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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what jobs you do that earn 40k/50k plus

242 replies

TheresAlwaysAnAskHole · 21/08/2018 00:53

As DD heads to FT school, I'm reconsidering my career. My existing career as a teacher has a salary of around £24,000 - £28,000. I am unemployed right now.

I'm wondering how quickly I can study and what jobs I can quickly move into that will bring big money.

OP posts:
oblada · 21/08/2018 06:29

Do you like your career OP? Because surely you need to to progress and there is progression in teaching! I'm in HR and over 40K. Husband is a microbiologist, has a PhD and is on 50K currently as a manager. Both of us started around the 25-30k range 5-10yrs ago and moved up...

Ifailed · 21/08/2018 06:39

There is no job that has this sort of money as Starting salary without huge amounts of training (if at all).
Typical starting salary in Investment Banking is about £40k, likewise in corporate law. Consultancy firms also start of at a high rate, typically mid 30s.

Seacow87 · 21/08/2018 06:44

Advances nurse practitioner. But years of training and started on a salary of around 23k as a band 5.

Cheby · 21/08/2018 06:50

Finance here too...3 years of training, paid between £23k and £29k when training (over a decade ago), my first post qual job was £45k. Decade later, roughly double that.

PumpkinPie2016 · 21/08/2018 06:50

Could you not go back to teaching and progress further in that?

I teach secondary and currently I am on M4 plus a TLR for leading a KS. This gives me just over 33K a year. I will go up the scale further over the next few years (provided I continue to pass appraisals - no issues so far).

I would have thought this was the best option as changing careers will likely involve retraining and starting on a salary that is lower than 40-50K.

BritInUS1 · 21/08/2018 06:52

I’m an accountant, OH is a software engineer - we both earn a lot more than that

poshfrock · 21/08/2018 06:56

Three teachers in my family all on £40k+ and I think one on £50k. Aged between 39 and 45 and in a mix of primary and secondary, state and private. DH is a police officer on £54k - 15 years in the service. I am a lawyer on £53k - again 15 years experience. Sounds to me like you are best advised to stay in teaching and keep climbing the ladder.

sunshineNdaisies · 21/08/2018 06:57

I don't enjoy my job either but as PP say, you can't start somewhere else on a high salary. You also need to take time out to retrain and that's not possible unless via distance learning / working at the same time.

butlerswharf · 21/08/2018 06:59

Civil servant

FupaGlory · 21/08/2018 07:03

I work in insurance in a technical role. Over 15 years experience to get me here

ImogenTubbs · 21/08/2018 07:04

Anything on that salary takes years to work towards - either career experience or education. You could do it has a headteacher.

I work in PR but have 15 years experience. Starting salaries are low.

RiddleyW · 21/08/2018 07:06

Law is a good bet for that sort of money but it’ll take two years to train. Then you’d need a city type training contract to be on that sort of money as a trainee.

Nacreous · 21/08/2018 07:09

I’m an accountant and my full “package” inc pension will be at the top end of that immediately post qualification. However,
I have a well regarded degree, am qualifying at a well known practice and seriously pushed my job applications to get that. Lots of places were offering circa 35k plus maybe 4% pension contributions.

You would have to do 3 years on around your current salary to get the above - during which time I imagine you could have progressed well in a school instead? It also doesn’t have a child friendly lifestyle or hours.

Jillyjollyjandy · 21/08/2018 07:09

Class teacher in a primary school in London, I’m on 42K.

Mummyschnauzer · 21/08/2018 07:11

Accountant but takes several years to get there but the job is shit, overpopulated by knobs and extremely high pressure. Wouldn’t recommend it

wherehavealltheflowersgone · 21/08/2018 07:12

I'm a teacher and head of a core department in a London secondary school and I earn £55k. Stick with teaching I think OP.

QueenoftheNights · 21/08/2018 07:13

I'm puzzled by your post OP.

Your quoted salary is right at the bottom of the scale for newly qualified/ lower end of scale teachers. You must know that?

As other have said you would be up to the mid-high £30K mark if you stuck at it for 6 years. Higher if you took on a leadership role.

I think if you just chase money it's not the answer to a satisfying career and the jobs that pay £50K usually require fairly long hours and no school hols (like teaching.)

The big Q is do you like teaching and want to go back to it? If not, then yes, re-train but it depends on whether you have a degree already plus a PGCE or if you have a teaching degree. You could do a law conversion course or do an OU degree, (masters) as part of a change of direction but you would be looking at 3 years to get a foot on the ladder of a new profession.

ChikiTIKI · 21/08/2018 07:16

Finance manager. Don't think it's worth going down that route though in your position, unless it was your dream job... Training is a ball ache and takes ages. If you go to the private sector then your pension will take a huge hit. You need to account for that when comparing employment packages.

Could you continue to progress in your career while also doing something on the side? I don't really know anything about teaching but can you sell lesson plans online or anything along those lines?

OhTheRoses · 21/08/2018 07:17

If you are near London, executive assistant/PA in the City or for a blue chip. You will need to be agile, hard working and think on your feet though.

prettypossums · 21/08/2018 07:19

I'm a freelance (part-time, approx 25-30 hrs per week) editor and translator. I earn around £50-£60K WFH each year. It has taken me about 7 years to reach this level - when I started in 2011, I earned about £12K in my first year.

Putyourdamnshoeson · 21/08/2018 07:19

Yes Ifailed is she likely to walk into that given background?

Reastie · 21/08/2018 07:24

Just to say don’t assume private schools =higher wages. I earn less than I would in the state sector as where I work you can’t progress through the threshold and we are paid otherwise in line with state sector yet expected to do more outside of usual school hours. Because of tight budgets we also have less support staff so end out doing more than we would otherwise and many roles are unpaid or minimal extra.

Ifailed · 21/08/2018 07:26

Putyourdamnshoeson I was answering your point: no job that has this sort of money as Starting salary

Reastie · 21/08/2018 07:27

When I say roles I don’t mean unpaid/minimal extra money jobs, I mean things like the role of organising cover on a daily basis etc which is done by existing staff. We also have to regularly do cover in our non contact time and have no help with displays/photocopying/preparation which I did get in the state. It’s just as well I like the kids! The class sizes are a big plus though.

beela · 21/08/2018 07:29

Accountant. But again, it takes a few years training.