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.

Well this thread makes me want to cry! I currently have no income (apart from doing some marking) I am about to finish my PhD, have one child and another on the way. I’m early 30s and feel like I’ve definitely not done things the ‘right way’!!

For all those saying everyone in your social group and/or dc's schools are on over 100k, are you in the SE?

Thinking of my childhood and Uni friends they are now Teachers (6), Environmental Scientists (3), Commercial Estate Agent (1), Event Planner (1), Radiographer (1), and SAHM (married a Pastor and has been a SAHM for 14 years. Adult friendships include Accountant, Librarian, Teachers, Nurses, Journalists, Social Workers, Health Analysts and several in HR. A couple SAHM's married to lawyers.

While none are on over 100k, they are all very well off in part due to two salaries with two decent middle class incomes, or have had inheritances and so have been able to pay off homes and purchase buy to let properties. Many earn in the 50-65k range, as do their partners, but are in 650-750k+ homes, able to significantly contribute to pension pots/ISA's and investments. Most chose to only have 1-2 dc to limit career interruptions and advancement, and ensure they could fund dc Uni fees/housing etc. Only 3/20+ have 3 children (and all of those are someone with a SAHP). Everyone else works full time in order to make that happen. The ones that don't (2/20+) are in rental accomodation.

100k is a very small percentage of the population and not the majority of occupations, whether it seems that way on MN or not. It's less than 5% of the population.

Wishing14

@UncleBunclesHouse I am not sure there is one generic answer to your “this is why women stall” question but on tips, I am big on delegation. So many people are afraid to delegate. I operate on the 90/10 rule. Delegate like hell and make people feel empowered to take the day to day decisions. 90% of the time people will get it right. The key as a leader is how you behave the 10% when it goes wrong. If you act like a knob, it makes people afraid to crack on with things and take decisions, if you work with them and work through the issue and the focus on lessons learned in a non blame way, people learn and are still keen to put their heads above the parapet. I also work on the basis that most people want to feel challenged at work so I will delegate stuff that’s just a little bit out of their comfort zone. My value to my company is in the really big decisions that I take not in the actual day to day execution of them, although I am responsible for oversight as if they’re executed then the blow back is on me.

When my kids were really young my delegate delegate delegate approach meant that I could pretty much do standard hours (after years of working long hours and late nights). Now it does mean that I have the capacity to take on more roles/responsibilities- although this hasn’t been good for me lockdown as my boundaries have gone and I feel like I haven’t worked this hard since before the dcs.

Not sure if that’s relevant to what you do but hth. (Although according to others on this thread I could easily be a fantasist)

In the SE and I'd say most of my friends (mid 40s) earn more than £100k. I'd say probably £200-300k on average and some around £500k. Jobs include directors at large companies, partners at big accountancy firms and traders.

When I worked in corporate finance at an investment bank, my colleague received a £2 million bonus one year. Director bonuses were calculated at 10% of the fees they brought in over a certain level and he was a very shrewd revenue generator in his niche.

Appreciate that this isn't a representative group, I've met quite a few friends through my kids' private schools and it's hard to afford the fees without a reasonably high salary.

@Calic0

I take it all with a large pinch of salt, OP. The number of high earners on here does seem disproportionate to the population, as does the number of children with ESN. Might be true, might not. Certainly don’t allow it to make you feel bad about yourself or your choices.

Yes this, also parents with kids in private school.

That said maybe we have a lot of Londoners where there does seem to be a high proportion of jobs paying £££ for doing fuck all but a bit of paper shuffling, that people have convinced themselves is Busy and Important Hard Work. Management consultants, business analysts, project managers and the like.

paying £££ for doing fuck all but a bit of paper shuffling, that people have convinced themselves is Busy and Important Hard Work. Management consultants, business analysts, project managers and the like

Ha! Clearly written by someone who hasn't the least idea what any of these roles entail. Your jealousy is showing.

To add I am qualified in one of the proper traditional professions so no stranger to lots of study and hard work myself

I’m a lawyer. Why would I be jealous of some sort of made up job? I also haven’t mentioned my own salad.

You are proving my point about three people having convinced themselves they actually do important jobs.

Salary not salad 🤦🏼‍♀️

Also these not three 🤦🏼‍♀️

What jobs pay over £100k

Property
Law
Finances
Tech
Minority of arts & architecture
IT
Local authority chief exec
Health chief exec

It’s geographically weighted toward Ldn and SE, £100k salary more unusual in North

@MadameBlobby if you’re really a lawyer your comments are laughable!

I’m in London and my DC go to private schools. The majority of parents will be earning 200k between them or have investments, or their own businesses, or in some cases family wealth in order to be able to pay the fees and live in London.

@Wishing14 you are probably 10 years younger than many posters on this thread and clearly highly educated, and already had your DC. You have lots of time ahead of you.

My sister isn’t 40 yet. Started studying Mental health nursing at 23, got a job in a small family owned nursing home when she graduated. Grew close to the family, worked incredibly hard, she did a masters degree in mental health and dementia, got promise to care home manager. Carehonme business grew incredibly quickly And successfull. She’s now studying her PHD and has been made a director of the company. She’s on £90k a year. She’s exhausted but I do believe that with a bit of luck and hard work you can create a life where you earn this amount of money. She’s a mum too ! Total inspiration

With many nurses/doctors in my family I have never had any illusion that I do “Busy and Important Work”. And no one on this thread has indicated that seems like a big projection on to this thread.

@Wishing14 - I'm now early 40s but at 30 was earning 25k a year. A lot can happen in a decade

I dont do busy and important work.

I'm under no illusions. I dont work terribly long hours and sometimes feel overpaid. However my employer recently tried to add to my team and could not find anyone because actually other people who do what I do are paid more than me!

actually I'm paid a lot simply for my knowledge (it's a niche area most people would find the work mentally different and boring).I can very quickly answer questions that would take a less experienced person weeks of research, and am also confident to give a view on risk areas where millions of pounds are at stake, and stand by that opinion - meaning if I get it wrong my job could be on the line. I'm paid not to get it wrong.

I'm paid a lot for it simply because my employer needs my skills and experience and few people have them.

We're in London. DH earns six figures as a IT consultant serving the City. I am on £80k FTE as a specialist in corporate HR, and could be in six figures if I went back into consultancy myself. Or got my boss's job.

Over 700 posts and I still don't understand why any woman who says they're a high earner is automatically assumed to be a fantasist?

Misogyny. They think there's no way lots of women could earn high salaries, must be liars.

That said maybe we have a lot of Londoners where there does seem to be a high proportion of jobs paying £££ for doing fuck all but a bit of paper shuffling, that people have convinced themselves is Busy and Important Hard Work. Management consultants, business analysts, project managers and the like.

Generally jobs like that are paid highly because 1) there is a shortage of people with the skills to do them successfully 2) if done right, they deliver revenue or value significantly in excess of this. You don't have to like them as jobs or find them meaningful or Important, whatever that means, but as jobs they haven't been pulled out of people's arses. They exist because to the employer they play a valuable role in their organisation or business.

Lawyers are the shuffliest bits of self important paper people I’ve ever met!

There's a big difference between answering a simple question about what type of jobs pay £100k per year and passing judgment on which jobs are more "important" or worthy.

Most of my friends are high earners but don't see their job as superior or more important to people at the other end of the pay scale, nor would they look down on people earning less than them.

As with people at all salary levels, they work long hours and have made sacrifices to further their careers. They appreciate that they are very fortunate to be paid well.

Respectabitch
I'm in that category. My job is boring enough to put people right off talking to me at dinner parties. But my employer needs it and it drives millions of pounds in value and not many people have the skills to do it

That's how you get paid a lot for flexible hours etc.

Find something people need (demand) that few people can supply and you can basically get paid as much as you want!

This is an interesting thread. I was a high earner, recently took redudancy and now working part time. I meet so many friends who wonder how I did it. How could we afford private schools, nice holidays etc. They have a very part time role or arent working at all.

1. Two salaries. No gaps in employment. Always worked full time. Stucked up the child care costs because it doesnt last forever
2. First marriage for both of us, no blended families/other children from previouys relationships to consider. There seems to be an awful lot of this now
3. Do the role for the money not because it suits your outside life
4. Pick your relationships wisely
5. Put as much as you can into your role and be willing to put your hand up for something even if its not necessarily your job. People will notice