When a featured advertisement article on Yahoo Education named Entry-Level Jobs That Pay More Than $50k caught my attention, I didn’t expect my job to show up on the list. After all, my less-than-desirable salary was the very reason I clicked through in the first place. Yet, there it was, number nine on the list, mocking me: Web Designer — $51,931 entry earnings. I immediately let out a hearty Edna Krabappel style HA!

I’m not sure what Fantasy Happy Land they got their statistics from, but every full-time web design job I’ve had or interviewed for started at a $25,000 salary. Many of these requested 1-2 years professional experience, which is hardly “entry-level.”

This article provides yet another obvious source of comedic disinformation. Apparently, High School Teachers start their careers with $59,269 in entry earnings. I’m not sure the school district in which they may be referring to, perhaps one where Evian flows from the water fountains and the little children are curing cancer in the science lab, but I know a few teachers who would like to find out.

Some of these jobs, in some location, at some time, may pay this much. Or, at least, I can say that I hope they do. Yet, the overall lesson learned from this article (that was linked from the “Featured” section of the main Yahoo.com page) is that it, in fact, is not an article at all. It is merely a Trojan Horse, put forth by Yahoo, to populate the page with links to advertisements and listings of online college degrees on Yahoo Education. So don’t go taking these figures to your boss to use as evidence that you need a pay-raise unless, of course, you want to hear his best Edna Krabapple impression.

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