Six figures isn’t really that unreasonable

anonqwertyq · 2025-05-27T16:27:44+00:00

Is six figures really that unreasonable to ask?

You’ll be reducing your dating pool by 80%, if that’s what you want, then go ahead. Just know that a woman who would never date a man earning less than her, will subsequently reduce her dating pool the more and more her income increases. Don’t then go crying about how there’s no “eligible” men for you to date, you’re putting those restrictions on yourself.

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TheGloriousEv0lution · 2025-05-27T15:20:35+00:00

however around 20% of the American population earn that amount - and plenty of those earning that amount are in their 20s

18% of Americans make 6 figures, but only roughly 7% of them are in their 20s

If you’re filtering for 6’+ (15% of men), fit (about 40% of men and women in the US are obese) as well you’re looking at a very small minority of men, and a lot of them are taken l

With that said, what’s considered “reasonable” or not depends on the person and most women in real life don’t care if you make 6 figures

Combatenjoyer23 · 2025-05-27T15:26:51+00:00

Sure, if a woman is making six figures, it's more reasonable for her to go after a man making similar. But what about the women making 40k. Or unemployed women. Still asking for six figs? Good luck.

AnotherHumanObserver · 2025-05-27T15:28:42+00:00

Is six figures really that unreasonable of an ask?

I can't say if it's unreasonable, but as you mentioned, only 20% of Americans have six-figure salaries, which means that 80% do not. Not to mention how it compares with most of the rest of the world which lives in abject poverty.

So, it looks like the odds are somewhat slim.

Albedo200 · 2025-05-27T16:05:14+00:00

And how many of that 20 percent would meet your other standards? You would probably still want a guy who is good looking, tall, good social skills, nice personality, young etc etc...

Ok, even assuming you dont have any other standards, highly unlikely but sure, how many of those 20 percent are already single and are looking for a relationship? Not only that, what are the chances those guys will also find you attractive? Do you have amazing looks, are you young, do u have a appealing personality? Guys have standards too and if they are making good money they arent just gonna settle for anyone.

Icy_Ad_4544 · 2025-05-27T17:26:57+00:00

🤨

This must be a troll post.

Or someone with zero life experience or ability to think outside of their own social bubble.

I’ve been a nurse since 2016. I still do not make six figures.

I actually can’t think of anyone that I know personally that makes that six figures. Maybe if they live in a HCOL area but here in Ohio that doesn’t seem to be the norm.

Young kids (men and women) are nuts if they think they are going to graduate and have six figure jobs drop in their lap. This is something I will agree with the young guys on — many young women are clueless about finances and don’t understand that living on one income isn’t going to give them a life of luxury. My nephew (23) is going through this right now with his girlfriend who just assumes she going to move in and be a SAHW. 🙄🤦‍♀️

Ok-Assistant-1220 · 2025-05-27T15:41:29+00:00

So 80% wants that 20%

leosandlattes · 2025-05-27T15:27:15+00:00

Well, it’s not unreasonable if you are a woman who belongs to that socioeconomic class, and therefore those men are naturally the ones you date. Like the men in my social circle all make between 100-400k, depending on their title and experience.

It would be unreasonable for some woman in the middle of bumbfuck nowhere to want a man who makes 6 figures. I mean she would be asking for the impossible at that point.

AnxiousPeggingSlut · 2025-05-27T15:33:21+00:00

Yes. Gainful employment should be enough tbh

Capital-Literature-9 · 2025-05-27T16:21:31+00:00

Can't comment too much about it being unreasonable or not in the USA. However here in the UK, the amount of people earning over 100k is considerably lower.

Depending where you look online, the number typically varies between 1 in 10 (10%), all the way down to 2%. You then have to break that population down even smaller into people who you could potentially date (e.g. sexual orientation, single), then if you have any additional preferences or deal breakers to make it someone who you would date, even more so (e.g. height, weight, hygiene, intelligence, distance from you, morality, family, political leaning, living situation). This isn't even taking into account where you individually might sit on the socioeconomic ladder.

In short, it's not JUST the 1 expectation that makes it unreasonable, it's contextualising everything else that comes with it.

all_hail_michael_p · 2025-05-27T15:19:54+00:00

6 figures + good looking + tall + charming + other random criteria are typically when you start getting into the 0.0001% category of men. The sole standard is almost never just six figures.

NetNo5570 · 2025-05-27T15:26:51+00:00

It's not like women only care about income.

By your own count 80% of women will not find a man making six figures. So ok it's reasonable for 20% of women. Now filter by height, age, charm, fitness and other things most women care about and you are getting into a pretty small percentage.

Whiskeymyers75 · 2025-05-27T15:15:33+00:00

Six figures varies from place to place though. I’m not sure why this is used as some sort of success benchmark when you can live more comfortable in the Midwest or the south on a middle 5 figure income than you can on the east or west coast making $100k.

Mountain-Floor-7243 · 2025-05-27T19:09:56+00:00

It’s an unreasonable demand because it’s a red flag for shitty values. I’m positive most women who make six figures are do-nothing white collar middle managers with brains that look like this or status chasing gold collar women, who are completely incompatible with someone of actual character and passion.

Or worse, some worthless middleman dipshit for a tech company that makes 60% of its money through the advertising economy.

Nothing tells me someone is a mediocre moron like listening to them talk about how “great” their job is in terms of its benefits and not its actual utility or challenge.

bv0724 · 2025-05-27T15:17:55+00:00

Well maybe not, but you also have to think of the competition and how competitive your own traits are to the other gender. I am not one who believes men are fine with a McDonalds cashier, but even when they mate a little below their own income level, it increases their dating pool while increasing competition for the women.

reignoferror00 · 2025-05-27T15:38:26+00:00

Not unreasonable, but if you are making six figures it is unreasonable for most men to give a shit about either your demands or your "problems" in finding what you desire, especially those that don't live in or desire to live in a very HCOL city.

SnooCats37 · 2025-05-27T15:48:25+00:00

Depends where you are in the world. It’s unreasonable in the UK when average income is around £30,000, the majority of the population isn’t earning 6 figures

anonymousppd123123 · 2025-05-27T16:18:57+00:00

6/6/6 was coined before entry level tech guys from mediocre schools were making 100 starting

Livid-Log7463 · 2025-05-28T04:43:08+00:00

Asking for a trait only 20% of people have? MAYBE it wouldn’t be unreasonable if it were the ONLY requirement but if you start adding things on top of that like height, fitness or charisma etc. then you’ve absolutely reached tiny unreasonable percentages.

Flightlessbirbz · 2025-05-28T13:37:00+00:00

It really all depends on where you live, dating age range, and what your social circles are like. One could meet mostly men making six figures or almost never meet a man making six figures depending on those factors.

anonqwertyq · 2025-05-27T16:53:02+00:00

Here I am, playing the world’s smallest violin, at the thought that our wonderful, powerful, six-figure earning #girlboss can’t find her rich man to swim together with in their pool of money. Truly a tragedy that aches the heart.

ProtectionPolitics4 · 2025-05-27T15:13:32+00:00

Most guys who do really well with women aren't making 6 figures so it's not even a real requirement. It's also not even helping men that much. Going from 70k to 700k won't move the needle much in dating prospects.

But yeah if a woman makes like 200,0009$ a year, she'll want her man to make 6 figures which is very reasonable.

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Kapoue · 2025-05-27T15:22:08+00:00

100k is middle-class in urban centers. It's not unreasonable if they are also middle-class and making a similar amount of money.

growframe · 2025-05-27T15:36:51+00:00

I don't buy into the "unreasonable standards" or "666" stuffnin the first place, but if you want to talk about the numbers you have to consider this isn't a vacuum. Whether or not a woman demands a partner makes six figures, they're going to have multiple other criteria besides that.

Even if 20% of the American population make 6 figures, how many of them are men? How many are single men? How many are single men that fit any other criteria a woman could have? In the same city?

Like I said I don't really buy into this argument in the first place, but this isn't really an effective counterargument

DashboardPilled · 2025-05-27T16:21:37+00:00

Is six figures really that unreasonable of an ask?

The 6 figure argument is mostly used by women who don't find their potential suitors attractive based on physical appearance alone and demand a higher salary to compensate for the fact that the man doesn't bring enough to the table, so to speak.

I highly doubt that the same women will have such strict financial requirements for a man that they are actually attracted to who happens to earn 75K, for example. The average salary is at around 50K so there is a happy middle ground between 50k and 100k where the man can take care of himself but cannot afford a certain lifestyle (like traveling to certain exotic locations frequently).

At the end of the day, the whole discussion around "unreasonable" standards is pointless, the heart wants what the heart wants, even if someone provides very logical arguments that the given standard is "unreasonable", you are not going to change your mind, are you?

Ill-Cook-6879 · 2025-05-27T16:25:20+00:00

I think most women who aren't happily lumpen proletariat and also want a good sized family should steer clear of becoming too attached to men who are more than two easy secure reliable years away from being able to purchase a house acceptably close to his place of employment that is suitable to raise the size of family they would prefer together.

Whether that's six figures or not depends on real estate prices mainly.

That's just the reality of life. The sums not adding up is misery.

Outside_Memory5703 · 2025-05-27T16:27:57+00:00

If you’re not top 20% or a housewife it is

bzl33 · 2025-05-27T16:57:25+00:00

the income standard being "6 figures" is a way for yuppies to indirectly brag about their status. yuppie salaries usually top out at mid 6 figures and most don't even get there. someone who makes $100k-$150k in an expensive city is probably worse off than another person who makes $80k in a cheaper place. plus obviously $150k lifestyle is very different from $500k lifestyle.

if you lead with income/assets, the standard is probably worse than you think. you need to make more or be richer than the other people in your social circle. unless you are around people doing a lot worse than you, this could make you seem poor when you aren't.

IcametoMOG · 2025-05-27T16:58:06+00:00

Ur standards are not unreasonable if u are worth it and capable of getting someone who meets it.

Zabadoodude · 2025-05-27T17:16:49+00:00

It doesn't matter what people on the internet think is reasonable. It matters what you can get.

If you're desirable enough to have all your high standards met, then great! If not, getting the internet's approval about how reasonable your standards are isn't going to change that.

The truth is that since only 20% of Americans earn that much, most women simply won't be able to get a man like that. The men earning more are also often not as hung up about dating a woman that earns as much as them, so the women that are earning 6 figures are still competing with all the women that aren't for the top earning men.

CanaryHeart · 2025-05-27T17:26:34+00:00

Yes, it’s unreasonable to rule out 80% of the population based on income.

I’m always fascinated by this—if income is a deal breaker, what happens when you marry someone who makes 200k and that person loses their job and is unemployed for a year? Gets in an accident, is permanently disabled, and cannot work?

anonqwertyq · 2025-05-27T17:31:16+00:00

There are numerous articles about female loneliness epidemic. Of course, in the case of lonely women, they’re almost never vilified, they’re portrayed as victims who slipped through the cracks of society. Compare this with how the media treats lonely men. There are also articles blaming men for not meeting women’s wealth preferences for a relationship.

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MarioWilson122 · 2025-05-27T22:08:42+00:00

Are there many women that can qualify for a man making 6 figures or more? I mean if shes a top tier woman herself thats driven thats very feminine then i guess it could be worth it for just one woman.

Usually men earn this so they can have a nice selection of women to choose from so for women it will only become harder when they go for these type of guys.

So it may become unreasonable for them pursue these types unless they want to deal with him having other girls on the side.

Otherwise i think nowadays most men dont feel its worth it which is why the phase the juice isnt worth the squeeze is a popular saying concerning modern women.

Super-Ad-8731 · 2025-05-27T22:14:11+00:00

a man would not settle for anything less then an hourglass, celluliteless, hairless virgin with big tits/ass and a thigh gap. not only that, he views the majority of women extremely unattractive and disgusting. as long as he doesn't mind being single, there is nothing wrong with his views, right?

would you view any of those preferences unreasonable? why?

shadowrangerfs · 2025-05-27T23:11:39+00:00

I wouldn't call it unreasonable. But you don't need to make six figures to have a comfortable life.

However, it is a long shot to find. That's the main point people are making when this subject comes up.

You said yourself, only about 20% of Americans make that much.

That's a pretty small percentage of people.

If a woman wants a man who makes six figures she only has 20% of all Americans to choose from.

However, it's much smaller than that.

You have to remove all the women. Then all the married men. Then all the gay men or bi men who only date men.

Then you have remove the men who don't have the other qualities that you are looking for such as, age, height, looks, personality etc.

Then you have to remove the men who don't match with you lifestyle wise. Ex. religion, political views, views on having kids etc.

Now a lot of men are gone. Then you have to consider location. You can't date a guy who lives on the other side of the country. How many of the remaining men live in your area?

Even if you find all that, you have to be whatever he is looking for in a woman. And if he's good looking, he'll have other women interested in him as well.

Again, it's not unreasonable. It's just not very likely for the majority of women.

Dertross · 2025-05-27T23:21:32+00:00

however around 20% of the American population earn that amount

How old is that demographic, though? What's the marital status of that demographic?
Young women (18-23) expecting a guy their age (18-27 ) to earn 6 figures is ridiculous; that's less than 1% of the population. That's why they want 6 figures; it's not something they could be earning themselves.

addings0 · 2025-05-28T00:33:06+00:00

Those six figures women make, aren't going to last.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/05/24/womens-jobs-three-times-more-vulnerable-to-being-taken-by-ai-than-mens-new-report-warns

Too much white collar, not enough blue collar.

nonquitt · 2025-05-28T00:50:59+00:00

6figs also is a term popularized in the late 80s-90s and the equivalent purchasing power is 250k now -- sometimes it blows my mind that such a small % of the US population clears that. COL is obv cheaper outside of VHCOL/HCOL but still, the koreaification of the US seems brutal

Zestyclose_Sugar4573 · 2025-05-28T04:16:26+00:00

Many people I know are in this earning category given inflation and money losing its value. However, they also have more debt as well than others I know.

Junior_Ad_3086 · 2025-05-28T08:21:22+00:00

it's somewhat reasonable in a vacuum, especially if a woman makes that amount herself. it will however shrink her dating pool substantially, especially if she's younger and looking for an 'age appropriate' partner. on the other hand, it's generally only one of many things on a woman's 'list' so you'll quickly end up with a very small dating pool. for example, only about 2% of men in the US are 6 foot+ and make at least 6 figures. narrow it down to a specific age range, add in certain personality traits, possibly a handsome face and/or good physique, common interests as well as basic compatibility stuff and you're quickly looking at a small fraction of a percent. of course that also man has to reciprocate a woman's interest and will generally have a lot of options.

if it's so important for a woman to find a financially compatible partner, have at it. but if a woman wants to have it all she better be the full package herself - not based on her own self-perception or what her friends think but rather according to the type of men she wants. i remember a thread on awo30 about successful women's dating struggles a while back and a lot of the women there expressed that their 'equal' would rather date women who are younger, more beautiful and so on. not only can i personally relate to that and see similar patterns in my friend groups but those posts also had hundreds of upvotes.

maxmillius_chaddicus · 2025-05-28T18:33:19+00:00

It's unreasonable precisely for what you specified, men will naturally make more later in their careers.

The issue is women are unwilling to put in the work and stick it out to build up their man. This is the definition of entitlement.

They want their cake and they want to eat it too.

They aren't willing to be a traditional woman who facilitates her husband's success, and therefore these men do not find success. They're thrown aside before they get the opportunity to become that man that they want.

For me personally - I knew it mattered 15 years ago. At the age of 20 I shifted into the grindset.

I was single until 30, but at 30 I had the house, the car, a large investment portfolio. Worked for a FAANG company. Got muscular and boom - girls were inviting me over after coffee. I went from 0 dates in 6 years to 8 dates with 8 diff women within 2 weeks of updating my photos. Went from not attractive enough to meet to coffee to them jumping on my cock after a kiss emoji and asking them out for coffee

It's unreasonable because there isn't enough six figure men to go around. So women are frustrated that their high standards can't be met, and men are frustrated at having to meet those high standards.

It took me 10 years to get myself to the point that women were throwing themselves at me. Once you get there yeah it looks really easy and it is. For those who have already done the journey getting a girl into your life is as easy as "ooh I think I'll have the Stacy today... No maybe Stephanie, yeah I want Stephanie today".

But for a man who hasn't started that journey, it appears insurmountable. Not only do they need the job, they need everything else.

Most women can't even acknowledge that looks matter. How are men expected to hear "be yourself" their whole life when in actuality they need everything society refuses to acknowledge

Mindless-Rooster-533 · 2025-05-28T19:04:20+00:00

however around 20% of the American population earn that amount

this is, by definition, not a lot of people.

zekesky2 · 2025-05-29T00:03:01+00:00

You’re posing 1/8th of the question. Do you know how many men are 6 feet tall, good looking making 100k? It’s not that that’s unreasonable, is that for most women, that’s just one thing.

Hopeful-Card305 · 2025-05-29T02:01:00+00:00

Yes, let us allow only 20% of men to reproduce. Sounds great... also, what the fuck.

This reeks of eugenics.

G4M35 · 2025-05-29T15:18:58+00:00

IMO it's a matter of what someone brings to the table vs what they expect.

If someone is broke AF and expect someone who makes 6-figure then there might be an issue if the other party doesn't agree.

EugeneCezanne · 2025-05-29T17:42:04+00:00

20% is not a very high percent. It's mean 80% fall below it. Of course, whether or not you encounter it a lot in real life depends on your own circumstances. What's realistic in Manhattan isn't in Peoria.

Why would a six figure woman want a man who doesn’t match her career ambitions?

Maybe this is a hot take, but I think most people just date who they like. It's the people who try to reduce the complexities of human relationships to single, symbolic variables that wind up complaining the most.

Upbeat-File-9683 · 2025-05-29T23:23:34+00:00

I don’t think anyone stops anyone from striving for their goals, but the world is not a place where you can “ask” for anything. All things are trades. So no I don’t think women can “ask for six figures”. Can certainly go for it.

Tylikcat · 2025-05-30T04:39:27+00:00

I was wondering this, if from a slightly different point of view.

So, I was making $50K pretty much right out of school, in the mid nineties. Factoring in inflation, that's like $104K now. Now, I was making good money, especially since I didn't have a tech related degree.* Now, for right out of school, that $50K was pretty decent, but under the real median household income, which was $64K. (Of course, I had a partner, who was making around the same amount. We were fresh shiny little yuppies.)

That $104K, though? Is nicely over the current real median household income, which was $80.6K as of '23, and I can't be fussed to track down the current numbers.

So... I started out thinking that six figures really ain't that much, since yo, it's the equivalent to what I made when I was 22. Now I'm mostly reflecting on the ways in which income isn't keeping up with inflation.

Seriously, folks, if you are upset with most of the stresses around modern dating and modern families, you might start out by blaming Ronald Reagan, who reworked the tax code and created our current epic income inequality.

(And true, I'm not making that much over 100K now... but academia generally pays crap compared to industry, and I love my life. Also, I love the school I'm at, and it pains me to know that I could make half again as much just by taking a job at a different uni, but there it is. Partly because most unis pay a CS bonus, and mine, with a strong union, does not.)

*Yes, I was a software engineer. Yes, I am a CS prof now. But I'd been a Chinese and Poli-Econ major. But I grew up writing code, and when my fiance convinced me not to go for the state department, tech was the natural home for me. (If I needed to pause and find myself, I might as well get paid well, right?)

No_Individual_401 · 2025-05-27T16:38:22+00:00

Would rather have a manly man making 24k then a gross ass tech nerd who’s autistic and making 500k

Title	Six figures isn’t really that unreasonable
Author	Disastrous-You2726
Upvotes	0
Comments	241
Date	May 27, 2025 3:10 PM UTC (1 year ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/1kwpqed/six_figures_isnt_really_that_unreasonable/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/six-figures-isnt-really-that-unreasonable.1553248 https://theredarchive.com/post/1553248

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