I come from a working class family and married a high earner. AMA

[randomlife1980]

For privacy reasons I will not explain exactly how much my husband earns, but I will say he earns over 150k a year due to taking over his family buisness. I also will not mention what his buisness is due to that being identifying information obviously.

Me and my husband have 2 children.

This post is more for people to ask about lifestyle, work-life balance, etc

I would say I know a lot of families that two professional incomes combined are £150k
ours is prob £120 ish? Medics and legals more etc
but those earning more prob mix in circles where its normal. But 95% population dont

Usually folk on MN wonder how anyone can scrape by on £150k a year. School fees, holidays, cleaners gardners, mortgage all cost money. Take in ironing is usually suggested.

I’d love to know where/how you live that £150k genuinely feels like a high income. That wouldn’t even cover my school fees.

@ClassyJen assume you must be london. Up north top schools are £25k a year fees (per child). but living costs less

I never felt comfortable dating men who were better off than me (executive job, own, house, nice car). It felt transactional (they pay for dinner, sex happens). I also felt inferior, as I had a job but not a top career.

Plenty of my friends actively looked for a guy who offered all of these things. Some of them also had good careers. Others just benefited from getting a house, being a SAHM etc… Do you feel equal to your DH?

I think it could be interesting if your annual income was more like £300k plus but £150k…..so what, me too and I don’t brag about it. It’s hardly life changing.

a question for everyone else on this thread - what do you or your DHs do if you earn £150k? I’m in London and yes a lot of people earn this but they are all in the professions and class stratification being what it is are all basically upper middle class people married to each other…

so interested in people on that money who aren’t in law, medicine, advertising , tv etc.

what do you all DO? :)

And with young kids, they probably still eat beans on toast (with cheese) at least once a week.

I don't think the OP is coming back...

What I find really interesting is that so many people are saying it’s a nice salary but not uncommon. Yet if you look it up, the top 5% of salaries in the UK are when you hit £93k and over. So in theory her husband makes well more than 95% of working people - yet it’s not a lot? I understand as a total household income it’s less impressive.

For transparency my husband is on trajectory to more than double that income. I also work full time on what I thought was a normal salary! I genuinely thought we were so so fortunate, regularly pinching ourselves - but apparently this is just normal 😂

I think you are missing the point. OP is sharing that to her this is huge amounts of money compared to people from her background. It’s a very valid view

Bet you’re in london though?

we have a joint income of around £115k and are definitely constantly counting the pennies and holidays in uk only at the moment etc

Civil & public service jobs it’s only the top grades. I’m sure some self employed successful people too. No idea re GPs : dentists / vets

AMA but doesn’t reply bar a couple of questions! Attention seeking at its finest.

What is interesting for me as combined salary of £120k ish we couldnt afford private school even if we wanted to, at £150k maybe - but but still not as fees would be £40k year. Most people we know in private are v high earners (both), grandparents pay or only one child

OP, are you not coming back to answer the questions? 🫣

GPs and vets don’t make anywhere near that.

I am from a working class background also. And I guess I’m still thinking so what?!!!

I come from a working class family and became a high earner.

I think what would be more interesting would be if you were to say that you grew up working class from a family that grew up on benefits and against the odds, you either were the first in your family to put yourself through university to gain a professional qualification that now earns you £150k pa or you started your own business where you now earn £150k pa.

Just marrying someone who is inheriting a business that pays him a decent wage isn’t remotely interesting.

no, your husband can afford for you to stay at home

sad brag and even sadder post

I worked in media/advertising, got paid well, and certainly wasn't the only woman of working-class origins. The vast majority were upper middle, though, and there were a few aristocrats.

I worry about the well-documented erosion of class mobility in the UK. Increasing nepotism, unpaid internships, loss of entry-level jobs, student loans and other less visible factors mean it's getting much harder for bright, ambitious kids to go for it.

I've never had any much respect for women whose ambitions are limited to marrying higher-status men. I hope we aren't heading back that way.

I am from a working class family, and the only one ever to go into higher education, I earn more than your high-earning husband. My equally working class high- earning husband earns more than high-earning me. And we do it without having had the advantage of a ready-made position in a family business. Don't ask me anything.

OP should have realised these threads always go exactly the same way.

OP: my husband earns a lot
Other posters: oh OP, don't you know it's rude to brag? My DH earns faaaaaaaaar more than yours but I would never tell anyone. Except here. And I don't form my identiy around the fact that my high-earning DH is a high-earner, who is married to me.

No not in london. Not in the south east either.

Tbf we could probably afford private fees where we are but not without a bit of discomfort and some sacrifices

Dont forget for a family income of 150k you only need 2 x £75k. Thats not that out of reach these days in loads of occupations eg public sector, healthcare, engineering, law, finance, loads of salaries of £75-80k around and not even at the most senior levels