High Earners on MN?

[BitOfFun]

How? The actual leader of my county council doesn't earn more than £100K- where and what are all these super-maxed out occupations? I genuinely don't understand how mumsnetters (often relatively young) access these magic jobs I've never heard of.

YABU- they are there for the taking, you just made poor choices

YANBU- people here are very creative and there's an outside chance they may be lying exaggerating.

@CheetasOnFajitas

You have to be seriously pedantic to argue that I should say ‘networking and schmoozing’ instead of nepostism.

You are massively missing the point. Networking and schmoozing are a legitimate skill which people learn and practise in order to progress. Nepotism is when a friend (who you was your friend before you employed them) or family member is given a job or an opportunity.

@CheetasOnFajitas can you stop being so patronising and typing out the definition of nepotism?! It’s seriously pathetic, stop now.

And shagging the boss may be a legitimate skill for you, not me.

Reminds me of an old joke, in which a plumber visits a lawyer's house to fix something. As he hands over his bill, the lawyer looks and says, "Gosh, I don't charge that much per hour and I'm a lawyer" To which the plumber replies, "No mate, I couldn't charge that when I was a lawyer either."

The reality is that lawyers without fairly specialist expertise get stuck in small town, small time practices doing family, property and petty crime.

@Hopoindown31

However London salaries are much, much higher than salaries in the Midlands and North (as is the cost of living) and there are employment sectors in London that just seem to pay people a lot of money for some reason.

😂 Jesus. I live in London and my boss is on £300k pa minimum, please just stop the patronising posts.

I do not know what industies that you all work in but what some of you describe would be exceptionally rare in my field of engineering. I have worked with a variety of 'characters' over the course of my career and while they may have varied in terms of personality they were at least competent in the core skills of the job, they had to be to survive. The idea that you could rock up to a technical interview for an offshore and subsea engineering post and blag your way through in a confident manner with a few buzz words thrown in, is absurd. You will get found out very quickly. The fact that someone is chartered with the institute of mechanical/instrument/civil/electrical engineers tells me off the bat that in theory they have at least the basic qualifications and competence to do the job. That theory is stress tested further in the interview where the candidate will be asked numerous technical questions from a panel of specialists. No amount of bravado, old school ties or daddy can see you past that scrutiny.

@CheetasOnFajitas

So the best they managed to get was admin/reception jobs. Hardly using nepotism to get the 100k plus roles is it?

Not sure why you’re twisting my words as I certainly didn’t say that?

But those roles were still £30-40k and opened the door to other internal roles within the company which had career progression - ie marketing junior. So yes, nepotism at work still.

I definitely know a few people in the legal field who manage to have successful careers despite practically knowing nothing about their legal specialism, it’s truly impressive Although it does involve a lot of manipulation and taking credit for others’ work (juniors - often women...)

To those who don't understand how one can earn over £100k and have the time to write posts on mumsnet, here is the answer

I’ll add mine too. My business makes over €1,000,000 per year and I work MAX of 15/20 hours a week because I set up my business purposefully with the intention of working hard not long and maximising my profitability. I have practically no overheads besides management systems and no staff to pay.

I have plenty of free time because I designed my life to be like that. Some a lot of that free time I spend on Mumsnet

I don't think I know anyone who earns that much. My family/friends are all reasonably comfortable, and earn around average salaries with a few earning up to about £50-60k. I think the head at my large secondary school is probably close to £100k but not quite.

I live up North though, so life is generally cheaper up here. And there aren't so many businesses that are massively high earning up here either.

However, I hate the assumption that more money means 'good'. It's just a different job which happens to make a lot of money, therefore they pay more.

Yes. Your salary does not define your worth.

The conversations around salary are fascinating, lots of assumptions in all directions, lots of digs about both high and low salaries and a fair few hard to believe sweeping statements. I do agree we should discuss money much more openly; salary shouldn't be a dirty word. There is a huge amount of sexism still tied up in the whole subject of women and money.

Equally, I think we ought to discuss the idea of success and its definition. Is it really success if you work in an industry in London in which everyone earns 80k plus, as some seem to suggest in this thread? Seems to me that's not really any more successful than anyone else earning around the average pay for their location and industry (which is no bad thing!). Still great, and still probably more money, in real terms, than someone working outside London on a lower salary, although I don't know the calculations but I'd see that more as riding the wave than anything else.

I don't earn six figures, although it would be possible with a serious amount of overtime. I think it's utterly fucking awesome that there are lots of women on here who do earn that much and hope this thread has inspired some others to see what's possible.

LongPauseNoAnswer

Nice I can believe that. The richest people I know have literally automated their work to the point that it takes minimal amount of effort to do the daily admin, enabling them to spend their time looking at ways to expand or networking.

You are just flinging the doors open and welcoming a lot of gloaters/fantasists to this thread OP. There are occupations earning that sort of wage though, but I do think a lot of people are lying on here to be honest. Much of what people say does not add up.

I’m not lying. London based, many of my friends earning £100K plus. 20 years of experience, degrees, good jobs.

I think it's utterly fucking awesome that there are lots of women on here who do earn that much and hope this thread has inspired some others to see what's possible.
This.
If money is what you're after, get yourself in the right environment and then concentrate on being better than everyone else around you. That's far more effective than sucking up or knowing someone. If you don't want to be that competitive, and it's really not for everyone, then choose a different path but be happy.

@Toptotoeunicolour

I think it's utterly fucking awesome that there are lots of women on here who do earn that much and hope this thread has inspired some others to see what's possible. This. If money is what you're after, get yourself in the right environment and then concentrate on being better than everyone else around you. That's far more effective than sucking up or knowing someone. If you don't want to be that competitive, and it's really not for everyone, then choose a different path but be happy.

100% this ^

I find it rather depressing that instead of thinking it’s awesome, so many people assume everyone is lying

ShirleyPhallus I couldn't agree more.

As someone posted, is it really so hard to believe that amongst millions of MN users there would be a few hundred with 100K+ incomes? Why?

Because it's not decent for women and mothers to earn that much? Because people convinced you high earning careers can't possibly be compatible with having children? You think higher paid people are different species and would not spend their free time discussing nursing bras and other people's relationship problems?

Recently left what would be described as a 'blue blood' company in the financial services sector. Nepotism is alive and well, I can assure you. As is going to the 'right' school (as well as university but weirdly, your school seemed to give you an even greater advantage). I'd love to pretend that all is fair and well in the corporate world but, in my experience, it is not (even with all the HR policies under the sun in place).

I did earn c.100k while I was there for a pretty average role but 100k in these types of firms isn't a lot. Those in top positions will be earning 7 figures.

@LongPauseNoAnswer exactly, I’m getting paid whilst I’m in bed asleep.

Oh and my DH is jealous as hell. He slogs first his 100k.

I'm from a Northern town, I don't know anyone on £100k plus (I mean I might not people obviously you don't tend to discuss salary with everyone!). But in London it's far more common.

I started contracting at 27 and I hit £130k in my first year. It was pretty crazy but I just happen to work in a cash rich industry and people were willing to pay. I obviously don't tell people in real life as they would think it's bonkers.

Women are deeply affected by children with earning potential.

ive found plenty opportunities to earn big up north too. the housing associations in the NE pay directors (of which there are many) 90k plus and COOs on 140k plus

Female, mid fifties, no formal education, change of career early thirties. I know earn circa 130k. I have worked hard, taken opportunities and took the odd leap of faith. Very niche area and I am very good at what i do. I put in the time when i need to but do not put in all the hours under the sun. I feel very privileged.

I guess it depends on the area you live in and who you socialise with. Me and the majority of my friends are in health, social care and teaching and have around 30k salaries.

In answer to your original post, I work in digital tech the salary bands for my role tend to be
£20k- graduate
£25k assistant/junior
£35k mid level
£45k-65k senior (but still individual contributor)
£70k-£90k Head of
£100k director of
£130k VP
150k+ c suite

It's a young industry so you do have a lot of young people on high salaries. I would have £10k+ increases every year when I was starting out.

There are lots of industries and roles outside of your typical "lawyer" stereotype that pay very well.

Midlands, own company. Sky is the limit! You take the risks but you also take the rewards.