What was your salary when you were in your early 20's... what is it now?

[HotGirlSummer]

What was your salary when you were under 25 (what job were you doing?) and what do you do now?

I started working full time at the age of 21 on £13k a year in 2007. I still work for the same company and am now on £32K three promotions later. Work for a bank.

Age 18: Customer service phone person, £14,001

Age 25: PhD student, £17,500 (but tax-free so more like £22,000)

Age 30: University lecturer, £42,000

Age 33: University senior lecturer, £51,000

Oh gosh, I don't even really know back then. I was a social worker for a charity serving vulnerable adults at 22 fresh out of uni. Then I worked for a health behaviour research centre probably around 25. I don't really remember what my salary was, but it certainly wasn't more than probably 22k a year. I am now a lecturer/health researcher (work for a uni research centre, but not that same one). My salary is mid 40s. I definitely couldn't have imagined in my early 20s making as much as I do now. It's a completely different world.

Age 19: £17k

Age 22: £19k
Age 23: £20k (crap payrise/promotion)

New job at 26: £20k ! Had to haggle them up from 18k to start at the bottom in my dream career. I'm still 26 and one year into the job. I live in London so still stay with parents otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford to live ! Hoping this thread gives me motivation that eventually I will earn a good salary ! x

When I was 19 I was in a sales job and was earning about £30k.
Unfortunately I gave that up when I had my kids and now I’m a receptionist earning £9/hour x 24 hours a week.
Oh how times have changed!

£18k at the start of my 20s and £60k by the end. Now £100k+ at end of my 30s....

First full time job on graduating (aged 21) was £16000. Now on £50000 pro rata as I don't work full time (aged 40). I work in the medicines/healthcare industry as a Quality Manager

Early 20s £22,000

Now (late 30s) £0. I'm a carer for my daughter who is disabled. Unless you count my massive £64 a week carers allowance

Customer service £12k
Now on £25k as customer service manager. I could be on more but I work in the fundraising sector and I am able to work from home 100%.

Early 20s, was on minimum wage. Can't remember what it was. I worked in retail.

29 now and on £8.75 as an administrator.

BUT I didn't go to university, have no qualifications and had 4 years out of work after having DS at age 22 so I don't expect to be earning a lot now.

At 20 I was working as a scientist (year in industry placement in pharmaceutical company) for £10K, I then did a PhD and earnt £6K tax free (MRC grant so better than average!). Now I still work as a (senior) scientist in the pharmaceutical industry and earn £55K pro rata.

Early 20's (2000 ish) £25k in London
Mid 26-32 £45k in London
had child: cue massive drop in pay as single parent and left London
33-40 24k p/t (outside London)
40+ 37k f/t (outside London)

Age 20 - 25 on minimum wage full time, so about £12,500 if I remember rightly.

Age 25 - 28 moved to a contact centre in a bank. Between £15,500 - £17,500.

Age 28 moved to my current company on £20,000.
Age 32 payrise to £22,000. Also get an annual bonus of around £3000.

So gone up about £10K in 10 years.

I think it was around 14k. Pr account exec.

I'm now 43 and earn 6 figures. PR director, run my own business.

At 20 I was still a student.
First job at 21: pre-registration healthcare professional £14,500 pa.
Now, mid-40s: basic salary (excluding bonus and long term incentives) >£150k

When I first moved to London 20 years my salary in my first job was £12,5k. It's now £70-90k depending on bonuses.

Sorry - missed that I was working as a temp PA and now department head in marketing agency.

Age 18, worked in BHS part time, 6k

Age 25, worked for an insurance company as an IT dogs body, 26k

Age 32, worked for a global logistics firm as a senior IT manager, 90k

Today, 42 and head of IT for a major global finance company, 360k but with bonus should be closer to 400k.

Aged 21, £11k (!) administrator
Aged 40, £90k senior HR with global firm

i maxed out at 28k and I'm still on that now i have children and am PT. i have zero promotional prospects as my manager who inherited me hates working mothers and made it very clear it was inconvenient to her that i wanted flexi working! luckily the rest of my organisation is not full of such utter knobs so her attempt to knock my salary down for going PT was unsuccessful. regardless of her i like my job, although it's boring it's also easy and flexible. I'm just about to go on second mat leave and ideally when i return to work i will be training to do something different which i will consider more of a career than just a job.

5 years ago I was a trainee on 12k and no benefits.

Now I'm 29, qualified and on 34k + bonus with health insurance, life assurance, pension, illness cover, full mat pay.

Writing this, I have only just realised how far I have come in the last few years.

I worked in publishing for a few months when I left uni in 2007, for the paltry sum of £17k. I then got a job teaching, which was £24k + subsidised accommodation, and I felt rich!

Now I'm 34 and earn £70k (still teaching) and I don't feel as rich as I did at 23!

I was 22 when I got a job in an insurance call centre and earnt £22k per annum. Now mid 30's and earn £40k as an account exec for a multinational brokering firm.

I was 22 when I got a job in an insurance call centre and earnt £13,750 per annum. Now mid 30's and earn £40k as an account exec for a multinational broking firm

Never above minimum wage
£13k now, happy with my lot