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Original poster

Am I being unrealistic? How old are you, and how much do you earn?

205 replies

adhdneedsajob · 22/07/2023 21:08

Doing my tax return and depressed at how little my self employment brings in.
I have a degree in the arts from a RG university and over 20 years experience in the workplace I am 45 ffs and barely scraping £1200 a month
But am barely making any money

What do you do and how have you got there and how can I charge more for what I do?

OP posts:
HappyMavis · 22/07/2023 21:52

I love a good how much do you earn topic!

19, earn £350k (solicitor). My DH of ten years is on £500k (partner at an architectural firm). Hope that helps.

Eglatina · 22/07/2023 21:53

UselessAtPacking · 22/07/2023 21:32

28k i do about 10 hours a week give or take, for a family member. School holidays ill do the bare basic at end of month paperwork so 3 hours. Same salary

Wow, I have serious job envy!

I'm just shy of 50 and have had illness/caring responsibilities. On £25K but I'm glad to be where I am. Would love to earn more!

Giraffapuses · 22/07/2023 21:54

Transition your writing skills to be a bid writer. Work for a low day rate for a few months then move up. A good average day rate £500 per day. Some at the top charge around £1,000 per day. There is a shortage of bid writers right now. So good time to get involved.

icanflytoday · 22/07/2023 21:55

Work in IT. 148k base. Got 22k bonus this year. Take home just over 6k a month after tax, 8% pension, health cover, national insurance and life insurance.

Husband doesn't work.

mrsanflowerpot · 22/07/2023 21:56

49, £62K, unlikely to go any higher.
DH is on £40K

buckingmad · 22/07/2023 21:56

29 £40k FTE but work part time 3 days a week. Taken a big pay cut to go to a much smaller firm for the work life balance whilst children are young. Also own 2 rental properties with my DH.

Have a degree and chartered accountancy qualification.

Fatat40 · 22/07/2023 21:58

BatshitIsTheOnlyExplanation · 22/07/2023 21:37

I am middle 50s and earn £130k + bonus. Senior leadership in biotech.
That said, it took a long while to get to that level. First job in 1996 as a new PhD graduate was £19,500, 10 years later around £34k. 10 years after that, ~£55k (all specialised lab roles).
The break into senior management made all the difference.

I'm interested in this. Similar background but feel a bit stagnated around £70k (plus a bit of consultancy). Any suggestions for where to look for a step up?

Echio · 22/07/2023 22:02

39, 24.5k FT salary
Oxbridge 1st and Masters.
I earned £37k about 10 years ago but changed tack.
On the face of it, a total disaster, but have had to reevaluate what I think is important in order not to be completely demoralised!

ThePatriarchyIsNotAboutHorses · 22/07/2023 22:02

£36k, middle management, 55 years old.

BarbaraofSeville · 22/07/2023 22:02

tweener · 22/07/2023 21:23

I agree with this, I'm an accountant on 45k but unless you're an accountant as well my salary won't help put yours into any kind of perspective etc.

Show quote history

I also agree with this. Not a particular dig at you OP, it's a common way of phrasing questions on here that makes no sense whatsoever.

I'm a similar age to you, but otherwise my work circumstances are completely different. I earn a decent salary that is pocket change by MN standards but I have a science degree, 3 professional certifications and nearly 30 years experience in a very niche (genuinely!) area.

What I do and how I've got here isn't going to help you charge more for what you do, because it would take you a good 10 years to get anywhere near where I am even if you were a lot more pushy than what I've been.

You have to bear in mind that NMW is now £21k pa, so for self employment to be worth it, you need to be earning well above this to account for the fact you have no employer pension contributions or holiday or sick pay. You also have to use the experience and talents you already have, or else you've got to build in retraining time.

Can you get some employed work and do your SE work on the side as a hobby that provides an income? Can you just put your prices up? Make efficiencies to make more things to sell (hard to say without knowing what you do). Or you need to market yourself better to sell more of your product/service.

The other way would be to get into something with a training period in weeks/months not years, before you could start earning properly. So that could be something like HGV driving - does that appeal?

You say you have 20 years experience in the workplace - if this is different to your SE work, is it something you could go back to?

Whataboutno · 22/07/2023 22:03

These threads always make me realise how bad I'm doing 😅 1800 per month for 4 days a week, I'm 37 and a graphic designer. Trying to get out of it as I have not really done very well and I've been doing it for 15 years!

Hiddiddleyho · 22/07/2023 22:04

F me...
40yo, £28k, would be £33k if full time.
Degree, masters, 19yrs relevant experience.
Public sector for non departmental public body so years of pay freezes then tiny increases, no increments.

Original poster
adhdneedsajob · 22/07/2023 22:04

Giraffapuses · 22/07/2023 21:54

Transition your writing skills to be a bid writer. Work for a low day rate for a few months then move up. A good average day rate £500 per day. Some at the top charge around £1,000 per day. There is a shortage of bid writers right now. So good time to get involved.

This is an interesting pivot. Thank you.

OP posts:
Whataboutno · 22/07/2023 22:05

@Hiddiddleyho another low earner thank Christ! 😅😅

Mumsanetta · 22/07/2023 22:11

Ooh what’s a bid writer?

Stripeyjumper1 · 22/07/2023 22:11

Whataboutno · 22/07/2023 22:05

@Hiddiddleyho another low earner thank Christ! 😅😅

Can I join? 🤚 this thread has made me feel so depressed

YerAWizardHarry · 22/07/2023 22:12

I’m 30 and currently earn £38K (will go up to £48K over the next few years. DP is 28 and earns around £42K. Live in a cheap area and still always feel skint though

Duidi123 · 22/07/2023 22:13

28, general nurse. Working in the HSE in Republic of Ireland I earn basic salary £39,000 (€45,000). That’s before premiums for nights, weekends etc.

godlikeAI · 22/07/2023 22:14

44, £180k, operations for ftse100 company. Arts graduate, pretty good uni, now too comfortable and lazy to push for more. Job is very manageable, I just do my best to make it look like a lot of effort…

my approach has long been to do as little work for as much money as possible. Literally made that my objective about 15 years ago

Whataboutno · 22/07/2023 22:14

@Stripeyjumper1 yes join me! 😅😅

Peony654 · 22/07/2023 22:15

Employed at a university (not an academic role), £43k. I’m 32

Hiddiddleyho · 22/07/2023 22:18

@Stripeyjumper1 @Whataboutno do we need a new thread ha

Feeling very depressed now tbh. I mean I know my pay is low these days, but normally I try not to look it in the eye...

Ollifer · 22/07/2023 22:19

Most people responding on here are way over average earners op. And how does it help you ?

generalexpert · 22/07/2023 22:19

1st class from a RG uni.

51, Project Manager on mega-projects and Chartered Engineer.

£380k which is just over £17k/month

vestedinterests · 22/07/2023 22:20

.