $68,499.
In the comments section, TikTok users didn't agree that making six figures was a low amount.
"My family is surviving on $30K ... $117K would change lives and [is] definitely worth it," one user pointed out.
Another user agreed, writing, "If you don't think that's enough for yourself, then imagine how families feel who make less of that..."
"I [don't] know how to tell you this but not everyone has the option. If we could all just 'start our own business' we would," a third user chimed in.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics.