At what age did you surpass your parents salary (if at all)

[reducingfootprint]

I've always equated salary with success (i know i shouldnt) and used my parents as a benchmark
surpassed DMs salary aged 22 and have yet to surpass DFs (6 figures)

I have never even thought of this, thank goodness. I don't think it is very nice to be checking when exactly you started to earn more than your parents as a benchmark of success. Thinking about it now I have beaten them, wow I must be so successful! Luckily I count other factors in my life as a success, not money, and certainly not earning or having more than anyone let alone my own parents.

How much were you making at 22 OP? How old are you now and what are you on?

I was on £45k at 25. Then I met a man, became a trailing spouse and now I'm a SAHM.

If I had continued to work I have no doubt I'd be on £70k+ now (early 30s).

I earned more than both my parents combined in my first job at age 25. However I could never have done it without the sacrifices they made for me. They also taught me that there are more important things than money, and my annual income is currently £0.

I don't think this is a weird conversation. I've always known what my parents earned and it was never taboo. Why would it be, its family money?

I find it interesting. Through society people expect the next generation to surpass the achievements of the one before. My parents peaked for our family I think: baby boomers, grammar schools, free education, excellent salaries (dentist and gp). I will never have a house as big as theirs.

However, my DM compares themselves to their friends who are all very rich (business not public sector) and feels like she is the poor relation, whereas I am very grateful for my lot.

Not really sure what they earned at the time, but I guess I surpassed what my mum earns right now about 15 years ago and what my dad earns now about 10 years ago. Doesn't really matter though because their house cost pennies in comparison for what I had to pay for an equivalent house, so they are mortgage free, I'm not, they have never had childcare fees and I have. So I needed to earn more go cover those costs I suppose.

Slightly odd perspective OP but I get it - families are odd an out way to judge value can be flawed.

I was probably in my late 20s.

However my parents had a very different lifestyle to that which I could afford at that age: large detached house in Home Counties, second home in south of France. Boat. Regular holidays.

It took several more years before my standard of living exceeded theirs despite earning significantly more.

I've no idea what they earned and I don't want to know. Their private business.

There’s an interesting article about earning more than your parents www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/8b00b0a3-d2e8-417c-9974-02cd1dfeec07

Mine are poor so I’d surpassed their joint income by the time I was on about 25k in my mid/late 20s. I’m now on double that and they think I’m unfathomably rich.

I don’t think it’s weird or rude to discuss salaries, I think it’s weirder that some people DON’T know what their parents earn, i can’t imagine not being nosy enough to ask as a kid/teenager! Money shouldn’t be taboo at all

This is odd not least because of inflation. My mum retired in 2002 I think on about £35k but now the same role that she did would pay about £45k. So how would I compare?
Also in some careers your success is not reflected by what you earn. My dad worked in a caring profession and ran his own private practice but would charge subsidised rates for clients on low income, because he was a very nice person, and could have made a lot more money if he’d wanted to but chose not to because he had enough and wanted to enable people to get as much help as possible.
Also money doesn’t make you happy. Obviously.

I'm not sure I believe that the best life possible and high incomes necessarily go hand in hand. I'm also not sure success counts as earning lots of money. Far from understanding the 'value of money' some don't see that there are many things that have a higher value. I've no problem discussing money if it's needed in real life, it's just that most of the time no one in my circles could give a stuff who earns what.

I think I was about 27. But my dad never earnt over £21,000 and my mum worked very part time. However my parents had more disposable income than me because I lived in London and they live in the north and only had a small mortgage.

@namechangeforfriday interesting article!! I remember my dad letting us open his payslips as we like ripping the edges off!

@lifebytheby at 22 i was on 35k, i am now late 30s and earning 77k

@CheshireSplat my parents often joke about making us successful so they can retire and live with us in our (non existent) mansion!

Salary does not equate success. Get rid of that notion and your life will be much happier.

I know what my parents were earning. Both worked in the NHS, one a nurse who because a senior university lecturer, one a Surgeon. I work in the NHS, I will never be a nurse/lecturer or a Surgeon. Neither do I want to be. My parents pushed me to choose to do whatever I wanted to do that made me happy, regardless of salary. I did an arts based degree at first. Then went back to uni for radiography later in life. I don't consider myself to be unsuccessful because I don't earn as much or more than them. I am comfortable, not rich, not poor. I have a lovely home, lovely friends & family, I can buy myself nice things if I want to, treat my family & friends if I want to, go to nice places and nice holidays. I feel that is far more successful than my earning capacity. Not everybody can say they have those things, not even the very rich!

I don't find it a weird notion to talk to your parents about money, it was normal in our house. I find it weird your emphasis on more money = more successful. It's very patronising. Almost as if you think you are better than people who are earning less, even though they could be doing a more fulfilling and more essential job.
I was a student at 22, living alone, working 4 jobs, with £7 weekly food budget.
Obviously in your eyes I am a failure as I don't earn very much and can't give my children the best life possible! 🙄 Poor things.

@robinshire like i said, it is my own personal measure of success, i dont hold others to it! I am in a career i love and love my life in general

I'm in early 30s and unlikely to surpass my parents salary no matter how successful as I went into nhs healthcare and they worked in very highly paid careers

Not that it matters, but 21 for Dad's and 25 for Mum's.

I've no idea. My mum didn't work but dad was a lithographic printer; he earned enough and a bit more but was not in the highest salary bracket. He died when I was 23. I probably did earn more than him later on but have no idea what he actually earned and have never thought of it.

Both my parents still earn considerably more than me and probably always will. If I do incredibly well I might end up on the same hourly rate, but would never be able to manage their crazy hours and it's just not worth it for me. My mental and physical health would not be able to cope with that high level of stress and responsibility tbh

How unutterably classless.

Not to know the salaries of your parents. I don't know mine, but I understand how and why other families to do.

But starting a thread to boast and gloat about it? How revolting.

Have this for free:-

@AtTheWinchester

Do you earn enough for one of these?

😂😂😂😂

This is really tacky.
Also don’t think earning the most possible means the best life possible.

Op do you work in sales?? Recruitment 😉

Aw, don’t be too harsh. The question reminds me of the one in the Sunday Times’ Money section, where they ask a public figure ‘Are you better off than you parents?’ I think there is a fine line between sounding braggy and a healthy conversation. I think it’s interesting- before people start talking about inflation linked figures or baby boomer privileges.

I will never surpass DFs salary because it's not a career I wanted.

Weird question. I will probably never earn more than my dad, but should earn more than my mum in about 5 years when I'm 33? However they also bought the lovely large house I grew up in for hardly anything so earning more doesn't mean I will be better off than her.