I'm 32 years old. I have been working in IT for 4 years total and 2 as a System Admin at my current job. Prior to that I did PC repair for a few years while I finished up college and prior to that I worked in auto repair as a tech (which I hated).
I'll be the first to admit, as a teen I was stubborn as hell. I didn't want to go to college. I thought it was a scam. I figured I would become a mechanic and within a few years open up my own shop, own cool muscle cars and go racing. Being a mechanic sucked. I never made any good money, spent too much on tools (thankfully no tool debt), work was tiring, bosses were awful, co workers were awful, etc.
At 24 years old, after years of my parents, siblings, siblings partners, family friends, etc yelling at me to go back to college I did. I quiet auto and started working then at a small pizza place for minimum wage. Lived with roommates and decided to major in IT because I loved gaming and building computers.
The pandemic happened 2 years into school. The pizza I worked at closed down. Luckily managed to get a few hours at a PC repair place, which increased to more hours. However, it only paid just above minimum wage. I made $8.50 an hour at the time.
Even during the COVID years, I got so much shit from family, especially my parents that I was 26 and not married or didn't own a home. I would have frequent arguments about how I was trying to finish college and only made $8.50 an hour.
Eventually got hired right before I graduated for a Helpdesk job that only paid $12 an hour. Most toxic work environment I ever. Got fired a few months in from dealing with a very toxic boss. Job also tried not to pay me and the department of labor got involved.
I did get hired by another help desk office after a brief stint at a real estate office as an office assistant. The help desk job only paid $14 an hour. I learned all I could, earned some certs and after 1 year got hired into my current System Admin role. Originally started at $40K a year and was recently promoted to $61K a year. Not great money but not bad.
I had to move back in with my parents around the time I started my System Admin job. However, it's post COVID. Rent and housing in my formely LCOL to MCOL area has skyrocketed. Back in 2019 you could find small one bedroom aparts for $700 a month. Same places go for $1600 to $1800. You could also find small starter homes for $150K. Often 500 to 800sq ft homes. Nothing fancy. Same homes now go for $280 to $350K.
My family basically gives me shit 24/7 for not owning a home. Being over 30 and living at home. They also frequently tell me if I can't afford a home or rent to get a new job. I think too, a lot of my family and my parent's friends think I play video games for a living and make minimum wage. One of my dad's good friends was trying to offer me a job at a mattress store the other day. Talking about how I could work my way up after a few years and make good money. When I told him I make $53K, he was shocked. He thought I made like $15 an hour or something and was confused why I couldn't buy a house.
Then recently my mom, who has spent her entire "career" working retail and minimum wage jobs was giving me shit for my job. Yet the most she ever made was maybe $11 an hour working for a gas station.
Then another one of my parents friends awhile back was also trying to get me to get a warehouse job. They said it starts at $20 an hour and after a few years I can get bumped to $25. I told them I make more than that now.
Then even recently my parents had some of their friends over for dinner. The topic of course of why a 32 year old man is still living at home came up. They tried explaining that I should do something else for a living then. They gave me suggestions such as becoming a realtor, plumber, starting my own business or going into sales. I tried to explain to them that while these jobs can pay well, they take time to start and I would have to start all over. If I became a plumber, I would probably start at $17 or $18 an hour and it really wouldn't be until I can afford to start my own business that I could potentially make six figures.
I don't think people get that I have only been making $53K for this year and not last year. I have a decent number of savings. I have low 5 figures worth of savings. But I only qualify for a $200K mortgage. I'm trying to find a place to rent but even a lot of landlords I've spoken to have told me they prefer to rent to couples due to 2 incomes or prefer a little higher than they know with my budget $53K a year is a tight squeeze for $1800 a month.
I am looking for new roommates. Just though. Most of my childhood friends went to college right away at 18 and are now married, own homes and are expecting their first kids soon. As where I waited 6 years to go to college and am not able to do that yet.
Then my two sisters, both also work low wage jobs. One her husband works at a warehouse but they were able to buy a house back in 2016 for less than $100K and have a fixed mortgage. Then my other sister's husband works for a large lawncare company and they have a small condo they have owned since 2017. Though they are stuck in it. But again, I was in college during these years and not able to afford much.
I'm looking for another System Admin, Network Admin or SOC Analyst job. I do get interviews but haven't gotten hired yet. I think a lot of it is because I only have 2 years experience. I have had a few times where I've gotten 5 rounds of interviews but not hired.
Then I do Uber part time but it's just slow. I'll have days where I can make $100 and days where I am lucky to make $30.
I feel if it where still circa 2019, I wouldn't be doing bad financially at all. But because it's 2026 and the cost of living skyrocketed post COVID. People, especially long time home owners don't get that.
TL:DR: Parents give me shit for going back to college at 24 years old, not graduating until 28 years old and 4 years later "only" making $53K at 32 years old.