Having a net worth of a million dollars from scratch in five years is realistically highly unlikely, unless you've already got a lot of money. A top-tier finance job, likely garnered with an MBA from a top-flight university, is probably the highest-probability option.
Saving $13,000 would leave you with $3,000 a month to meet all your expenses—a perfectly reasonable number for many singles, and even some couples. Saving and investing $13,000 a month with a 10% annual return would allow you to become a millionaire in just over five years.
According to industry reports, managing directors in investment banking can earn between $500,000 and $1 million, with bonuses significantly increasing their total compensation. Corporate Executive Corporate executives, such as CEOs and CFOs, oversee company operations, strategy, and financial performance.
Making $4,000 a month based on your investments alone is not a small feat. For example, if you have an investment or combination of investments with a 9.5% yield, you would have to invest $500,000 or more potentially. This is a high amount, but could almost guarantee you a $4,000 monthly dividend income.
Buy a low-cost index fund that tracks the S&P 500; your $100,000 could grow to $1 million in about 23 years. You'll get there even faster by investing additional funds. Add $500 monthly and reach $1 million in just 19 years. Of course, past results don't guarantee future outcomes, but history is on investors' side.
So, just how many millionaires are out there? According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 survey, approximately 18% of U.S. households had at least seven figures net worth. That's roughly 23.7 million millionaire households across the country.
The table below shows the present value (PV) of $1,000 in 20 years for interest rates from 2% to 30%. As you will see, the future value of $1,000 over 20 years can range from $1,485.95 to $190,049.64.
At age 35, you would need to save $700 a month to reach $1 million by age 65. Starting to save at age 35 will provide you with more flexibility than at age 50 but can still be difficult considering the many common expenses you'll incur during this life stage.
Medicine comes out top. Half of doctors in the US earn over $200,000 per year, and the mean is actually higher than finance and law. That said, the very highest-earning people are in finance and law. The top 1% in finance earn over $2m per year.
THE TOP 5 CAREERS OF MILLIONAIRES: - Engineer - Accountant (CPA) - Teacher - Management - Attorney Some of those are surprising, huh? Nope, teacher isn't a typo. You see, it's not chance or inheritance that creates most millionaires.
They stay away from debt.
Car payments, student loans, same-as-cash financing plans—these just aren't part of their vocabulary. That's why they win with money. They don't owe anything to the bank, so every dollar they earn stays with them to spend, save and give! Debt is the biggest obstacle to building wealth.
Outside the most expensive parts of the United States, $5,000 per month is typically enough to cover rent or mortgage payments and other lifestyle expenses if you're mindful of your budget.
But even if the fund reverts to its historical average annual return of about 10%, which goes back to 1957, a regular investment of $200 per month would grow to be worth $1 million in 38 years.
A $100,000 salary can yield a monthly income of $8,333.33, a biweekly paycheck of $3,846.15, a weekly income of $1,923.08, and a daily income of $384.62 based on 260 working days per year.
The average doctor earned $350,000, as of 2017, the researchers reported in a 2023 working paper, which is awaiting publication in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. The top 1% of physicians earned more than $1.7 million a year.