What sort of income do you think MacGyver was on?

Did he get well paid for his unique talents?

Or was it a pretty modest wage?

I'd say he made a good living. He had quite a dangerous job at the Foundation, so it would only be fair if they'd pay him well.
I also think all insurances were paid by the Foundation.

At the age of 42 he was able to quit working and take off with Sam. That could indicate he had made enough money to do so.

Next to that, he isn't the kind of guy who cares about luxury, so you wouldn't have caught him living a flamboyant lifestyle. But that doesn't have to mean he had a modest pay checque...

MacGyver mainly chooses his own bonuses. Travelling on the Phoenix Foundation's costs.
I think the Foundation also could pay all his hospital bills. That must've been expensive for his coma.

But in For love or money we can indeed say he makes good money like two hundred thousand dollars, even though he gave it away. Maybe that's his usual rate. 200.000 for each job for twelve years of work. I think that guy has a nice number on his account. Plus everything he inherited from Harry... That's one hell of a nest egg, if you ask me.

He sure wasn't poor. I was always wondering where he spent all his money

On his adventures after work. I can imagine him having the latest softwares, dvd installations and stereo and flatscreen tv now. But he would hardly use them, he's always in the outer world.

I always thought that was kinda of a one off.

What did he inherit from Harry? A couple of vintage vehicles and an old shack somewhere?

Someone with his knowledge and expertise probably earns a decent salary. I know someone with a government and engineering background, somewhat MacGyver-ish, and he earned enough to retire in his late thirties quite comfortably. Nice work if you can get it...

MacGyver probably earned around $40,000 US back in the mid 80s. In todays dollars that would translate to about $120,000. This would be an annnual salary paid over the course of a year. With some of his assignments, he most likely earned additional "hazard pay", what he referred to as his bonuses. Living within his cash flow, investing excess cash wisely and a small inheritence, MacGyver could have easily resigned and taken off with Sam for a while. He also rode off into the sunset with Pete holding a new contract with a substantial salary increase. Given the relationship between Pete and MacGyver and MacGyver's reputation, the Phoenix Foundation would most certainly have hired him back after he completed his travels with Sam.

How did you come up with those numbers?

Maybe that was the actual payrole for the jobs back than, but yeah how did she came up with those numbers?

A classic '57's Nomad. I think that would be worth a lot by now. And that so called shack, maybe he let people hire it for a decent price. He's still living in L.A. so what would he do with it, he's not living in it and keeping the place empty is of no use either, so you can better rent it out and it brings money in. And who knows what happened with the fine piece of jewellery? Biff Arnold was in no state of keeping it and I wouldn't really trust Cody with it either.

Um, yeah. Don't know about after he signed up with Phoenix, but before when he was an independant contractor with the government, the assignments he took and performed overseas would have been paid tax free.

I know people who go overseas to perform a months work and get 50K... tax free... and that's non hazardous work.

Can you say CHA CHING?

I'm more like Will Smith and say: CHING CHING!!!!

I figured my numbers based on life experience. A chemical engineer in 1986 made about $40,000. Adjust for inflation, cost of living etc. those dollars increase substantially.

It is likely that Mac's bonuses were a set base rate with a sliding adjust pay for additional hazards. In 2003 when I left my job as an analytical chemist, I was paid 35% above my base rate salary for overtime, additional work and such. These kinds of pay rates are realistic for people who do contract work for the government.

Sounds realistic to me.

I assumed Mac made good money, too, in large part because of his various toys (table-top hockey games and motorcycles aren't exactly cheap) and also because of the varied and often dangerous nature of his work. Also, the series was set in a large U.S. city, where jobs, especially specialized ones, tend to pay more. When they were filming in Vancouver, I assume it was supposed to be a U.S. city, but don't know which one, and housing does not come cheap in large metropolitan areas in this country. Even here in Minneapolis, you really can't get a decent apartment in a convenient and safe location for less than $700-$800/month.

The money in that episode was put up by private investors so it wasn't his normal income. It was a one off payment to whomever completed the assignment. Diana says at the start that private investors have put up $500,000 and that they could split the money. Then at the end she says they each get $200,00 after expenses.

According to the CIA web site the Clandestine Services appear to make an income of around $52,976 – $81,204 per year. I would think MacGyver would be on this sort of income as well since he does similar type work. We know he gets a bonus for successful completion of any assignment they offer him, we also know that the bonus usually isn't money, so this would infer that he is on a decent regular income and doesn't have to worry about money.

Aye, I think he was sitting pretty with the salary and bonuses too.
But let's face it, whatever he got in the way of hazard pay, he most certainly earned it!

Hair care products, I think. Gel, dye, conditioner, blow-dryers, etc. It adds up.

I good chunk of his money went to fully restore his after he crashed it on the "Outsiders" episode. That thing would have been totaled by any insurance adjustor, but would have none of that and rebuilt it.

Hair care products, I think. Gel, dye, conditioner, blow-dryers, etc. It adds up.

Not to mention the clothing budget. His clothes were often destroyed beyond hope. Every time he was stabbed, shot, blown up, etc, his clothes were ruined with rips or bullet holes. Not to mention the blood stains.