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Original poster

If you are fully WFH (or almost) and earn around £50k, what do you do?

367 replies

YouCouldUseAFlakeOrTwo · 18/10/2023 12:07

My job feels like a set of golden handcuffs at the moment - decent-ish salary, lots of WFH, decent-ish pension, plenty of annual leave, nice people - but I am bored to tears and fed up. I've been working in the same area for over 15 years and really, really need a change. However at the same time I feel a bit paralysed because of the above benefits. I know, for example, that I absolutely want to maintain WFH and I need to maintain a similar salary, at least for the next few years.

I have job-searched but I don't really know what I'm looking for, sector-wise. I tend to stick to what I know but obviously that just brings up the same kind of thing I'm doing now, which I want to get away from!

So I'm looking for random inspiration. If you've got a fully or mainly WFH job and earn around £50k, what do you do? What's out there?

OP posts:
peachgreen · 18/10/2023 22:04

Senior editorial / comms role in publishing, WFH, would be on about that if I was full time. I love it but it’s also insanely busy. I’m paid for 4 days but do more like 5, but I value the flexibility of having a “day off” during the week where I don’t have to be tied to my desk too much to give it up. I got into it through working in comms for bigger corporates and then showing aptitude for editing when I moved into publishing.

Zanatdy · 18/10/2023 22:04

UmbrellaEllaEh · 18/10/2023 21:42

That depends entirely on the type of law. An experienced criminal solicitor would likely earn less. Public sector is a decent salary. Private sector it isn’t.

Show quote history

It’s contract my kids uncle is in.

Doobeedoobeedoobee · 18/10/2023 22:05

Management in the NHS. Love the work and the people - lots of extra hours but it’s super interesting. Only commute in once or twice and month and they are flexible about fitting hours in around childcare. I would say I have found the approach re WFH varies massively depending on the Trust you work for though- so it’s by no means all NHS mgmt roles.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Employment advice Jobs
Zanatdy · 18/10/2023 22:08

lionsleepstonight · 18/10/2023 21:31

I can answer the Ops manager one. They basically get, whatever the line of business is in, get done. So most large business have Operation Managers at variying management levels.

So if the business makes 'things', they manage the departments that makes the 'things' or if the business is a 'service' they manage those departments that provide that service.

They have process to ensure get followed, have KPIs are achieved, always looking for enhancements and efficiency savings, rolling out new stuff, managing and dealing with personnel issues etc. etc.

It's also very well paid and does not need a degree, and relies on strong industry knowledge to be successful, so you can climb up from lower ranks.

Show quote history

I’m a deputy director for a correspondence team. So really ops management plus a bit more. 250 plus people, lots of teams. It’s very full on and reactive to what’s going on in the world, eg Israel / Ukraine / Afghanistan. Extremely busy, so much happens in a day, and if you take a week off everything’s changed. I enjoy the people side of the role, I’m a good people person and I enjoy the busy pace. We do recruit directly in at my level, it’s all about experience and transferable skills really. Civil service is a great role as there’s so much variety, if you’re bored you can move to something a bit different. I’d never leave - seen many do and back as agency a few months later!!

Nowherenew · 18/10/2023 22:10

What is it you do OP?

I’ve never fancied WFH but as a single parent paying extra childcare just to commute to work, I think WFH would really help me.

Bearpawk · 18/10/2023 22:11

Me and most of my circle:
Recruiter
Internal recruiter
Project manager (aviation)
Software engineer
Digital comms manager (arts)
HR officer
Copywriter (tech industry)
Marketing manager

All on 50k plus, mainly or totally wfh

EarthSight · 18/10/2023 22:16

TokyoSushi · 18/10/2023 12:21

Are you me?! Fully WFH, loads of flexibility, loads of holiday, lovely people, £50K, dull.

Ops Director in Pharma, basically a 'very senior' admin role.

Do you have to line management in your role?

Beebalino · 18/10/2023 22:17

Well this is depressing / interesting at the same time!

Maths teacher here with over 20 years experience but wanting out … I don’t even understand what half of these roles are 😂

BumblePan · 18/10/2023 22:22

Op, I am going to give you the advise I wished I got. I understand your frustration, but start focusing on life outside of work.
Start a new hobby or an training course. Use that to bring some zest into your life.
Don't leave your job. Build a fun life around it.

ImADevYo · 18/10/2023 22:26

Fraudornot · 18/10/2023 21:51

The civil service seems v well paid - always thought it wasn’t

Given that the Civil Service covers a huge variety of roles from driving instructor to Cabinet Secretary I don't see how anybody could've made such blanket assumptions.

Roles that have a private sector equivalent are usually much better paid in the latter. I've been approached by the DWP, Bank of England to name a few and the salary offered for my experience is at least 10% lower than what I currently make. I know of others accountants, compliance for example.

But if you want to be, say a policymaker you'll definitely have lots of transferable skills but the exact same job is available in few private orgs. As a PP says once you have a niche it can be hard to get out.

Abcdefg1234567abcdefg · 18/10/2023 22:26

This thread is so interesting to read although I really don't know what most of these job roles involve. I'd love to know what people actually do daily in these jobs (in lay terms). Ops? Civil service? Various management roles? IT jobs? Software engineers?
What is a civil cervant and what do they do? What are the different departments?
I assume these jobs with £50k wages are based in the south... Are these wages possible in the north or England for those who don't live in cities?
Are those earning £50k (+) in stressful roles with long hours that aren't flexible for people with young families?
It would be great to get a better understanding of your job roles and the qualifications required, if you don't mind sharing more detail.

pitterypattery00 · 18/10/2023 22:27

Academic researcher, I work part time but my full time salary would be around £50k. I actually work mostly from the office but plenty of colleagues work from home 3-4 days a week.

Ffion21 · 18/10/2023 22:29

Customer Success in IT you could expect to earn around that in a junior position.

ImADevYo · 18/10/2023 22:44

Abcdefg1234567abcdefg · 18/10/2023 22:26

This thread is so interesting to read although I really don't know what most of these job roles involve. I'd love to know what people actually do daily in these jobs (in lay terms). Ops? Civil service? Various management roles? IT jobs? Software engineers?
What is a civil cervant and what do they do? What are the different departments?
I assume these jobs with £50k wages are based in the south... Are these wages possible in the north or England for those who don't live in cities?
Are those earning £50k (+) in stressful roles with long hours that aren't flexible for people with young families?
It would be great to get a better understanding of your job roles and the qualifications required, if you don't mind sharing more detail.

I live in the North West. Greater Manchester.
It's obviously easier to get a job in a city although there's a lot of fully remote I'm seeing more and more hybrid.
But even before COVID people drove everywhere. With hybrid it's even easier a lot of companies have max 2 days a week.

Rarely can you earn 50K when just starting out in any career you'll have to put in the effort. Flexible is fair enough - we don't expect people to be tied to their desk 9-5. But if 50K takes X hours of Y experience you are obviously going to get there quicker by taking on more work. there is an element of luck too... Some people have great bosses and mentors, get good learning experiences, others don't.

Without sounding like a twat 50K sounds like a lot and outside London it generally is! But you tend to top out at 80K, few make it to triple digits. In London 100K is very easily achievable (for in demand tech roles at least). That's the difference. And it buys you much less housing wise in London.

BitsAndBaubles · 18/10/2023 22:52

I am a candle maker work mainly from home and earn 50k

Zigzagga · 18/10/2023 22:56

I have a sneaking suspicion that all jobs boil down to the same thing day to day...meeting, emails, some kind of document or excel creation and updating, more emails, meetings...

RedRosie · 18/10/2023 22:57

A sort of Procurement role. £60k. WFH or in the office, up to me really. I like to work with people so generally do 2-4 days in the office, but could 100% work at home if I wanted to (I don't, especially as I manage a team and teams work better in person IMHO).

snoremcsnoreson · 18/10/2023 22:58

Recruitment. 50k basic wage plus commission (+50k minimum) 100k in the first year. Business owners prefer employees to work from home. Less overheads.

BobbitWorm · 18/10/2023 23:03

Ops Boring Arse Manager. 55k (outside of London). WFH a lot. But,fuck me, is it dull.

I am so bored I am going back into Education as well as working, to retrain in something I am interested in, so at least my supplemental income source to my pension, will at least mean doing something I enjoy.

belcarra · 18/10/2023 23:04

Marketing director 60% WFH. £65kish Work more hours as I don't have commute. Enjoy the mix of office and home. I'm over 60 and have been shafted recently, so pretty demotivated which is a shame. Now just seeing out time and whacking up my pension.

ImADevYo · 18/10/2023 23:06

Zigzagga · 18/10/2023 22:56

I have a sneaking suspicion that all jobs boil down to the same thing day to day...meeting, emails, some kind of document or excel creation and updating, more emails, meetings...

Back in the day, before everything went 'cloud' my ilk used to travel all over the world installing stuff ... I worked with one guy who had been everywhere, he was even in Zimbabwe when Mugabe took over.

In 2023 probably the people who work for large /server companies get such, erm excitement but I have set up a few small labs :) also, in order to test payment systems for a former employer found myself in a corner shop with various credit cards at 2 a.m. 😂 that was funny

Right now I spend a lot of time making stuff but the more senior you get the more it's meetings and emails
God I'm dreading it

Maybeitsmee · 18/10/2023 23:07

Business Development £55k basic + car allowance and commission. WFH unless a client wants an in person visit.

35 hours per week, flexible around my family commitments etc. I don't live in a big city but this wouldn't affect salary in my sector anyway.

supercatlady · 18/10/2023 23:08

Analysis and Insight Manager - fully remote

Blinky21 · 18/10/2023 23:11

Public Relations in the public sector

ShouldGoToBed · 18/10/2023 23:13

NHS integrated care board, I’m in comms at that salary but there are lots of different roles. I go into the office once or twice a week, or not at all some weeks if it doesn’t suit me.