"Average wage £29,000"

[liketochange]

I've had an ad on my Facebook for one of those "your baby born on this day" type posters with today's stats, which includes the average wage of £29,000. I'm aware this is the average wage according to stats, but there were loads of comments saying that was wrong, "that's more like household" etc. AIBU to ask does £29k seems that unlikely to be average in your opinion? Do bigger salaries drag it up making it look unrealistic to most?

Very interesting to hear everyone's responses to this data.

For all those speaking about their personal experience of salary or wages in their area, why don't you all just say 'I/my area seem to earn more/less than that median figure'?

Of course a median can be true and your personal/areas income can be correct. Of course the population of the country is 60m+ and even if you know LOTS of people there is no reason at all that they should reflect the median which will be based on millions of workers, who earn from the minimum wage to almost unimaginable figures.

With such figures, I always think to myself 'oh that's interesting. My income is similar/below/avove that' and move on. I don't doubt the figures. Looking at any regional breakdowns,mor those for occupation I also think to myself 'X area does well/badly' and 'X industry is poorly paid/well paid' and of course we all compare ourselves to those figures to see where we 'fit'. And I look at exactly what the figures are showing in order to have any sensible thought about them - so median or mean, full time or all workers, households or individuals, plus any other info about how the calculations are done. I know different surveys might use slightly different methods giving different results, but as long as you compare like with like, and appreciate the vast amount of data used to come up with these figures which means your own friendship group really is very unlikely to reflect the median, you can look at the figures disapaaionaltely, learn something from them and move on.

It’s difficult to say whether £29K is “unlikely to be average” as I don’t really know what other people earn. I know what I earn and what I’ve earned in different jobs (variations on office / professional jobs) and my salary has gone from about £10K when I started working after uni to now nearly £50K. A lot of people I know are in the same profession so probably earn a similar amount to what I earn. But I don’t know what a teacher earns, what a bus driver earns, what a manager in B&Q wants. There are massive variations even in my profession so I wouldn’t rely on the Internet for salaries for various roles. I don’t even know what minimum wage amounts to on a monthly / yearly basis.

you can look at the figures dispassionately, learn something from them and move on

Or, you can look at the figures and realise that wealth in this country is very unevenly distributed and feel annoyed at that. It is easy to be dispassionate when you, and those around you, are doing okay. It is ridiculously hard to do that when you know people relying on food banks.

But you might believe the data published by the Office of National Statistics, which is what we are talking about Alice?

And hopefully understand why that is more reliable than a relatively tiny sample of yourself, friends, family, aquaintances, Mumsnet posters and colleagues?

But you might believe the data published by the Office of National Statistics, which is what we are talking about Alice?

Yes exactly. I suppose what I am saying (which I didn’t make very clear) is we can look up the ONS stats and have no real basis on which to question it.

So in answer to OP’s questions I think yes it is likely to be the average.

Barbara, teachers in London start on 29k straight out of uni. I've seen some headteachers of large comps earning c 140k.

An observation...

this thread is dominated by people who are earning less than the median wage.

Maybe there is a lesson in this?

All the people I know who earn high salaries are far too buys doing that to spend time on forums during the day, or any time! Many are working 12+ hours a day for their salaries.

I have no qualifications outside of GCSE’s and an NVQ and I have finally managed to get a job that pays over £30k. I am nearly 40 and it’s been very difficult and hard work and waiting and slogging it out. I am not sure they are that common to come by for people in my situation

Stay in school kids

That feels about right to me. Most people I know are on at least that (South West).

Aren’t the NHS, followed by other public sector employers - dwp, the forces, HMRC etc the biggest employers in this country.
That salary looks about average for a nurse or a similar public sector type role. If there are lots of them (they will take up lots of space in the middle) then that’s probably ‘skewing’ the figures for some.

JinglingHellsBells - but that’s not quite true is it? On other posts about high earners, 90% of MN claims to be earning over £100k. Yet have plenty of time to post on MN.

Where I live average would be higher

@Backwoodsgirl Where on earth do you live? Sunderland?!

You are fortunate if you have £100 a week left.

The average where I live is 25k but I'm on 22k and DP is on 55k. He's a couple of years younger than me. I googled and the average for the UK is apparently 29k.

at all the smug posters patting themselves on the back for being able to differentiate the various types of averages. We've all completed year 7.

I have also read several times that high earners have much more time to post on MN.

@mindproject I'm also curious about what job requires all those qualifications and umpteen years of experience, and pays minimum wage. I'm definitely not saying I don't believe you, it's just mind boggling to me. It would only really make sense if you were self employed, maybe. Otherwise you have been taken for a mug for 30years.

im from stoke and the average wage is a measely £21k, i earn more than that in an untrained job when my enhancements are included.

All the people I know who earn high salaries are far too buys doing that to spend time on forums during the day, or any time! Many are working 12+ hours a day for their salaries.

Or maybe we work shifts and have our days off in the week instead? Or are on annual leave because it's half term? Or work in industries that aren't just Monday-Friday 9-5.

I also assume you include yourself in that, seeing as you are also posting on here on a Thursday morning instead of working a busy 12 hour day for your salary.

I'm semi retired and at home today, I am also quite low paid FTE £21k but I could be semi retired and earn £100k and still be on here

That seems incredibly low to me 🤷‍♀️. I think it’s all relative to your experience. A lot of people earn almost nothing here but lots are earning millions. In a large population it’s easy to be biased by person experience.

The average, or mean, will be heavily distorted by the top 1-2% who earn multiple millions every year.

The median salary would be a much more representative figure.

@Jsmith99 it is the median they are talking about.

Having retired, I have time to read MN! Supply and demand for labour make a difference locally and even here in the rural SW, there is a growing shortage of labour, especially with the fall in EU migration.

Next year will see wages rise in lower-skilled occupations too: as an example, in the hospitality sector, I know businesses which are having to pay £9 ph for kitchen porters to fill the positions. Most are unwilling to wash dishes under pressure for 55 unsociable hours a week for less money. No great skill required, not even the ability to speak English matters. The hotel industry has no choice: pay better or have no staff.