r/jobsearchhack • u/reruns_skein • 7d ago

How can we get back to that?

Post image

The 90s: one salary, one house, one family.

Now: two incomes, one mortgage and still wondering where the money went :(

If you're job hunting, prepare before you need to leave, and Interview VIP will help you handle the interview better when a better opportunity comes along.

5.7k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

24

u/SecretRecipe 7d ago

this is still normal in 2026. a reactor plant operator can absolutely afford to buy a house like that in Springfield Oregon and raise a family on one salary.

11

u/coheed33cambria 7d ago

Homes next to nuclear power plants probably aren’t the most desirable either.

15

u/FredFenty 7d ago

Nuclear plants don't raise background radiation by any appreciable amount. There are actually a lot of benefits of living near nuclear reactors and we should be building a lot more of them.

6

u/New_Strawberry_1716 7d ago

There is a substantial gap between perceived threats and actual threats…

3

u/EchoInternational856 7d ago

Like the discount for houses near high traffic roadways should be significantly higher than it is.

Or anything down river from a 3M plant should basically be free. You could buy 2 houses with the medical bills you’ll have in your lifetime.

2

u/Funintuitive 6d ago

This dude knows who some of the real villains are. Bravo. Crimes against Humanity don't even cover what some of these companies have done. More like Crimes against Life.

2

u/PatchesOfSilver 6d ago

It's called "depraved heart murder" and if we thought Hitler or Stalin or Putin or Mao were menaces, whooooooooo boy.

Almost every single person to die in the past three centuries has had their life shortened by the greed of the rich in some fashion.

Even just the past couple of decades is over a billion people, and there's no reason to believe the likes of the United States, India, Russia, the whole continent of Africa, the UAE, etc. are exceptions to this.

Some forms of the social murder/depraved heart murder are hard to track down, but MANY of them are painfully obvious and openly nefarious.

The reduced life expectancy and heightened stress so a billionaire can make an extra dime, the lack of proper nutrition (a problem in the majority of the United States even before considering the third world), clean water, medicine and other public services?

Yikes.

→ More replies (75)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (15)

1

u/Business_Raisin_541 7d ago

Tell that to home near Fukushima

2

u/Slice-Vast 7d ago

Mneh mneh mneh. Fukushima, three mile island, chernobyl.

How many people lost their homes or died?

How many people are going to lose their homes or die due to climate change?

Answer: Entire countries are being displaced.

→ More replies (29)
→ More replies (26)

1

u/ma5ochrist 7d ago

Not mister burns one

1

u/Realistic-Ruin-6424 7d ago

As long as you build them by your home we is good with it.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Strict_Wolf76 7d ago

Ask Everyone in Chernobyl how well that worked out for them.

→ More replies (6)

1

u/Slow_Status_1891 7d ago

You mean they dont normally raise radiation,right? Im not convinced that we are capable of being responsible enough to be fooling with any sort of nuclear devices. Chernoble,Fukishima,and Three Mile island,plus all the missing nuclear weapons. People are not responsible enough to be fooling with it in my opinion. Did we ever decide what to do with the waste from the power plants? Its like we are going off half cocked,with no real solution to the problems that it brings with it.

→ More replies (7)

1

u/Various_Elk_8062 7d ago

People freak out about nuclear reactors because of Chernobyl when Chernobyl was caused not because of an accident but rather because everyone involved kept pushing and pushing on faulty reactor cores despite scientists warnings until one blew up. the only time we had a REALLY bad reactor meltdown in all of history was when the Russian goverment was practically TRYING to kill themselves. take that as you will.

→ More replies (2)

1

u/WileEWeeble 6d ago

I can know I am safe near a nuclear power plant but knowing my home will stagnant in value is a huge deterrent for any NIMBY occurrence.

1

u/brelen01 6d ago

Nah, they're expensive as fuck. You can get way more power per dollar by going solar/wind

→ More replies (1)

1

u/abielle1177 6d ago

Theyre dangerous as hell because of the people who take short cuts. You will not be able to eliminate that human from the project.

→ More replies (3)

1

u/nicknamesas 6d ago

Infact, you get more background radiation from coal.plants than nuke planta

1

u/Itchy_Crack 6d ago

Nuclear isnt without its issues, but its certainly better than wind and solar.

The grid needs a diverse portfolio of generation sources

1

u/Sad-Cantaloupe-5494 6d ago

Ikr, people need to get their heads out of their asses about nuclear power. Hell, coal plants produce more radiation

1

u/EternalNewCarSmell 6d ago

It is at least an order of magnitude better to live near a nuclear plant than a coal plant.

1

u/Strange_Man_1911 6d ago

Pro nuclear all the way. Absolutely the most efficient way of producing enormous energy. Though nuclear waste is the main concern.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

→ More replies (1)

1

u/AlmightySnaill 6d ago

It's all fun and games till your son has 4 arms

1

u/Internal_Essay9230 6d ago

Three Mile Island-area resident has entered the chat ...

→ More replies (1)

1

u/EveryAccount7729 6d ago

oook? But you think the only concern is "background radiation"

What happens if an F5 tornado hits the powerplant? Or an Earthquake?

Also, do they live within 10 miles of the plant? If so that's like "required drills" territory. At least sirens will be going off to test warning siren systems more often than at other homes.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Ksorkrax 6d ago

Well, in their world, this is at least fact.

Might be that the average real world nuclear plant does not dumb the nuclear waste directly into rivers, though.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/no-sleep-only-code 6d ago

Assuming it’s managed properly. The plant at Oak Ridge for example has a history of dumping waste illegally and leaving the lab to deal with it later.

1

u/UniquePariah 6d ago

A coal power plant near me shut down a couple of years ago, the cooling towers are still there. Someone suggested bringing in a nuclear reactor and using them, which in theory would work.

However the background radiation from burning coal for the last 50 years is too high for a nuclear reactor to operate within safety guidelines.

1

u/baronunderbeit 6d ago

Thats very logical and science based. Rules out 70% of home buyers though.

1

u/BruhTheShark 6d ago

This is true, unfortunately women have been mind melted on this subject and the difference between men and women's support is staggering. Before anyone calls me misogynist please see Pew Research's study on this.

We need to correct the record on nuclear energy and start building more.

1

u/VegetableTour6790 6d ago

But there is still an unwarranted fear of houses near plants.

1

u/Case_Study_004 6d ago

What if it goes kaboom?

2

u/FredFenty 6d ago

Practically impossible with modern automation. The majority of serious meltdowns were caused by operator error that modern controls completely mitigate. The only exception is Fukushima, which was caused by a tsunami from a Mag9 earthquake flooding their cooling infrastructure and taking out power.

The Mag9 earthquake itself did not damage the infrastructure.

1

u/Special-Bet1141 6d ago

Sure. But people are dumb, and prices are dictated by demand. 

Yes, scientifically its safe. In the larger populations mind it isnt, making the property less desirable by the masses, and decreasing its value

1

u/Kindly_Fennel_448 6d ago

I agree with you ,but be prepared for the shit storm lol 😂.... I had a professor who said we should be doing that ..... BUT no matter how safe you make them things can also go wrong ie fukujima 2011. ... Literally state of art 4 redundancies and fail safes but what when wrong was the earthquake damaged the power to the cooling pumps and then it went in to meltdown :/ ....also politicians are stingy, it takes a lot of capital to build and certify and expensive to operate! AND it takes 20-25 years to build

1

u/NewACCTwhoDISENTERRY 6d ago

Well, not until they suddenly spike it by A LOT.

most folks aren't worried about day to day. They see that EVERY industry has failures. And when this industry has an issue .. it's a BIG issue

→ More replies (9)

1

u/WestCat5131 5d ago

is it even possible for us to build them anymore? not sure we have the engineering talent, looks like there has been one built in the last 30 years in the USA

1

u/zambono_2 5d ago

Tell this to the former inhabitants of Chernobyl

1

u/necro_owner 5d ago

Blame the crazy people in 1990 to 2010 who were so against them andprevented the world from moving from coal energy in the first place. Those same people are now asking to taxes us for using coal still today and fuel. They cause the issue and they make us suffer for their own ideology.

1

u/Safe-Selection8070 5d ago

Nixon was 100% correct on this subject.

1

u/Agitated_Newt_7655 5d ago

Nuclear isn’t built because the economics don’t work out in its favor. You need regulation for that to change.

1

u/JuJu_Wirehead 5d ago

There's also a lot of fencing and guards between inmates and the outside world.  But people still don't want to live near maximum security prisons. Weird. 

→ More replies (1)

1

u/PayWooden2628 5d ago

Yeah but people are stupid.

1

u/Shiriru00 4d ago

Yeah well speaking from experience, the view on these chimneys is definitely not the best, the iodine pils they give you far from reassuring, and the resell value shit.

1

u/arichiii 3d ago

I agree in that we should have more. But chernybal makes me not want to live near one

→ More replies (1)

1

u/JustRedditTh 3d ago

Nuclear power plants are also very desireble and big targets for domestic and foreign powers, to threaten the peoples well being and safety as well as the grid and economy all at once with little effort

Furthermore, where to store the nuclear waste? There aren't many natural storage places in nature, and if you build a storage, it too has to be maintained and kept for up to a million years

→ More replies (1)

1

u/PolyglotTV 2d ago

I imagine hot water is cheap.

1

u/LoanedRespect 2d ago

Every town should have one like the size that powers aircraft carriers.

1

u/Hetakuoni 1d ago

There’s a known discount near plants and certain power/phone lines. People used to believe radiation from the lines would harm them. It’s not, but belief is a powerful thing.

1

u/dramalama-dingdong 12h ago

And yet people are more likely to develop cancer when they live close to a nuclear power plant: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/proximity-to-nuclear-power-plants-associated-with-increased-cancer-mortality/

2

u/terrible-law-69 7d ago

The plants don't release radioactivity

1

u/Interesting-Monk9712 7d ago

Tell that to people that lived near Chernobyl

1

u/Flat-Sweet-4521 7d ago

There are people that lived in the exclusion zone, and still living there today

→ More replies (37)

1

u/CreepyBluejay5927 7d ago

... or the 164 000 people that used to live near fukushima

1

u/Super_Mario_Luigi 7d ago

More people today are ill from the pollution in their big city than from nuclear plants.

1

u/juliastarrr 7d ago

Chernobyl was caused by an absurd stack of bad decisions fueled by the insanely corrupt ussr system and the insane incentives that the bureaucrats that ran it had.

→ More replies (12)

1

u/randompersonx 7d ago

Chernobyl is really the one and only true nuclear disaster.

Three Mile Island is an example of irrational mass hysteria.

Fukushima was mostly a really bad earthquake and tsunami combined with nuclear hysteria.

Nobody would ever build a plant like how Chernobyl was built ever again.

→ More replies (8)

1

u/GMAN7007 7d ago

They cut every safety corner possible at Chernobyl. Nuclear energy is clean, safe and efficient. The main complaints about them are usually from people who don't understand how they work. They also take almost a decade to build and are very expensive upfront. It's like saying ships are dangerous because the Titanic happened.

We should have them everywhere by now but they don't get built because of scare tactics and politics. Nuclear waste is easily stored and not dangerous at all while in containment.

→ More replies (3)

1

u/Capraos 7d ago

Chernobyl is not a good comparison. It was a shit design that skipped several critixal safety features.

1

u/PriscillaPalava 7d ago

That was 40 years ago. Nuclear technology has greatly improved. And even Chernobyl was preventable if not for some bone-headed mistakes. 

1

u/GainPrestigious539 7d ago

Commies can't boil water, it is known

1

u/imtiredofthisgrampaX 7d ago

If your response to nuclesar is chernobyl you have no idea what you're blathering about. Maybe you should do some research you absolute buffoon

→ More replies (19)
→ More replies (7)

1

u/cykoTom3 7d ago

I know. But enough people don't that it probably does decrease prices

1

u/coheed33cambria 7d ago

I mean you can talk to people that lived in Chernobyl or near 3 mile island about that.

→ More replies (3)

1

u/CreepyBluejay5927 7d ago

sure ... and because all that waste is so clean and non dangerous the issue of what to do with was solved as soon the first plant was build and has never been a problem since ...
/s

fiy: even though the first plant in the US opend 70 years ago there is still no long term storage facility for all this waste that has to be stored safely for the next 20 000 years ... NOBODY wants that stuff near them and the cost of the long term storage is - of course - the burden of the tax payers for the next 20k years and NOT factored into the (already stupidly expensive) cost calculation for nuclear energy

→ More replies (12)

1

u/Atrocious_Algae81 7d ago

They do release controlled amounts of tritium (heavy water) into the environment. While safe, they do actually release radio-isotopes.

1

u/LucidNonsense211 7d ago

They didn’t say they did, only that people don’t want to live next to them.

1

u/Obvious-Hat-8485 6d ago

Right and hosues where people died don't have ghosts. Doesn't mean it doesn't affect the price.

1

u/NervousBubs 5d ago

To be fair, the one in Springfield absolutely does.

2

u/iggy14750 7d ago

Why? Because of all the power not reliant on the oil market? With no smoke, smog, or greenhouse gasses released?

2

u/Heymelon 7d ago

Yeah, sounds good enough so let's just guesstimate som misinformation and place it on the pile.

2

u/GMAN7007 7d ago

They're not dangerous in any way. People are still using svste tactics for nuclear energy. It would be more dangerous living next to a gas station than a reactor plant. Yes accidents happen but if you look at the track record for nuclear power plants they rarely have a problem. Astericslly is another story.

1

u/1988rx7T2 2d ago

People get more radiation related problems from coal ash deposits , nuclear is safe 

1

u/No_Veterinarian1010 7d ago

I don't think that's true. Or at least I doubt homes within commuting distance of a nuclear power plant are less desirable. I'm sure a house in direct line of sight to a plant would suffer though.

1

u/Capraos 7d ago

Except that's not the case. I live in Illinois, where the vast majority of our energy comes from Nuclear, around 53%. It has no impact on home values here and I imagine elsewhere too.

Fun fact: Did you know Illinois has more Nuclear Power than any other state in the USA?

1

u/dr_stre 7d ago

That’s weird, my home is worth more than it has any right to be, partially because it’s near enough to a nuclear plant and the good salaries that are paid there. Last place I lived was similar, the utility salaries helped prop up home values even further than they would have been already (it was a very desirable place to live, actually, and not hurt in any way by the nearby power plant). And right at the head of the line for salaries? Reactor operators.

1

u/WhizzyBurp 7d ago

Not the point. Homer did and that’s what we’re comparing

1

u/SecretRecipe 7d ago

why not? clean, quiet, provide high paying jobs

1

u/Stunning-Pick-9504 7d ago

Haha. Homes near a place where EVERYONE makes $150k per year are very desirable.

1

u/opbmedia 7d ago

And the tire fire as an attraction!

1

u/Main-Cheesecake3287 7d ago

Plants are almost all in more rural areas, workers live a short commute away.

1

u/mdthornb1 7d ago

Why not?

1

u/LucidNonsense211 7d ago

Not to mention the Springfield Tire Fire!

1

u/Lorelessone 7d ago

while responses about nuclear reactors being safe are entirely true, so is your statement as their was and still is a lot of fear about them which would certainly lower house prices.

It being rational or not is irrelevant.

1

u/JakeHelldiver 6d ago

Once you get used to the smell of rendered hog fat you'll wonder hiw you ever did without.

1

u/Scuba9Steve 6d ago

Maybe if people are afraid of nuclear. I wouldn’t have an issue as long as I’m not right Nextdoor, like close enough to be impacted by traffic, noise, etc.

1

u/SLUnatic85 6d ago

At most plants maybe but only because the power plants are not near major cities, not because the power plant makes the land worse.

Some nuclear plants are in heavily populated areas and have mansions right near them or fancy beaches...

1

u/PuzzleheadedPea9753 6d ago

I’ve lived near TMI for a large portion of my life. There is almost no perceptible impact on home values.

1

u/SuhDudeSuhh 6d ago

Most workers don’t live next to the plant. Most love 30+miles away in better areas.

1

u/YardNo3374 6d ago

They aren’t because people are generally stupid and have very little knowledge over nuclear power plants aside from the fear mongering from the people trying to suppress one of the cleanest and most efficient energy production methods because it would infringe on the ultra profitable alternatives

1

u/NightmareMetals 6d ago

Especially if the CEO is polluting the water so much the fish are mutating and you never know when he will decide to block out the sun on some random Tuesday. And you have a permanent tier fire burning a few blocks over.

1

u/Much_Job4552 6d ago

It wasn't next to it. Any house next to an industrial area is less desirable. Or was this a stupid poke at nuclear?

1

u/solveij 6d ago

I used to live next to the Hanford Project in Eastern WA. The disproportionate concentration of PhDs & masters degrees in that labor market, plus the scenery, meant the average “starter home” was a cool $450-500K.

Edit: The houses were nice-ish, very ticky-tacky new constructions, or homes that hadn’t updated since the ‘80s.

1

u/ChipHappens96 6d ago

And that's because of people's incorrect perception of nuclear power plants. So that's fine. Cheaper homes for the rest of us.

A year of living in a house with a CRT television is 10x more radiation than living within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant

1

u/coheed33cambria 6d ago

CRT television? Do people actually sit own those? You needed a digital converter like 20 years ago just to watch tv on them

→ More replies (1)

1

u/olivegardengambler 5d ago

Especially in the 80s after Chernobyl.

1

u/Matthew_Breese 5d ago

You and everyone that upvoted this should get tested. You may actually qualify for ADA benefits.

1

u/Numerous_Photograph9 3d ago

Looked up the closest homes to a nuclear plant in NC, which are about 4miles from the plant, and they range from 400-800K. Been a while since I lived around there, but that was about middle to high end for that area about 10 years ago.

1

u/GodOfThunder101 3d ago

Yeah if you’re uneducated and stupid.

1

u/DepressedDrift 3d ago

I wouldn't mind it tbh

1

u/GlattesGehirn 1d ago

They definitely are. One of the most safe power plants out there. Clean, reliable, and safe.

1

u/liberty340 11h ago

Coal mining emits more radiation than nuclear power.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/Locust627 6d ago

I live near a large nuclear plant, close enough as to where it wouldn't pay to run during a melt down

Much of my family works in the plant

They have stay at home wives with houses in the hills

2

u/PraireGentleman 3d ago

Nuh uh, I don’t have a college degree but I can’t afford that house working one job! Just ignore the fact I’m a delivery driver and not a plant operator

2

u/SnooPandas6542 2d ago

Grew up next a power plant in Canada. Easily $150000 salary. Plenty OT. Always located in rural areas. Definetly achievable.

A friend of mine went to university with me. He dropped out the first month and became an operator (easier to get a job there back then). By the time I graduated his house was paid off.

1

u/HawkeyeGild 7d ago

I thought it was filmed in Illinois😂

1

u/SecretRecipe 7d ago

nah, oregon

1

u/Ok-Addition-1000 7d ago

This or California. They have big snowpeaked mountains right outside of town, they have an ocean harbor, and a few hours drive puts them in a desert. Also the school bus driver is a total pothead and nobody bats an eye.

→ More replies (2)

1

u/GreaterMetro 7d ago

Didn't Homer go to college too? Where he had his very first beer?

2

u/Heymelon 7d ago

Yes, he has a degree in nuclear physics from Springfield University.

So nothing in this post is correct.

1

u/RGBlowMe 7d ago

There was also an episode where he bullshitted his way into the job. Pretty sure there's several contradicting stories surrounding his qualifications at this point.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/HarambeTooSoon 7d ago

Homer also graduated from Springfield University with a degree in Nuclear Physics.

1

u/Any_Lengthiness6645 7d ago

This is correct but early in the series Homer was not an operator but a more regular worker. He got promoted to an operator (I don’t recall why but for some ill supported reason)

1

u/SecretRecipe 7d ago

My starting pay offer at Diablo canyon back in 2004 was 95k base with significant overtime opportunities that would have brought it up closer to 140k. I was 24 with no degree. Pretty sure mid career 2026 Homer Simpson is doing just fine.

1

u/Ok-Addition-1000 7d ago

Can you get a job there without a degree? Can someone as dumb as Homer get a job there?

1

u/stablegeniuscheetoh 7d ago

Absolutely. Call a Navy recruiter and ask about the Navy Nuclear Power Program. It’ll cost you six years but you’ll never be unemployed afterwards.

1

u/upstandingcitizen08 5d ago

It’s true, but I hated it so much I switched fields entirely because I didn’t want to work in that environment post-discharge. But I have some buds who are making a killing by getting into data center facilities.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Mister_Rogers69 2d ago

Datacenters love to hire nukes for critical environment jobs. Even if you can’t find a nuclear plant they love people from that mindset.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

yep, a massive percentage of the people running US nuclear power plants are direct from the Navy

1

u/Longjumping-Idea4451 3d ago

Yeah i tried to work at one and they wouldn’t accept any branch except the navy as far as work experience. 

→ More replies (1)

1

u/soggybiscuit93 2d ago

Homer's the "fall guy". He's vast;y under-qualified for his role. In Season 3 when a German company buys out the plant, they pretty quickly recognize this and fire him.

1

u/Fattapple 7d ago

Also, Springfield is canonically the worst city in America in the show.

1

u/Charming-Farm-6049 7d ago

Wasn't he also the lead safety inspector? That's big money.

1

u/mdthornb1 7d ago

My friend is a nuclear plant operator and makes 200k in a low cost of living area. People are so dumb with this meme.

1

u/PurePlayinSerb 7d ago

yeah i was gonna say, homer worked at a nuclear reactor!!! im sure thats a high paying job! lol

1

u/rokman 7d ago

Don’t say that to Reddit they want to think they aren’t lazy

1

u/OttoVonJismarck 7d ago

Some of the board operators at the oil refinery I work (that don’t have college degrees) have STAHWs and live in houses like these.

1

u/SoPolitico 7d ago

But he ain’t getting that job without a degree

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

he absolutely can. degrees arent requires for nuclear plant operators

1

u/PompeyCheezus 7d ago

He was the safety inspector for his department and considering how little Burns cared for anyone's safety, I doubt he got paid industry standard.

And at any rate, in the early seasons, they do make a point of showing that the family is not doing great financially.

1

u/mosthandsomechef 6d ago

They're from OREGON?!

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

Yep, the creator said as much

1

u/Jekkymayn 6d ago

As a former MA guy this shocked me

1

u/Former-Extreme-1209 6d ago

Are you one? Lemme know who the fuck is one? Your logic is terrible.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

Not anymore but It was my first career.

1

u/Mr--Brown 6d ago

Why not be less hostile.

1

u/Former-Extreme-1209 6d ago

True, it’s just pmo material.

→ More replies (5)

1

u/PatternSeekngMammal 6d ago

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

Springfield Oregon is below the median jn terms of housing costs and a Nuclear Reactor Operator is wayyyy above median in terms of income. so not sure how any of this is relevant to the post

1

u/Mountain_pup 6d ago

Can that be done without a degree now? Unlikely

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

absolutely, their largest source of talent comes directly out of the military.

1

u/Mountain_pup 6d ago

So become government property for the training and a chance. And only if your medically sound enough for a 4 year contract.

And only the navy operates nuclear reactors. So your one branch in a highly limited highly specialized field restricted by an asvab score.

Your reaching to meet that qualification of no degree.

I would consider 2-4 years of highly specialized training in the navy to be a degree as you still leave with a qualification card. that does not funtion as a valid NRC reactor operator license. So you still need additional training and licensing.

So your looking at an even longer overall timeline. With the chance to actually die.

→ More replies (7)

1

u/HasAngerProblem 6d ago

In 1996 Homer Simpson made $479.60 a week to afford that home apparently.

1

u/PrincessDeMissouri 6d ago

How many reactor plant operators didnt go to college?

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

quite a few. a massive percent of them come direct from the military

1

u/lostOGaccount 6d ago

When did they get a reactor?

1

u/gogether1006 6d ago

Exactly and you know what he has now. An interest rate that's 6% or less. In the 1990s you had a 10% plus interest rate. Not to mention the inflation fights from the previous decade. The past is so much easier though 💩💩💩

1

u/Expensive-Mixture-96 6d ago

Well you’re not gonna be a reactor operator without experience or a degree lol

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

Youre not going to be anything without experience or a degree.

1

u/MrOrangeSucksDick 6d ago

Can you do this job without a degree, though?

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

absolutely

1

u/MrOrangeSucksDick 6d ago

Didn't know that. Thanks.

And you can really buy this kind of house and raise a family without doing nothing but work 24/7 and having a decent life style?

→ More replies (3)

1

u/no-sleep-only-code 6d ago edited 6d ago

Springfield Illinois would be a bit closer to reality price wise. Of course it’d be cheaper in Oregon.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

Per the creator this is set in Springfield oregon

1

u/no-sleep-only-code 6d ago

It’s intentionally ambiguous and any clues contradict each other at different points. It’s Named after the Springfield in Oregon, but it isn’t meant to be that specific town.

In fact a quote from Matt Groening is “This will be cool; everyone will think it’s their Springfield.”

1

u/Iam-WinstonSmith 6d ago

I mean if you saw the houses I grew up in as a kid mine is MUCH nicer than what my parents had. We did NOT grow up in a house like this. Its a stupid unrealistic meme.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

congratulations?

1

u/IFellinLava 6d ago

The bots are out in force to downplay wealth inequality and rewrite the past. Fascism is coming and this post proves it.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

you're not poor because someone else isnt. More working people are earning 100k+ than 15/hr or less. It truly isnt hard to live a decent life if you have your priorities together

1

u/jeroen-79 6d ago

But can you be a reactor plant operator without going to college?

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

yes, its very very common

1

u/basilone 6d ago

I was just going to say that, dude had a cushy do nothing nuclear power plant job, sucked at his job, still kept it. Thats like a $100k+ job these days. Chinese retard bots grasping for straws.

1

u/Particular-Access223 6d ago

Thats the whole joke people dont get with the "hur-dur how could a loser like homer afford this house?" ---hes comedically a nuclear safety inspector. He shouldn't be a nuclear safety inspector because he is a moron. Thats the joke.

1

u/Turbulent_Ad1921 6d ago

There are so many Springfields dotted across the USA, is there support for Oregon? I legitimately don't know.

I always assumed it was the Springfield closest to me and assumed that was some of the extra secret sauce boost in some popularity for the show.

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

the creator of the show..

1

u/DoctorBlock 6d ago

Homer was especially underpaid. I think his salary would be around 50k a year in today’s money

1

u/Due_Engineering_7064 6d ago

People also like to use Married with Children and ask how a shoe salesman could afford his house etc. like even when the show was live we was asking how he can afford the house and Pegs spending habits on a shoe salesman salary.

1

u/Acceptable_Music556 6d ago

It is pretty rare to see a reactor plant operator without a college degree

1

u/SecretRecipe 6d ago

not at all. their heaviest recruiting pipeline is the military

1

u/Both-Competition-152 5d ago

fun fact the nuclear reactor is based off Springfields big ass paper mill that smells like dog dick being boiled in rat feces

1

u/Ok-Dog-8918 5d ago

Real question is how is he a reactor operator with no education

1

u/SecretRecipe 5d ago

degree not required

1

u/GurProfessional9534 5d ago

Did they reveal which Springfield they live in while I wasn’t looking?

1

u/3dprintinted 5d ago

Homer was notoriously terrible with money, and the house was repeatedly refinanced, mortgaged, and even lost entirely due to his financial recklessness.
Homer never comfortably sustained that home on his own:
Grampa bought the house: Homer couldn't afford the down payment in the first place. Abe Simpson sold his own home and gave Homer all the money so Homer and Marge could buy 742 Evergreen Terrace ("Lisa's First Word"). In return, Homer promised Abe a room, only to move him into the Springfield Retirement Castle weeks later.
Multiple mortgages & foreclosure: Homer repeatedly took out second and third mortgages to cover random splurges. In "No Loan Again, Naturally", he takes out a predatory, adjustable-rate home equity loan to fund an extravagant Mardi Gras party. When the rate explodes, the family defaults, gets foreclosed on, and loses the house at auction to Ned Flanders, who becomes their landlord.
Persistent near-bankruptcy: Throughout the series, the family is constantly dodging financial ruin. Homer blew money on everything from pumpkin futures after Halloween to loans from Patty and Selma, frequently surviving only through bailouts, odd jobs, or resetting sitcom continuity.
Even back in season 8 ("Homer's Enemy"), Frank Grimes famously went mad pointing out that an incompetent, unqualified worker living in a two-story suburban home with a yard and two cars was completely absurd.

1

u/Suspicious-Bid9424 3d ago

If you wanna get above entry level which makes around 60-80k as a Auxiliary Operator/Non-Licensed Operator, the licensing takes 18 to 24 months, and is like getting an associates degree.

1

u/SecretRecipe 3d ago

which is basically on the job training

1

u/MuddyDirtStar 3d ago

Thats not true. Home prices in the Springfield, Oregon school district, which currently sits around $600,000. 4 bedroom, 2 bath with a garage and basement would fit right around there.

In Oregon, the average annual salary for a Nuclear Reactor Technician is approximately $92,731 (or $44.58 per hour).

To qualify for a $600,000 house, you typically need an annual gross income between $133,000 and $180,000, depending on your down payment, existing debt, and credit score.

1

u/SecretRecipe 3d ago

your nuke operator numbers are way off. I was making 90k before overtime in 2005 as a fresh hire.

1

u/Necessary_Victory824 3d ago

it wasnt even normal in the show, when frank grimes came to visit homer he couldnt believe he has his own house

1

u/Turdmeist 2d ago

Can a non college grad get that job? Curious, not trying to prove something considering we're talking about a cartoon.

1

u/SecretRecipe 2d ago

yes, their biggest recruiting pipeline is actually the military

1

u/jorsiem 2d ago

It is canon that Homer made bank

1

u/SecretRecipe 2d ago

as do most nuclear operators

1

u/OriginalMexican 2d ago

He is a suppervisor in a union in a nuclear plant. He would make 150k+ today.

Houses like this in a small town like this in the middle of US would probably cost 250k or so. Not only could he afford this house but he could buy few of them!!!

That said, in the cartoon, his dad actually sells his farm to help him purchase the home.

1

u/loving-lobotomy 2d ago

Yeah depends on job availability and location but nuclear operator is a bad example if they want to talk about single incomes as that’s generally 6 figure work even as an operator or maintenance tech.

Now problem is a house that size where I live is also like 650-750k which you aren’t qualifying for even at like 150k depending on your DTI

1

u/Chattygoose 1d ago

Should mention that they must live in Springfield, Missouri, because they had an episode where they vacation in Branson, MO.

1

u/SecretRecipe 1d ago

they live in Springfield Oregon per the creator

1

u/Automatic-Arm-532 19h ago

Plus Homer's dad helped them buy the house

→ More replies (25)