The average salary in the UK?

[Banoffeepiefan]

It struck me that I have no idea what this is, in terms of (if I'm right with this) the modal average - the mean, I think, is about £26,000, but that is not a good reflection on what most people or families live on. Are there any stats to show what this is across the UK?

Interested because I'm job hunting at the moment, trying to plan ahead, and also because of the surge of threads on Mumsnet about how many people are struggling, and that number who are struggling seems to be climbling steadily this last few years whether it's to buy a house or to buy food. I wonder is the average (whatever it might be) enough to be comfortable on, and are the people who are really struggling (apart from crises such as health or debt etc) those who earn significantly less?

Mellow, the 100k is net. At least on this particular calculator it asks you to put in net income. So they will have more than that left. Besides, even on your calculations they will have more per month after paying housing costs than most have before.

I lived in London for some years. I fully understand how expensive it is to live there. The majority of people in London earn much less than £100,000 a year, and survive.

Mellow £2700 or so for four people is a huge amount. Do you really not think that is very much income? I'm in a parallel universe I think. Our monthly income, for four people, is less than that before tax, before housing costs and we are in no way poor. We pay our bills, we run a car, we go on holidays, we eat out, we don't have significant debt, our kids do all sorts of 'middle class' activities like music lessons and dance classes . We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination but we live a life of such luxury compared to most of the world's population that it blows my mind when I hear people say that they struggle to get by on far far more.

scarlett I think the figures might be slightly screwed by the fact that many people earning the same as you and your DP will be sole earners, or one partner will be earning much, much less (going part time, or a vocation that pays less, or being a stay at home parent for example). So it's not the wage that puts you into that bracket! but the fact there's two of you earning that.

Mellow, don't do it to yourself!
But then you wouldn't live in or near London.
And I know that for many, that is grossly unappealing anyway.
But for most Londoners, the thought of not living in or near London is simply not worth any kind of mansion up north!

The median salary in London is £34,216. That means 50% of people in London earn less than that. If you earn £100,000 in London. whatever you might think, you are better off than most people living in London.

Also, the childcare costs where I live would be about £50 per day in an area where salaries are a fraction of what they are in London, so I'm not sure that it's true to say that outside London people don't understand childcare costs

Treacle, it really goes back to the point about if you are living in London, or least certain parts.

West London for instance, we had an income of £140k a year.

I would say we were in the lower quarter of income.

Sorry, the income of £140k was gross

Oh, I understand that you feel poor when everyone around you earns more. I feel poor compared with some of my friends. But what I meant was that feeling poor compared to others isn't the same as actually not having much money, or not having much disposable income (to refer back to Mellows example)

And £46,800 is the average household income in London. One salary of £100,000 gives you more than double the average household income in London.

I remember Cherie Blair complaining about feeling poor. She is anything but.

I think London is almost becoming it's own little country really. Wages are disproportionate to the rest of the UK as are house prices. It throws everything else out of whack.

I lived in London for 26 years. Born and raised there. Then I reached 26 and decided I'd had enough and wanted a quieter and more peaceful run of life. So I downsized and moved to south norfolk. I don't miss London at all, you either love it or you hate it in my opinion - in terms of living there anyway.

Haha yes, Enjoy. Every time I step back into King's Cross (or wherever) after having had to go up north for work I breathe a massive sigh of relief. I find even Kent and Surrey difficult to tolerate.

So will put up with teensy flat for now and just hope I get to £100000+ soon...

And also, I did not suggest that earning £100000 made you poor. Just that I can understand the poster who felt shocked that it would put her in the top 5% since it really, really wouldn't feel that way if you live around here. (That does not translate to it meaning you are 'poor').

Good point treacle.

But say 2,700 after paying rent, as per example upthread.
Two children. Full time nursery. £77 a day per child (average cost in west London zone 2. There are ones charging more than £100 a day). That means per month childcare alone costs £3608 for two children.

£3608 full time nursery for two children.

Yes, that's right £3608. A month. Two children.

This is what reluctantly propelled us out of London.

Yes, that's definitely crazy money. But, it would be £2000 a month for full time nursery for two childen where I live. And that's in an area where you're considered well paid if you earn £20k. 'Professional' jobs might pay 30k. So in terms of 'real' costs, it's not so different. It's why I am a sahm. Tye cost of childcare would far outstrip what I could realistically earn, even though I'm a graduate with 15 years in the workplace behind me.

I feel a bit now. DP earns that 100k on his own, I am a SAHM.
But, we really, truly don't feel rich. And DP is always moaning about how is not enough, I think perhaps because a lot of our friends have much more than us in terms of houses, nicer cars, overseas property etc. But we have two DC and one on the way, and I think maybe he is either comparing himself to friends of same age who don't yet have families and therefore double incomes, or friends who are ten or twenty years older.
To be honest we really don't spend much money- I do appreciate the fact I don't have to watch the pennies in the supermarket but DP's car is worth £1500 and I have just now bought a new (well, seven years old) car for £7 and part exchanged my old one for £2. The only reason we have done that is because mine was too small to fit all three kids in the back when this DC is born, otherwise I would still be driving round in my old car.
We don't buy lots of expensive clothes etc, we have a tiny 24 inch tv and I would say a very modest lifestyle.
I suppose I didn't realise how lucky we are.

but most people don't live in london. so, yes, it stands to reason that those who do need a higher wage to compensate for higher costs, but the chart is for the whole country.
according to that chart, we earn more than the bottom.4%. we live in kent.

More than 1 in 10 of us live in London.

£2700 after rent!

Chunderella, true. When you go to uni with people whose parents buy them a two bedroom flat opposite Harrods to live in while they are studying at Imperial it kind of distorts things a bit.

Luckily most of my friends are doctors, academics, etc so on relatively average salaries with similar disposable income to myself, but when I see the others who went into law or finance and live in amazing flats, go on fabulous holidays I do get a little bit jealous.

Indeed £2,700 is minted territory.

These threads are always full of people saying £100K+ isn't all that much.

Madness. We live in the South East on a joint income of £25K.

Chunder you're so right - we hang out with people who hsve similar wage brackets.
I used to live in the countryside where people earned a lot more (as is the case so often. houses cost more so you have to earn more), and I was a very low earner in comparison.