What do you class as a high earner?

[hellomary]

Since lockdown and lack of job security me and dp have had a difference of opinion as to earnings. He seems to think we are very badly off and I do not. He isn’t sleeping saying we are going to live a miserable life when he loses his job (he’s probably about to) and I dared to say last night...in effort to comfort him and snap him out of this pity, that I was a high earner and we would be ok while he looked for another job.

Well he went crazy at me. From shock that he thought I could possibly believe I was a high earner to worry that I had no ambition to do better and that I was ‘clearly deluded’ if I thought my pay was in a high earner bracket. I feel upset about the whole thing, we earn similar amounts so it wasn’t said to patronise him or make him feel he’s not enough, I was simply trying to get him to appreciate we are in a lucky position compared with others.

He’s gone out on the longest walk I’ve even known today and I’ve been worrying myself about money. Was I a dick for saying this?

Blimey I work in London and would consider 45k up a high earner ! And 80k plus as loaded!!

I think I must be living in another world. 30k plus I would say was a high earner.

@Hairyfairy01

I think I must be living in another world. 30k plus I would say was a high earner.

That’s only a couple k above the average wage is it not?

I think anything above £40k is a good wage. I'm up north so it's relative.

I guess it depends on what area you live in and who you know. To me a 'good job' would be a nurse, firefighter, teacher, physio etc (public sector). These professions mainly earn under 30k. I earn 20k and consider that a reasonable wage. I think there are so many ridiculously high earners it makes the 'average' wage disproportionate to many more 'average' earners. Let's not forget how many jobs only get minimum wage as well.

Just read the rest of the thread, yes you're a high earner

6 figures

I'm gonna plump for 70th percentile or higher in your area, for full time workers. However, I am failing to find the real numbers for England.
Suspect it's about £50k/annum.

It’s all relative. Where I live €120,000 is a middle of the road salary. You wouldn’t survive here on €35,000 unless you were single and willing to flat share. I am considered a high earner where I live because I make a lot more than €120k.

80k up

Over £100K

I earn £80k before tax and live in Scotland, so I'm definitely on the 'high high' end (even after higher-rate tax), but when I lived in London, it was quite average, which is a bit mad.

I earn £40k and consider myself a high earner, but it’s very relative to our outgoings (our mortgage is less than £300 a month).

A high earner though really anyone that has any portion of their salary fall into the higher rate tax payer bracket, in my opinion. Your DP is ridiculous and needs to stop catastrophising.

100k