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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel depressed that I’ve never and probably will never earn the National Average wage?

194 replies

Summerandgin · 21/01/2018 14:22

As title.

I saw that the national average wage in the UK is £28,000. I have never and probably will never earn £28,000. The highest I’ve earnt is £25,000.

I can understand in London and surrounding areas for this to be an achievable wage, but it is a depressing thought that where I am in the country, I would say the average would be about 21-22k and only really professionals earn the national average +.

AIBU to be depressed about this? And to wonder what sort of job I’d have to do to earn that? I am fairly well educated with good GCSE’s , A-Levels and a Degree but my degree is worthless and I bitterly regret doing the subject I did (in fact I regret doing a degree at all) All I’ve ever ended up doing after graduating are essentially mid level admin roles.

Do YOU earn the national average? And if so, where abouts in the country are you?

OP posts:
Whoopsiveovershared · 21/01/2018 22:31

Depends on the industry. I have a degree in my field, manage 30+ people and earn less than £19k. Full time. Not much scope for increase, I could move company, but it would only add 1 or 2 k.

RaspberryCheese · 21/01/2018 22:35

I dont have a degree and can fairly easily earn £40k pa and more if i wanted to. I dont particularly have a great desire to earn much more than that as im not in the business of paying the parasitic state 40% tax.

treaclesoda · 21/01/2018 22:52

I've actually just had a bit of a search through a recruitment website for my area. I've found one looking for a graduate who is also ideally CIPD qualified, or at least part qualified, the pay is between £16k and £18k. Another looking for business/financial services/maths or investment related graduates, salary £16k (although there is also an allowance for travel with that one) and countless others that don't quote any sort of salary at all. Which is generally a bad sign.

It's not making excuses, it is just the reality of a job market where there are loads of qualified people and few jobs to go around.

CynsterBitch · 21/01/2018 22:54

I don't have a degree, started out as a shopfloor colleague at a major supermarket, I'm now in my first salaried job with that chain and earning just over £26k.
By the end of the year I plan to move up to a higher manager level which would start at about £30k.
It's hard work and not at all what I thought I'd do with my life, but I love it. And career progression is great, if you want them the opportunities are there for the taking.

Vanessatiger · 22/01/2018 04:23

I have two degrees, one masters, was located in London, speak 3 languages fluently, earned above £100k, I got lucky I suppose. Now SAHM with two lovely DC.

UnsuspectedItem · 22/01/2018 05:51

ssd

I say its a middle eastern family and you are on call 24/7?

It's a middle eastern family yes, and I'm sort of on call 24/6 however I have a team of nannies that I manage so the workload is delegated and I get a decent amount of down time.

It is an unusual Nanny job (I think £28k is probably about the average).

I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure I get paid more than Prince George's Nanny - and there wouldn't be enough money in the world for me to take that job!

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 07:27

“Yesterday 22:35 RaspberryCheese

I dont have a degree and can fairly easily earn £40k pa and more if i wanted to. I dont particularly have a great desire to earn much more than that as im not in the business of paying the parasitic state 40% tax.”

I don’t get that- so you’re happy to take home less in your own pocket each month, deliberately avoiding earning more so you don’t pay a higher rate of tax on the extra? You do realise tax is progressive in this country don’t you?

Treaclesoda- to be far graduate is a very junior level of work so it’s not surprising they start on below average?

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 07:30

Sorry posted too soon- sounds like you have a really bad experience at that company.

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 07:31

Treaclesoda- to be far graduate is a very junior level of work so it’s not surprising they start on below average?

But these aren't graduate training schemes. These are jobs being advertised where you need to be a graduate on top of all the other criteria. So no working your way up from opening the post.

speakout · 22/01/2018 07:36

Don't give up hope OP.

Although I am a graduate (Chemistry) I am self employed and run a small business making craft items. My profits are more then twice the average wage.
And my work is totally unrelated to my degree.

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 07:47

Are you sure? You just said math/ business etc degree. Once you’re past the graduate stage adverts don’t usually mention degrees

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 08:12

Are you sure? You just said math/ business etc degree. Once you’re past the graduate stage adverts don’t usually mention degrees

It's very normal where I am for employers to specify particular degrees, alongside X years of experience. I didn't know that wasn't the case elsewhere. It's normal here.

I once posted a job description from a website on mumsnet a few years back with the salary taken out and asked people what they thought the salary should be, just out of interest. You needed to be a graduate, and have a minimum of five years experience in a particular quite niche field. People answered with anything from £25k to £50k. The job was paying £17k 'or up to £18k for an exceptional candidate'.

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 08:15

Are you sure? You just said math/ business etc degree. Once you’re past the graduate stage adverts don’t usually mention degrees

I've just read this again and have a question. Do you mean that elsewhere employers don't specify degrees at all? Or that they don't specify a particular type?

Camomila · 22/01/2018 08:21

I suppose it depends on the industry, DH was looking at a (not lecturing) job at a university last night and it was specifying at least an MSc and the prefered subjects.

I've never earnt £28,000 either, I'm only 30 though so there's a decent chance I will at some point.

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 08:33

No- I recruit for a large team and never specify a degree although a number of the roles would be expected to have them. But they’re more senior and wouldn’t be expected to have work experience that they would’ve gained post degree. I would only talk about degrees for a first job where they wouldn’t be expected to have much else to offer.

DH is a recruiter and doesn’t experience this either- I think your area is so unusual it’s maybe not very applicable to general conversations like this?

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 08:34

Sorry WOULD be expected to have work experience gained post degree

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 08:45

I think your area is so unusual it’s maybe not very applicable to general conversations like this?

It may be unusual but it is part of the UK and there are about a million working age people here, and it is still included in employment statistics and salary statistics. The reason I mentioned it in the first place was because someone upthread had been dismissive of the fact that someone who was professionally qualified could be earning a less than stellar salary. I was trying to raise the point that there are huge regional differences. And earning eg £25k isn't a sign of not being qualified, its just a sign of the job market in a particular area.

I'm not trying to argue with anyone that people elsewhere can earn far more for being an accountant or a solicitor, I'm just saying that regional differences might not be just 5k here or there, they can be tens of thousands.

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 09:18

In all honesty if you’re a qualified accountant or solicitor and you’re happy to work for £16k rather than move you sort of deserve everything you get

traumwerk · 22/01/2018 09:31

I earn just above the national average but as I live less than an hour from London my rent is £1200pcm and I have virtually no hope of ever owning my own home. Housing is cheaper the further out you are from London, so I guess as long as you can afford to live the national average really doesn't matter.

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 09:33

In all honesty if you’re a qualified accountant or solicitor and you’re happy to work for £16k rather than move you sort of deserve everything you get

Hmm Move where? Not everyone can relocate and other employers usually pay around the same.

I don't think a qualified accountant or solicitor would be working for £18k but other jobs that specify you must have a degree do pay as little as that. A school friend was recruited by PWC straight out of university and when she asked for a transfer back home for family reasons she had to accept a salary of less than half what she had been initially offered. It's just something you have no choice but to accept if you have to live here.

I'd love to relocate and earn more, it's all I ever dreamed of growing up, but unfortunately I have caring responsibility that rules it out.

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 09:39

To another city? What’s the point in training to be an accountant to earn that? It makes no financial sense.

Having a degree is quite a low level as I said previously. It’s not comparable with being an accountant or solicitor which means years of post graduate qualification. But they’re the professions YOU have mentioned in response to me saying a professional should earn more than the average wage.

heron98 · 22/01/2018 09:41

I doubt I will ever earn that much either but comparison is the thief of joy. Be grateful for what you do have and enjoy your life without worrying about what others have.

treaclesoda · 22/01/2018 09:44

To another city?

But that involves relocating your entire life and not everyone can do that. That's what I'm trying to say.

The £18k salaries I'm talking about, as I said upthread, these aren't necessarily graduate entry jobs with the chance of progression. These are the salaries for people with a degree and years of experience. It's just how it is for a lot of people. You accept it, or you remain unemployed.

Yvest · 22/01/2018 09:47

I earn't £16500 in my first graduate job in 1995 and was earning £35k by the time I had my first child in 2002. I took time off for a few years and went back on about £18500 in a new sector. I now earn £40k in the voluntary sector which is good for the sector. My husband was earning about £37k in 2002 and now is on a high 6 figure salary.

I simply can't see why someone with a degree and good mental health wouldn't be able to earn the national minimum wage. However, to do that you often have to take things into your own hands and not expect them to come to you. If you're not getting the pay rises and opportunities then move companies, be prepared to commute more than you'd ideally want to and take risks, sell yourself and take yourself out of your comfort zone.

Cherrycokewinning · 22/01/2018 09:49

Of course not everyone can relocate. Not everyone is a professional either though