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)

@Autumnchill I actually think that's lovely

I earn more than my parents but my lifestyle is less good due to divorce, costs of living and especially housing.

I think only those who have always been comfortable can afford to despise money or make a virtue out of not being aware of their money flow.

Really? This is bizarre. I do know my parents salaries but I would never compare them to my own. Just why?

I've no idea about my dad, my mum I was earning as much as her in my first job and probably earner more than her for about 18 years. I went to uni though as mum wanted more for us than she had.

No idea! My dad was a research physicist and mum was a teacher. I am a solicitor and DH is a teacher.

I suspect Dad would have earned more than all of us in his time, but he died aged 92 three years ago so who knows.

I do know that they had a much bigger and more expensive house than us....

4x DFs but I thought that was normal. He retired 28 years ago.

My mum has never worked and whilst I don't know what my dad earns, I know he has no personal allowance so I know its a salary that I will never achieve and I'm ok with that. I just don't have his drive or motivation. I work to live, he lives to work.

[quote reducingfootprint]@tectonicplates money shouldnt be a taboo topic, it was an open discussion growing up, it taught me about earning, savings and pensions[/quote]
My kids often ask how much we earn and I answer honestly but always point out how much it costs to live so yes to them when they hear what we earn it seems a lot but when you know how much mortgage, utilities etc are it really isn't.

I think its important children understand income and outgoings and what different career paths might achieve.

Thank you @gottakeeponmovin. I'm 47 but i always remember as a child how much my parents struggled and my Dad retrained as an accountant when he left the RAF, sleeping in a van while at University with 3 kids at home and I always wanted to show him that what he did was worth it.

I'm afraid I also have no idea what my parents earn, I can see why you might use it as a benchmark though.

As other people have said, it's more the quality of life than the salary. There was an awful calculator I found online once telling me what my salary would buy in the 80s or 90s - big house, sahp, private school. As it is we both work and live in a little terrace in East London despite earning quite high salaries!

I hope you are comparing your current salary with today’s value of the past salary.
For example, a salary of £50k in 1995 is equivalent to a salary of £67k today.
So you don’t actually “surpass” your parents salary until you pass today’s value for that past £ amount.

It's depressing how much wages have stagnated

I’ve never really thought about it... one it’s non of my business and two who cares, why are you in competition with your parents? They spent it raising you, you’re now bragging you earn more 😩

Interesting that a few people have said they surpassed their parents salary in the first year out of university. I wonder if that will be the case now - a lot of entry level jobs are expecting a degree these days when in the past a degree meant you got a better job automatically.

Sounds like you earn well OP and can be proud of yourself. DH also equates money with success. Having been very poor in childhood money certainly greases the wheels. But these days he values time at home more.

I still don't know what my parents earnt, but neither were doctors/lawyers. They did teach about saving, pensions and salaries though.

I don't know their salaries tbh

Although tbh my dad doesn't get a salary (business owner) and my mum was a SAHM so I guess it varied

This is quite a strange thread and something I'd never think about tbh...as pp said you'd need to counter in inflation.

My parents had me young so both careers kickstarted in their mid 40s, my mums classed as a high earner but until recently has had to work away to earn it.

My dad retired in 1974, and my mum was a SAHM, so I expect I have surpassed my parents income many times over.

Boasting about ones salary is, IMO, rather tasteless. People who talk about money all the time are rather boring.

Never. I’m in my 50s and my parents always earned more than me. They’re now retired and still earn more than me. I also do not expect my children to earn more than me.

Ha yeah

I just surpassed my dad's pension. In my mid 40s.

It's just different.

Inflation really does need to be considered.

Also things are different. Final salary pensions much less common. Housing so much more expensive.

When the bulk of people go from final salary to money purchase there is going to be a shit ton of poverty and also less tax take. I hope the government are planning (haha).

I have never had a clue or interest in what my parents were earning.

My first pay check was more than either of my parents got. I was being a bit obnoxious and mentioned to Dad I earned more than him. He replied I didnt earn more, that implied more effort than I'd put in, I was just paid more.

He was right. The job he did was incredible and tough and worthwhile and took years of training. I didn't 'earn' more in my slightly cuhshy number!