you are KIDDING ...why in the world does a doorman make that much money(40k a year plus tips)?? Teachers (i.e. people with college educations) don't even make that much.   this country is insane.  

What makes you think a doorman doesn't have a college education? 

am I missing something? what are the requirements for a position as a doorman? I don't live in NYC so maybe i'm just ignorant as to what they do? I assumed they were more or less fancy door bodyguards, controlling who comes into the building.  I'm actually surprised they still have those with the advent of modern electronic doorlocks and such.

The owners of the apartment pay him, private enterprise. Teachers are paid from school bonds and tax dollars. People hate paying more taxes. Right, wrong, or indifferent, it is what it is. BTW, my mother was a teacher, never graduated from high school, went to college in her 40's grad with a masters in 3 years.

good for him i hope that he stays within the neighborhood - as for the education factor, HA i know many a doorman with post grad education [from other countries, can't get into their respective fields because of green card issues] .. and most, with tips included can definately rate in $70K + .... off subject, but to have a GREAT doorman .. PRICELESS!

Edit:  I began composing this before the above comments were posted.

I think you are missing my point.  (I didn't call you ignorant BTW.)   First of all, there are a lot of service positions that pay very well if you are good at your job.  In places like Vegas, being a doorman or valet is a coveted position, although I haven't been there in decades.  Second, some people who have lots of education decide they don't like doing this or that and find peace at other jobs.  Third, times are tough and there might be someone bagging groceries at night who has 8 years of college so he/she can buy gas and food.  I once watched a 60 minutes story about a man with a PhD who ran a junkyard. 

Anyway, $40K in NYC isn't even enough to rent a studio apartment.  I'm not getting defensive, but I've worked at lots of jobs where customers treat the salespeople as if we're all idiots.  I can't tell you how many times someone has spelled "street" or "lane" for me and I have 6 years of college.  You might take a taxi and the driver had a medical degree in another country.  That was all I was saying.

Just FYI - a toll collector in some states earns up to $75K.   Look at the last paragraph in this article. 

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/02/tollbooth-collectors-money_cx_lr_money06_0302tollbooth.html 

Oh, congrats to the lucky winner! 

holy god i'm in the wrong field then!  but then again I do work from home and live where rent is dirt cheap

One of my former neighbors who had a degree in history worked as a driver for Waste Management.  I found out later he had a substance abuse problem.  He was also very, very shy so maybe he couldn't teach or work around other people.  Anyway, he worked a lot of overtime and often cleared more than $1,000 a week, although he got up at 4am and looked completely exhausted when he got home.  Tim Russert said in an interview that working at that job one summer is what reminded him to stay in college and become a lawyer.  

Back to the story:

"I want a good Italian woman — or Swedish or Irish or Chinese," he said. "I'm always looking. It's a hobby of mine."

A hobby? 

That'll be an expensive hobby... Even more now that he's getting a little extra money, not to mention dangerous..