MN have been asked by the High Pay Centre to find out what you think about the current economic situation and the impact it has on living standards.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey - it's open to all UK based Mumsnetters.
Everyone who completes the survey and adds their details at the end will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win £200 of Amazon vouchers.
Thanks and good luck
MNHQ
smokinaces
Wed 20-Jun-12 18:21:35
Done. A couple of the average salaries surprised me I admit.
Done, same here. Average salaries were an eye opener.
BIWItheBold
Wed 20-Jun-12 22:04:56
Average salaries are very misleading!
I'm the latest (and hopefully the luckiest)
flapperghasted
Thu 21-Jun-12 07:34:12
done. And agree avge salaries not right, surely?
Done, but how could the ave salaries be wrong? Surely it is taken from official sources? Or just made up? 
BIWItheBold
Thu 21-Jun-12 09:09:50
Averages can seem 'wrong' because they take into account the lowest as well as the highest salaries.
Therefore the figures for lawyers and accountants - the ones that made me go 
the most - presumably also include all those right at the bottom of the scale as well, who earn about 3/6 when they first start out.
done - the salaries cant include bonuses and incentive schemes though can they? The estate agent must be on commission surely?
ProfCoxWouldGetIt
Thu 21-Jun-12 09:22:06
Done - but it would have been nice to have the ability to add comments to justify our views.
Iggly
Thu 21-Jun-12 09:39:26
They're not wrong then - just averages are misleading. Perhaps modal figures would be better.
MKP1
Thu 21-Jun-12 11:17:05
Done...but really if you are asking people's opinions about salaries you should use a better (weighted maybe? or modal) average, or indicate the top and bottom centiles. You should say exactly how many people are included in that average, and you should also say the average salary in the UK.
Done - seemed a little vague.
The average salaries are taken from proper sources - they are credited on the survey. And of course an average is only that - and top and bottom points can pull the average.
notcitrus
Thu 21-Jun-12 13:57:04
Were those averages means or medians? Do they include students, commissions, share options, value of pension...
Without an idea of deviation from the mean, and exactly who was included, they were pretty pointless, especially for job titles like doctor and nurse which cover a huge range of jobs and presumably pay packets.
LeeCoakley
Thu 21-Jun-12 17:39:15
PLEASE make me win!!!! Dd1 has a £150 reading list this year and I said I'd stump up! What a fool I am!
Agree with the comments about the average salaries.
Would have liked to be able tjo justify some responses - eg I think the primeminister and MPs should have a higher salary but remove the expenses scam scheme
Iggly
Thu 21-Jun-12 19:09:10
The prime minister doesn't need a bigger salary - that's on top of his MPs salary!!
Really? How can that be his average salary then?
We've raised the issue of the averages on the last question with the HPC - and they are happy to point out "Most of the figures are from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings so they are all official figures. Averages are simply that - ie they take account of the lowest as well as the highest and while we may be more aware of the ones at the top ie (a city lawyer or a top accountant) there are far more small business accountants and local solicitors. Also there is always the issue of that these are averages across the life course so it may be that you have far more newly qualified solicitors/accountants on £20k, than you do senior partner on £100k."
The PM salary is according to the House of Commons website but you're right as there is only one its not average : "The Prime Minister has announced that he will be taking a salary of £142,500"
Iggly
Thu 21-Jun-12 20:34:53
That's just his salary and as there's only only PM then technically that's correct. Every minister has a salary on top of their MPs one. Being an MP and being a minister are two seperate jobs.
Possibly daft question, can I answer even if not a mum?
Silbury
Thu 21-Jun-12 23:38:56
Average salary of a nurse 30k?
Average lawyer 38k? Journalist 29k?
I simply don't believe that. Even calculating a median or whatever. Bollocks.
£200 of kindle books would be nice though.
what a dreadful survey - totally biased (whilst trying to appear not to be) and very political (small p). Average salaries are really not a good measure of very much.
I can see the headlines now "mums think unfair that FTSE 100 Chief Exec earns 50billion times what a cleaner at his company earns." without any consideration of any factors like how many jobs CE has created or billions paid to treasury in taxes etc etc.
Mumsnet - please dont let this site be used like this. I'm cross now.
toffeefee
Fri 22-Jun-12 17:27:23
Done! Got my fingers crossed on this one as I accidentally stepped on my Kindle and broke it the other week and would love to replace it!! 
Those averages are definitely not a true representative of real wages for those jobs imo/ime.
Does the teacher's salary include those in management and possibly heads?
A senior partner in a law film will be on far more than 100k, even outside of southern England.
Am pleased to say Whineoclock wins the £200 Amazon vouchers. Well done! Thanks everyone
