Does everyone on here have a high salary?! (And if so what do you do?!)

[Sweatshirtaddict]

Since joining MN it seems like everyone posts about having high earnings etc but at my work high paid jobs of like 100k are for directors with 30+ years of management experience with masters and doctorates (and as most orgs its like a pyramid hierarchy so only 2 top jobs and loads of staff at the bottom).

Where is everyone else working to earn these amazing salaries?! I thought earning 24k for an admin job was not bad considering some admin jobs in my area are around 18k - 20k but it seems like I must be doing something wrong not to be earning mega bucks!

Anyone else?

@LizzyPL Wow, that’s a lot less than I would have expected. I was on that sort of salary a few years back as a non-core HOD, admittedly in outer London which adds a bit on. Is it an especially tiny school? My HT will be on roughly double that in a fairly average sized secondary.

I learnt a while back it is pointless comparing with others on salary alone.
The sad truth now (at least in the south east/London vicinity) is that whether someone seems wealthy or not has as much to do with what capital they have received from family for house deposit, or how much free childcare they get from extended family as anything else. If you have neither of those 100k salary =6k pm net post pension contribution = 4K net post mortgage/rent = 2k net post childcare- which might well mean you have about the same disposable income as someone on much less in a cheaper part of the country/with more support.

In house lawyer with over 10 years experience and specific masters in my field alongside practical experience. Spent time working abroad. Late 30’s. Was higher earner for a long time but DH now earns similar in finance but never went to uni. London.

(And no help from parents for deposits, no help with childcare so v high outgoings but not complaining)

Both DH and I earn just over 30k. I have a professional role in a university and DH is a senior archaologist. We both have good degrees and postgraduate qualifications (PhD I my case) and 15-20 years experience . No cash in our sectors whatsover, below inflation "pay rises" for 10 years. We love our jobs though but clearly not in it for the money.

I don't think your wage is important really. What IS relevant is what your wage allows you to do/not do. Do you earn enough to do everything you need and most of what you want (even if you have to save for it?). If so then I reckon you're good.

It's also important to remember two things:

1. people talk nonsense on here. Take everything with a pinch of salt.
2. high earners compromise somewhere else. You can't have everything. Before I developed epilepsy and my brain went missing I could have been a high earner but I wasn't willing to take on that amount of work/stress and the impact it would have on my family.

I am on £80k plus benefits that include a discretionary annual bonus of up to 20%.

I do not have a degree and got crap Alevel results.

I started in telemarketing when I was 17 then moved up through floor supervisor/team leader type roles, then into team manager for a variety of call/admin groups, then moved into IT Helpdesk team leader roles/service delivery manager roles.

Now in a director position in IT security/data privacy.

I'm working towards my next move which will see me on a salary of +£100k within the next 2 years, so by the time I'm 40.

No high salaries here, I am a foster carer, I earn less than £12k pa and DH is on SSP but was an alarm engineer earning around £35k. We live comfortably (or we did before he became very sick), I am hoping to continue to be able to manage when he is no longer here as losing him and being forced to give up fostering would kill me.

I have a non-academic role at a university. Earn about £34k (4 days a week).
I used to earn £53k and am struggling to get used to the difference.

I live with my partner but finances are separate. My children (& his) are adults and there is no mortgage.
I have enough to live on, without a doubt, but I can’t do all the nice things I used to do.

@bloodywhitecat

No high salaries here, I am a foster carer, I earn less than £12k pa and DH is on SSP but was an alarm engineer earning around £35k. We live comfortably (or we did before he became very sick), I am hoping to continue to be able to manage when he is no longer here as losing him and being forced to give up fostering would kill me.

Hope you’re ok @bloodywhitecat x

@bloodywhitecat, how can you earn do little as a foster carer? I care for 1 child with complex needs but get £30k per annum net. So sorry about your DH.

Both DH and I earn six figure salaries. We have a STEM degree/PhD apiece (we met when we were both doing our PhDs) plus 20 years experience in our respective fields.

I'm a deputy sister (nurse) for the NHS.........I think it's then obvious I'm not a high earner!

I’m on 45k as a regional IT manager. Don’t have a degree; got into an IT role during a placement a long time ago and it’s evolved into this. Doing a few courses at the moment and hoping in due course once I qualify that will push me into the mid 50s and prob top out around 60k in a few years. It’s a fairly busy and stressful role at times due to a lot of growth.

My wife is a Director for a consultancy and is on 60k.

Small primary, NOR 120. I teach too. Deficit budget.

Leadership 6

www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/pay-pensions/pay-scales/england-pay-scales.html

I wish we were paid more, my hours are huge as is the responsibility.
Only academy CEO's earn big bucks....

My next step will be executive HT of two schools to try and fix the budget.

I work in education... so no. Luckily I married well

That’s wild. I’m only an AHT and I think my range is L13-L18, currently on L15.

Clearly, theres a massive disparity between Primary and Secondary leadership pay. I knew that, but that’s even bigger than I thought.

So much depends on where you live and what is important. I'm in an expensive-ish part of the Midlands and this FY earn £65-£70K (would be £20-30K more but lots of sales have pushed to next year due to covid) I'm in Tech Sales. My OH is Head Chef on £42K. We don't have kids so will have to tighten our belts in the future. We have a very comfortable life and don't have to think about what I spend, unless big purchases. However, my colleague in London only gets London weighting on basic and not commission and a wife with a similar salary to my DP. Her quality of life if much lower due to the huge uplift on living cost.

@Caramelvanillafudge

I don’t, particularly.

DH earns around 80. MN doesn’t think it’s a high salary unless you say it isn’t, in which case it is untold riches. He works in construction.

First one to quote the husbands salary😂😂

I work in finance and earn £80k.

Have a degree, masters and twenty years experience. Don’t manage a huge team - about thirty people.

@MadameMinimes

That’s wild. I’m only an AHT and I think my range is L13-L18, currently on L15.

Clearly, theres a massive disparity between Primary and Secondary leadership pay. I knew that, but that’s even bigger than I thought.

Yes! All schools have a banding. My small school is leadership 5 to leadership 9. Once I get to L9, through performance management and being judged to have met my targets each year, then that's it. I can't earn anymore rises. As executive HT of two schools the leadership range will be extended - but not to two full salaries....unfortunately 😉

Curtain Troubles

Why would anyone come on her and anonymously lie about their salary to strangers?

Fantasists?
Liars?
Trolls?
People who are bored?
Lots of people want to seem rich/successful/impressive.

Salaries on their own don't impress me at all, savings and investments interest me.

A lot of defensive replies on this thread.

I'm a teacher so am definitely not on 100k! I'm on about £34k but I'm 4 days a week, so I'm very happy with that. We could survive quite happily on DH's salary alone, as we live in a relatively inexpensive area, but I love my job.

[quote caringcarer]@bloodywhitecat, how can you earn do little as a foster carer? I care for 1 child with complex needs but get £30k per annum net. So sorry about your DH.[/quote]
Agency or LA? I am LA and am a baby carer, as such I get baby rates even if the baby has complex needs. There seems to be no standardisation of rates across the board.

Small dogs bark the loudest.

I earn £150k working 3 days a week in tech