One comedian said that they’ve figured out a hack for finding out whether you’re underpaid: Pay attention to how frequently you get thanked for doing your job.
In a viral TikTok with over 293,400 views, Sean Reilly (@seanreillycomedy), a standup comedian based out of Texas, shared his theory about the correlation between getting thanked for doing a job and how much it pays.
@seanreillycomedy Are You Underpaid? 🤑 #shorts #comedy #funny #jokes #standup #money #Standupcomedy #employment #work ♬ original sound – seanreillycomedy
“You can tell how underpaid you are for your job based on how often you get thanked by other people,” Reilly said.
He said he believes that nurses and teachers are among the most thanked and—based on his theory—overworked and underpaid.
“That’s why nurses and teachers get thanked all the time,” Reilly explained. “That’s why everyone is always like, ‘Oh, my God: You’re a nurse. You’re so brave.”
The comedian said that these kinds of interactions typically end with, “Thank you so much.” But he noted that there’s often a hidden message behind all of the praise.
“That means you are underpaid,” he declared.
He said that his theory works in reverse, too. “You can also use the same measurement to tell if you are overpaid,” Reilly said. “That’s why no one ever thanks investment bankers.”
Reilly’s video, however, sparked a debate among viewers who didn’t quite agree with his take.
“Nurses getting paid very well,” one user said.
“Teachers get thanked?” another questioned.
“Tell that to retail staff that rarely get thanked,” a third viewer added.
“Probably a hot take, but military is overpaid,” another TikTok user argued.
The backlash didn’t appear to both Reilly, however, who is no stranger to sparking online debates. His TikTok videos cover everything from army recruiters doing recruitment all wrong to a takedown of Alaska Airlines.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Reilly via TikTok comment.