If you earn over 70k per year...

[avatfl]

What do you do for work? And how did you get into it? Do you enjoy it?

I'm currently on 30k, have a degree, but hate my job and would really like to significantly increase my earning potential.

Law, in house

I did a part time graduate conversion course and qualified when I was 30.

I mostly love my job!

Thank you! How long did the conversion course take you?

2 years part time - managed to have a full time job at the same time as it was all evening classes.

Then I got a training contract and the law firm funded the LPC year so I was able to quit my job and do that full time in a year.

There are other options now. I have someone in my team doing an apprentice route.

DH and I own our own creative business. Brings in £80-£90k ish. He's v in demand for what he does and I do all the behind the scenes stuff.

Senior service delivery manager for a Tech company

I'm 51, started in IT late 20s as a trainee and worked my way up. Been on 50k and over for about 17 years, now earn over 70k. I could, and have earnt a lot more (100k +) but I no longer want the hours or stress that comes with more money. I've got a happy medium now that means I earn a good wage but also have a lot less stress with the flexibility I want.

I’d say your ability to want £70k in any job probably depends quite heavily on where in the UK you are in.

In London you could earn that at mid-seniority in any private company. Construction, advertising, HR manager, high-end EA, recruiter etc. I imagine these salaries would look very different elsewhere in the UK though.

I live in the Midlands.

Doctor - mostly love it (though it could be NHS Stockholm syndrome! )

Took at least 15 years and rubbish work life balance to get past £70k though. Slightly better now I'm in a non- training role but plenty of on call, so I'd only recommend to people who really want to do medicine, there are way quicker ways to get the salary.

HR specialist, mostly enjoyable as I’m part of a great team and don’t do ER.

I like the work/life balance and variety of the role. It can also be really rewarding to see the positive impact of my work.

I used to in my previous job (changed to low paid self employed nearly 2 years ago and love it). I was a senior fashion designer, very fast paced, very stressful, frustrating but also pretty fantastic, travelled a lot and didn't want to after I had my child. I studied fashion design degree, worked my way up. Started on a low salary of 11k.

Marketing director in financial services

started earning 70k when I was 29 as head of department then have moved up from there

2:2 degree

Thank you!

@softslicedwhite we are almost identical situation except maybe £115k

In IT. I love it. well paid for relatively little stress. tends to be quite flexible with hours
dont have a degree, so worked my way up.

Senior HR, plenty of experience in my company outside of HR. I live in Scotland so it’s well paid for where I am.

What do you do now? Are you private or public sector?

NHS midwife

Tax.

Sold my soul to a Big4 firm for a few years straight from uni made associate Director at about 28.

Now earn north of £70k, fully work from home, 9-5, zero stress in an in house job.

Academic. 3 degrees (inc PhD so 9 years all in) and 15 years into my role. But I’m leaving so will soon be making £0.

Online advertising, agency side and have been earning that since middle management level (so team lead basically).

So you're looking to retrain? Can you afford a period of time on a lower wage and work up?

Or do the suggestions need to be something you can do with your current qualifications?

Would you consider moving into an NHS management role?

Education. Stared as a secondary school teacher on 17K. Several promotions over the years. Now on 80K. Has taken 20 years mind you.

I don't, but the people I know who do:
Manager at an outsourcing accounting firm (has an art degree)
Arranges marketing events and conferences and marketing strategies (has a masters in journalism and was a journo/editor before)
PR for athletes (also used to be a journo)
Lawyer (way over £70k)
Diversity officer (degree in psychology)
Recruitment officer for big retail firm (geography degree)
Buyer for big retail firm (I think Tesco) (unrelated degree - I think in media)
The last three got their start through graduate training schemes and were the highest paid earlier on - lawyer excepted of course. The two PR people are the oldest and earn the most now (again lawyer in league of their own).

Part time in house lawyer 5 years PQE

Three years at uni, 1 year paralegal, 1 year LPC and two year training contract