# My Wife Makes Six Times What I Make. I Plan to Change That By Training for a New Career, But There’s a Catch.

> A man seeks career training to earn six times his wife's income but fears student debt.
- Title: My Wife Makes Six Times What I Make. I Plan to Change That By…
- Summary: A man seeks career training to earn six times his wife's income but fears student debt. A man plans to train as a psychiatric nurse practitioner to earn six…
- Keywords: risky stability, tugboat captain, therapist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, student debt, graduate loans, fafsa, house purchase, career training, salary, student loans, federal loans
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/advice/2026/10/money-advice-lucrative-career-training.html?via=rss
- Author: Ilyce Glink
- Published: 2026-10-19T10:00:05.571+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: risky stability, tugboat captain, therapist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, student debt, graduate loans, fafsa, house purchase, career training, salary, student loans, federal loans
## The problem
A man in a dead-end clerical job wants to change careers but worries about his wife's income and housing costs.
## Three career options
He considers training as a tugboat captain, therapist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner with varying salaries and debt levels.
## Tugboat captain
This role earns $120,000 annually after two years of training with a stipend.
## Therapist
Therapists earn $90,000-$100,000 after three-to-five years of unpaid training and supervision.
## Psychiatric nurse practitioner
This role earns $130,000-$375,000 annually after four years of unpaid training with high student debt.
## Wife's income
His wife makes six times what he earns but couldn't support him for four years.
## Student debt concerns
Graduate loans are capped at $20,500 per year and $100,000 total, but student debt could be high.
## Financial risks
He worries about borrowing more than he earns, potential burnout, and whether his wife can support him during training.
## Solutions
He should use a spreadsheet to compare lost income, tuition, and job opportunities to decide which path is best.
## Next steps
He should sit down with his wife and a spreadsheet to evaluate financial risks before buying a house.
## Key takeaway

A man plans to train as a psychiatric nurse practitioner to earn six times his wife's income but worries about student debt.