How many kids do you have if you are a woman earning over 80k a year?

[MockBatter]

Just wondering after a colleague said women who earn high salaries tend not to have children or to have an only child. I’m not sure I agree I actually see that pattern amongst colleagues although it would make sense.

Five.
Never had a mat leave longer than 24 weeks. Something always has to give.

@AnotherOne101 i agree - I had some caring responsibilities for a few years and I did stop work for a while. It’s just not fair on anyone when you have FT work, kids, ailing parent(s) and home life. Especially as dh has a full career too.

2

Of women in the next two grades up from me at work about 70% have children.

I have two.

2 and a stepdaughter. Would have had more but divorced. I know many women with 3 who earn well over 100k

3

Earn just into 6 figures but for 4 days a week. Work.in health care.
4 children although aged 11 to 21 so oldest are adults now really.
Husband works fuller time but is a teacher so pay less.
It was tough when they were little as on less money and things were very tight( no financial support from our parents). We are in our mid 40s and we're lucky to buy a flat then house in our early 20's and have been fortunate with interest rates. We both shared parental leave and taken career breaks at different times but both work more now they are older

100k, and will have 4 under 6 in December. My career has stagnated since having children.

I only have 1 DC right now, but would like at least 1 more.

The most senior woman on my team has 3! Most seem to have 2.

This is industry dependant.

In many areas of banking, for example, you must make director by your 30s to have any hope of a long term career and any kind of flexibility. So high earning women usually only have kids after that point. When you start ttc at 35-40 you will naturally have fewer kids than if you started early.

High earning Women (ie salaries over 150k) who go into medicine / NHS / Engineering don’t have the same pressure to exceed in their 20s. These fields also attracted different types of women and can attract religious women who want more kids & generally receive more family support. In the case of engineering progression is still age dependant so anyone (male or female) won’t really make CEO until their 40s allowing them to spend their 20s and 30s building their families.

To give you my example every female high earner I know (and I know a lot) with more than 3 kids is either a GP or an engineer.

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(I’m mid-40s now and won’t be having any more)

Not me .... I know a young woman, 2 small kids, earning £250k

What this thread is telling us (and reflects my own experience) is that women are able to have high paying jobs and multiple children.

Which I think bucks the assumed trend that you will need to not have children / have a small family if you want to have a highly paid job too.

I think the actual data shows that family size is lowest among middle earners, but those on low or high incomes tend to have slightly larger families.

Only 1 child but I’ve been a single parent since she was 1. I have no doubt if I wasn’t a single parent I would’ve progressed more in my career…..but then if my exDH hadn’t cheated I’d likely have had more DC

£97k 2dc but my career has suffered. Men in my field are on ,£200k
But I made a conscious decision to be around and take the hit. So dc have never been in breakfast or after school club. I stop work at 3 and start again once they're in bed.

Now retired, but earned around £80k FTE in 1998. One child.

Low six figures, two nursery age children. Like some other posters, I’d love one more but we cannot afford it. The childcare for two is one salary gone, add in another, and that’s another £2.5k plus a month. We couldn’t afford our nursery bill and commute for two on top of that, let alone mortgage and bills etc. It is also very difficult juggling work, meetings, travel etc while also wanting to be there and spend meaningful time with them. We frequently both work after their bedtime while we eat our dinner, so we can spend time with them before, and it leaves little time left for our relationship.

Im very impressed at those that have managed tree and four!

£110k and two kids.

most of my peers who earn similar also have children.

Two. Though wasn’t earning over that when I gave birth to them.

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I have two. I would've loved three but I feel a bit old for a third at nearly 40.

98k one child single parent

one

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But you'll get relatively few responses from childless women on mumsnet.

£90k-ish, 2 and a stepson.

Probably would have had a third if life circumstances had been a little different before my second started school, don’t want any more now as our youngest is nearly 10.