To wonder what a ‘good wage’ is?

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Not really an AIBU but something I’ve been pondering on, and posting here for traffic and opinions.

I often see people mentioning that someone earns ‘a good wage’ or indeed a high wage, but what that means in practice is clearly dependent on many factors, not least the area someone lives in but also their dependents.

I work in an industry where I talk to people on very high wages all the time about their jobs, which I think skews my view of what’s normal. I was involved in a discussion in another forum recently where it was mentioned the average salary at the moment is £27,000. Of course this is a mean average, skewed by a few very high salaries, and most people are below that. But many people were commenting that they didn’t know anyone who earned that much and had never earned anywhere near that themselves.

I’ve also been fascinated by this calculator from the Institute of Fiscal Studies that shows where households fall in the stratification of the country www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
I think a lot of people would be surprised by it. When DP and I each earned the average salary (no kids) we were still in the top 25/30% ish of households which seems mad, and we live in an expensive area.

I’m wondering - what do you think a ‘good wage’ is, and at one point does something become a high wage?

allthgoodusernamesaretaken

“Household incomes are above their pre-downturn peak overall, but not everyone is better off. While retired households’ incomes have soared in recent years, non-retired households still have less money, on average, than before the crash”.

Is this worrying considering we have a shrinking sector of the population that is paying tax?

Children from previous (2 of them)
I take care of our children myself

Sorry in this country, £450/500 is considered a significant amount for someone who doesn’t have qualifications. Plus I wouldn’t want to sacrifice my holidays to pay someone over the odds. Sorry was meant to write 20-30 hours, not 40.

The UK?

"Congrats on being a gifted child I hope you have succeeded in life sadly not all children are gifted but deserve a better state education than they are receiving."

I only mention being "gifted" because you said that "intelligent" children are too advanced for the rest of the class and get held back.

Tbh- I have far more sympathy with someone who places their child in private education to better deal with special educational needs. But that isn't what you said.

"The just need to do well enough attitude is a huge problem for the younger generation and you sum it up."

Um thanks....I think. I wouldn't necessarily count myself in the younger generation

I was just pointing out that if you can get into higher education then your life is probably not going to be negatively effected by receiving a good general primary and secondary education rather than an elite education.

Its not a necessity to receive an elite service. By definition.

"There seems to be an underlying assumption in your post that the more you earn, the cleverer your children ergo private school is better for them. I.e state schools keep everyone in the middle holding back the clever ones hmm"

Nail on head

We clear £6,000 a month after tax, we do have a sixteen year old, who looks like a hooker and eats like a prop, mortgage of £1k overpaying.

We have a decent holiday and Christmas is not an issue.

Dh retires in four years ( I don't want to just yet) I only work 20 hours a week, we will then be on about 4k after tax, no mortgage and a pull down savings of 200k.

So finally, we will feel comfortable, in that you are no longer dependent on the vagaries of the job market.

I would say that a "good wage" is an income that enables you to meet your obligations, cover your living costs, save for a rainy day/unexpected expenses and have some left over for "treats".
This amount will vary according to an individual's lifestyle.

Vanessatiger. What an awful awful attitude you have. Do you think it right to pay someone £5k a year, whilst your dh earns in excess of £200k? I think that's disgraceful.

vanessa you are paying your cleaner below the legal minimum wage. I presume she is working off the books for some reason I could hazard a guess to work so many hours for so little money. She does quite a lot of hours for you so it's unlikely she will be able to do significant amounts elsewhere. My cleaner works for £10 an hour. That's the going rate here (not London)

Maybe she is one of these slaves we are hearing about today and she gets a bit of pocket money

Affluent town in Kent
God wage is min £70k

A good wage is earning more than you spend!

My wife and I are very clever both earning 6 figure salaries. I would like to think my DC are also clever therefore they deserve a better standard of education than the state is providing in our local area.

Not really sure why some of you find that difficult to understand. DC are high achievers in their schools backing up my statements.

We are very fortunate and maintain a modest lifestyle. Education costs a lot of money. I stand by my statement that schools keep many children in the middle because it’s easier to operate that way and they lack the resources to do better.

Our cleaner is also £10per hour she does a great job.

Vanessatiger minimum wage is £7.50 you are behaving illegally. You are acting as a slave master and abusing your cleaner. You are a common criminal. Hope the press and or police catch up with you and you get your just deserts.

I am rather proud of avoiding calling you a cunt.

Vanessatiger
Your listed expenses come to just under £200K. Presumeably, you need a gross household income of say double this amount - £400K to even contemplate paying £200K expenses after tax!

Imo, you definitely earn a decent salary if you're a higher rate taxpayer so £45K+. The mid point of the basic rate tax band is £28/29K so I would say that £30K would be a "good wage" especially if you were in a dual income household pulling in £60K gross. The number of single income households of £60K+ is obviously low enough to be politically expendable despite the child benefit threshold controversy.

@LordWalterTheCourageous So if you aren't earning a 6 figure salary then you're not intelligent? 

@Vanessatiger Paying your cleaner £5 an hour is disgusting.

At no point did I say that please read the thread accurately

modern slavery helpline (0800 0121 700)

If Vanessatiger's cleaner is reading.

I suspect you also pay illegal wages to the elderly lady and your MIL carer.

I just can't comprehend your attitude LordWalter. Which is fine, as you sound like a dick.

(And coming from an ex public school girl that is saying something.)

My wife and I are very clever both earning 6 figure salaries. I would like to think my DC are also clever therefore they deserve a better standard of education than the state is providing in our local area

Modest too!

Thanks Spartaca your excellent contribution has been noted.

Perhaps you would like to contribute something of relevance on your next post.

Please tell me what is wrong in wanting an excellent education for your children?

I've already responded elsewhere, your derailment is just a blip.

However. If your considerable intellect cannot see how you are coming across, then maybe it isn't as fast as you appear to think. If those with money, and often influence were forced to use state schools then in theory there would be more pressure on them to improve.

But I am a hypocrite, we home educate to avoid the state system in its current form so I entirely understand wanting to opt out. We are lucky to be a position to take the route that we have chosen for ours.

You may want to rethink your implication that your salary must mean you are clever, and similarly that that means your children will be too. As we both (presumably) know, the halls of every private school in the country are not all full of the next Albert Einstein.