If you earn £80k or more, what do you do?

[wheresmymojo]

Following on from another thread.

Partly because I'm nosey and partly because I'd love a career change but I'm the breadwinner so would still need to earn £££ to keep our current lifestyle.

I think we may decide in time to dial the lifestyle down so I don't have to work in a job I hate but for now debt means that's impossible.

So what do those on here who are high earners (£80k+) do?

I have wondered about going into investment banking where there's the opportunity to earn enough that I could retire early.

No idea what the entry requirements are to trading, etc. Guess I should take a look!

It is utterly depressing blue.
I understand that women take a hit because of children but the most depressing thing is that women tend to take the hit because they are earning far less in the first place. Why are all these women earning so much less before children arrive? (Sorry for the derail OP)

@HarryRug That was a potential plan once upon a time - I did my law degree and almost joined a magic circle firm but went a different way in the end

I don’t find it depressing that my dh earns good money. He has worked hard so I can have the pressure taken off me to be here for the kids.
It’s also enabled me to re train in a career that won’t make much money but will be very rewarding.

So piss off with your “depressing “ comments.

Don't apologise for the derail!

I have a close friend who is definitely as intelligent and competent as me - she earns £20k ish in admin.

She just never had the confidence to think she could go for more.

I have worked with a shit tonne of mediocre (at best) to downright shit senior male managers who not only earn six figures while being reasonably shite at their jobs but don't have the self awareness to think they're anything but great.

IMO that's the real face of gender inequality in the City. Hundreds of thousands of women would be better at their job than them but have either been overlooked or didn't have the confidence to push forward.

I don’t because I only work part time but I would if I was full time IYSWIM.

I’m an actuary.

I’m on £80k. 9 to 5 no travelling unless I want to. Senior in civil service. Frankly I got v lucky with acting up then a promotion. It has been stressy but isn’t now.

Husband was on £140k in v v stressy job. Now he’s earning same as me, more travelling, and less stress.

@ihatethecold I don't think that comment was aimed at the people who have posted bit more that it's depressing that there aren't more women earning those levels of money IYSWIM

@Mumoftwoyoungkids

I mainly work in insurance and pensions. It's a small world so we could even know each other!

Yep Partner in a law firm currently on mat leave - long, long hours.

I’m in HR. I manage really large transformation projects for engineering companies.

I earn £105k. Absolutely love my job. Lots of flexibility, work from home at least once a week, great benefits, and could easily do it in 40 hours a week.

Don’t feel like I’m in a rat race at all.

@wheresmymojo - it is indeed a scarily small world!

I do and work in banking. I don’t work long hours now, but did while working my way up. I don’t expect to last at this level forever. I can feel the young ambitious lot breathing down my neck.....

I think I just need to change my attitude to it...

I don't hate it, I enjoy it sometimes. It can be stressful sometimes, but not all the time as I'm pretty experienced.

Sometimes it can be long hours, but then other times I can practically do 4 days a week at a fast pace and "WFH" without needing to do much on the 5th day.

I used to love work. Really love it. I need to find a way back to that somehow...

About that with bonus, middle management in operations for investment banking firm in the city. Absolute pisstake of a job, still waiting for the day someone taps me on the shoulder and says "we've realised you do nothing all day, on your bike". I have a bit of flexibility with my hours, tend to do 7:30 - 16:30, take my full lunch hour and sometimes more

I do. Bid manager.

Me, lawyer in-house at a bank. Part time (4 days). Fairly decent quality of life (for London FS world). Could make triple if I’d stuck at the coal face. It would be miserable

Did 6 years of awful private practice hard core hours (months of working til midnight, working weekends, literally not having time to sleep or eat). So did the time in my 20s and now enjoying a bit of respite in 30s. Will look to ramp up again mid 40s when kids a bit more self sufficient

I think I've had a few experiences where I've worked for companies that are shysters...that's made me feel my role is pointless.

That I'm just a cog in a capitalist machine working to line the pockets of rich American shareholders and Board members who don't give one shiny shit about employees or customers...only profit.

Fintech, contractor. 20 years in the industry.

I do. Hospital consultant. Though the hours really suck, and the training took forever...

Accountant working on transformation projects in Financial Services. 10 years experience (well 9 actually as took mat leave for DC)

Both of us. Both lawyers (me in private practice, DH in-house). 4 days a week for me, DH full time. Longer hours for me on working days, DH is more flexible.

Both me and dh do. I own a lettings agency and a number of properties now, but used to work in banking. Dh is a barrister.

My DH does as a finance director.

It's not a shock that there are probably far more men on higher salaries and this thread hasn't highlighted that.

However I don't find it depressing that people are saying "not me, but DH". I've no doubt if I had the same career as him I would be earning a six figure salary. I'm a teacher (with ABSOLUTELY no designs to be a headteacher) so no chance of me earning that kind of money.

We've been able to contribute to the thread though because we know our DHs salaries

I do as a Marketing director, Financial Services and work part time.