An employee with an office job says she made more money working at an ice cream shop. She’s now considering trading back in her desk for an apron and ice cream scooper.
While working in the food service industry has some serious perks—some shifts you can walk away with a full month’s rent—it also has some downsides, like few to no benefits. Workers rarely have insurance, work hours shift constantly, and there is no paid vacation time.
However, a recent TikTok video from TikToker Maria Rubin (@mariarubin00) highlighted the difficulty of transitioning to an office job from a service job. In the video, which was viewed over 300,000 times, Rubin shared her reaction to her realization she is not making as much as her previous job. “Trying to work a big girl job but I get paid more serving ice cream,” the text overlay reads as horror music plays, and she lip-syncs that she “doesn’t need this.”
Her caption acknowledges that she gets benefits at her current job that she wouldn’t get at the service job. “I get free dentist tho,” she wrote.
@mariarubin00 i get free dentist tho #nycvlog #nycfinancegirl #nyccorporategirl #corporategirlies ♬ ok – 🫡
Viewers shared some other retail and food service industry jobs that they say pay more than their “big girl jobs.”
“Me making more at two weekend serving shifts at a bar then I do at my mon-Friday big girl job,” user @gracebrainerd said.
“It’s embarrassing seeing the cvs start rate is more than my pay at my big girl job,” @gojohasmysoul wrote.
“I made double my salary selling shoes in retail…” @bernadettej3 shared.
Other office workers claimed they made more at Yogurt Land, Panda Express, and In-N-Out.
Viewers encouraged Rubin to take advantage of the benefits and then leave. “Have them fix your teeth and then quit,” one suggested, referring to Rubin’s caption about dental insurance.
“Have them fix ur teeth and then quit,” another seconded.
In response, Rubin shared: “That’s the plan.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Maria via TikTok comment.