I earned the most between the age of 30 and 49 and reached the $150K mark in 2007. If I had continued in that direction, I'd be earning around $250K+ by now. During the period between my mid-20s and late 40s, my focus was career building, money worshipping, and adhering to a very mainstream definition of success. My life took a different direction after I lost my job because as the most senior bureaucrat of a federal agency, I refused to take orders from the top on a very important file. Ten years later at 59, my base salary for my part-time remote job is a very decent 50K, plus on average $25-30K from a couple of side gigs. Due to a perfect timing of circumstances, I am able to spend 6 months of the year traveling with my wife and still earn a decent income doing something I really enjoy, that if I can help it I will probably do until well after I turn 65. "Falling" from grace had obviously some negative impacts on my life at first -I got into a deep depression and didn't get out of my bed for about a year, but over time and after working with great people I would have never associated before (I worked as a customer-service agent and rampie for an airline, and had a 5-year stint as a flight attendant) I realized this was a blessing in disguise which allowed me to refocus on the important things I valued. I can say without a shred of doubt that I am a happy man now.