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If you're on the 'mumsnet six figures' salary what do you do and what geographical region is the role in?

296 replies

flashbac · 27/12/2021 08:00

I'd love to earn six figures and keen to look into how I could make this happen if possible.

OP posts:
Somersetlady · 27/12/2021 18:52

Sports psychologist £90k but only work 30hours

Was earning low 6 figures as Marketing Consultant before retrained in early 40s.
2 degrees and a Sports Psych masters plus professional qualifications.

Eightmagpies · 27/12/2021 18:55

In-house lawyer. Wfh permanently. 10 yrs qualified.

Somersetlady · 27/12/2021 19:05

Also OP worth considering I have not always been the most financially well off with the biggest pay package I have earned!

At one point had a super package but super stressful and lots of time over seas - by the time I outsourced all the things in my life I literally didn’t have the time to do and paid a massive amount of tax I was worse off than a smaller package but with less hours/stress and outsourcing.

The only outsourcing I have now is the cleaning which is a relatively low cost.

redchicken · 27/12/2021 19:12

IT Ireland

RedHot22 · 27/12/2021 19:30

I don’t see the problem with posting DH’s incomes on a thread like this tbh.

I earn 6 figures and replied upthread
However, DH has his own niche business and earns 10x what I do.
I don’t want to work with him, my skills aren’t related to his business. We did have our own business and worked together but sold it.

We have 4 DCs and I was a SAHM for many years.

RedHot22 · 27/12/2021 19:47

What skills don’t you have OP?
Are you willing to retrain?

You have to follow your heart. We sold our business because the nature of it didn’t sit well with us.

RedHot22 · 27/12/2021 19:47

What skills do you have

278466fgh3 · 27/12/2021 19:48

@Loki01 most people around me have left academia and have gone into pharma, consultancies, start ups. They do not start off on six figure sums but can get there. It slightly does depend on your age i.e. if you are under 35 it's doable. If you are over 40, less so.

Used to earn over six figure salary as an academic in Europe. Moved back to the UK and definitely dont despite working in a world leading university. It's depressing. The UK doesnt value academia (or teaching in general) very highly but as am 42 and in social sciences, I feel too old for a career change

Loki01 · 27/12/2021 20:04

[quote 278466fgh3]@Loki01 most people around me have left academia and have gone into pharma, consultancies, start ups. They do not start off on six figure sums but can get there. It slightly does depend on your age i.e. if you are under 35 it's doable. If you are over 40, less so.

Used to earn over six figure salary as an academic in Europe. Moved back to the UK and definitely dont despite working in a world leading university. It's depressing. The UK doesnt value academia (or teaching in general) very highly but as am 42 and in social sciences, I feel too old for a career change[/quote]
I know what you mean! It's sad and you would think that after the pandemic, people will want to invest in science...Hahaha, no!

I am between the two ages (closer to 40). I don't need to have 6 figures salary. If I get to 60K or so I would be extremely happy. I am hoping that is doable in a few years. I don't feel old at all!:)

It's mainly the job insecurity, temporary contracts, etc that bugs me. Bad money is a secondary issue at the moment.

278466fgh3 · 27/12/2021 20:27

@Loki01 if you are closer to 40 and non-permanent leave!!!! It's not worth it. I mean having come back to the UK for my permanent gig in a top London uni, 60-70k just isn't worth it after three degrees.Leave and don't look back.

Loki01 · 27/12/2021 20:39

[quote 278466fgh3]@Loki01 if you are closer to 40 and non-permanent leave!!!! It's not worth it. I mean having come back to the UK for my permanent gig in a top London uni, 60-70k just isn't worth it after three degrees.Leave and don't look back.[/quote]
Yes, I will. I am starting to look around.

I am a late starter, I only went to Uni when I was 27 so I am "delayed" with everything.

itbemay1 · 27/12/2021 20:39

NHS and education.. have worked hard and continue to do so!

BraveGoldie · 27/12/2021 21:05

[quote Loki01]@BraveGoldie

Thank you! Will have a look into that. Surely these firms must be located out of London as well.[/quote]
@Loki01 I am sure there are consultants all over, however my experience is that the major global consultancies, which tend to be the ones that pay higher salaries, have their main offices in London, in terms of the uk.

If you are joining consultancy for the first time, you would probably need to learn on the job in a main office. That said, if you are established and well valued/ reasonably senior, you would then be able to argue for living elsewhere.... management consultancy, though, is generally work that involves a huge amount of travel to client sites, regardless of where your home is. (Though this depends somewhat on your role and knowledge area). Obviously a lot of clients are also in London, so if you base yourself elsewhere, it would increase the amount you are away from home.

Since Covid of course, people's attitudes have changed and even very senior clients are much happier meeting on video call. Not sure whether we will gradually migrate back to everything being in person, or this will open up opportunities to live in other parts of the uk for consultants.

ponkydonkey · 27/12/2021 21:14

Property

sopsmum · 27/12/2021 21:37

This would be much more interesting if people included what hours they typically work too. I'm very under 6 figs now as I work part time and have taken a much much lesser role. Anyhow, I'm a lawyer (south west) and earn £60k for 30 hours a week (and don't do a minutes overtime, unlike the old days when I was well into 6 figures but would frequently work 70 hours a week. Given I don't need to pay a nanny £3k a month anymore to facilitate that we are actually overall better off. I'm wfh now too.

Spindelina · 27/12/2021 21:42

@Loki01 not sure this belongs on a thread about high-earning careers, but have you looked at NHS clinical scientist roles? For me, the job security, pension and relatively short hours makes up for the lack of six figure salary (though 8b or 8c is very much attainable, so it's not way off).

whyarentiskinnyet · 27/12/2021 21:45

Digital agency, project management -London

Snoopsnoggysnog · 27/12/2021 21:49

@sopsmum

This would be much more interesting if people included what hours they typically work too. I'm very under 6 figs now as I work part time and have taken a much much lesser role. Anyhow, I'm a lawyer (south west) and earn £60k for 30 hours a week (and don't do a minutes overtime, unlike the old days when I was well into 6 figures but would frequently work 70 hours a week. Given I don't need to pay a nanny £3k a month anymore to facilitate that we are actually overall better off. I'm wfh now too.
I work around 35-40 hours a week (4 day week). This is more than a lot of people do full time but not excessive for my industry. For a 4 day week I’m unwilling to do much more than this but if I put in more I’d probably progress further.
FreeButtonBee · 27/12/2021 22:14

Hmm I did the full year of maternity and think for me it was the right thing. Went back totally ready to leave them (twins first time) but part time. Took another year with No 3. It slowed my promotion. But only by a year or so. It felt very different to leave a walking babbling little person vs a barely sitting baby. But personal preference is key here and you need to do what’s right for you.

Most important is being mentally there when you get back and crack in. I’ve worked part time for 8 years and frankly get glowing reviews every year with literally no ‘needs to improve’. I know my businesses and acknowledge my mistakes. Resilience and clarity of approach are key. I am ruthlessly efficient although quite lazy with it. I just know when things need to be done and my panic radar is keenly honed after 6 years of terrifying time at MC law firm. But some days I literally do nothing. Perhaps I’ve just gotten good at doing the politics. But my business can call me and put me on the spot and I will give them an opinion and back myself to senior management which is worth a lot to them. I am still frankly underpaid bs the legal market (legal market at the upper levels is literally insane at the moment never mind 100k salaries, they are paying 100k signing on bonuses to 27 year olds!) but it just about works for me

yummytummy · 27/12/2021 22:24

i don't have 6 figures as am part time but have colleagues who do who work full time and do a lot of private work. my work has mainly been in hospitals and the community and prisons rather than general practice so my earning capacity is less than that but certainly full time it is possible. am a dentist.

Crankley · 27/12/2021 22:42

I'm assuming this is just wishful thinking from the OP. How is anyone able to give useful advice without knowing her education, training and experience?

utterflapdoodle · 27/12/2021 22:57

IT in Germany. Crucially in a supranational organisation where we don't pay national tax. My take home pay is the equivalent of about 270k sterling gross.

My route into this job was a masters degree in a STEM subject followed by twelve years earning a very ordinary salary at a well known global IT company. I'm not married and have no children so the decision to leave the UK was relatively easy for me.

ComtesseDeSpair · 27/12/2021 23:09

@RedHot22

I don’t see the problem with posting DH’s incomes on a thread like this tbh.

I earn 6 figures and replied upthread
However, DH has his own niche business and earns 10x what I do.
I don’t want to work with him, my skills aren’t related to his business. We did have our own business and worked together but sold it.

We have 4 DCs and I was a SAHM for many years.

What do you do that involves being a scientific researcher earning six figures, who also works in schools every day, as you claimed to do earlier this month? Confused

Is there any point at all in threads like this, when they just become make-believe sanctuaries for posters who seem to think nobody can recognise a username?

OllyBJolly · 27/12/2021 23:20

I’m the Scottish business advisor that no one believes Grin. Here’s my story..

I was a SAHM until XH left me with 2 under 3s, debts and a house in negative equity. I had to earn enough to cover childcare and bills - no extra. I had a degree in philosophy and a post grad HR qualification. Survived on debt for too many years. Took a job in recruitment which I hated but paid well (basic was £10k less than job I gave up to be a SAHM). It gave me a lot of skills eg understanding client requirements, business psyche, process discipline and sales. When I started making more than outgoings I invested in myself - studied an MBA with OU then an MSc in Corporate Finance. I got into general business advisory focusing on succession planning for business owners. I earned £150k+ last year which is nothing on what the professional firms charge on a less expert and comprehensive service (not only imho but also client feedback). Forecasting £200k this year. I love it. I feel so lucky that my work gives me genuine joy.

It’s been tough and there is no doubt my DCs missed me in the early years. I can now help them get on the property ladder and fund private education for GCs.

(And yes - stop posting your spouse’s salary. That’s not your earnings even if you count it as “Family money” Hmm It’s only family money until he decides it isn’t, as I found out)

flashbac · 27/12/2021 23:31

@ComtesseDeSpair

Business Advisors in Scotland are most absolutely not on six figures!

To be fair, I think a lot of these posts are - presumably for privacy reasons - quite vague, and therefore it’s difficult to take much from them. Which is why this isn’t a particularly useful thread for the OP who I assume is looking for information on career paths and so on.

Most of the roles listed here aren’t, in themselves, six figure earning. They’re entirely dependent on the organisation you work for, your experience and professional standing in your industry, your noted successes and so on.

I mean, there are definitely some (quite obvious, IMO) Billy Bullshitters posting, but I don’t think you can tell that just from the job titles given themselves.

Good point.

I haven't noticed which posts are bullshit posts? How can one tell?

OP posts: