This story is part of the CNBC Make It’s Millennial Money series, detailing how people around the world can make, spend and save money.
Lauren Perato “I’ve always been drawn to blood, body parts, and terrible things,” she says.
Her 32-year-old mother worked as a medical research scientist at a blood bank for decades before resigning. As a child, Perout visited his mother’s lab and saw the elemental parts of his body up close.
She said she liked “seeing things that most people can’t see.”
That’s why when it was time to build her own career path, Perato chose to become an assistant to a pathologist. Pathologists diagnose the condition by observing a patient’s specimen in the lab. As a PA, Perato helps to analyze organs, test body tissues, prepare for pathologists, and come up with a patient’s diagnosis.
Two perks of Perraut’s job: offer high wages and does not require a long medical degree. She currently earns around $122,000 a year.
Perato lives with her husband Dylan and her two-year-old son Reid in Lexington, Kentucky. Here’s how she built her career and how the couple manage their money:
Careers in “high impact” and “really high demand”
Perato attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in the Institute of Medical Sciences and wanted to work in healthcare. However, she went to medical school for nearly a decade and didn’t want to complete the residency program.
“We really value work-life balance,” she says.
As an undergraduate, she discovered an assistant pathologist’s pathologist. This required only a two-year master’s degree. She graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 2017 with her pathologist assistant Master of Health Science and began working full-time a week later.
Lauren Perrato works at the Institute of Pathology and Cytology.
Jessica Matisse | Zachary Annecchini
“There’s a national shortage of medical research lab workers,” she says. As a result, “there is currently a very high demand for PAS.”
Perraut works about 40 hours a week and loves her every day. “When we get to work, we usually set up specimens to get started,” she says. “These range from small biopsies ranging from colonoscopy to larger, more complicated cancer resections.”
She also loves being an important piece of work in treating patients. “I feel my career has really made a huge impact,” she says. “But most people don’t even know that I exist.”
“There’s the flexibility to retire when you need it.”
Perraut is the main earner of a family of three. Her husband earns around $60,000 a year as an academic advisor at the University of Kentucky.
Here’s how the family spent their money in June 2025:
Christina Locopo | CNBC makes it
Savings are a top priority for Perato and her husband, and they put around $3,900 in their savings and investments per month. As of June, they had around $400,000 in retirement savings and around $113,500 in shared securities accounts and high-yield savings accounts. They also regularly contribute to Reed’s 529 university savings accounts. The lead costs around $11,500.
“Our goal is to save enough to have the flexibility to retire when we want,” says Perato.
In June, the couple’s second biggest expense was health, dental and vision insurance. The bill typically does not have a cumulative $3,333. I happened to pay Dylan’s annual life insurance for that month for $2,968.
The couple bought a three-bedroom home in 2021, but the only debt they currently have is a mortgage. He also paid about $1,696 a year for homeowners’ insurance, and in 2024 he had a property tax of about $3,427.
Auto insurance is also annually, costing $1,537.
Perato with her husband Dylan and son Reid at her home in Lexington, Kentucky.
Jessica Matisse | Zachary Annecchini
The June surprise cost included a variety of medical supplies, including eyelid cleansers. And apart from the occasional trips to McDonald’s and local restaurants, families don’t spend much time out eating.
“I feel like both Dylan and I are relatively modest people,” Perato says. “You don’t have to buy something very expensive or go out to a very expensive restaurant.”
“I find a lot of joy in my work.”
Perato is very pleased with the balance they hit. “We both enjoy our work and enjoy our routine,” she says. I don’t think she would want to retire early, even if she has the time.
She also loves their location. “I really enjoy living in Kentucky,” she says. “We can drive to the beach within a day to major cities like Nashville, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, and more. We are surrounded by horse farms and plenty of bourbons.”
Perraut wants to encourage others to consider similar career paths in health. “Since I graduated, my salary range has increased significantly,” she says of the role of a pathologist assistant.
“I have a lot of joy in my work and I want to share it with others.”
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