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Barbie has had more careers than we could count, but could any of them pay for her lifestyle?
Transcript
00:00 This is the Barbie Dreamhouse.
00:02 Mattel's toy version boasts 10 play areas, which for the purposes of this video, we'll
00:08 assume are mostly rooms, this elevator, and the yard.
00:12 That makes it 8 rooms, which is fairly typical for a medium-sized US home.
00:17 The average sales price of a home in the US was $516,000 in the first quarter of this
00:22 year.
00:23 This of course is very dependent on where it's located.
00:27 If you break the US into 4 regions, it can look wildly different.
00:31 But to keep things simple, we're going to use that $516,000 average to help us uncover
00:38 the economics of everything.
00:39 Which of Barbie's careers would allow her to live in the Barbie Dreamhouse?
00:44 Experts largely agree that your mortgage rate should not be more than 28% of your gross
00:49 income.
00:50 Usually, you must put at least 3% down, though experts advise to do more.
00:55 The range goes as high as 20%.
00:58 So we'll assume Barbie had a windfall, or is amazing at saving, and put down the optimal
01:03 amount.
01:04 That means $103,200.
01:08 We're also going to assume Barbie has fantastic credit and got a 30-year mortgage with a 6.4%
01:14 APR.
01:15 And we're going to ignore property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees.
01:19 That makes Barbie's monthly mortgage $2,582, or $30,985 a year.
01:27 To afford her dreamhouse, Barbie needs to make at least $110,661 per year.
01:35 Barbie has had hundreds of careers.
01:37 Let's see which will ensure she can live in the Dreamhouse.
01:40 There are a whole bunch of actor Barbies.
01:43 Superstar Barbie.
01:44 Silver screen Barbie.
01:45 Hollywood Barbie.
01:47 The median salary for an actor in the US is $45,760.
01:52 So no, actor Barbie can't afford to live here.
01:55 There's also a ton of chef Barbies.
01:58 The average salary for a chef or head cook is $60,210.
02:04 Barbie chef is going to have to live someplace else.
02:06 Of course, Barbie has also been a teacher.
02:09 The median salary of high school teachers?
02:12 $61,820.
02:13 Nope.
02:14 Okay, Barbie has been in medicine too.
02:17 A dentist, doctor, nurse, and surgeon.
02:20 Finally, now we're talking.
02:22 Except nursing.
02:23 Ugh, of course.
02:25 Barbie has dabbled in public service, most of which are a no as far as affording the
02:28 Dreamhouse.
02:29 There's also been President Barbie.
02:31 $400,000 annually.
02:33 But that already comes with a house.
02:35 Modern Barbies have been involved in STEM careers.
02:38 Architect's median annual wage is $80,180.
02:42 That's a no.
02:43 Astronauts have a starting salary of $65,140.
02:45 That's a no.
02:48 Computer engineers' median wage was $128,170.
02:52 So that's a yes.
02:53 Barbie has been a sports star too.
02:56 WNBA Barbie, if she were among the highest earners in the sport, averaged as $228,090
03:02 in 2022, then a yes.
03:05 If Barbie were the best gymnast or tennis player in the world, she would also be able
03:09 to live in the Dreamhouse.
03:10 And finally, Barbie has been a flight attendant, a pilot, and a train conductor.
03:15 These are all no.
03:17 To wrap it up, even with all the perfect conditions met, a lot of Barbies would probably have
03:22 to live with Dream roommates or in the Dream apartment version, which is not nearly as
03:26 fun, especially if you have to live with Ken.
03:29 Let us know if you think we missed any of the iconic Barbie careers, or if you'd like
03:33 to see any other fictional worlds or characters ruined by being grounded in reality.

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