<prompt> Human: I recently started a new job after college and I work the typical 9-6 40 hours a week. The salary is decent but I want to make a lot more and I would like to work more this position does not allow overtime.This brought me to thinking, Are there many 9-6 40 hours a week jobs that pay a lot after five years of experience lets say 120k annual or more? Certainly, there are leadersCEOs that have a situation where operations are conducted by their subordinates, but these people got to where they are after working many thousands of hours. Physicians typically work long hours, and you have to consider the cost of several years of schooltraining. Professional service careers as lawyersconsultantsfinance, they generally work long hours, too.Perhaps it is realistic to live a relatively comfortable life working 40 hours a week and still make a lot if you specialized and are skilled in a highly sought after field such as technology or engineering. This is from an outside perspective based on what Ive heard from a few friends in these fields. Could be entirely wrongDo you make a lot? Do you work very long hours? Are these two basically connected most of the time regardless of career path?Edit:ClarificationEdit 2:Wow! Thank you for all the great insight, everyone! I have to go run some errands but Ill be back and read everything.  <response>: Peters Theory states you only rise to the level of your incompetence. If you were to only get promoted because youre a hard worker, working long hours, then youd eventually be promoted to a position that you had no skills in. Youd be incompetent and fired.What makes you better and earns a higher paid salary is skillset. Always go out of your way to learn more, do more, and improve. Long hours only show a commitment to the job - having the ability to change a company for the better saving and making it money is what will get you promoted to a higher pay and title. If you become a manager, you then also need to expand your people training, managing, and leading skills. This all is challenging yourself. 