Anyone in a job paying £50K+ working 40 h per week or less?

[notnearlythereyet]

Inspired by the work vs. life balance thread.

I have a Masters degree and five additional qualifications (all related to my profession and three of them postgraduate). I am on around £50 K and should be at a place in my career when I am reaping the benefits of my studies and 10 years of experience. Instead, I work 50-60 hours per week, suffer from work-related stress and anxiety and dream about retiring, although I love my profession and feel like I make a difference (full disclosure: I work in a school but work through around half of my holidays).

If you have a career related to your studies/experience, you are happy and have a good work-life balance (e.g. working 40 h/week) and earn £50K+, what is your job? I struggle to think of a career where you can earn a decent living and not be pushed to work more than 8h/day. I would like to advise my daughter and students on career choices that won’t ‘break’ them AND provide a good living, because I feel I failed to see the realities of the career path I chose.

Also-are you in a career that you feel ‘failed’ yyou in providing the work-life balance you hoped for, I would love to hear about it too.

DH does. Earns about £90k in a science / engineering role and usually works 8am to 4pm. WFH 3 weeks out of 4 and does all school runs. Also has most school holidays off.

Which is handy as I work 50 - 60 hour weeks in local government. I have some flexibility around attending school events etc but they definitely get their pound of flesh for my £63k.

Consultant, 68k for 28 hours, in reality work more like 35 when busy, but also have periods where am less busy so can take advantage then. Ability to wfh when needed plus start/leave early to pick up my DC. Did put in my time to get to my level though and if I was paid for FT 35 hours would get 85ishk (but then in busy times having to work around 45 plus no day off with the DC!)

Earn over £50k for 24 hours per week, could earn more for full time but work life balance is more important to me

@Justanotherlurker I'd say there are far better gender balance for IT roles in the university sector than in comparative roles in the commercial (consultancy) sector, precisely because the work-life balance is better. Of course it's better for male colleagues too. It's very easy to work from home, and nobody will complain if you need to come in late because you want to go and watch your child's school play or get your washing machine fixed.

I earn in region of £50-60k, run own business, work from home.

On average I work about 24 hours a week, maybe a few more, usually less than that, depending on the project.

I am a PR / Comms consultant. I’m paid for my experience / skill input rather than the number of hours I do. No post grad quals, all built on experience and learning on the job (17 years to get where I am now.)

I am incredibly lucky to have the work/life balance that I do. I can do most school drop offs/ pick ups and only commute when I have meetings, perhaps one day per week. I can generally fit work around everything else that’s going on and pre-school DC activities etc.

Once my DC all at school I intend to take on more projects and hopefully see earnings go up.

Where do all you part time lawyers work on 100K?! Magic circle PSLs, investment banks or something else?

I'm a GP partner/portfolio GP probably about 40 hours sometimes more but some of that is flexible/from home when kids in bed. It's taken a long hard slog to get here but I love what I do. About 80k depending on the portfolio bits but a massive 28% pension and 8k indemnity payments.

Very interesting thread... nothing to add ... but tempted to share with ds as he makes his subject choices...!

It's interesting to see how many on here are mid/high in tech, I suspect like me they do not pipe up or get shouted down with the no women in STEM threads come up.

It also depends on your area of focus. I work in tech and there are lots of women in product management, strategy and design, fewer female developers or in data science. The former roles don't necessarily require technical craft skills or a STEM background, the latter definitely do. I work in tech but don't have a specifically technical role - I did a history degree!

I work 30 hpw for £50k + commission, which has so far totalled nearly £30k in the last 9 months. I'm pretty lucky.

*Lots of posters saying yes. What age were you when you reached that 50k

I am. I'm in a senior role at a University, on over 60k and work four days a week, 9-5. I am very lucky but also worked horribly hard throughout my 20s and early 30s - so am able to reap some of the benefits now. Could all change I guess but I am enjoying it at the moment.

I'm middle manager level in the civil service, I get some extra payments for particular skills and I work 37 hours a week. Lots of flexibility to wfh, arrange my own schedule around kids or hair appointments or whatever, and I love my job. I am on £55k.

Age - I think about 33 was when I hit £50k.

Civil service, just taken a promotion and earn just over £50k. I work 36 hours contractually, although some weeks I work more and some weeks fewer, it averages itself out. I don't have a degree but have worked my way up from a junior grade.

I work from home regularly and commute to London on the other days, they tend to be 12 hour days so on the weeks I commute 3 days, I reduce my working from home hours, but I work on the train and find I'm more productive.

I really shouldn’t open these threads

Really interested to know what area of law the lawyers on here work in

I'm also in tech. Earn more than that. Officially 35 hours a week but I do put in more when deadlines are looming.

I work less than 40 hours a week and earn more than £50k. I am in software development. If you are in London or finance, easily £70k or more, but less outside. Industry norm are standard office hours and flexible. I work from home 1-2 days a week but can do more from home if I need it. I can take a few hours here and there to attend morning assembly, nativity, sports day. I pick up at 4.15pm two days a week from after school club.

My current job I’m third line support but have only once needed to work a few hours during some holidays in the last 5 years. Previous job I wasn’t on any support.

More women should definitely consider STEM careers. They are well paid and very family friendly. You aren’t going to get very rich but you will have a good life balance with a good pay.

But the common theme seems to be that most of you have had to sacrifice and work through tough times to see rewards and get to where you are now. So fair play.

I never worked crazy hours. Just standard 9-5. I’m not very high up. I won’t take a job that expects crazy hours or lots of client site work.

I'm a civil servant (G6) and earn £64k. Contracted to work 37 hours, but probably do 40-42, but have 6 weeks leave and flexi time.

I was 35 by the time I earned £50k I think. Have an English degree but started at entry level and have worked my way up.

I'm in very specialised area of civil service who are great employers. Didn't need the qualifications I had to do this but have worked my way up. 3 kids and Three Mat leaves, term time only whilst little. My chance to climb the ladder came last year. I work 34 hrs over 4 days and take home £2800 a month plus good pension.

My job in this industry (20years) has always been normal office hours with generous breaks benefits etc,

I only started earning more when I came back to a different job after a few years out on mat leave and have worked my way up a few steps quite quickly. I was always paid ok but since 40s is getting better. I do work FT though I think if PT you probably need to get to the level before you drop hours (unfortunately).

Straddle crane drivers earn over £50k a year
and are limited to 35 hours a week

Lawyer here too. Now enjoying the benefits of previous years of slog. Part Time and a healthy salary outside of London. However when I was junior I barely saw daylight for 6 years.