to think that as an experienced midwife I should earn more than a window cleaner?

[whatinthewhatnow]

My mum's window cleaner charges £18 for an hour's work. I get £17. Does society really value window cleaners more than midwives?

In no way showing off, and this rarely happens, but I did dramatically save a teeny life on wednesday. It was really fricking scary. I work so hard, my women seem to really like me and I really do try so hard for them. I feel totally undervalued and stressed and I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it, for £17 a bloody hour. FFS. .

[FredFredGeorge]

A window cleaner does not earn 18 pounds an hour though - he charges 18 pounds for the hour he works on a particular site, he also has travel between sites, materials to buy etc. etc.

But even if he did then yes he does, people deserve to earn what people will pay them to do the job, anything else is madness.

[schoolgovernor]

The window cleaner is self-employed. He gets no sick pay or holiday pay. None of the benefits that are accessible to NHS staff. No public service pension scheme. Does that put a different perspective on things?

[Kladdkaka]

Plus he has to pay taxes on that and his own pension contributions.

[pudding25]

Whatever the window cleaner earns, a midwife should earn a hell of a lot more than they do. As should nurses.

[DesperatelySeekingPomBears]

go and be a window cleaner then...

[Sirzy]

Why would anyone pay their window cleaner £18 an hour?

[TroublesomeEx]

Tell me about it.

Bin men in our LA (don't know if it's standard across the country) earn more than teachers.

In fact, you don't start to earn the same as bin men until you're at the top of the main pay scale.

And the country/government doesn't hate you. And you don't have to spend 4 years at university.

[belgo]

I'm not particularly considered with what window cleaners earn, although I do wonder why they earn more then household cleaners.

What does concern me is that health professionals are still badly paid in comparison to other professional jobs, which is madness considering the shift work, and physical and mental stress of health care jobs.

[NCForNow]

My window cleaner charges £5.00 for the front and £5.00 for the back....some people only pay for what shows.

Anyway...yabu. He's up ladders, risking his neck...he also has no insurance or union.

I am a copywriter...I charge around £15.00 per hour. Is that alright?

[JumpingThroughHoops]

£18 an hour? you must be in the sticks. Mine charges £7 for a house (and he's cheap) and he can 5 an hour.

[TroublesomeEx]

Oh and before someone suggests it, I did look into it but it's such as attractive proposition that it's a closed career. Once people get into it, they don't leave. No way you can earn that much money anywhere else with no qualifications.

[TroublesomeEx]

We pay our window cleaner £10 a time. It takes him around 30 mins so that sounds about right.

[usualsuspect]

Most of the bin men around here are agency workers.So what do you think someone that empties your bin should earn?

[TroublesomeEx]

NC I would imagine he does have insurance. Surely that would be a necessity. He'd need Public Liability Insurance anyway in case he accidentally caused damage to property.

[TroublesomeEx]

Not more than teachers or nurses.

[StealthPolarBear]

really FolkGirl?? How much does a bn man earn then?
OP, I agree in principle but that is not what he earns, it's what he is paid.
Also, if I was making a list of people who are paid a hell of a lot more than they are worth, window cleaners would likely not be on it :o

[usualsuspect]

Do you think they are lesser people because they didn't go to university? That they don't deserve a decent wage?

[nittyclitty]

AS others have said they have to travel between jobs all the time, need equipment, parking costs, risking their bones up a ladder, and have to take out Tax, Ni and pension and insurance etc.

[belgo]

'Also, if I was making a list of people who are paid a hell of a lot more than they are worth, window cleaners would likely not be on it '

yes that is so true!

[Methe]

I look after frail elderly people over night for the grand sum of £6.08 a hr with no break, no sick pay, no pension and no other benefits.

just sayin'.

[Saltycopporn]

I think Yabu. If money drives you then change job. I would also advise caution if you are trying to rank your own profession above others, you will come across as conceited.

[YusMilady]

I earn loads more than you do OP, but I've never saved a 'teeny life'. I just sit around in an office, solving problems. Sorry!

[JumpingThroughHoops]

I have to say, I'm usually on the side of education = experience = salary BUT I don't like the implications that some jobs are somehow less worthy than others.

We can't all be brain surgeons, but even brain surgeons need some one to stack the shelves in supermarkets and empty their bins.

[TroublesomeEx]

About £30,000 p/a. There are stories of them earning £45k but I suspect those particular individuals do hours of overtime and sacrifice a lot of their family time to do so so I'm not including them.

No I don't think they are lesser people, but the reason they justify the costs associated with university are that you will earn more than someone who doesn't.

Emptying bins is hardly a skilled job.

[Petsinmyolympicpudenda]

So he is worth less than you?