In a recent LinkedIn post, Ryan Gomez, CFP® discusses how high-earning tech workers can balance building wealth with enjoying the money they earn. Gomez frames his comments as a challenge to people who compare their pay with that of peers, arguing that those comparisons can obscure how financially fortunate they already are.
“It’s easy to compare yourself to how much others make, but if you’re in Tech you have it great.”
Peer comparisons can distort perspective
Gomez uses U.S. income figures to make his case, listing $100,000 as the top 18% of earners, $200,000 as the top 7%, and $300,000 as the top 3%. The figures are presented in his post as context for technology professionals, particularly those in account executive roles, where he says such compensation can feel like a baseline.
His central point is about the mindset that can accompany a high income. According to Gomez, some workers continue measuring themselves against colleagues who earn more, even while they leave paid time off unused and postpone enjoying the financial rewards of their work. That pattern, he suggests, can make a strong income feel insufficient.
“Forgetting to actually enjoy the money they worked hard for”
Planning for both security and enjoyment
Gomez does not dismiss saving, investing or wealth building. Instead, he argues that financial discipline should support a life shaped around personal goals, rather than becoming an end in itself. His post points to clients who automate savings and set a plan as examples of people who can stay on track while giving themselves permission to spend what remains.
A guilt-free spending framework
The approach he describes has three parts: identify goals, automate the savings needed to make progress, and treat the remaining money as available for spending without guilt. Gomez presents this as a way to reduce the tension between long-term financial security and present-day quality of life.
“The happiest clients I work with aren’t the ones making the most…”
That observation shifts the focus from income rankings to the choices people make with their money. In Gomez’s view, a higher salary alone does not guarantee satisfaction; having a plan that supports both future priorities and current enjoyment may matter more.
From earning well to living well
Gomez closes with an encouragement to recognize financial progress and act accordingly. His post’s message is that wealth building and living well can coexist: people can save and invest responsibly while also using some of what they earn to enjoy their lives now.
For readers in high-paying fields, the post offers a prompt to reconsider whether constant comparison is helping them meet their goals. Gomez’s advice is to define what those goals are, build a reliable savings routine, and leave room in the plan for spending that feels worthwhile.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Ryan Gomez, CFP® on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 6, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →