“100k isn’t a big salary”

[cadburyegg]

I’ve just logged onto instagram and YET AGAIN a post comes up headed “100k isn’t a big salary, here’s why”. I’m so sick of seeing it. Most of us earn nowhere near 100k. I don’t spend my time moaning on instagram about how hard done by I am and there aren’t news articles about it. I don’t even feel like I AM hard done by. I feel lucky to be earning less than half that and to have a reasonable flexible job. I’m not going to the press saying poor me poor me because I don’t feel sorry for myself. Yet there seems to be shitloads of “awareness” posts about how shit it is for high earners and how it’s so sad they don’t have free childcare. I know people can have high expenses and I know it’s all relative and I’m probably overreacting but I seriously do not care anymore. It doesn’t mean the salary isn’t high. I’m so sick of seeing these out of touch posts. 🤯

🙄It's bonkers isn't it @Megifer As I said, less than 5% of people (working) in the UK are on that salary or more. Of COURSE it's a fucking high salary!!!

There is a lot of difference between circumstances
Those on a lot less criticising may have a lot less overheads.
If you stay in Blackpool your rent is a lot cheaper than Brighton
If you stay in Newcastle your childcare is cheaper than London.
If you are a professional on that kind of wage there is a higher chance that you moved area and granny can't do one day a week.
If you can't afford london and stay commuting distance you can be paying 6-8k travel alone (and more childcare as you are away longer)

You can't judge whether you can survive on someone else's wage whilst keeping your own circumstances.

@DipsyDee Then what’s stopping other people from trying to earn this amount?

We do try to earn that amount, but intelligence and qualifications does not take anyone far. To earn higher, you need cronyism, nepotism, and not being ugly.

You are definitely right in the sense that not many people earn a gross of £100k.

Which after tax, is about £5.5k a month. £66k take home. No child benefit. No childcare fee help. Have to pay my own housing out of that time. Let's call it £800 a month rent and £950 a month for childcare. That's £3.7k after tax, rent and childcare. All of which I've had to earn, with the hours and pressure that comes with being paid a £100k salary.

If I worked 3 days, on a salary of £19k a year, that's a bit over £1.4k I actually earn. And get to do whatever I choose for 2 working days a week. There's my 2 children (I have 3, but will use 2 for this example) so £190 a month CB. With the same rent and childcare as above, I'll get UC top up of £2.1k per month. (Actually £2.7k but they take £600 because of my earnings) So now my "take home" is £3.7k a month, of which I've earned 38% and have almost half the week off. Once I've paid over the rent and childcare that's £1.9k to me.

To suggest that working little over half a week, on under £20k compared to a someone doing more than full time hours on £100k, should result in a disparity of just £1.8k a month take home, hardly delivers an incentive to work. That's a net difference of £21k a year. Between someone on £100k, and someone on £19k working half a week.

£21k difference in take home between someone working full time hours (++ ) earning £100k, and someone with half every week off, earning £19k.

What utter bollocks. The ‘lucky’ worked hard to get their higher paying jobs.

So everyone else just isn't working hard enough? There's no luck involved at all?

I earn slightly over 50k, which seems also a decent salary - but I always need more. I guess its the same no matter how much you earn.

Do you think earning £59k salary for 3 days work a week is a good? Most people would.

Because that's what the £19k person is taking home, whilst only earning the £19k part.

If someone on £100k worked three days, their pro rate earned salary would be £60k.

Well maybe these people down south whining about their poor salary of £100K a year, should move to Brighton or Newcastle then. 🙄

I completely get what you’re saying and it’s often a stealth boast.

But I think it comes from people rightly thinking that it is a LOT of money, but that their lives don’t improve massively because of it.

Your first 50k of earnings is worth far more than your second half. Everyone has tax free allowances, then it’s taxed at lower rate.

I know lots of people moan about London people on their inflated salary, but I’d say someone on 50k in another UK city will probably have a better standard of living than someone with 100k in London.

rent is astronomical, house prices very high and transport very expensive if you have to move further out. I work with people who spend 10k a year on travel season tickets, but their homes are still more expensive to buy than even the poshest areas in other cities.

I think people’s attitude towards 6 figure salaries is almost stuck in the 80’s and the lifestyle they expect it will buy is actually more like what you’d get from £300k

Childcare fees don't last forever. Child expenses is the choice we make when we have children.

Do you have a partner who contributes? Or get maintenance? Can you reduce your hours? Putting as much as possible into your pension which will then be far higher than those who apparently don't work stressful pressured jobs? Looked into moving somewhere cheaper?

£100k is a high salary. That's a fact.

Lots of highly trained professionals work very hard in area which are not high paying.

I also know complete morons ( who are also lazy) on more than £100k

the big difference? The industry they chose to work in.

i know someone who gave up a career as a clinical psychologist because they earned more as a PA in financial services.

I'm giving an example. Perhaps that wasn't clear.

£100k is a high salary.

£59k is also a high "salary" when that's what the person in the example who actually earns £19k of it is taking home the equivalent of. You just don't like admitting that part.

There is a small amount of luck but working hard and in the right industry helps

Im happy to admit that's also high.

Obviously not as high as £100k.

I'd rather be the £100k earner though with all the present monetary benefits that brings, aswell as the future financial security than the £19k person though. Without hesitation.

Actually it's the same as £100k.

£60k for 3 days a week, is the same as £100k for 5.

The jobs which people trot out as high-earning also often don't pay as much in the regions (or in the Capital, depending on specialism). There are many solicitors in the regions earning way less than £100k, for instance.

Could the 3 day a week person work 5 days and get the £100k?

I get what youre saying, if you pro rata it etc., but its not the same.

Neither are the situations the two people are in.

I'd absolutely, all day long, rather be the £100k earner. Im quite sure most of the 3 day a week people in your example would be too given the longer term positive implications and outlook of having that huge salary brings.

No, they'd reduce the gap of £1.8k per month to more like £1.4k per month.

But still want to gasp at the "fortune" the £100k person was on, when the £1.4k was the actual difference in their take home money.

So it's not the same.

Someone earning £100k must be somewhat clever, so surely able to see that earning power will give them far more security and opportunities, present and future?

As well as, you know, being a huge salary, with it being £100k.

Rubbish. I earn 120k plus bonus of 30-40k. I got the job by having lots of relevant experience plus performing well in the six stages of interview. No nepotism or cronyism. I didn’t know one person at the company when I applied in response to an advert on Linked In. I was a slightly overweight middle aged woman, not a supermodel!

Shhhhh.

You can't go telling the truth like that.

It's not a fucking lot of difference stop being obtuse.

Im not being obtuse

Fact is, its more, and £100k is a big salary in the present that also means the persons future will be a lot brighter and secure.

Some people aren’t money oriented shock, gasp, horror. If everyone wanted £100k jobs there would be no teachers, doctors, nurses, train drivers, bus drivers, factory workers, staff for restaurants and bars, I mean the list goes on because only 5% of people in the whole country are earning this, the country just wouldn’t function. Which is part of the reason why these jobs are subsidised with UC (not enough in my opinion and my tax bracket is not low).