[hal]

Hello Folks,
I was working on a problem for wages in a cyberpunk campaign set in the near future, and got to thinking about real world correlation of values with GURPS projected wealth rules.

Poor income is listed as being 1/5th average income. Struggling is listed as being 1/2 average income. Average income is the standard by which all others are judged and is 1x income. Comfortable income is rated as being 2x standard, and wealthy is 5x standard.

So, how does this translate in GURPS 4e?

GURPS lists things in terms of monthly income. But in reality, pay is in terms of hours worked. A month is how many days in which a person worked a given number of hours?

So, I took a stab figuring out what it translates to, and the results surprised me.

Let's say that by definition, the figures of "per month" in GURPS rules, is exactly 4 weeks of 7 days. There is one month that fits that criteria, and that's February. So - dividing the income of 2600 per month by 4, gives us a weekly income. Multiply that by 52 weeks, and that gives us yearly income. Divide yearly income by 2080, and that's how many hours there are in a year.

Net result for an average income of 2800 per month at TL 8...

Poor income: 3.25 an hour. Clearly, below minimum wage in the United States, and likely indicates that the person is working part time, or is earning an income as a self-employed, where the income from self-employment isn't equal to minimum wage.

Struggling income: 8.125 rounded to 8.13 an hour. This is above minimum wage today, but not by much.

Average income: 16.25 an hour

Comfortable income: 32.50 an hour.

Wealthy income: 81.25 an hour.

Just thought it was interesting to apply the real world values against the GURPS values to see how they work out. The same methodology for TL 9 at 3600 a month works out to:

Poor: $4.50
Struggling: $11.25
Average: $22.50
Comfortable: $45
Wealthy: $112.50