J-Walk & Associates, Inc.

Adjusted For Inflation

In 1993, in the Preface for Excel 5 Power Programming With VBA, I asked for reader feedback, and wrote:

Of course I would prefer to receive comments like, "This is the best book I've ever read" or "Thanks to this book, I was promoted and now make $150,000 per year."

In the second edition of that book, I raised the salary to $175,000. In the Excel 2000 edition, the salary expectation (inexplicably) went down to $85,000. In the Excel 2002 edition, it went up to $90,000. It increased again in the Excel 2003 edition, up to $105,000. In the Excel 2007 edition, the salary expectation rose to $112,000. In the Excel 2010 edition, it will be $124,000.

Here's how it looks graphically:

I wish I could remember why I reduced it for the Excel 2000 edition. Maybe someone told me that the salary was unrealistic.

- Reader Comments -

Following are comments in response to this item.
The most recent comment is at the bottom.

1. By Mathias. Comment posted 08 December, 2009 8:41pm

   Must be the dot-com bust
2. By Rob. Comment posted 09 December, 2009 12:19am

   Happy days. I remember the company I was working for abruptly switched from Lotus 1-2-3 to Excel 5 in mid 1995. I bought a copy of Excel 5 Power Programming With VBA, stole a march on my colleagues, and had doubled my salary within a couple of years. Thanks John!
3. By Shawn Wheatley. Comment posted 09 December, 2009 7:56am

   I second Mathias, it has to be fallout from the dot-com bubble.
4. By Mark (Chicago). Comment posted 05 January, 2010 2:49pm

   John, it could be as simple as a typographical error during data entry. You may have meant to enter $185,000 and accidentially forgot the "1". I don't think there was a problem with how you trended the increase in salary. Just a thought.
5. By John Walkenbach. Comment posted 05 January, 2010 6:22pm

   Me, make a typogarphical errer? You've got to be kiddign!