Matthew Yglesias points to an interview in which O.G. blogger Mickey Kaus says that, until recently Slate magazine paid him “in the mid-90s.” As Yglesias points out even $80,000 a year is a lot to be paid to write 3-4 blog entries per week. I’m torn between two possibilities:
1. It’s the old-boy’s network. Kaus is friends with Michael Kinsley etc. and they hired him on at a big salary because that’s what friends are for.
2. Kaus really is worth it: some analysis of hits reveals that he’s actually bringing in $80,000 worth of readers each year.
I guess #2 is probably correct—Slate is a web-business, after all. I’m reminded of the dictum that the most effective strategy for being a successful blogger is to have started blogging before the end of 2003. (Before that point, the blogosphere was small enough that everybody linked to everybody else.)
The other thing that Yglesias’s note made me realize was how much of a bubble I live in. $80,000 sounds like so little that I wondered where Kaus gets the rest of his income. Really, though, lots of people are doing just fine on less than $80/year. Kaus actually wrote a book many years ago arguing that, rather than aiming for equality of incomes, we should aim for a society in which you can live comfortably without a lot of money.
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you don’t spend much time talking to graduate students, do you?
Considering that the median household income in the US is in the mid 40Ks, it’s not just “lots” it’s “the huge majority” – the top quintile (remember, that’s household income!) starts in the mid 80ks… but then I’m sure you know all this in theory.
The median household income of families with kids is closer to $80 than $40, I believe, but, in any case, yes, I do know all this in theory. That’s why I was embarrassed about my immediate reaction.
And, yes, I realize that grad students and postdocs don’t get paid this much, but they’re in a transitional stage of their career. Statisticians in the U.S. with M.A.’s and Ph.D.’s can certainly get well over $80 if they want to and they’re reasonably good at their jobs.
Is it really a bubble situation? I mean, I think that’s not a lot, either . . . J.D./Ph.D. types make a lot more . . . but I know that they work a lot harder than a 3-4 post a week blogger (and a predictable blogger too!). This is like saying, “Kaus makes $1000/hour!” He just works 80 hours a year.
And “work” here means “predictably takes a contrarian position.” Not really hard work that. “Democrats would be better off being pro-life!” Pay me!!!
Yglesias clearly works much harder. He posts a lot. And he is smart. He makes good points. But he makes less than $80k? What is he thinking? He could do much better.
Actually, the median family income for families with children under 18 years old is $58,865 in 2007, a long, long ways from “around $80,000.” You may be think of two-earner, white married couples having a median income of around $80,000. That doesn’t describe Kaus. You, and he, really do live in a bubble. The median wage for statistician is $72,610 in May 2008. The minimum requirement for a statistician is a Master’s degree and don’t forget, they are subject to rigorous review of their methodology and accuracy in every piece of output, both job requirements that are not demanded of political writers. Just the opposite, in fact. In political punditry, the more wrong you are, the more salary and prestige you have. This applies especially to a lazy hack who contributes nothing of any worth to the national conversation like Mickey Kaus.
Sources:
HINC-04–Part 3
Statisticians
Emery: See my point 2 above about why Kaus may be worth the money, in terms of what he brings to Slate. It’s not a question of how hard he works. Regarding Yglesias: I have little doubt that he’ll be earning more than $80 by the time he’s the age Kaus is now.
Jsmes:
Thanks for the correction. The mean income is college graduates is over $100, so maybe that’s a more relevant comparison.
Regarding the median income for statistician, I have no doubt that many of our M.A. and Ph.D. graduates start at less than $72,000, but I do think that our graduates who are good at the job and who want to make more can generally do so. (Of course, “are good at the job” puts you in the top half; that was partly my point.)
In any case, I accept your agreement with my statement that I live in a bubble!
There’s your mistake, Andrew, relying on “mean” income when “median” income is the more relevant comparison. It’s the old story that between you, me, and Bill Gates, our mean annual income is 750 Million dollars per year. The mean statistic actually tells you nothing whatever about prevailing salaries.
Your $100,000 mean salary number only applies to men with a professional degree, not a bachelor degree, not a master’s degree, not even a PhD.
But let us not quibble over mere 15-20,000 dollars in annual salaries. The more salient point is — What does Mickey Kaus DO all day? I mean, how much time does it TAKE to write up 4 blog posts per week? Does he inscribe them first in stone? Does he spend most of an 8-hour day in the Thinker position trying to come up with that contrarian spin?
As to your other theory, for a guy who isn’t talked about or linked or influence the national conversation in any way whatsoever, I’d posit that his lavish salary is Old Boys network. How could Mickey Kaus *possibly* generate $80,000 for Slate? I mean, what are the numbers there? Show me the money.
Cheers.
James: According to the Census file I saw, the median family income of college graduates was also over $100,000. But you might be right about Kaus; I have no idea.
This discussion is very upsetting. I’m a Ph.D. Associate Prof. at an MA-granting public university in an expensive coastal state, and I make $60K, so yes, you are in a bubble even within the academy. $80K for a few blog posts sounds amazing!
Be careful, Andrew. Folks who want to write about income equality and be quoted in the NY Times need to be a lot more cognizant about how 90% of Americans (and even his own professional colleagues) live.
$80,000 sounds like so little that I wondered where Kaus gets the rest of his income. Really, though, lots of people are doing just fine on less than $80/year.
Is there anyone in America who isn’t “doing just fine” on $80,000 per year? Your attitude sounds bizarre to me. Especially for someone who, um, I always sort of assumed was a professor of some sort.
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