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 actually take home significantly more than my husband but I'm aware that this isn't the norm, which is a bit of a shame

Senior role in a charity.

I’m in HR

I run a law firm. Not for the faint of heart, nor those who are not willing to be available whenever you are needed, but certainly can make 2 and 3 times that amount, with bonus.

I do, HR Director. Started my career on 20K as a graduate 15 years ago, so haven’t always been well paid. Like my job, hours not too bad and have the flexibility I want. DH earns way more but he is in financial services, his hours aren’t too bad these days either although they were crazy when he was younger. Some careers/ sectors always pay more.

I run a healthcare communications agency

When I did work, I earned significantly more than DH (though 11 years ago now and I was not quite on £80k). I don’t find it depressing at all that he is a high earner now and I’m generally not. I have my own money that I play with and sometimes I out “earn” him and sometimes I don’t but that’s not of any interest to the OP so not worth initially mentioning.

I do. 90k for 4 days a week. I work in advertising.

Corporate headhunter - very little demand beyond 9-5 and I currently work three days per week. It’s the perfect setup for me/my family life.

Husband is a high earner too, management/strategy consultancy.

Run my own business - small consultancy

The reality is where I am is that most women in my circles earn less because their chosen profession’s pay less and the men’s chosen profession’s pay more. Then children/ part time work compounds this. Almost all went to uni. Most women I know are in healthcare professions, teaching, or HR type roles and all earn 30-60k prorata, myself included. One is a chartered surveyor earning close to 80K. Know a couple of Drs who I guess might be getting up there.
The men I know that earn a bit more are in big four accountancies on over £100k, project management and Consultancy type jobs again over £100K. Dh is in recruitment, again quite male dominated, and is starting to earn between 200 and 300K per annum now that he is working for himself ( after a lots of years honing his skills mind).

If I may hijack the thread slightly - those of you in IT project management, how did you get there? I’m a project manager in a different field, and even though I love my work it is woefully underpaid and quite insecure so I am looking for alternative options. What would you say are your most important skills? Did you start off as a programmer/is coding knowledge essential? My current role has some tech/digital aspects but I suspect I would need to learn a lot more. TIA for any pointers.

I do - delivery director in a tech agency - very flexible and work from home a few times a week. DH earns about that as well (but slightly less than me ) - technical lead for a data science team. Also had a fairly flexible role - both of our roles can be stressful and occasional long hours but the flexibility balances it out.

I am a civil engineer, but have veered in to the legal side of the industry.

I analyse projects to see how and why they have overrun in budget and time. I work for an expert witness and we represent companies who launch legal proceedings to claim money back that they believe they are owed due to the delays.

Really interesting, challenging work. Can be long hours and tight deadlines, but I enjoy it.

Earn £85k.

I do, I'm senior in HR. DH does, he has his own business.

I feel a bit thick now coz I've no idea what many of these jobs involve. They sound impressive though!

I do - insurance broker in a specialist field with over 25 years experience

I don’t think it’s depressing, I think it’s understandable in a lot of ways .... most high earning jobs require long hours and not much flexibility and that simply doesn’t fit with a family if you want to be the one caring for your children. I thinks it’s a fallacy that women can have it all - something has to give for the majority of women, despite the occasional poster above having been able to work part time and make the money.

I am looking to do a short course in agile project management and perhaps data science. I currently earn 40k in a non tech role. There is no job progression available in my current role. After the course, would any company employ me in a junior project management capacity at a similar wage? I cannot afford to cut my pay by more than 2-3k as I am a single mum to 4 DC.

I do - Sales Director, 4 days a week, home based but some late calls & travel (US company) I mostly love it

Couldn't do it without the support of DH - after the third time he was made redundant we decided he would be a house husband and cover childcare. We also have some rental properties so he works on those when required which is very ad hoc

I do. Project Manager, with director level experience in my industry. Before mat leave my salary was £80k with a decent bonus and other benefits taking it to six figures. Now I do four days a week, so package is closer to £80k overall. I work from home at least two days a week and have a decent work life balance. The down side is that, on return from mat leave, I didn’t get my old role back and the person (a man, of course) got to keep my senior position and I’ve been relegated to a less good role, albeit on the same money (but pro rata). I was pretty shocked and very fucked off by the way I was treated. Also, it has become increasingly apparent that I earn less than my male equivalents. I didn’t have my DD until quite late (37) so had built up a career but I can see now how much it must set women back having kids at the point when their male counterparts can seek promotion after promotion and put in all the hours. I did get to do that before DD, but I’m
fully expecting my career to stagnate a bit whilst I focus on DD and can’t work away or all the hours.

@Mumoftwoyoungkids
Can you pm me? I've been looking for an actuary that can do reports in relation to divorce and struggling to find anyone.

Yes I do. Advertising.
Husband does too, he’s a lawyer

I do - investment banking in London for 20 years although I’ve just returned from a 3 year ‘break’ after having my DS.
I work in a Strategy role now but previously was in Operations Back Office then Risk Management.

I do. In the midlands, I own a pub so completely different to most of the jobs listed on the thread and definitely not London/city based. I'm actually in the middle of the countryside!