For those on 6 (or almost 6 ) figure salaries - how old are you, what do you do, and how did you get into it?

[savebuckbeak]

Just the above. Curiosity is all!

I mean that’s literally what the OP says - it says “how did YOU do it”, not “how did your husband / partner / great aunt who lives in china do it”

Start a thread asking specifically for women only to respond then.

This thread title doesn’t specify only women’s lived experience. Plenty of other posters have taken it in the spirit of talking about the types of jobs and career paths that net six figures.

In the meantime I will continue to post whatever I like on a free and open forum, while remaining indifferent to your disapproval.

I have no idea why you’ve taken umbrage to me posting, it’s really bizarre

The OP asked for “your” experiences and given this is primarily a site for women that’s what to expect - hearing directly from posters. If any men commented I’d skip over their responded as I’m not interested in hearing from them.

I don’t know you, I really couldn’t care less what you post so you crack on babes. Great that you’re so proud of your husband’s big salary but a shame it clouded your ability to read the OP.

33, I earn £130k base as a Global Operations Director for a well known company. Combination of luck (found my niche and specialised very early on in my career) and hard work (long hours, lots of travel, weeks away from home). Operations suits my personality to a tee, and I’ve risen through the ranks quickly. IRL, nobody but my DH knows my salary, I find it embarrassing. I know I’m extremely lucky to be so well paid, when so many people work hard and are not.
It’s been a huge help to us obviously, but I don’t think this is a role I could do until retirement, as the stress is too much. Plan is to continue to overpay on our mortgage and save as much as possible, and then move into something else after maternity leaves. Financial reward is amazing, but I’d love to do something that made me feel like it actually mattered and gave something back to the community.

@ShirleyPhallus it was you taking the umbrage.

why not just ignore the posts that don’t interest you instead of telling everyone what the thread is about?

Taxed at 5% ? Or more?

Thanks @ShirleyPhallus will take that advice on board- it’s much appreciated

@FinallyHere
yes, I went back after first degree and postgrad and did a masters in information science. Very interesting 🙂

Just under, with 15% bonus and a car.

Very circuitous career from teaching to copywriting to marketing to marketing communications. I now lead a global team.

I've been just ahead of the curve on digital marketing which is pure luck. I moved role after each mat leave which always means a decent jump in salary. Ive also always worked in highly regulated verticals (telecoms, utilities, pharma) which pay very highly for head office roles. I have moved companies usually after 2 roles - the one I was voted for and then 1 promotion then move. Get in, make some justified changes that deliver big measurable impact, use that to demonstrate your competency for the next step.

There was a period where we were paying the equivalent of my salary in childcare and I am fortunate that DH and I could cover that from our combined earnings.

*hires for, sorry

And I'm 42.

I earn 120k as a writer for a big tech company, got to 6 figures when I was 33 (now 34).

I was in my late 20s. Ran own marketing business.

1st at university and a masters, worked very hard in well paid industries (the industry part is key for me). Got lucky. Got lots of experience. Was risky enough to try starting my own business. I made a lot when I was 28, then I got pregnant!

41, earn just over £100k as a consultant in paediatric intensive care. Good A levels from a comprehensive school, uni then 12 years as a junior doctor, including 9 house moves and 5 deaneries (partly due to the modernising medical careers fiasco sending me from pillar to post but mainly due to chasing the somewhat niche career I wanted!). Still work a 48 hr week, with between 6 and 10 nights on call a month which I’m quite likely to be working for at least part of. Bought a house and had kids after I got my consultant post due to the lack of stability up til then. Still love what I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else

No, because it's so much harder for women to earn that much. See Xenia's post for an example.

I'm 38. I 'earn' about 100k as a sole director of my limited company plus some part time paye work. Work about 32 hours per week, mostly term time only (apart from a few days here and there). Don't pay myself the full amount though as I don't need it. Usually take about 60k in total as it's plenty for me. I'm a Psychologist with an undergrad from RG uni, masters from oxbridge and doctorate from UCL.

Work in retail forecasting, 37, started with 6 figures when I was 36. Hovering close to this since I was about 34. Do not work long hours. Got here because I started in the outdoor industry after uni, got lucky being promoted + I am clever/good at presenting myself & ideas and came from well off family so had the opportunity to ski/camp/kayak a lot growing up and spoke “the language” of the industry which counts for a lot. DH is in tech.

I find it a bit sad how many women site 'luck' when describing their own journey to success. I highly doubt a group of men asked the same thing would undermine their hard work and determination in that way.

@Roseglen84 that would depend on how honest they were being with their answers

@Roseglen84 I'm personally happy to cite luck when it's true. It doesn't undermine the hard work I've done, but in my case, having a mild interest in something just as it became a business priority, and where there was no one else interested in the role, was truly chance. I won't pretend I was horizon scanning

Similar to the cyber security one, 50-ish, joined a booming tech industry full of idiots after academia. A specific new rising tech area aligned with my degree/PhD and my professional experience. Had to work like crazy but shone among the idiots and eventually became recognized as an industry expert in a few very specialized things and also a decent manager so companies tend to want to hire me to build a team as they know I attract other good people and that has pushed my market value up.

On the downside, I've rarely been able to fully relax even on holidays for 20 years.

I’m 60, I’m an IT project manager, no qualifications, I just got lucky in my 20s, kept moving jobs, more money and better experience each time. Have always worked for FTSE 100 companies who pay well. Pretty much 100% WFH since Covid. I don’t work that hard tbh, it’s about output not hours. Earn over £150k.

@Roseglen84
I do agree with you. I said luck in mine but it truly was luck that I took my first job in a fruitful industry. Me doing well in that industry was hard work, long hours and lots of networking.

Just shy of 6 figures (would be over with bonus), I am 36 and work for a multinational in international HR space. I'd say a lot of my 'luck' has been down to pure grit and determination, only now am I getting qualified (at my company's dime) because I couldn't have afforded to do this early on in my career. Worked up the ladder from a service provider and made the jump to in-house 4 years ago, this was life changing in terms of opportunities, salary, benefits etc. I am currently standing up a brand new function and work ~60 hours a week (start my day before the kids wake up) but get to do school runs, work from home etc. Many people in my career doubted my ability and that only egged me on more to prove people wrong!

Academic in the US. I was tenured in 2017-2018. DH is the same but he’s also a physician AND now has his own start up. I earn 130K. Obviously no bonus in academia. I have a PhD from an Ivy League University, a Masters degree and an Oxbridge undergraduate degree. DH is an MD PhD, both from an Ivy League University (not the same as mine- we actually met in the UK). DH earns between 350-400K. We have two kids. Full time daycare/school/wraparound care for both. I try not to work beyond 4 pm and then work again at night. Having small kids has affected my ability to do archival research in Asia and Africa like I need to and post tenure has slowed my career down a little. Our plan at some stage is on my next sabbatical DH will take teaching release and a career break and come with me so I can finish my next book. DH does most of the housework (I do childcare and cooking). DH is very very much an equal dad (he’s even on the school PTA) and despite out earning me has made significant career choices that would benefit my career and stall his. DH is my biggest cheerleader (he got and took more paternity leave than I got maternity leave thanks to it being the US…and his employer being more generous…).

I have worked very very hard to get where I am. A US PhD is a serious commitment but I was fully funded. I live thousands of miles from my family so had very little support when I had kids (my MIL came and helped a little). This is why I mention DH because having a supportive spouse meant that DH and I started the tenure clock at the same time and got tenure at the same time.

In the UK my fellow academics and friends at a similar career stage- so Senior Lecturer/Reader earn a lot less than I do. Very few academics in the humanities even at full Professor earn six figures.

35, director in a professional services firm.

First in my family to go to uni (Oxbridge) where I worked bloody hard. Didn’t want to go into the corporate world so worked in public sector (local gov) for 4 years. Got frustrated by bureaucracy and thought I’d try consulting - absolutely loved it. Felt like I was able to live my values and make a difference, but also make use of my abilities and talent.

I have 3 young children and have moved firms in 2 of my maternity leaves, which has helped me get big salary bumps each time. No nanny or family support - very hands on DH, who earns significantly less than me as a teacher. I’ve argued for flexible working (and got it) all the way through in order to help younger women (and men) see that they can also have a work/life balance. I work very hard, but I enjoy it, and I’m also there at the parents’ evenings and Star of the Week assemblies, even if I have to do an extra hour to catch up when kids are in bed. In no way has it been easy, not least because I’ve never had any role models ahead of me in predominantly male-dominated firms with a culture of wraparound nanny support. But I’m immensely proud of where I’ve got to and the fact I still feel I’m a present mum.

Its 19% i think

i dont know anyone that pays 5%