It feels like just yesterday this iconic bunch got together for HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion. From the hugs and warm smiles to the rereading of memorable scenes, this group brought back the nostalgic 90s. The award-winning television sitcom, Friends, first aired in 1994 and came to a close in 2004. Most would agree, especially today, that these were simpler times, even for a misfit group of 20-something-year-olds in New York City. The ability to lounge in a coffee shop on a daily basis alone comes with the notion that each character had disposable income to some degree and time to kill. Nowadays, people are holding tightly to their coinage and monitor the cost of living very closely. The very idea that each of the six members lived within a short distance of one another to be able to get together on a regular basis is rare.
Of course, questions have been asked, as they should be, about how these friends managed their day-to-day jobs, maintained a healthy social life, and quite frankly, just afforded to live in Manhattan. Check out the characters' salaries from their many jobs and how they compare to the cost of living in New York.
Ross Geller
Even though Ross' love life is a rollercoaster of chaos, his employment appears very stable in comparison to his friends. He starts the show as a paleontologist at the New York Museum of Prehistoric History. About halfway through the series, Ross is forced to leave his job at the museum, but he takes up a career as a professor at New York University. With the time period, inflation, and location in mind, Ross would have been making about 56K a year as a paleontologist, and then he would have a salary of between 73-125K depending on his professor status. With his apartment being roughly $2,700 per month in the 90s, it is safe to say Ross could afford his New York City lifestyle.
Related: Friends: How the Beloved Series Was Often Problematic
Monica Geller
Monica's spacious apartment is every New Yorker's dream, with an open floor plan, floor-to-ceiling window, and a balcony. Of course, eyebrows have been raised about such a gem in the middle of the cramped city, but the writers added a very strategic storyline to make this locale work. In the last scene of the last episode, "The Last One, Part 2," Chandler mentions that "because of rent-control, [the apartment] was a friggin' steal." Monica originally inherited the apartment from her grandmother. This gave her the advantage to live off a chef's wage of about 36-70K per year. For short periods of time, she also held the jobs of a diner waitress, food critic, and a caterer. While these salaries are much lower than that of a head or sous chef in New York, Monica's ability to stay afloat in her Greenwich Village apartment is plausible.
Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe's career path, much like her personality, is very eccentric. As her main source of income for four seasons, Phoebe worked at a massage parlor. The average salary for a woman in her position in the 90s would be around 45K, but keep in mind that Phoebe was likely tipped in cash. After being let go from the parlor, she continued to work as a freelance masseuse. Her other sources of income were brief, but they added to her back account. For a short time period, Phoebe took a job in a call center as a saleswoman. In one episode, "The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work," Joey helped Phoebe get a job as an extra on his set. Her acting career, ironically, came to a very quick end when everyone, except Phoebe, realized she was a bad actress. No matter the situation, Phoebe seemed to do fairly well for a woman who loves thrift shops, vegetarian meals, and the occasional coffee treat.
Joey Tribbiani
Joey is the wildcard of the group when it comes to his wallet. At the start of the show, it is known that Joey is an aspiring actor. Like all starving artists, his financial status is a bit hectic until he lands a lead role as Dr. Drake Ramoray in Days of Our Lives during Season 2. This gig would get him somewhere between $700 and $1500 per episode, depending on the budget. Unfortunately for Joey, his time as a big shot actor is cut before the ending of the season. Joey then bounced around many part-time jobs such as a Christmas tree salesman, an ad campaign model, a Vegas gladiator, and a waiter, as he continued to land smaller acting roles. Joey is the initial character that struggles with money, but since he lives with his best friend, Chandler, whose financial status is very stable, Joey does not struggle too much to enjoy life in Manhattan.
Related: Friends: Joey's Most Memorable Catchphrases
Rachel Green
The former credit card princess turned into a savvy independent woman by the end of the series. During Season 1, Rachel had to quickly learn the value of her own dollar. After being cut off my her father, she landed a job as a waitress at Central Perk. Minimum wage in New York was $4.25 an hour at the time of her new job, but her paycheck likely fluctuated between taxes and tips. Rachel was lucky to live in Monica's rent-controlled apartment, so her living costs were low. After having a serious look at her life, Rachel left the coffee shop in pursuit of a career in fashion. A brief stint as a fashion assistant led Rachel to Bloomingdale's as a personal shopper making around 19K. From this position, Rachel worked her way through the industry until she landed her dream job at Ralph Lauren, which likely had a large increase in her salary.
Chandler Bing
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Chandler's job becomes a topic of conversation when Rachel and Monica realize they have no idea what he does for a living. They know he has a two-bedroom apartment right across the hall from their place and that he often financially supports Joey, but how he earns his income is lost on the women. In short, Chandler holds a job as a data processing supervisor for most of the series, earning him a salary of about 47K. Keep in mind, this number likely rose with bonuses, yearly increases, and possible commissions. Chandler eventually takes a job as the VP of his unnamed company and earns upwards of 100K. Towards the end of the series, when he decides to make a career change to become a junior advertisem*nt copywriter, Monica is able to pick up the slack in his salary.
