To ask how you've reached a high salary? 50k+

I'm a social worker, so there are plenty of jobs and opportunities for progression. I earn 50k but could earn 60-70k in management.

not sure what GPs earn generally, but my friend who’s a gp and works 3 days is on 90k.

I’d be here for hours if I listed it all. But essentially in my managerial position, I’m responsible for the running of a very large department (more than 30 consultants and significant number of junior doctors) including ensuring the smooth, efficient and productive running of more than 10 theatre suites, 20 plus out patient clinics a day, preoperative service, several hundred nurses and AHPs, and more than 60 administrative staff including receptionists, admissions officers, waiting list clerks etc.
I am accountable for the departments pay and non pay budget and adherence to them, achieving cost improvement targets, performance and activity targets, achieving national performance and quality targets and reporting them to the ICB or NHSE, investigating and responding to complaints, investigating any issues or near misses and working with the clinical teams to improve and streamline pathways and patient experience.

basically run the “business” operations of a specific specialty.

It's not a case of being harsh.

The OP is 34 and is in an entry level position. It's a job she could have got immediately after leaving school.

It's self-evident that entry level positions aren't as well paid as senior positions.

People doing entry level jobs can't afford all the nice things that people in senior positions can.

This isn't a case of declining living standards, it's simply a reflection of having an entry level job.

I used to be a teacher. Left that behind in 2017 and I now work in professional services for a London university end I earn more than £50k a year.

I work in Tax but in the private sector. £71.5k plus £10k bonus. Have you thought about a career in accounting or tax. You could apply for a graduate scheme and be qualified within 3/4 years and earning circa £40k on qualification. You can progress quite quickly from then if you work hard to become a manager within a couple more years and be over £50k easy.

If your department is about to expand by another 500 people then there will be people manager roles coming up too?

Can you build a good rep and start showing yourself as suitable for promotion?

You need to get into the private sector and switch companies a lot. Whenever you apply for a new job, tell them your current salary is higher than it is, so you're guaranteed a pay rise.

I switched jobs every year or two at the beginning of my career. Don't listen to anyone who says it puts people off hiring you, it doesn't.

This! The key is to get into the private sector from the start! I studied political science and languages, considered law, in the end went into business (marketing and advertising), and that's basically where you earn decent money!

The challenge now is you are 34 and not easy to pivot into the private sector I think.... In the nicest possible way - how did it take you 10 year to work out there wasn't going to be any money in your field?

@Casualbrowser21 please can you tell me a bit more about how you got in to this role? Im a mortgage advisor at the moment (self employed) and looking for a change!

If you're willing to work long hours, and it's just the classroom behaviour that's putting you off going back into teaching, you should look at private schools.

I don't know about your family situation- a live-in job in a boarding school is not for the faint hearted, but is a great way to save up some money, and House Mistress can be a good way into SLT (deputy head pastoral would be the normal route).

That’s harsh. The median U.K. salary is around £31k she’s not doing terribly. I don’t really think salary and age are linked

Most I have earned was close to 40k, well that’s the actual salary now, adjusted from when I was nursing. DH is an academic and earns 70k PA. He has a PhD from Cambridge. His friends that also have those qualifications earn mega money. Two work in banking and one works in the oil and gas industry at the global HQ, not in the field. My brothers earn loads, one works for Big pharma and has a PhD as does his wife and they earn crazy amounts of money and my other brother is a chemical engineer. Basically all the scientists and engineers we know earn loads. Even the bankers qualifications are in engineering and science. The only other person I know who earns loads who doesn’t have a science or engineering background is a corporate lawyer.

If you are in hmrc have you thought about moving to tax roles in practise and doing qualifications?

Tax and accountancy in the private sector is far better paid.

LinkedIn! You're right to leave - the only people who stay in the civil service are those that are institutionalised. The pension isn't even that good! I have a better pension, better flexi and get paid a shit load for what I do with 6 monthly bonuses and yearly decent payrises. Get yourself on LinkedIn.

You say you’ve got a degree and a PGCE but you aren’t using either of them. You need to look at graduate jobs like civil service fast stream or other company grad schemes if you don’t want to go back to teaching. Pick a field, stick at it and work your way up. I’m on £70k but I’m mid 30s and have worked my way up over 14 years.

Contact your old
Uni career service - they should be able
To provide free support for alumni

Have a look at jobs in private schools - they normally have good language departments and generally pay more than state. I’m on upper pay scale in an independent primary (not slt) and earn over 55k which, considering the holidays, I am very happy with. Could easily supplement this with tutoring if I chose to. My school also offer teachers the chance to work at holiday club which they pay £160 per day for the leader. Some staff do it as the summer is so long.

I’d look at graduate schemes. You would start on that salary or near enough.
Have a look at what is out there and you might find a company or industry that interests you.
I work in the construction industry and our grad schemes are excellent, we have lots of people still working for us years later in senior roles who came through the grad scheme. Obviously it’s not all actual building, the roles are very varied.

53k in retail, I have worked my way up. The shift work and weekends are not the greatest tbf but I can't consider a pay cut

One thing to consider too is when people's salaries go up, it's likely their lifestyle will too (get mortgage, car, have kid etc because you now can) so even though you earn more on paper, you're still going on 19.99 Ryanair flights

Would you consider Banking? I make low six figures (5 years in role) and work in a strategy team, so mostly just putting together PowerPoints and presenting. Sure you’ll have transferable skills!

Started off on 50k (London).

The OP is in an entry level position, that they're too old for. By that, I mean the wage is appropriate for somebody aged 18-23 who might only have GCSEs.

If they'd stuck with teaching, they'd be on £50k.

This isn't a living standards issue.

I teach in FE pay crap but enjoy my job and the College. The people who seem to rise to the top in my experience are the bullsh—ears who convince everyone they know everything and can do everything. In reality well……
Also I only apply for jobs I can do 90% of what is being asked but a better tactic seems to be go for something totally out of your league and you get it. Then minions like me have to show them the ropes🙄

I'm sorry but I just do not consider this lucky.

You should be able to afford flights and holidays if you work (I'm saying this in a nice way).

Such a decline in living standards and a Ryanair flight is now considered a luxury.

WTAF.

It's so depressing.

Sorry hadn't read the whole thread, just seen that you had applied for the FS - sorry about missing that in my answer.
Definitely apply again and get feedback on your application/interview practice with a willing volunteer or two this time...

Lawyer, £170 k, private practice. City Firm.