earn roughly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "earn roughly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing approximate earnings or income in a casual or informal context. Example: "He can earn roughly $50,000 a year, depending on his performance."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Yet some earn roughly what they did a decade ago.

The Guardian - Opinion

At that rate, Goldman employees could, on average, earn roughly $770,000 each this year.

The New Yorker

Head Start teachers now earn roughly half the average salary of kindergarten teachers.

The New York Times

Mr. Meeks added that Minnesota schools earn roughly $40 million a year from vending machines.

The New York Times

"Women earn roughly 18% of all computer science degrees in the United States.

The Guardian - Tech

Maybe because they earn roughly half the price of a cappuccino a day.

The Guardian

Using data on MIT graduates, I find that non-founder employees at VC-backed startups earn roughly 10% higher wages than their counterparts at established firms.

Research Policy

He is set to earn roughly $95 million through 2017, but he would not be paid during a suspension.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

The company earns roughly half its revenue by charging for long-distance calls, but these earnings are tumbling at around 20% a year and will never recover.

The Economist

Before then, we earned roughly equal amounts.

The Guardian

At his peak he earned roughly 100,000 rubles per year.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "earn roughly", ensure the context clearly indicates that you are providing an estimate, not an exact figure. For instance, "Freelancers can "earn roughly" $50 per hour, depending on their experience."

Common error

Avoid following "earn roughly" with overly precise numbers. For example, avoid writing "They "earn roughly" $75,421.83 a year." This undermines the approximation implied by the phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earn roughly" functions as a verb phrase, where "earn" is the main verb and "roughly" is an adverb modifying the verb to indicate approximation. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. The phrase is used to express an estimated income or gain.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

87%

Science

7%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "earn roughly" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to indicate an approximate income or gain. Ludwig AI validated its usability. It is most commonly found in news and media sources and is appropriate for neutral and informative contexts. When using the phrase, ensure that the context reflects the intended estimation and avoid following it with overly precise figures. Alternatives like "make approximately" or "gain around" can be used for variety while maintaining similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make approximately

Uses "make" instead of "earn", focusing on the act of generating income, and "approximately" to indicate an estimate.

gain around

Employs "gain" to denote obtaining something, typically money, and "around" to show approximation.

bring in about

Replaces "earn" with "bring in", emphasizing the inflow of money, while "about" signifies an estimate.

take home close to

Focuses on net income after deductions, using "close to" for approximation.

pull in nearly

Uses a more informal expression, "pull in", combined with "nearly" for estimation.

receive in the ballpark of

Employs a colloquial expression, "in the ballpark of", to indicate an approximate amount received.

clear in the neighborhood of

Focuses on the net income and uses a neighborhood metaphor to represent the estimation

gross in the vicinity of

Refers to the gross income and vicinity metaphor to represent the estimation

draw in something like

Uses a more informal expression, "draw in", similar to pull in, combined with "something like" for estimation.

yield roughly

Emphasizes the outcome or return on investment, using "roughly" for approximation.

FAQs

How can I use "earn roughly" in a sentence?

You can use "earn roughly" to indicate an estimated amount of money someone makes, such as, "Engineers "earn roughly" $80,000 a year."

What is a good alternative to "earn roughly"?

Alternatives include phrases like "make approximately", "gain around", or "bring in about" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "earn roughly" or "earn approximately"?

"Earn roughly" and "earn approximately" are quite similar. "Earn roughly" is slightly more informal, while "earn approximately" is a bit more formal.

What's the difference between "earn roughly" and "earn exactly"?

"Earn roughly" implies an estimation, whereas "earn exactly" indicates a precise amount. For example, "They "earn roughly" $50,000" suggests an approximate figure, while "They earn exactly $50,000" indicates the precise income.