If you have a child in their early twenties: what do they earn?

[PuppyDay]

DD wants to finish her degree, do a masters, then a PGCE to be a history teacher. Starting salary will be approx £32k with 5 years of student debt. It’s less than her cousin who didn’t get A-levels or go to uni and is doing marketing for a gym chain for £33k.

It got me thinking: what are the options out there and how much do they pay.

so what does your young adult child do and how much are they paid?

DD1 (20) earns £12 odd an hour working PT at the student union bar while studying FT.

Some contracts are 35 hours, mine is.

DS, 21, doing a masters in economics, offered a job in consulting at £50 k.

That's low for a training contract in London. I assume it's a high street firm and not a commercial firm in central London or the City? It does very hugely in law. My salary as a trainee in 2001 was £26k, and £40k on qualification. Then at the other end of the scale some trainees are now starting on six figures. More than I earn over 20 years qualified in-house.

Good to hear some teaching success stories on this thread. A word of caution, though, from an old hand....young teachers often race ahead with taking on extra responsibilities, such as HOY, and often get those roles due to their energy and enthusiasm. However, in my 30 years of teaching, I have noted a high rate of burn out amongst those who take on everything going early in their careers. It is a great job, but a very draining one. I sincerely hope the teachers mentioned on this thread continue to bound up the career ladder, but do be aware that the job can take its toll. Someone earning 70k and being marvellous now might feel less tickety in five years' time and might be looking at relinquishing extra responsibilities 'to concentrate on what I'm doing in the classroom'. Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint. All the best to those doing well, though!

I posted too soon. I also have DD, 24, working in a charity at £24 k.

My three all took different paths. They’re 22-25. London.

1. First class degree from top uni. Was earning £27k in London in an office job. Now joined Civil Service in an operational shift working job which doesn’t need a degree. £47k.
2. Apprenticeship. £20k for 18 months and now £42k. Data stuff.
3. Straight to work after A levels. Has had 3 different jobs around £30k. Works for a year then goes travelling. Still dithering about going back to study at some point.

My take on it is that degrees are not worth what they cost and that personality and who you know is more important. Especially the last one.

To make you feel better, I have been teaching for over 30 years and earn less than that.
I'm top of the pay scale but went into teaching to be in the classroom so have never wanted to be part of management and have never applied for promotion.

Unfortunately teaching isn’t very well paid but I’m sure your daughter realises that. Some people put more weight on doing something they really like though.

My nephew secured a job on an IT graduade scheme earning £42k and 4 years later is earning a lot more. My friends daughter has just gone into engineering and is earning £38k already.

My kids are still at university and college so keeping my fingers crossed. One of them would love to teach History but has chosen something else that has higher earning potential. It’s quite sad in a way but I do understand them choosing higher pay especially in the current climate.

It was a very very long time as a doctor before I earned more than friends from school who had no qualifications. It’s not really the point, and it’s a bit unpleasant to think people without degrees should just automatically earn less.

My 23 year old is the same. Hasn’t got a degree and didn’t go to university, however he has done a higher diploma through work and is now a junior project manager for a major engineering firm and earns a decent salary for his age. He’s doing other qualifications in his own time now with the Open University.

Good points. I would also argue that the gym work is worth more to society as a whole than the teaching of history. And that in a largely capitalist society a job is worth what you have to pay someone to get them to do it.

Is it fair that companies offer NHS workers a discount in food shops when their wages are paid from the taxes of the people stacking the shelves who are probably on less money than they are? Probably a different thread.

OP why are you comparing your daughter's likely salary with those earned by other people's children? Surely you should be more interested in her being happy in her work, provided she's got enough money to live on? She sounds like she's got it nailed to me.

Teaching salary will increase quickly, (to a point where you're too expensive and they want to replace you!). It's also a job where many people aren't doing it 5 years later.

My early 20s kids are in v different situations-one in a good job, shiny car, £35k+ and living with a partner, the other back at home and can't find work-both with excellent RG degrees. There's a lot of variety out there.

DD 25 £48k no university

One 24 RG 1st class degree. Did a banking grad scheme and now on £65k but living in London so outgoings high. The other 21 swerved uni and works in wealth management on £35k but lives at home with no debt but does pay board and runs a car.

Dd 23. Graduated last summer with a 2:1. Couldn't get into the entry scheme she wanted and is doing care work with vulnerable children. Minimum wage.

i said outside London .. she’s in the North of England as this salary is the norm for training contracts.

Yes, it does vary a lot. Though just above minimum wage is not great with the amount of student debt from university and law school.

DS just finished his degree apprenticeship, about to hit 40k , was earning about 26k first year plus zero tuition fees. He is 24.

Dn - 27 - £170k -corporate law, brutal hours.

I’m amazed how many people know their niece/nephew DC’s gf’s etc salaries. Are you actually asking them for this information?

I just want to provide some balance to all of the people saying that teaching salaries go up. They don’t! It’s not automatic in most schools, and even if you are a very good teacher, there simply isn’t enough money for pay rises. I taught in state schools in England for several years and then spent a couple of years as head of KS2 at a private British school overseas. When I came back to England, with more than 10 years experience, I applied for jobs in 6 schools in London and Cornwall and I was offered every job I applied for. The offers were between £32,000 and £36,000. I left teaching and made more in my first year in my new career.
Experienced teachers at the top of the pay scale are too expensive for most schools, so they get managed out. I’ve seen incredibly talented EYFS teachers with decades of experience in nursery, reception and year 1 forced into year 6 so that they would quit or could be managed out. It’s not a great career plan because you either become too expensive to keep, or you don’t progress up the pay scale.

It’s good to be open about salaries. We all trade our time and effort for money and as parents we want to advise and guide where we can.
I think younger people are less likely to be loyal to a company as companies are less loyal to them so they need to be smart about their choices.

I have seen this too. A wonderful teacher with years in KS1 was told she needed to move to year 6 for one year. She was promised she would come back. You k ow the rest and then she took early retirement. Horrible.

@Koazy- isn’t it a good thing to be transparent about salaries? It helps others to make good choices and also exposes gender pay gaps. British people can be weirdly secretive about this. Ask yourself whose purpose does it serve not to be transparent?