After three decades in journalism, Jim Lexa has watched his salary plummet, as print journalism reports. – until he left at age 53 with no backup plan.
What followed was an unlikely rediscovery! After working as a handyman for a few days, he got a job at the post office. Today, he earns almost three times his former salary – and walks up to 40,000 steps a day at work.
In an interview with Business Insider, Lexa said that he did not take up journalism for the money. But because he was soon caught writing, he was hired by a local newspaper in Lily Lake, Illinois to cover sports, especially football.
After earning a degree in journalism, he began working as a sports reporter for a regional newspaper group in Amarillo, Texas in 1984 at a salary of $230 a week. Then in 1998 he moved to the copy desk, “where my duties included cleaning the front page and assigning assignments.”
By this time, the newspaper’s popularity had begun to decline. As circulation declined, publishers stopped hiring new people and old employees began to see their salaries cut. Then “when my annual base salary of $37,500 was reduced to $30,000, I became seriously concerned.” Lex began counting every penny he spent. In 2015, he was fed up with the whole process and decided to quit.
Lex moved to DeKalb, Illinois and did whatever job was offered to him. Finally, in 2016, at the age of 53, he made a career move and joined the post office as an assistant city carrier. In two years he was promoted to correspondent.
I earn more, feel better and less stressed
“In my current position, I make $34.26 an hour, with overtime at time and a half after eight hours and double after 10 hours.”
Last year, I topped $85,000—almost three times my base salary at the newspaper. My wife and I don’t have to worry about dining and we enjoy a nice vacation together.
Besides, he feels much better than before. On average, 30,000 steps are taken. And he takes up to 40,000 steps during the winter
“I’m so glad I switched. I have a decent salary with less stress, good benefits, a friendly relationship with my regular customers and at 63 years old I’ve gotten better.”
