Imagine the high life of sipping on champagne while dazzling your friends with a party on a private yacht. While the definition of wealthy can be debated, few would disagree with the fact that $1,000 a day is a serious salary. While somewhat rare, some professionals make this much or more.
According to the 2013 Congressional budget submission, the president of the United States makes considerably more that $1,000 a day, at a sizable $450,000 per year. This includes a $400,000 salary and a $50,000, nontaxable expense account. Income was the same in 2012, but President Obama only had an expense account of $21,000 in 2011. The president also enjoys use of the White House, multiple paid transportation options and a significant staff to attend to his needs.
Few careers have educational and practice requirements as rigid as the medical profession. Many of these skilled and specialized medical practitioners make more than $1,000 a day. A Medical Group Management Association study in 2010 found that anesthesiologists averaged $407,292, general surgeons averaged $343,958, obstetricians and gynecologists averaged $281,190 and doctors of internal medicine averaged $205,379 yearly. While exceptions include new or rural practitioners, many members of these specialties also cross the $1,000-per-day threshold for their hard work and preparation.
While the number of professional athletes is relatively small and the odds of becoming one are long, the rewards are substantial, with salaries that easily exceed the $1,000-per-day threshold. The two sports with the highest average salaries are basketball and baseball. The average player in the National Basketball League makes $5.2 million per year, while the league minimum salary for a rookie basketballer was $473,604 in the 2012-2013 season. Major League Baseball easily exceeds a thousand a day, with its 2012 average salary of $3,213,479 and its 2013 league minimum salary of $490,000.
Some vilify chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies for making what they think is too much salary for the perceived work they do, compared to the typical employee. The average CEO earnings in the top 350 companies, including the value of stock options, was $14.1 million, as of 2012.
- White House: Fiscal Year 2013 Congregational Budget Submission
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Highest Paying Occupations
- Hoops World: NBA Minimum Salaries
- Statistic Brain: content top Professional Sports Average Salary / Revenue / Salary Cap
- Major League Baseball: FAQ
- Economic Policy Institute: CEO Pay in 2012 Was Extraordinarily High Relative to Typical Workers and Other High Earners
- CNN: CEO Pay Is 380 Times Average Worker's - AFL-CIO
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 11-1011 Chief Executives
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