Pro Football Salaries vs. Surgeon Salaries: The Salary Super Bowl

As Super Bowl start time nears, this seems like an opportune moment to examine pro football salaries. Of course, the big question is, “Who is the highest-paid player?” The often-disappointing Atlanta Falcons failed to make the playoffs, but their quarterback, Michael Vick had a great season. He topped all pro football salaries with an annual salary of $23.1 million.

In the world of pro football salaries, is he worth 23.1 million? Well, in 2006, Michael Vick became the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards. But what if we compare this football player salary to a cardiothoracic surgeon salary in the Atlanta area?  How does a football player measure up to someone who saves lives? With 5-9 years of experience, a cardiothoracic surgeon salary averages out to $329,229, less than 2% of Vick’s salary!

How does your salary score against pro football salaries (as reported on CNN.Money.com)? Find out with our salary survey

Federal Judges' Annual Salary: Constitutional Crisis

In his second annual report, Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts advocated an increase in federal judges’ annual salary, as reported on scotusblog.com. Roberts warned that federal judges’ annual salary “has now reached the level of a constitutional crisis that threatens to undermine the strength and independence of the federal judiciary.” Pretty strong words, but does he have a case? Is the federal judges’ annual salary actually smaller than a Baltimore SUV accident lawyer, Ohio crime defense lawyer, or even AZ administrative law judges?

Justice Roberts says that since 1969 the national average wage rate has risen by 17.8 percent, while the average salary for federal judges has dropped by 23.9 percent. Roberts claimed that because of this “dramatic erosion of judicial compensation” it was “clear that the time is ripe for our nation’s judges to receive a substantial salary increase.” According to Roberts, the failure to increase the federal judges’ annual salary lies at the feet of Congress.

How does your annual salary stand up in court? Get the judgment with our salary calculator.

Where The Hell is Matt - How A Video Game Designer Salary Becomes A Trip Around The World

Still in his 20's, Internet-celeb Matt Harding, creator of the where the hell is matt Web site has had an interesting career path that included him taking two major trips around the world. Not too many people go from video game store sales clerk to video game designer and eventually to world traveler and online video dancing sensation.

In a recent PayScale Salary Story, Matt recalled his path from high school to traveling around the world. This trip is what resulted in the original where the hell is matt dancing video.

Does your job have the potential to pay as much as a video game designer salary, so you could travel the world too? Take our salary survey to find out.

Hourly Wage vs. Salary, Exempt vs. Non-Exempt

Most people in the US work force have the heard the terms “exempt” and “non-exempt,” but what do they mean? While many web sites such as Mac's Money Blog talk about pay rate, there is not a whole lot of explanation regarding exempt and non-exempt status.

While I am not a lawyer, or even an HR specialist, I am an employee, and also hopelessly curious about all things related to pay and employment. The basic law is that employers are required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to classify their employees as either exempt or non-exempt.

The more I read about the meaning of "exempt" vs. "non-exempt", the more a lyric of the Paul Simon song "Train in the Distance" goes through my head, "...with disagreements about the meaning of a marriage contract, conversations hard and wild." Like a marriage, in the US an employee/employer relationship is governed by a little law, and a lot of social convention. Since much is not written down, misunderstandings are common.

Before we delve into the details, why not check out where your salary fits into all of this controversy?  Find out with our ever-handy salary calculator.