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.

@Dustballs

None of you talk about what you do. It’s all just boasting about how much money you make.

It’s clear to anyone reading that that is your main focus and concern.

I'm not saying what I do because it is outing.

@Dustballs

None of you talk about what you do. It’s all just boasting about how much money you make.

It’s clear to anyone reading that that is your main focus and concern.

it took you that long to figure out that people go for higher income because ... they want the higher income? 🤦‍♀️ 😂

You’re right it’s about choices. But both men and women make good choices too when they have goals other than making loads of money

But you do understand that making good choice, and making money aren’t mutually exclusive, don’t you?

I make good choices every day. I prioritise my family and friends, I have good relationships, I have caring responsibilities, I recycle, I remember my friends’ birthdays, I support charities, I love my job, I pick up random plastic I see on the beach, the work I do contributes massively to keeping 4,000 people directly employed and thousands more indirectly, I try not to sing Baby Shark in public; all good choices and in no way minimised because I happen to earn a lot of money.

Round here people are intelligent and kind and they live for more than big wages. We have other goals and passions. We’re proud of our work

Unless you’re in a cult and happen to be the commune spokesperson, how do you know what those around you “strive for”? How do you know what they are and are not proud of, or what they live for?

How do you even know what they earn? Because, chances are, Mick down the road who works for the council is taking home a lot more in wages, shift allowances, on-call and other payments than you’d ever realise, and will have a fine final-salary pension to look forward to.

If you lived next door to me you'd know very little by the house I live in or the car I drive. If you asked what my husband and I do for a living, you’d get a very polite response telling you I work in an office and he works in a bank. You’d see us leave every morning at 8.20pm to walk to work, and you’d see us arrive home at around 6pm.

Don’t kid yourself that everyone is in the same boat as you.

Remember Bob Crow who was earning £145k a year and living in a council house?

@Dustballs

None of you talk about what you do. It’s all just boasting about how much money you make.

It’s clear to anyone reading that that is your main focus and concern.

I've spoken in detail about what I do. Content marketing, event management, digital marketing and PR for technology companies and online retailers. There's no mystery there. I work on a day rate of £650 - £800 per day, depending on the work. I can work as many or as few days as I like.

@Dustballs

None of you talk about what you do. It’s all just boasting about how much money you make.

It’s clear to anyone reading that that is your main focus and concern.

I said I worked in the City. That's Financial Services. I am not going to be goaded into outing myself.

Lots of people have been specific or listed the professions that are high earning professions. You're clearly reading a different thread to me. Being factual about what you earn on a thread on this topic isn't boasting. It's called being factual. Or being a fantasist, according to others on the thread. Take your pick.

@Dustballs

I’m guessing a lot of this work you do is screwing someone over somewhere. Is it sustainable work? Are you proud of the work you do? Are you making a (good) difference to the world.

All of this matters more than how much you earn.

Dh lent his expertise to a Gov dept for a number of years - (pay cut included) we’re generous employers, we pay well, we do not exploit anyone - we pay our suppliers in s timely manner and a fair rate. Dh even negotiated up one of our employee’s rates, as he felt she wasn’t valuing her own skills enough. We earn enough, we’re not greedy!

I have stated I am a financial services lawyer in the City. It’s not going to shock anyone that that is a well paid role.
I am not going into more detail than that.

@Dustballs

Yes we are all slaves to money in the sense that we are all having to survive.

But I’d rather live simply, forget private schools, posh cars and holidays etc -

There’s a different type of person that strives for huge wages. Round here people are intelligent and kind and they live for more than big wages. We have other goals and passions. We’re proud of our work.

You’re right it’s about choices. But both men and women make good choices too when they have goals other than making loads of money.

Yes, whereas I take no pride whatsoever in my work; am stupid and unkind and have no passions whatsoever besides money. Apparently.

I have spent many years driving shit cars, worrying every day if it will start or not and if it will get me to my destination. Quite nice to have one less thing to worry about now that I can afford a decent one.

DC1 was not thriving in local school, so again, it's a bad thing I had the opportunity to put him in private where they have small classes and individual attention? He is much happier, and that's what matters.

Round here people are intelligent and kind and they live for more than big wages. We have other goals and passions. We’re proud of our work.

Lapland Elves Village does sound like a dream place, just a bit too chilly for me sorry.

@Dustballs

I’m guessing a lot of this work you do is screwing someone over somewhere. Is it sustainable work? Are you proud of the work you do? Are you making a (good) difference to the world.

All of this matters more than how much you earn.

This sort of criticism is often levelled at financial services but people conveniently ignore that without companies and state entities being able to raise finance projects won’t happen. How do you think bus fleets and rolling stock are funded? Without trade finance and foreign exchange international trade will struggle. If you want renewable energy someone has to fund the wind farms etc. Unless you are living off grid in a self sufficient community many of the day to day services you rely on are partially funded through the City.

@Dustballs

I’m guessing a lot of this work you do is screwing someone over somewhere. Is it sustainable work? Are you proud of the work you do? Are you making a (good) difference to the world.

All of this matters more than how much you earn.

I can disclose what I do, there are so many jobs like mine that it is not outing. I'm a in-house lawyer. Last week I was working on several donation deals, as my company is donating several millions worth of PPE to various charitable organisations in several countries to fight Covid.

I work in a cash rich industry. That's the only reason I earn a lot. I'm from the north east too 👍

I am you, @lizizdd and DH is @doadeer. There are differences of seniority too (he is a c-suite exec), my last post was top of b6 nhs. I had more formal education and ongoing professional training than him, much more responsibility in the early-mid days (pre his directorship and later c-suite). Despite this, he has always out-earned me. Nature of his industry vs public sector.

dustballs I’m a film and TV producer.
I’ve won awards for my work which I think has really pushed the envelope on some subject matters.

Is that worthy enough for you?

Dustballs: High earnings often come from a talent that catches the Public attention: novels that people enjoy (and can be borrowed free in libraries), screenplays that appeal to thousands or millions of people.

People earn good money for making sure that bridges don’t collapse, or people’s pensions do as well as possible and don’t get swallowed up in dodgy international shenanigans. For having the skills and experience to save their industry money (fir the benefit of customers), for taking responsibility, being the person with whom the buck stops...

All sorts.

I can see where you're coming from, OP. There is a small percentage of £100K+ earners in the UK population, so they must be disproportionately represented here on MN. I'm from a deprived area in north-east England, earned £20K per year before I got sick & had to give up work and I was educated to O level. If people choose to look down on me because of that, they are the ones with problems.

I don’t earn over 100k, I’ve just done my accounts for last year and turnover was £85k ish. I’m a sole trader. I’m also an RN but I left the NHS years ago and now work in a specialist area of the private sector, for myself. I work school hours only and could earn more if I worked more.

My DH income is just under 100k, 97ish I think. But he works FT in IT stuff.

We are fortunate that we are comfortable now, With obviously a very healthy household income but it’s taken us years of hard work to get here, and that can’t be understated. I’ll accept there’s an element of luck involved too, and making sound choices.

Surely the more you're paid the more you spend and become reliant on that amount of money - it's addictive and then you're all slaves to money!

Not true at all for us. We have no mortgage or other debts and invest most of what we earn.

@ArranBound

I can see where you're coming from, OP. There is a small percentage of £100K+ earners in the UK population, so they must be disproportionately represented here on MN. I'm from a deprived area in north-east England, earned £20K per year before I got sick & had to give up work and I was educated to O level. If people choose to look down on me because of that, they are the ones with problems.

I don;t think money is a reason to look up to anyone or look down on anyone but I'm sure there are people who do both.

@dudtballs I’m sure it’s suits your narrative to believe that the wealthy are miserable unkind wage slaves, with no passions but it’s bullshit designed to make you feel better at the expenses of women who are trying to improve their opportunities or those of others.

I qualified as and worked as a lawyer. I then set up a law/tech related business which I sold. I’m now lucky enough not to have to work but I do.

I’ve set up another business which is doing well, employing a larger number of well treated intelligent passionate people. I’m not going to out myself but ultimately its mission is to improve health outcomes. I’m hugely proud of what we do.

I am passionate about women’s rights and I sit on the board of a number of organisations with roles directly related to advancing opportunities for women both here and globally.

Like others I have positive relationships with my DH, 4 DC and my wider family and community. I spend time (when one could) volunteering for a community sport initiative; I mentor young women from challenging backgrounds to get them into the workplace. That is what I believe in.

You can tell yourself that you and your kinder, more intelligent neighbours are the truly passionate and interesting but I suspect that simply isn’t true.

Oh and like @ToryAldi I enjoy what I earn.

I have designer clothes and a luxury car. I live in a big house and go (went) on fabulous holidays. My DC are privately educated and have access to all the opportunities they could want.

I won’t feel ashamed of that.

I feel quite unsuccessful, sitting here trying to decide if I should put the heating on.

But you know what? Well bloody don’t to the lot of you. I genuinely mean that. I can be envious but at the same time be pleased to hear of people, especially women, who have done so well in life and hope that my children are successful in business and their personal life. I’m sure the majority of you have worked hard and made many personal sacrifices and risks to get where you are, so that should be applauded, not criticised.

Before lockdown I was earning, in relation to my outgoings, what I consider a decent amount of money and had a comfortable life. That has changed, but reading this has given me the kick up the ass I need. I’ve been talking about adapting my work and creating other ways of making an income. I’m going to start researching that. I’ll never earn what you all earn, but I know I can improve my income with adapting. For that inspiration, I thank you.

I'm guessing someone has already mentioned this, but I can't face wading through 25 pages. Only 4% of the working population earn £100k, seems odd that so many people here earn so much.
Having said that, DH used to earn 100k in a job that is looked down on by many. He was made redundant and now works at director level in the civil service. He earns a lot less now and he hates his job, is stressed and fast getting burnt out. People often make comments about how much he must earn, civil service is a doddle etc. But they earn less because they clock on 9-5, no working late, paperwork at home, weekend emails, early meetings. And the stress of too much work, too little budget.

Wildly excited to find out more about what HelloMissus and Pegasus do

Like pp, I make no apologies either for my income or for how I spend it. But why be so bloody judgemental about a high earner? If you're a high earning woman on mumsnet....You get accused of boasting or being greedy or money obsessed or not being kind or just an all round awful person. And you're supposed to be ashamed of being successful. It's 2020 FFS.

It's the old fairy tale narrative of rich but evil v poor but kind.
It's interesting that most fairytales end with that poor kind person getting rich too. Usually not disclosed if they will then also become evil.

Dustballs loads of us have talked about what we do. I did a massive list of how from age 14 I worked towards this legal career. I am a lawyer. I set up on my own in 1994. I work from home. I do business law for company clients. Ask anything else you want to know. I have also written 30 law books and given 1700 paid day courses around the world, but mostly in the UK. I have worked full time without a break since 1983 and hope to work until I die.

I cannot be bothered to do a list or chart of who has said they earn what. I am pretty certain all the lawyers and IT professionals (and doctors if we have had any on this thread) earn what they say they do as there is no reason to lie about it. Similarly procurement managers, people in pharma companies and those setting up their own business often earn that and I know that from advising them for years - in fact we lawyers are often the lowest paid on a deal as the business owners tend to earn more.

I certainly agree most people don't earn much in the UK however so clearly we have higher earners on the thread not otherwise on the whole just as on a thread about how to make your universal credit payments last the week is not likely to attractive women on £100k a year.