I Quit My $250K Tech Job — Now I Make $33K Selling Matcha
Michelle Yeung, 29, left a $250,000 a year software engineering job in New York to open Matcha House, a cafe on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In 2026, she expects to pay herself about $33,000, an 87% pay cut, but says she’s happy with her decision.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
Produced by: Mickey Todiwala
Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos
Editor: Nic Golden Henry
Animator: Alisa Stern
Reporter: Mike Winters
Senior Production Manager: Kathy Mavrikakis
Production Assistance: Meline Rosales
Additional Footage: Michelle Yeung
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I Quit My $250K Tech Job. Now I Make $33K Selling Matcha
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