My income on Medium in 2023 with several boosted stories was in the same ballpark as yours, Susie. As you point out, it sounds good until you consider the hours it requires.

I've had a free-lance career, pitching to various publications that take forever to respond--or don't respond at all. I have no interest in going back to that, or to return to fiction writing, similar uncertainties and huge amounts of effort.

I've concluded that choosing to write on Medium must be about things other than money. For me, it's the almost instant feedback, the community of readers and writers and the opportunity to write about whatever's on my mind.

Unless you're a boost nominator with a handful of publications that boost stories and, consequently, have loads of submissions, I can't imagine anyone actually making a living from Medium. But that's true of writing in general--at least for me. It's not the kind of profession (other than for an exalted few) in which you make a lot of money.