I’d rank Ross over Chandler, I think you have to take into account their personality traits. Remember when chandler splashed out on all that new furniture because he was guilty about kissing Cathy?
There’s no way Ross makes loads of purchases like that in one hit. Remember the scene when he’s reviewing Joey’s CC statement and gives him advice on reducing the debt?
Chandler may have had a larger income, but 100% Ross would have had the higher credit score, and therefore more financial stable.
Remember when Ross bought a convertible when he turned 30? They both made large impulse purchases, but Chandler's made more financial sense since the furniture was something they actually needed.
Ross was also crazy stingy sometimes, collecting from hotels, trying to walk his couch home, trying to make the guys chip in for air purifier filters LOL
The first two I will defend Ross for. A lot of hotels do genuinely build the cost of toiletries into the room you're paying for. And fancy hotels will throw out half used bottles of shampoo and all, so you might as well take them.
The delivery fee was almost as expensive as the couch, and he lived super close. Even Rachel thought it was ridiculous to pay for that.
The third one, yeah, that's just him being stingy lol
Delivery was mentioned because of the end scenario lol. At some point you'd think to pay professionals to move it upstairs instead of cutting it in half ?? after just having bought it. Or just return it
Also toiletries are one thing- light bulbs, salt, and acorns are another
Okay, here's the problem with the couch. They cut out the scene where Ross accidentally sets off the fire alarm and everyone goes running downstairs and they break his couch. So technically, that's still his fault, but... 😆
Ross has a child from practically the start. He always has to rent out a 2 bedroom alone. Chandler has a roommate. Sure, he has to cover for him a lot of the time, but Joey at least pays his bills sometimes.
Also, while Ross is highly educated, there isn’t much real value to paleontology. His salary must be stable but average. Chandler works in statistics at the height of the computer revolution— he has his own huge corner office. The guy is clearly making bank and is probably receiving amazing stock compensation. For the 90s-00s, I’d say chandler is earning around 100k while Ross might be earning 65k at the museum. And Ross has to pay child support.
No ross just has a kid and 3 marriages over the course of the show…. Those marriages could have cost him a lot of money and are not sound financial decisions.
Spending money doesn't lower your credit score. As a matter of fact spending more on cards and paying them off raises it. If chandler spends more on his cards than Ross does and pays it off its extremely likely that chandler has the superior score.
It generally does. If Ross has a higher credit score he’s not getting into big debt, or any debt is being paid back in full rapidly. I guess this might come down to what your interpretation of financially stable is.
I agree 100%. Ross was a professor and a paleontologist at one of NYC's biggest museums. Both are good paying jobs. He probably made a decent 6 figure salary. He held these jobs throughout the series (other than when he was on a short break). And by the end, he got tenure, which means he can't be fired!
He should have been fired when a group of students or whatever found him naked with Rachel inside a public display. He later dated a student, yelled at his boss resulting in a “sabbatical”, kinda manipulated that guy so he could be a keynote speaker and somehow got tenure. You also know the school was talking about him and that guy having something going on when Ross offered him a “C” to not make things worse.
TR:DR Ross is so lucky to make all the money.
Museums pay a LOT less than you'd think. Most don't even break 100k for staff. I have a history degree and was going to do the entire museum route until I saw the pay then said no thanks.
Yea that's true, but I'm imagining a major museum in NYC would pay more decently than most. But still, I imagine most of his pay came from being a professor.
This is in NY. I looked into American museum of natural history jobs.
Just double checked.
A curator position which is likely what Ross was pays currebtly a max of 68k a year.
>He worked for a time as an unpaid intern and was also unemployed
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here? He could only do that because he was financially stable, not the other way around.
Or, he had a wife who was a highly paid New York chef and knew she was still bringing in an income. Anyway, I guess it's just a different way of looking at it. I wouldn't necessarily call someone without a job or an income financially "stable" but sure maybe he had savings.
I’m a stay at home mom and my husband has a good income. Does that make me financially unstable because I’m not the one making the money? Or is it different because I’m a woman? I’m just trying to understand this logic.
The question posed in this post was *which of the 6 Friends* was the most financially stable. I don't know if the OP intended Monica and Chandler to be considered as one joint Friend just because in season 7 they got married.
But in the real world, of course certainly Chandler's unemployment as a married person would have far less impact than if he was single and this is no personal judgement on households with a parent who stays at home.
If Chandler and Monica were to suddenly split up, then since we don't know how their assets would get legally divided then yes, I would say that in my personal opinion, that a fully employed head chef at a fancy New York restaurant is more financially stable than an unpaid intern.
That's all I was trying to say!
Came here to say this. Ross was employed throughout, working his way up, and then got tenure. Chandler was unemployed and then an intern and then a JUNIOR copywriter. He went the wrong direction.
Chandler also quit his job twice without a plan and was an unpaid intern for a period of time.
I would say Ross was the most financially stable as he maintained a high paying job throughout the entirety of the show.
It would be Chandler. But money was a worry when he was unemployed for a time. So I want to say Ross? He never had financial worries.
Rachel had the biggest ascent for sure. She went from being financially dependent on her dad and partner to having a very successful career.
Ross had to go on sabbatical from the museum but never seemed to be in danger of unemployment. He also made more money than any actual academic in the history of palaeontology!
Apparently, she was 6th grade, which is apparently middle school? I'm not American, so I'm going off of the Internet.
But Susan worked in advertising, so she probably made decent money.
I always though that was an odd writing decision because if you think about it logically, he would have still had a lot of money in his savings, but he may not want to touch that
He spent most of his savings on the wedding, though. So it's not unreasonable to assume that a period of unemployment and an unpaid internship would use the rest of it fairly quickly. It's NYC after all.
He did not though. Monica, in the end, did not want a fancy wedding, she wanted a marriage.
And then they bought a house. Proving that they asked Joey for money because they did not want to touch their savings.
Ross, on the other hand, was rollerblading to get to his next class.
Chandler lived way below his means. He didn't need a roommate when he lived with Joey (he was covering the entire rent for a while, wasn't he?).
My money's on Chandler.
Chandler never "needed" a roommate. He said so when Joey first mentioned moving out. I believe he had a roommate for companionship. He didn't want to live alone
This may be true for Monica as well. She wasn't looking for a roommate when Rachel moved in, and while Phoebe lived with her before, Ross didn't live alone immediately before the series began either.
That was near the start of the show just after she got fired as a sous chef, by the end she works as a head chef
Not to mention rent control made her apartment a freaking steal
Plus unlike Chandler, he never struggled during that time period, didn't rely on anyone else financially, and didn't have any roommates apart from the brief time period he crashed at Chandler and Joeys, all while he was likely paying child support for Ben on top of that.
Exactly this. Income does not equal stability.
Joey probably had the highest income at certain stages of the show, but the lowest financial stability.
Chandler likely made more money than Ross, but he had ups and downs, and at one point had to borrow money from Joey. This literally contradicts financial stability. He made the right choice for himself in the long run, but it caused a short period of financial instability. We can't say the same of Ross. Even his sabbatical didn't negatively affect him, as he was able to secure a nicer apartment during that time.
Ross. Coming close second Chandler, because of his change of careers stage, where he even borrow money from Joey.
Ross is the only one I can't remember being in a bad position economically in any point of the series. Not even paying child support was ever mentioned as a problem if I recall correctly.
Even with both of those he never struggled though, IIRC him and Phoebe were the only two who never borrowed money from someone, but he was the only who didn't just because he didn't need to
I see your point. I think he and Chandler were likely the two most stable, but after the first few years Rachel also became stable and so did Joey. Through the whole series Ross was solid.
Yeah, I did think of Chandler but then him and Monica had that dip when he quit his job. I think by the end they were all pretty stable, and weirdly by the end Joey was probably the most, living those movie star wages with no kids to support
I’m suddenly recalling Chandler and Monica having to borrow money from Joey in the later season.
Ross would be the technically correct option for this since we don’t see him struggle for money at all!
But weirdly, I’d say Phoebe. She NEVER had an issue with money. The only time we see her complain is during the Five steaks and an eggplant episode, but that’s because she makes relatively less than the others and not because she wasn’t financially stable. Throughout the show, she doesn’t seem to struggle financially.
Pheobe honestly had the most confusing story as far as money goes. Unlike Monica, who explicitly got a head chef position, Chandler, who got a huge promotion when he quit, Joey, who went from almost no work to being on Days of our Lives and starring in a movie, and Rachel, who went from a coffee store waitress to a big job in the fashion industry, we never really see how Phoebe goes from being poor in the early seasons to seemingly well off later on. She never really was shown getting anything that improved her income significantly.
Phoebe didn’t seem to need money though
She gave the homeless woman the $1000 from the bank
And chandler $7000 to stop smoking that she got from the soda can with the thumb in it.
That's a good point, though I was hesitant in picking her because she didn't know what a 401k was. So it makes me wonder if she was saving for retirement at all.
By retirement, I suspect it won't be an issue for her. It obviously wasn't her plan when the line about the 401k was said, but by the end of the series she'd married a man who came from a very wealthy family. In the end, Phoebe and Mike will probably be the most financially stable.
I think in the end, they were all financially doing well.
But stability, I'd say Phoebe and Mike were not the best.
Mike is a musician. Phoebe is a massage therapist, at a chain. Phoebe's job is pretty stable. Much more stable then when she was self employed. But Mike's job has no guarantees. He is in a vulnerable and high competition field.
Both Phoebe and Mike would have struggled greatly during covid. Where a couple like Ross and Rachel, would be fine. Ross is salaried with Tenure, and would pivot (Pivot!) to online teaching, etc... Rachel could work from home.
Stability comes down to many factors, one of which is how they stand up against unexpected change.
Covid is probably the best example of an unexpected event and we can look at how people in these jobs faired during the pandemic.
I would argue that Phoebe, Mike and Joey would be in the most vulnerable fields of work during covid. Monica, depending on how her restaurant adapted, would also be at risk, but as head chef, less so than her coworkers. Only if the restaurant went under, would she be at risk.
Chandler, Ross and Rachel had office jobs which could switch to work-from-home.
Ross is the only one with tenure, so I'm giving him the win overall.
There is also a scene on the uncut version on the DVD that Mike gave away his trust fund to charity. It's possible that Mike might have inherited money after his parents died, but not a guarantee.
Interesting points about Phoebe. I think the OP would need to expand on their question. If we consider only their financial stability during the show, Phoebe is a strong contender. However, if we extrapolate it to their past, we know she struggled. Makes her self sustaining finances even more impressive IMO.
There are a few episodes where Phoebe complains about money, but overall, she does exceptionally well considering.
I do rate her lower than Ross, because of a few factors: Lower income (less ability to adapt in emergencies), Self Employment income (less stability by definition, no safety net), needed a roommate (Rachel, Monica and Denise!), No tenure (Ross was the only Friend with this level of job security).
But not a lot of people are pointing out how well Phoebe was doing. I'd put her top 3 with Chandler and Ross. So, excellent points!
Monica and Chandler did have to borrow money from Joey once but I think part of that was Chandler quitting his job was unplanned. I think they didn't start changing their expenses until after he quit as opposed to a little bit before he quit in anticipation of his loss of salary.
Easily, without a doubt, Chandler.
- Supported himself throughout the entire show, never had money problems
- Supported Joey AND Joeys acting career
- Paid for the majority of his and Monica's wedding
- Still had enough savings to go jobless for a while, quit his job with no hesitation and accept an unpaid internship AND buy a house a few years later.
The only person that might have more money is Ross.
Only in a sitcom could you spend a period of time unemployed, another period as an unpaid intern, be living in Manhattan, and yet still be considered financially stable? I mean, we don’t know for certain where their money for the house came from.
I’d say realistically, probably Ross
I would say *stability* wise, it is Ross. Ross never has to borrow money. Chandler does.
Neither one of these characters could be considered financially unstable, but if I had to name a winner, it is Ross.
Ross has tenure. That provides a ton of stability. Whereas Chandler is a junior in a field that we know is about to get a huge shakeup when advertisement goes from television media to digital, and Chandler is older, and relatively new. I wouldn't say he is as indispensable in his field as Ross is. (Not that I'm saying Chandler would get laid off, but it IS a real world possibility that weighs into financial stability).
Ross has also been supporting a dependant, almost as long as Chandler has. Ben. Despite this, he never has a financial crisis or plot line in the show. Ross' finances are basically so stable they are boring and not worth talking about.
Ross is frugal, responsible, and able to be generous (albeit a cheap-a-saurus) when he wants to. I think he is the definition of financial stability. Though some characters may be more financially successful by the end of the show, I think Ross is consistent, safe and stable. No major ups or downs, always comfortable.
When Chandler quit his job in Tulsa, his title would have been something like Executive Vice President. IIRC, he had a Regional Vice President “under” him.
Probably Ross. He had a fairly high paying museum job in the beginning and progressed steadily through tenured college professor. The only time he was out of work was the "rage" incident which seemed to be a paid leave of absence.
Chandler was likely not making as much until he was promoted, then possibly more. But when he quit and went into advertising he wouldn't have been making as much.
Joey was basically a dependant. Ross was probably paying child support for Ben the whole time too.
Ross never needed a roommate, and lived in equally if not more expensive apartments.
Ross and Chandler both experienced short term time off work. Chandler needed to borrow money. Ross was likely on paid sabbatical.
I would say in terns of *stability* it is Ross. He has the most consistency, and his financials are never the plot of an episode. Chandler is a close second. I don't think either of them could be considered financially unstable.
Chandler , small break due to paying for marriage to Monica and starting up ne job at lowest position — then being Chandler, getting big raise
Ross- basically all thru the show, except when he’s out on sabbatical (and/or fired) by the museum - but I don’t *think* he’s laid off (altho I’m soft of iffy about this). I do know he gets a job back, if not his original one.
Ross. Even in season 2 he had his whole life planned out with Rachel and it shows that he has researched so much. He also gets tenure which means his position is permanent
Chandler. Even when he wanted to switch careers, he was married and Monica had a stable job. And he's also implied to have a lot of savings before getting married which they don't end up using on the wedding. Chandler also definitely comes from wealth (unclear if it's more generational due to his mother's career or not, but he has a servant as a child ("More Turkey, Mr. Chandler??"))
Until Ross is a tenured professor he's a bit more unstable, plus he has one or two kids to support. So you have to take into account expenses too. And Ben goes to school with Sting's son. That tuition is probably ridiculous. (Carol is an elementary school teacher and all I can recall about Susan's job is she has to go to London once with Emily?) The Gellars are also fairly well off, but not to the level of at least Nora Bing.
You have to take into account the support systems as well. Rachel's family is rich but she makes it a point to separate from them, Ross and Monica don't do the same. Chandler never seems to need the money, but his mother definitely has it. Both Joey and Rachel would probably get some family help in an emergency (even if for Joey it's because a number of his many many relatives can chip in a little). So without a doubt, Phoebe is the least financially stable.
Not exactly related to the topic, but it's wild that Monica wasn't able to save any money while paying merely $200 for her rent. It didn't look like she had expensive hobbies (other than constant dining in restaurants and pizza orderings).
Ross. As others have said, it would be Chandler if he didn’t have the money issues when he was unemployed and on his internship. Ross was the only friend who was financially stable throughout.
I think at retirement, Joey would be the richest. He was a regular on DOOL after S08, and soap opera stars make a lot of money. He also did a big budget film, and he might continue to book decent roles for the rest of his work life till retirement.
I think it has to be Ross.
Chandler was clearly never short of pocket money and paid for a lot of Joey’s expenses too, but Ross was always financially able to live alone and still pay for private school tuition for Ben.
I did a quick search and it looks like they based Ben’s school (Smithfield Day School) on a school called the Dwight School. Their current annual tuition for grades 1-4 is about $64,000.
The ability to pay for a school like that for his 7 year old, and presumably child support to Carol as well, is what makes me think Ross.
Obviously either Ross or Chandler (before he took on the internship). Chandler probably had a slightly higher income but Ross probably had the better job security. Either way both were in very strong financial positions for the majority of the series.
-Probably Ross because the worst thing to happen to him career wise was the sabbatical, which as far as we are aware was paid.
-Then Chandler who had more money overall (probably) but quit to find his dream job.
-Then Rachel, because she's mostly stable once she finds work in fashion (thanks Mark).
-Then Monica who was unemployed for a surprisingly long time, but eventually finds her footing.
-I think Pheobe next, although she does have her grandmother as back up, she seems to do okay money wise (especially once we know she has a corporate job /s). I think she only had a couple side gigs that we are aware of.
-Joey probably once he was in regular work probably had more money than Pheobe but he was a big spender, would be too big for his boots on occasion and the nature of his job meant he had to regularly spend a lot of money on upkeep.
The question is asking about financial stability and the answer is clearly Ross. Ross earned a good stable professorial salary throughout, without major expenses except for alimony and his weddings (which weren't extravagant). The only time his job was in real jeopardy was the Mental Ross phase he went through, which he quickly recovered from.
If the question had asked who was earning the highest at their respective peaks, etc., the answer might have been different - probably Chandler as a data analyst, but possibly Rachel in fashion, maybe Monica the big time chef, maybe even Joey when he got a Hollywood part, but in terms of stability, it's Ross. All the rest had patchy careers, either by choice or circumstances beyond their control. Not Ross.
Phoebe is the only one it could never have been.
chandler, he saved for a lot of the show as seen when they were planning the wedding, on top of that we see him lend joey money multiple times during the show, monica, ross and him were considered well off in s2, and at the end of the show him and monica bought a house together
Chandler provided Joey with many favours (money), and when Chandler and Monica want to marry, they state that Chandler has saved up enough money for the most expensive marriage scenario (forgot the name). But it might be so that Joey ends up having the most money, being an actor in a famous series called Days of our Lives.
I really want to say Chandler but if you look throughout the entire series, it is most definitely Ross. For the majority of the show Ross lived alone and was able to support himself and child support for his son Ben. He was able to get rid of all of his stuff and then rebuy it back from Gunther when he was trying to make it work with Emily. He also was able to purchase the MGM sports car for his 30th birthday and gave Monica a loan in the episode where she tried to ask their parents for money. Ross is the only friend who never had a money crisis or complained about not having enough. Which is saying a lot considering how much he loved complaining about everything.
However, I would definitely argue that Chandler was more financially stable in the show, up until he quit his job in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration to go into advertising. Which later caused him to ask Joey for $2,000 loan.
It's either Ross or Chandler.
Both have at least 1 season where they struggled in their careers, but overall, they're financially stable.
Next one would be Monica.
And then, Rachel.
And then, Joey.
Phoebe seems stable financially, but that's just a mystery.
Chandler, all throughout. He managed to provide for him AND Joey for years, supported his acting pursuits and all the finances that came with it.
I’d rank Ross over Chandler, I think you have to take into account their personality traits. Remember when chandler splashed out on all that new furniture because he was guilty about kissing Cathy? There’s no way Ross makes loads of purchases like that in one hit. Remember the scene when he’s reviewing Joey’s CC statement and gives him advice on reducing the debt? Chandler may have had a larger income, but 100% Ross would have had the higher credit score, and therefore more financial stable.
Ross is financially stable, until that Pottery Barn catalog shows up...
But he got his sheets at a flea market, so that helps.
He really should have loosened those purse strings.
Plus he only paid 80 cents lmao
Until you have to pay for all those weddings and divorces! 😏
His lawyer kills me when he calls him out on a third divorce 😂
You got married, again?
You got married, again?
You got married, again?
You got married, again?
Remember when Ross bought a convertible when he turned 30? They both made large impulse purchases, but Chandler's made more financial sense since the furniture was something they actually needed.
He needed that car
He has a child!
Ross was also crazy stingy sometimes, collecting from hotels, trying to walk his couch home, trying to make the guys chip in for air purifier filters LOL
We are all breathing the air!
The first two I will defend Ross for. A lot of hotels do genuinely build the cost of toiletries into the room you're paying for. And fancy hotels will throw out half used bottles of shampoo and all, so you might as well take them. The delivery fee was almost as expensive as the couch, and he lived super close. Even Rachel thought it was ridiculous to pay for that. The third one, yeah, that's just him being stingy lol
I take the toiletries from hotels and don’t pay delivery fees when I can, that’s not stingy, that’s just common sense.
Delivery was mentioned because of the end scenario lol. At some point you'd think to pay professionals to move it upstairs instead of cutting it in half ?? after just having bought it. Or just return it Also toiletries are one thing- light bulbs, salt, and acorns are another
Okay, here's the problem with the couch. They cut out the scene where Ross accidentally sets off the fire alarm and everyone goes running downstairs and they break his couch. So technically, that's still his fault, but... 😆
But at least he found money sometimes, like the time he fell from climbing down the fire escape (and Joey) and found the quarter. "Ooh, a quarter!" 😄
That’s how the rich stay rich my friend!
Had to buy a round trip ticket to Yemen too
All the way to 15 Yemen Road, Yemen and back.
Hey. Getting away from Janice is a valid reason for doing that. That was a smart purchase.
Ross has a child from practically the start. He always has to rent out a 2 bedroom alone. Chandler has a roommate. Sure, he has to cover for him a lot of the time, but Joey at least pays his bills sometimes. Also, while Ross is highly educated, there isn’t much real value to paleontology. His salary must be stable but average. Chandler works in statistics at the height of the computer revolution— he has his own huge corner office. The guy is clearly making bank and is probably receiving amazing stock compensation. For the 90s-00s, I’d say chandler is earning around 100k while Ross might be earning 65k at the museum. And Ross has to pay child support.
I agree with all of this, but let’s not forget Chandler had to pay Joey support.
Think of it as if both chandler and Ross have dependents. Only difference is that Chandler’s dependent does earn money sometimes at least.
Ross shopped at Pottery barn a lot
The Divorce Force has his money tied up in alimony
Why would Ross have to pay alimony?
Yeah, I mean he buys his sheets at flea markets
No ross just has a kid and 3 marriages over the course of the show…. Those marriages could have cost him a lot of money and are not sound financial decisions.
Also, cheap. The mini muffins? There’s $12 I’ll never get back.
Spending money doesn't lower your credit score. As a matter of fact spending more on cards and paying them off raises it. If chandler spends more on his cards than Ross does and pays it off its extremely likely that chandler has the superior score.
Higher credit score doesn’t mean more financially stable if chandler is making twice his salary…which is easily feasible because of their jobs
It generally does. If Ross has a higher credit score he’s not getting into big debt, or any debt is being paid back in full rapidly. I guess this might come down to what your interpretation of financially stable is.
What debts did chandler have?
Chandler talked about his wenis waaaay too much tho
Ross’s chronic thieving from hotels definitely plays a part in how much he spends lol
But he had the sales thing going on for a while
By then, he and Monica were married and shared finances. Despite he alone not having much income, he was still financially stable thanks to her.
They had to borrow money from Joey.
That was just for Monica’s boob job /s
He couldn’t get onboard with the big clown feet though
You know he had some gnarly budget spreadsheets
I’m surprised everyone saying Chandler. He worked for a time as an unpaid intern and was also unemployed I’d say Ross
I agree 100%. Ross was a professor and a paleontologist at one of NYC's biggest museums. Both are good paying jobs. He probably made a decent 6 figure salary. He held these jobs throughout the series (other than when he was on a short break). And by the end, he got tenure, which means he can't be fired!
That calls for a bottle of Israel’s finest!
And sabbaticals are often paid.
He should have been fired when a group of students or whatever found him naked with Rachel inside a public display. He later dated a student, yelled at his boss resulting in a “sabbatical”, kinda manipulated that guy so he could be a keynote speaker and somehow got tenure. You also know the school was talking about him and that guy having something going on when Ross offered him a “C” to not make things worse. TR:DR Ross is so lucky to make all the money.
Museums pay a LOT less than you'd think. Most don't even break 100k for staff. I have a history degree and was going to do the entire museum route until I saw the pay then said no thanks.
Yea that's true, but I'm imagining a major museum in NYC would pay more decently than most. But still, I imagine most of his pay came from being a professor.
This is in NY. I looked into American museum of natural history jobs. Just double checked. A curator position which is likely what Ross was pays currebtly a max of 68k a year.
>He worked for a time as an unpaid intern and was also unemployed I'm not sure what you're trying to say here? He could only do that because he was financially stable, not the other way around.
Or, he had a wife who was a highly paid New York chef and knew she was still bringing in an income. Anyway, I guess it's just a different way of looking at it. I wouldn't necessarily call someone without a job or an income financially "stable" but sure maybe he had savings.
I’m a stay at home mom and my husband has a good income. Does that make me financially unstable because I’m not the one making the money? Or is it different because I’m a woman? I’m just trying to understand this logic.
The question posed in this post was *which of the 6 Friends* was the most financially stable. I don't know if the OP intended Monica and Chandler to be considered as one joint Friend just because in season 7 they got married. But in the real world, of course certainly Chandler's unemployment as a married person would have far less impact than if he was single and this is no personal judgement on households with a parent who stays at home. If Chandler and Monica were to suddenly split up, then since we don't know how their assets would get legally divided then yes, I would say that in my personal opinion, that a fully employed head chef at a fancy New York restaurant is more financially stable than an unpaid intern. That's all I was trying to say!
Came here to say this. Ross was employed throughout, working his way up, and then got tenure. Chandler was unemployed and then an intern and then a JUNIOR copywriter. He went the wrong direction.
Chandler also quit his job twice without a plan and was an unpaid intern for a period of time. I would say Ross was the most financially stable as he maintained a high paying job throughout the entirety of the show.
He had enough for wedding scenario 8!
At the end Ross said he can't get fired. If we are talking about after the show it is Ross.
It would be Chandler. But money was a worry when he was unemployed for a time. So I want to say Ross? He never had financial worries. Rachel had the biggest ascent for sure. She went from being financially dependent on her dad and partner to having a very successful career.
Ross had to go on sabbatical from the museum but never seemed to be in danger of unemployment. He also made more money than any actual academic in the history of palaeontology!
I think most sabbaticals are paid too. His must have been too as there were no money worries. He had two children to pay for as well.
And Ben went to school with Sting's son, that must've been like 40k a year.
He had 3 parents contributing to his tuition, though.
Lucky lil Ben
Sure but I'm pretty sure Carol was an elementary school teacher.
Apparently, she was 6th grade, which is apparently middle school? I'm not American, so I'm going off of the Internet. But Susan worked in advertising, so she probably made decent money.
Perhaps Carol taught at the same school allowing Ben to get discounted tuition.
I'd say joey had the biggest ascent, he went from living off Chandler to a red carpet movie star with a soap opera daily gig.
Chandler and Ross, never had any problems with work or money
Well actually Chandler did have money issues when he quit his job and only Monica was working for a while. They had to borrow money from Joey.
High-rate savings have longer withdrawal periods, like 90 days. He's smart enough to have those; borrowing was short term.
That storyline made zero sense
I would imagine by that point he had enough money saved up to buy a small island
He had to borrow money from Joey
I always though that was an odd writing decision because if you think about it logically, he would have still had a lot of money in his savings, but he may not want to touch that
He spent most of his savings on the wedding, though. So it's not unreasonable to assume that a period of unemployment and an unpaid internship would use the rest of it fairly quickly. It's NYC after all.
He did not though. Monica, in the end, did not want a fancy wedding, she wanted a marriage. And then they bought a house. Proving that they asked Joey for money because they did not want to touch their savings. Ross, on the other hand, was rollerblading to get to his next class. Chandler lived way below his means. He didn't need a roommate when he lived with Joey (he was covering the entire rent for a while, wasn't he?). My money's on Chandler.
If you can be unemployed, and also an unpaid intern, living in Manhattan and never have an issue with money, there’s something going on there!
He had all that money from when he was one of his dads backup dancers in Vegas 
His wife did have a job so it's not like they had no income
To be fair their rent controlled apartment was dirt cheap.
Ross never had any problems with work?? Did we forget the entire storyline about him being put on leave and almost losing his job …?
Ross, never needed a roommate in NY city. Rachel only moved in when she needed a place.
Chandler never "needed" a roommate. He said so when Joey first mentioned moving out. I believe he had a roommate for companionship. He didn't want to live alone
He got a crazy roommate after that. I believe he was saying that to Joey to get at him during the fight.
Joey didn't pay rent or any other expenses for years. Chandler paid it all, so I do think he could afford to live alone, he just didn't want to
And the only other time Ross had a roommate was staying with Joey and Chandler after his divorce with Emily while looking for apartments
Technically Monica & Chandler didn’t need roommates either Neither did Phoebe 
Monica borrowed money from parents to make ends meet, and she had a roommate at the time. Phoebe was a roommate and then lived with her grandmother.
This may be true for Monica as well. She wasn't looking for a roommate when Rachel moved in, and while Phoebe lived with her before, Ross didn't live alone immediately before the series began either.
Monica had to borrow money from her parents early in the shows, had a whole dinner and everything
That was near the start of the show just after she got fired as a sous chef, by the end she works as a head chef Not to mention rent control made her apartment a freaking steal
Monica was different since her apartment was rent controlled. Ross was paying full NY rent prices.
Ross probably. He always had a job. Chandler was making more money almost all the way to the end but he did quit and asked Joey for money.
he was out of a job for a while while he was put on sabbatical.
He still had his job, and he likely would have been getting a portion of his pay while being out on leave.
Plus unlike Chandler, he never struggled during that time period, didn't rely on anyone else financially, and didn't have any roommates apart from the brief time period he crashed at Chandler and Joeys, all while he was likely paying child support for Ben on top of that.
Yep Ross has allll the money.
Sabbatical is usually paid
Exactly this. Income does not equal stability. Joey probably had the highest income at certain stages of the show, but the lowest financial stability. Chandler likely made more money than Ross, but he had ups and downs, and at one point had to borrow money from Joey. This literally contradicts financial stability. He made the right choice for himself in the long run, but it caused a short period of financial instability. We can't say the same of Ross. Even his sabbatical didn't negatively affect him, as he was able to secure a nicer apartment during that time.
Ross. Coming close second Chandler, because of his change of careers stage, where he even borrow money from Joey. Ross is the only one I can't remember being in a bad position economically in any point of the series. Not even paying child support was ever mentioned as a problem if I recall correctly.
Chandler until the end, and then Ross
And Rachel. She had got a high income position as well.
And got fired from it by that guy Hugo Boss
But thanks goodness, some guy named Ron got it back for her.
That’s true
Probably Ross. He had a good job through the whole show and was sensible about his spending
Child support and potentially loss of income while on sabbatical.
Even with both of those he never struggled though, IIRC him and Phoebe were the only two who never borrowed money from someone, but he was the only who didn't just because he didn't need to
I see your point. I think he and Chandler were likely the two most stable, but after the first few years Rachel also became stable and so did Joey. Through the whole series Ross was solid.
Yeah, I did think of Chandler but then him and Monica had that dip when he quit his job. I think by the end they were all pretty stable, and weirdly by the end Joey was probably the most, living those movie star wages with no kids to support
Maybe he got alimony from Carol because she left him for another woman 🤔
Sabbaticals are paid
I’m suddenly recalling Chandler and Monica having to borrow money from Joey in the later season. Ross would be the technically correct option for this since we don’t see him struggle for money at all! But weirdly, I’d say Phoebe. She NEVER had an issue with money. The only time we see her complain is during the Five steaks and an eggplant episode, but that’s because she makes relatively less than the others and not because she wasn’t financially stable. Throughout the show, she doesn’t seem to struggle financially.
That's a good point... you don't have to have a high income to be financially stable. You just need to spend less than you make.
Pheobe honestly had the most confusing story as far as money goes. Unlike Monica, who explicitly got a head chef position, Chandler, who got a huge promotion when he quit, Joey, who went from almost no work to being on Days of our Lives and starring in a movie, and Rachel, who went from a coffee store waitress to a big job in the fashion industry, we never really see how Phoebe goes from being poor in the early seasons to seemingly well off later on. She never really was shown getting anything that improved her income significantly.
She took a job with with a chain massage spa.
Phoebe didn’t seem to need money though She gave the homeless woman the $1000 from the bank And chandler $7000 to stop smoking that she got from the soda can with the thumb in it.
That's a good point, though I was hesitant in picking her because she didn't know what a 401k was. So it makes me wonder if she was saving for retirement at all.
By retirement, I suspect it won't be an issue for her. It obviously wasn't her plan when the line about the 401k was said, but by the end of the series she'd married a man who came from a very wealthy family. In the end, Phoebe and Mike will probably be the most financially stable.
I think in the end, they were all financially doing well. But stability, I'd say Phoebe and Mike were not the best. Mike is a musician. Phoebe is a massage therapist, at a chain. Phoebe's job is pretty stable. Much more stable then when she was self employed. But Mike's job has no guarantees. He is in a vulnerable and high competition field. Both Phoebe and Mike would have struggled greatly during covid. Where a couple like Ross and Rachel, would be fine. Ross is salaried with Tenure, and would pivot (Pivot!) to online teaching, etc... Rachel could work from home. Stability comes down to many factors, one of which is how they stand up against unexpected change. Covid is probably the best example of an unexpected event and we can look at how people in these jobs faired during the pandemic. I would argue that Phoebe, Mike and Joey would be in the most vulnerable fields of work during covid. Monica, depending on how her restaurant adapted, would also be at risk, but as head chef, less so than her coworkers. Only if the restaurant went under, would she be at risk. Chandler, Ross and Rachel had office jobs which could switch to work-from-home. Ross is the only one with tenure, so I'm giving him the win overall.
There is also a scene on the uncut version on the DVD that Mike gave away his trust fund to charity. It's possible that Mike might have inherited money after his parents died, but not a guarantee.
She inherited her grandma’s whole estate including the rent controlled apartment
Interesting points about Phoebe. I think the OP would need to expand on their question. If we consider only their financial stability during the show, Phoebe is a strong contender. However, if we extrapolate it to their past, we know she struggled. Makes her self sustaining finances even more impressive IMO. There are a few episodes where Phoebe complains about money, but overall, she does exceptionally well considering. I do rate her lower than Ross, because of a few factors: Lower income (less ability to adapt in emergencies), Self Employment income (less stability by definition, no safety net), needed a roommate (Rachel, Monica and Denise!), No tenure (Ross was the only Friend with this level of job security). But not a lot of people are pointing out how well Phoebe was doing. I'd put her top 3 with Chandler and Ross. So, excellent points!
Monica and Chandler did have to borrow money from Joey once but I think part of that was Chandler quitting his job was unplanned. I think they didn't start changing their expenses until after he quit as opposed to a little bit before he quit in anticipation of his loss of salary.
Easily, without a doubt, Chandler. - Supported himself throughout the entire show, never had money problems - Supported Joey AND Joeys acting career - Paid for the majority of his and Monica's wedding - Still had enough savings to go jobless for a while, quit his job with no hesitation and accept an unpaid internship AND buy a house a few years later. The only person that might have more money is Ross.
Only in a sitcom could you spend a period of time unemployed, another period as an unpaid intern, be living in Manhattan, and yet still be considered financially stable? I mean, we don’t know for certain where their money for the house came from. I’d say realistically, probably Ross
They had a rent controlled apartment
I would say *stability* wise, it is Ross. Ross never has to borrow money. Chandler does. Neither one of these characters could be considered financially unstable, but if I had to name a winner, it is Ross. Ross has tenure. That provides a ton of stability. Whereas Chandler is a junior in a field that we know is about to get a huge shakeup when advertisement goes from television media to digital, and Chandler is older, and relatively new. I wouldn't say he is as indispensable in his field as Ross is. (Not that I'm saying Chandler would get laid off, but it IS a real world possibility that weighs into financial stability). Ross has also been supporting a dependant, almost as long as Chandler has. Ben. Despite this, he never has a financial crisis or plot line in the show. Ross' finances are basically so stable they are boring and not worth talking about. Ross is frugal, responsible, and able to be generous (albeit a cheap-a-saurus) when he wants to. I think he is the definition of financial stability. Though some characters may be more financially successful by the end of the show, I think Ross is consistent, safe and stable. No major ups or downs, always comfortable.
When Chandler quit his job in Tulsa, his title would have been something like Executive Vice President. IIRC, he had a Regional Vice President “under” him.
Ross. He was always employed with a great job and mostly lived on his own.
Ross. Never without an income, and also sensible. You know he had budgeting spreadsheets and savings.
Probably Ross. He had a fairly high paying museum job in the beginning and progressed steadily through tenured college professor. The only time he was out of work was the "rage" incident which seemed to be a paid leave of absence. Chandler was likely not making as much until he was promoted, then possibly more. But when he quit and went into advertising he wouldn't have been making as much.
None were as financially stable as the stripper from ross bachelor party. She was pulling in $1600 a week
Chandler paid approx 100k worth of expenses for Joey through season 1-6, so I would say Chandler
Joey was basically a dependant. Ross was probably paying child support for Ben the whole time too. Ross never needed a roommate, and lived in equally if not more expensive apartments. Ross and Chandler both experienced short term time off work. Chandler needed to borrow money. Ross was likely on paid sabbatical. I would say in terns of *stability* it is Ross. He has the most consistency, and his financials are never the plot of an episode. Chandler is a close second. I don't think either of them could be considered financially unstable.
Chandler , he supported him and Joey through his acting career
Ross definitely
Chandler and Ross, 100%.
 He supported Joey, bought Monica an $8000 engagement ring & paid for their wedding.
Extravagant spending ≠ financial stability. He went from having enough money for wedding scenario A to borrowing money from Joey.
Chandler , small break due to paying for marriage to Monica and starting up ne job at lowest position — then being Chandler, getting big raise Ross- basically all thru the show, except when he’s out on sabbatical (and/or fired) by the museum - but I don’t *think* he’s laid off (altho I’m soft of iffy about this). I do know he gets a job back, if not his original one.
i think chandler but phoebe too would probably be financially stable too once her husband gets the will ><
 It's me
Ross. Even in season 2 he had his whole life planned out with Rachel and it shows that he has researched so much. He also gets tenure which means his position is permanent
Chandler. Even when he wanted to switch careers, he was married and Monica had a stable job. And he's also implied to have a lot of savings before getting married which they don't end up using on the wedding. Chandler also definitely comes from wealth (unclear if it's more generational due to his mother's career or not, but he has a servant as a child ("More Turkey, Mr. Chandler??")) Until Ross is a tenured professor he's a bit more unstable, plus he has one or two kids to support. So you have to take into account expenses too. And Ben goes to school with Sting's son. That tuition is probably ridiculous. (Carol is an elementary school teacher and all I can recall about Susan's job is she has to go to London once with Emily?) The Gellars are also fairly well off, but not to the level of at least Nora Bing. You have to take into account the support systems as well. Rachel's family is rich but she makes it a point to separate from them, Ross and Monica don't do the same. Chandler never seems to need the money, but his mother definitely has it. Both Joey and Rachel would probably get some family help in an emergency (even if for Joey it's because a number of his many many relatives can chip in a little). So without a doubt, Phoebe is the least financially stable.
Not exactly related to the topic, but it's wild that Monica wasn't able to save any money while paying merely $200 for her rent. It didn't look like she had expensive hobbies (other than constant dining in restaurants and pizza orderings).
She probably bought all the expensive cleaning products and kitchen gadgets
Ross. As others have said, it would be Chandler if he didn’t have the money issues when he was unemployed and on his internship. Ross was the only friend who was financially stable throughout.
I think at retirement, Joey would be the richest. He was a regular on DOOL after S08, and soap opera stars make a lot of money. He also did a big budget film, and he might continue to book decent roles for the rest of his work life till retirement.
Dr. paleontologist
I think it has to be Ross. Chandler was clearly never short of pocket money and paid for a lot of Joey’s expenses too, but Ross was always financially able to live alone and still pay for private school tuition for Ben. I did a quick search and it looks like they based Ben’s school (Smithfield Day School) on a school called the Dwight School. Their current annual tuition for grades 1-4 is about $64,000. The ability to pay for a school like that for his 7 year old, and presumably child support to Carol as well, is what makes me think Ross.
Ross, phd, can’t get fired, never needed a roommate in New York City!
And had a child.
Ross
Ross and then Chandler.
Obviously either Ross or Chandler (before he took on the internship). Chandler probably had a slightly higher income but Ross probably had the better job security. Either way both were in very strong financial positions for the majority of the series.
-Probably Ross because the worst thing to happen to him career wise was the sabbatical, which as far as we are aware was paid. -Then Chandler who had more money overall (probably) but quit to find his dream job. -Then Rachel, because she's mostly stable once she finds work in fashion (thanks Mark). -Then Monica who was unemployed for a surprisingly long time, but eventually finds her footing. -I think Pheobe next, although she does have her grandmother as back up, she seems to do okay money wise (especially once we know she has a corporate job /s). I think she only had a couple side gigs that we are aware of. -Joey probably once he was in regular work probably had more money than Pheobe but he was a big spender, would be too big for his boots on occasion and the nature of his job meant he had to regularly spend a lot of money on upkeep.
Chandler, for sure. He had $$$ stashed away, while simultaneously renting a place in NYC and covering all of Joey’s bills.
Chandler, I think that’s obvious
What was Chandler's Job?
Oh, oh, he’s a transpons…a transponster!!!
That’s not even a word!!!!!
He's a transponster
Chandler without doubt.
The question is asking about financial stability and the answer is clearly Ross. Ross earned a good stable professorial salary throughout, without major expenses except for alimony and his weddings (which weren't extravagant). The only time his job was in real jeopardy was the Mental Ross phase he went through, which he quickly recovered from. If the question had asked who was earning the highest at their respective peaks, etc., the answer might have been different - probably Chandler as a data analyst, but possibly Rachel in fashion, maybe Monica the big time chef, maybe even Joey when he got a Hollywood part, but in terms of stability, it's Ross. All the rest had patchy careers, either by choice or circumstances beyond their control. Not Ross. Phoebe is the only one it could never have been.
Wonder how rich & how high in his career Chandler would’ve gone if he never quit his first career. He really was the tech guy of that era.
Chandler or Ross. I kind of feel Ross more for some reason?
Rosstopher
Ross because he was the only one who lived by himself consistently after his divorce and even moved to a bigger apartment.
Ross as he was always employed and could live alone.
chandler, he saved for a lot of the show as seen when they were planning the wedding, on top of that we see him lend joey money multiple times during the show, monica, ross and him were considered well off in s2, and at the end of the show him and monica bought a house together
Chandler provided Joey with many favours (money), and when Chandler and Monica want to marry, they state that Chandler has saved up enough money for the most expensive marriage scenario (forgot the name). But it might be so that Joey ends up having the most money, being an actor in a famous series called Days of our Lives.
During the show, Chandler. At the end, has to be Joey. He turns into a successful Hollywood actor and ain’t no business like show business.
Clearly Phoebe....she barely worked and still managed to have a dope apartment on her own
Ross!!!! Even when he didn’t work he was still getting paid. “I’m on sabbatical!!!”
I think Joey might have had the best top one year salary, but Ross averaged the most.
I really want to say Chandler but if you look throughout the entire series, it is most definitely Ross. For the majority of the show Ross lived alone and was able to support himself and child support for his son Ben. He was able to get rid of all of his stuff and then rebuy it back from Gunther when he was trying to make it work with Emily. He also was able to purchase the MGM sports car for his 30th birthday and gave Monica a loan in the episode where she tried to ask their parents for money. Ross is the only friend who never had a money crisis or complained about not having enough. Which is saying a lot considering how much he loved complaining about everything. However, I would definitely argue that Chandler was more financially stable in the show, up until he quit his job in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration to go into advertising. Which later caused him to ask Joey for $2,000 loan.
Chandler for sure
Ross
Chandler
the friend who was also financially supporting another friend throughout the whole series.
Ms Chanandaler Bong
It's either Ross or Chandler. Both have at least 1 season where they struggled in their careers, but overall, they're financially stable. Next one would be Monica. And then, Rachel. And then, Joey. Phoebe seems stable financially, but that's just a mystery.
Chandler, Ross, Phoebe, and for the most part Monica ❤️