When someone asks whether a certain degree is “worth it,” there’s finally some data to answer that. We analyzed debt-to-income ratios across dozens of professions from our survey of over 8,000 high-income professionals, and the results tell a pretty clear story about who’s managing student debt well — and who’s getting squeezed.

I’ll also share a few thoughts on what these numbers mean in real life, like how income, housing costs, and lifestyle choices play into long-term financial outcomes.

Key moments:

(01:56) Professions with the lowest debt-to-income ratios and why practicality beats prestige

(05:37) The hidden stress gap between generalists and specialists in healthcare and dentistry

(09:05) Why certain degree programs may be setting students up to fail financially

(13:06) Who’s building the most wealth relative to income

(14:47) Spending patterns that separate comfortable from stressed-out professionals

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Feeling anxious about where your career's headed? You're definitely not alone. We surveyed over 8,000 high-income professionals and asked what's keeping them up at night about their profession in 2025. The answers were eye-opening — but also pretty relatable. We’re covering the top 10 fears that come up again and again. If you're a doctor, dentist, lawyer, or another high-earning professional, chances are you'll see yourself in at least a few of these concerns.

Key moments:

(01:26) Rising education costs and massive debt loads are crushing high-income professionals

(09:15) Rural practice bring in more money due to high competition in urban areas

(20:06) Compassion fatigue is burning out professionals at alarming rate

(24:59) Clients may not value a professional’s expertise when free AI seems “good enough”

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Ever wondered how your income and student debt stack up against others in your field? We’re dropping the results from our biggest survey yet – over 8,000 high-income professionals spilled the tea on their finances, and some of these numbers are pretty eye-opening. Find out which careers are getting crushed by student loans and which ones are actually coming out ahead. Plus, we discuss the coming changes in student loan borrowing limits and what they mean for your career, your wallet, and even the future of professional education. Want to know where you stack up? Tune in.

Key moments:

(02:24) Naturopathic doctors have the worst debt to income ratio of any profession that we surveyed

(04:44) Dental specialists average $414K in income and $500K in student debt, a debt-to-income ratio of 1.2:1

(07:19) CRNAs and physicians have surprisingly similar average salaries according to our data

(14:18) Schools can't magically replace lost tuition when borrowing limits block enrollment

(19:10) Nonprofit hospitals may struggle to retain doctors under new student loan lending rules

Resources mentioned:

• Ron Lieber's book and course on college merit aid and discounting

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!