You are so nice mate, thanks anyway 
To each their own, but making mid 80’s in your mid 30’s would be enough motivation for me to study for my CFA…
Cougar, I would be interested to know what your perspective on this is. If you’re a 21 year-old college senior who thinks that you’re entitled to a six-figure income as soon as you graduate, then I think that life has a few surprises for you. If you’re in your mid-30’s and one of Obama’s “millionaire and billionaires”, then that might be a little different. Personally, I don’t think mid-80’s in your mid-30’s is that bad.
Sure beat’s making mid-30’s in your mid-80’s.
Actually, he has a point. According to the CFAI Survey on salary, CFA charter holders do make over 110k on average. So if you are mid 30s and have the CFAI Charter, you should expect more than 80s; but we understand dispersion, so just a general statement.
Additionally, making mid 80s at any time of your life isn’t BAD at all. Average Median house hold income for even developed countries are not more than 60s-80s and that’s house hold income. But you can’t mix the two arguments together.
80k is not bad in the greater scheme. However, it’s not wrong to have a more ambitious goal if you are an exceptionally talented person.
To add to your point–I don’t know where you get your numbers. But in my experience, a lot of these “surveys” take the salaries of Portfolio Managers (with 10+ years of experience) in New York and San Francisco and average them? If so, that’s not really representative of the salary you can expect in Fargo, North Dakota, with little to zero experience. Not to mention that those who only make $50k probably won’t be very enthusiastic to respond to such a “survey”.
Also, how many of these respondents have Ivy League degrees? Those with Harvard MBA’s are going to make more money than those with a bachelor’s degree from LSU (Local State University), regardless of their other qualifications. (Not that I necessarily think highly of a Harvard MBA, but the market does.)
That’s why I’d like to know Cougar’s perspective. If he lives in San Francisco, has a JD from Stanford, passed the CFA exam, and has ten years of experience all before 35, then he would certainly think mid 80’s is too low. If he’s 21, a junior at Local State in rural Kansas, no experience, no credentials, and no parents to land him a cush job (think Jerry Jones, Jr.), then he has no idea what life has in store for him.
As for me, I turn 33 next month, and if I make $85k when I’m 35, I’ll consider myself as doing very well. (And I’m a CPA, to boot.)