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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you earn a lot LESS than 50k per year?

361 replies

Afternooninthepark · 04/04/2020 13:40

On the back of another thread which was asking about £50k + earners (and me being naturally nosy!) I just wonder if there are many on here earning a lot less and wonder what you do for a living?
I’ve been on Mumsnet for years and there does seem to be many very high earners on here with some very interesting careers.
I’m not one of them unfortunately. Dh earns around £35k pa (45 hrs pw) and due to some health issues I only work very part time. We are both in everyday kind of jobs not careers but we are very happy nonetheless.
Anyone else earning an ‘average’ wage in ‘average’ jobs?

OP posts:
daisypond · 04/04/2020 17:10

I know loads of people earning over 100k and actually very few earning less than 50k. I’m in the SE though it’s completely normal here.
That’s not my experience. I live in London and know virtually no one earning more than 50. Most earn 30s. Experienced teachers maybe earn 40s. I’m in my 50s. These are typical salaries for many my age. All with degrees. My DH earns 20-something.

MilaRos · 04/04/2020 17:18

I work part time 26k pro rata. SEN specialist. DH 26k basic plus around 3k bonus. Quality Control Sales.

Musmerian · 04/04/2020 17:21

I think it depends a lot on education and profession. I went to Cambridge - I earn £47 k as a teacher Andy husband earns 50k also as a teacher. Most of our friends earn a lot more than that by now( we are esrly 50s) bought our house in the 90s when you could buy a four bedroom house in South London for £90k.

TheOrigBrave · 04/04/2020 17:23

I know loads of people earning over 100k and actually very few earning less than 50k. I’m in the SE though it’s completely normal here.

Really?
Actually the strangest thing about that statement is that you know the salary of loads of people. I honestly couldn't tell you what any of my friends or family earn. Do people really share this information so openly? And if so, why?

Butterfly98 · 04/04/2020 17:32

@EileenAlanna you must me great at budgeting to manage on less than 4K a year! How do you do it? Feel free to share some money saving tips if you want!

alloutoffucks · 04/04/2020 17:34

I am sure Bill Gates knows lots of multi millionaires. That does not mean that most people are multi millionaires.
And remember some people move in very limited social circles with people only like them.

twinkle2306 · 04/04/2020 17:38

I know loads of people earning over 100k and actually very few earning less than 50k. I’m in the SE though it’s completely normal here.

I live in SE no one I know is over 100k 😂

Jokie · 04/04/2020 17:39

We had this discussion amongst a group of friends on our "wine Wednesday zoom chat". This was the answer:

  • Risk Manager for a well known fashion brand: 45k
  • Project Manager: 30k full time. 6years experience but has full flexibility and no travel.
  • Teacher: 26k
  • financial analyst: 42k
  • media Comms bod: 40k but has a lot of benefits.
  • self employed surveyor: dependant on the year. Last year was 70k but they worked every moment they could. This year, they're struggling to even make 1k a month due to the downturn. They're predicting making a max of 20k this year because of Corona.

How did this come about? We were all discussing how many of us have asked for a mortgage holiday yet or are planning to do so.

polkadotpixie · 04/04/2020 17:39

I'm a band 2 NHS admin so my salary has just increased to the dizzy heights of £18004 on 1st April (FT - 37.5 hours)

karigan · 04/04/2020 17:40

I'm a teacher. I earn £26,500 p/a. Been wrangling for a pay rise in my last school and in my current one since 2015. Been told that there may be a budget to give me one in September. Also our school didn't close (students are entirely made up of highly vulnerable kids most of whom live in the attached care home) So we've been open as normal across the last 3 weeks.

PorpentinaScamander · 04/04/2020 17:42

Carer in a private care home. Im on about £17,500 before tax. 37.5 hours per week.

Arrowfanatic · 04/04/2020 17:42

I'm on just under £23k a year working in tenancy enforcement for a housing association.

Lonelycrab · 04/04/2020 17:43

Sound engineer/music producer with my own studio. About 18k.

Top this up with decorating work, about 5-6k pa.

Bargebill19 · 04/04/2020 17:45

£15k Care home employee

DoTheNextRightThing · 04/04/2020 17:45

I earn £23000 and that is a huge amount of money to me. Growing up, I was raised in a single parent house and my mum made £17000. 23 grand is like... royalty to us.

My partner makes about £12000, so between us we have about £35k annually.

wlv12 · 04/04/2020 17:46

Midwife, £36k

flirtygirl · 04/04/2020 17:46

35k is the not the average salary.

In 2018/19 the average was £28, 677 to be precise.

Easily googable. (yes not a real word)

hiptobeasquare · 04/04/2020 17:46

I earn 10k working part time for a charity. My OH is a retail manager on 26K excluding commission bonus. Most people I know are very similar. I know a few people who are higher earners, but most of my closest friends are in a similar position to us. We are in the north east though.

anothernotherone · 04/04/2020 17:47

I do a job which doesn't exist in the UK but is a mix of nursing, social work and social care. It's a 2 year full time or 3 year part time qualification which doesn't exist outside the German speaking world.

The pay actually looks semi ok on paper - similar to a band 5 nurse or a teacher at the top of the main pay scale in the UK (basic 36k € but just over 40k € with shift and night and "extreme difficulty" payment - I think most people get the extreme difficulty payment so not sure why it's not part of basic...).

However the tax system here which taxes married couples as a unit means I see less than half of what I earn. Which is irritating. I only saw 1/3 of my Christmas bonus (though I know most people don't get a Christmas bonus). I'm happy to pay higher tax than in the UK but sometimes it feels a bit much, especially at the moment when I'm under stress working solo antisocial hours and half the team are off sick and we have covid-19 cases...

iknowhatyamean · 04/04/2020 17:49

@karigan that's crazy!! Here in Ireland our pay goes up automatically every year!!

Latenightreader · 04/04/2020 17:52

Museum curator in the north west on £24K. Museum work is notoriously low paid for the experience and qualifications they ask for...

Gwenhwyfar · 04/04/2020 17:55

"the strangest thing about that statement is that you know the salary of loads of people."

If you know what a person's job is you can make a good guess. Anyone who's a public servant of any type has their salary ranges publicly available.

flirtygirl · 04/04/2020 17:57

I know loads of people earning over 100k and actually very few earning less than 50k. I’m in the SE though it’s completely normal here.

Normal in the SE? No it is not, thats just the bubble that you live in.

Everyone lives in one to some degree and some people do mix across the board but most people will know others just like them.

It's like saying that all high house prices are only in the South east yet places in Manchester, South Birmingham/solihull and even the north east can be very expensive and much more expensive than in the south east and I'm talking about a 3 bed versus a 3 bed. But that's off topic.

But people tend to live in little bubbles, which is a shame...

BillysMyBunny · 04/04/2020 17:57

I earn just shy of £32k. I’m a teacher at a school for children with complex special needs.

DearLiza · 04/04/2020 17:59

Researcher for large media group in low cost of living area. 23k roughly inc bonus. Am perfectly happy with this as I live at home with no dependants, and am able to save around 500 a month.