To ask if you earn £50K+ what do you do?

[Poppi89]

I have seen a lot of posts on here where people say how much they earn and I am shocked how many people earn over £50K, so I was just wondering what it is that you do?

Also, do you think it is more important to have a high income or a job that you enjoy?

I'm a freelance proofreader and editor. I love it - I work from home, set my own hours, and it fits perfectly with family life.

Learning technology manager in a university. I'm at the top of my pay grade and just manage £50k. I love my job, much less stress than my previous jobs in teaching and IT. Though to be fair, at the moment it's 12 hour days and weekend work as we try to change the teaching culture of an entire university practically overnight.

I could earn more in the private sector, but I'm happy where I am.

Not quite as guild-breaking as pre-nerf Kael’thas but still pretty darn hard!*

You'll trigger me @7penguins . I was there for world firsts/seconds/thirds; I dropped to world 10s after a while. Was also there on launch date.

I wanna renew my sub now. I have all classes on three servers at 110, wanna level them for me?

Medical publishing. Busy on a normal day. Crazy busy right now. Love most of it!!

You'll trigger me

I think I last renewed for MoP but it was so bad I just did the farming and cooking dailies which were very relaxing to do.

It’s just not the same anymore, but the memories and friendships from the glorious old days still warm my cockles.
It’s probably sad to admit, but my happiest moments in life were in WoW.

Geological consultant.

I do like it. Sometimes I love it. Sometimes, I hate it.

But, if I was able, I would retire tomorrow. I absolutely hate the concept of having to go to work, however, I can't have the lifestyle without it.

For me, there a couple of things I would love to do that simply just don't pay enough. So I won't be doing them! Unless the numbers come up on Saturday.

It’s probably sad to admit, but my happiest moments in life were in WoW.

Have you room on the sad couch for me and DP? And my DS met his partner in WoW, he's living in her country now. People mock video games, the disdain is palpable. Yet several members of our guild came to England from overseas for a brilliant long weekend.

My strongest friendships have been made via the game, and the bond was instantaneous and everybody just clicked. Rather surreal really, I'll happily take a spot on the sad couch, @7penguins

I'm a nanny

PA to a CEO.
Massively enjoyed my job for first 7-8 yrs. Now, not so much but I enjoy the money & the package (ie. health & pension!) that I’m on.
There are other things I’d like to do more now, but those things would pay less than half my current salary, so would be foolish / financial suicide to leave.

CryHavoc

I want to do that!!
How do you get there?

Corporate position at a pharmaceutical company

@BarbaraofSeville This was just an average figure as some people I know are on less (part time) and some are on more (no more than 20K though). I live in quite a rural area which makes a big difference and so most people I know are shop assistants, cleaners, teaching assistants who get NMW or just over. I am 29 but I enjoy my job and thought I was lucky as if I had a higher paid job it would not be as enjoyable. I also thought earnings below 25K was the norm for this country, so I was interested in what people do for a living and if they enjoy it.

@OntheWaves40 That makes sense. Try not to change your hours and get put on it as I used to be eligible for child and working tax credits but on UC I'm not entitled to any help.

Some of these jobs sound amazing! I am definitely going to reconsider my career options in the future.

@BarbaraofSeville also if you earn 17000 NMW at 40hours then after-tax you receive just under 15K.

the higher [40%] tax rate kicks in at £50k p.a. obviously most people don't earn this - of the UK's 66m people [which includes retirees & kids], about 4m earn £50k+, the remaining c62m don't.

Thanks so much @SimplySteveRedux

This is an an amazing insight, it sounds like total emersion into the industry and I can see how it would lead to burnout.

I also thought earnings below 25K was the norm for this country

They are, well the average is around £25-30k depending on what type of average you are looking at (median or mean). Mumsnet is disproportionately high earning, especially on a thread where you ask to hear from people who earn more than £50k.

if you earn 17000 NMW at 40hours then after-tax you receive just under 15K

Well yes you do, but everyone pays tax, but if you ask someone's annual salary, they generally tell you their pre-tax salary, it's how it is usually described - I earn £x per year.

But if you ask someone their monthly income, they'd generally tell you the amount of money that they receive from their employer every month - I take home £y per month.

Almost no-one ever talks about their annual earnings in terms of £12y per year.

This thread is so interesting.

What is the quickest route to earn something in the region of 50k? For example, in 5 years time to start earning that amount. I have read many people on mn suggesting accountant as a relatively quick career to get into but I'm sure it's not so easy in real life. The only career I can aspire to on here so far is sex worker, but I doubt I would make 50k!

@BarbaraofSeville Yes that's why I asked the question as I often saw people on here posting a comment and saying they earn a large amount and was surprised to see how often I saw it but never knew anybody in real life who earnt that much. So I was wondering what they did. But like you say mumsnet seems to have a higher proportion of high earners but it does make me think about what I could achieve in the future.

I also don't tend to ask what people earn per year in RL it just comes out in conversations eg. they've got a 50p pay rise so they now earn 50p over NMW and I know how many hours they work so I can work it out or my friend wanted help to save for her wedding gets X amount per month but her bills are .... so has .... leftover etc.

I would never be so cheeky to ask what people earn - apart from on here where I can remain anonymous haha.

Another university academic.

@skyblu

English degree, job in production at a big academic publisher, and then when I went on mat leave I went freelance. Part of my job in-house was managing freelancers, so I had contacts when I first started. Without contacts in the industry it is very difficult to get started.

I think it's the sort of thing lots of people think they'd like to do, but even with my background and contacts it took about five years to start earning 'proper' money. Freelancing is very up and down, and I know lots of people who hate not having a monthly salary.

Senior in a national charity. I love it, crazy busy at the moment. I don’t find it massively hard or stressful but have an extremely low boredom threshold so need to be constantly mentally busy which is why it suits me

DH works in train operations.

DH does. He's a General Manager in manufacturing. Salary before extras is about £85k basic.