To ask how much you were earning at 25yrs old and also at 35yrs old?

[MrsSimonBasset]

Call me nosey but at 25 I’d not quite got into the sector I’m in now and at 35, I’d already started on my career path. Went to university, had my kids afterwards, but was done by the time I was 30yrs old. I’ll start £19,000 and £30,000. I will admit that it has accelerated since. But more interested in those crucial child rearing years between 25-35.

@Marinaloves I really have to disagree. On a whole most of these are fairly average earnings.

I earned approx £12500 at 25 AA Civil service & £18000 at 35 AO Civil Service.

25: teacher, about £19k.
35: PhD student, part-time admin, about £6k earned income. Other from grants and things.
45: 3rd sector work, £26k for 30 hours.

The thing is, without putting years to the ages, the salaries are meaningless. £15k in 1970 is not comparable to £15k in 2020.

Age 25 (1997) £28k - 1 DC already

Age 35 (2007) £26k - 3 DC, first job after being a SAHM for 6 years due to twins

Age 45 (2017) £67 pw carers allowance - 4 DC, one disabled so unable to work

I don’t believe most are made up. I earn high as I do permanent makeup ( brows, lips, liner) it’s a great job.

@Marinaloves I agree with @irishgal85 these are average earnings. In my particular circumstance I went into a financial career, I have zero quality of life, I work 90+ hours a week.

[quote Bubblefart]**@Marinaloves* I agree with @irishgal85* these are average earnings. In my particular circumstance I went into a financial career, I have zero quality of life, I work 90+ hours a week.[/quote]
Fair point. And the one made about the period in timeand inflation etc. by another poster, so I'll clarify mine. When I was 25 it was the late 2000s so things have moved on from the 35 year old position now but that wasn't so long ago really.

25: £28k, 80-100 hrs per week
35: £120k 4 days per week, 30 hrs.

[quote Bubblefart]**@Marinaloves* I agree with @irishgal85* these are average earnings. In my particular circumstance I went into a financial career, I have zero quality of life, I work 90+ hours a week.[/quote]
Honestly don't put up with this! There are career paths that don't require you to have no life (or health in the long run!) even in finance.

I had a salary jump while I was 25 as I qualified as a solicitor. When I was in my final year of training I was on £29k, and this jumped to £36k. By 35 I was working PT but my FTE was about £58k

@Changeismyname

I had a salary jump while I was 25 as I qualified as a solicitor. When I was in my final year of training I was on £29k, and this jumped to £36k. By 35 I was working PT but my FTE was about £58k

Oh no hang on that’s not right! When I was 25 I was just starting my training. So when I turned 25 I was on about £19k as a paralegal. Then in that year I went up to £26k as a starting salary as a trainee. By 35 c£58k FTE.

I earned £100 more after tax 10 years after my mid 20s per month.a combination of life happening, zero chance to migrate, or travel, or get out of the county I was in, means I wa just stuck. So I just stopped working. I will never, under my.current circumstances, be able.to advance, or get a decent living wage.

25 - £12,000
35 - £75,000

@Marinaloves

This thread is fucking hilarious and almost entirely made up

Apart from maybe a couple of posts it seems pretty realistic to me.

@JaninaDuszejko

I don’t know about the motives of others, but I’m trying to gauge whether having children earlier or later is better for your career.

It depends on two things Firstly, the cost of childcare. If you have family providing free childcare then you can probably have a child and continue working on any salary. If you have no family support (we didn't) then you need to earn enough to cover your childcare costs otherwise it can feel as if you are working for nothing. When the DC were small our childcare bill was over double our mortgage (NE so housing is cheap) and half my salary but I earnt above average working PT. If you keep working through the baby years you are in a much better position to keep your career going. Even if your salary stagnates for a bit you are buiding experience.

The main factor that will affect your earnings will be if the father of the child is willing to do half the childcare. I'd recommend not having a child with a man who thinks his career is more important than yours and that he can't reduce hours to work PT or work shifted hours so he can do either the drop off or pickup at childcare. Sadly men who are willing to do their fair share are rare.

We’ve always paid for childcare.

You say ‘you need to earn enough to cover your childcare costs’ but it depends on the bigger picture. We had a year when total child costs exceeded our incomes; it made sense for us long term though because in my industry salaries increase with experience/time at the company and you have to take a huge pay-cut if you leave for another job/company.

25 around £40k (actuary qualified for a year at that point).
35 I’ll have to pop back in two years.

Even the posts which sound made up could be true.

C-level (Chief Executive) salaries are easily into 6 figures.

A quant (financial analyst) at a bank or hedge fund could be on £200k plus another £100k bonuses.

An entrepreneur might earn any figure from negative to ultra-high.

At 25 (pre marriage and DC) my remuneration was around £30k pa
At 35 (married with 2 DC in childcare) I would guess around £50k pa
But I was not better off!

[quote hangryeyes]@ChrissyCarol I found switching industry can impact your earning potential, eg marketing for a manufacturer vs marketing in a bank or technology business (I don’t work in marketing), if it’s more money you want look at what you do now and how the salaries differ for the same thing.[/quote]
I think this is key. The type of industry, and whether public or private sector can hugely effect earnings.

Also, weighing up non-salary aspects such as maternity pay, healthcare cover and discounted private school fees (e.g. boarding school fees for FCDO and Armed Forces).

I think this is key. The type of industry, and whether public or private sector can hugely effect earnings

This in spades! I went from being a qualified engineer earning 23k (it was a fair few years ago) to a trainee IT role for the same money. I'm now earning in excess of 60k working for an IT company. I could earn a lot more (6figures), but I'm financially stable, with little stress and don't want to further my career anymore. If I'd stayed doing my original job I doubt I'd be close to 60k let alone anymore

25 -£24k
31 - £48k

Now 33

I want to be on £70k to £80k by im 40

@harknesswitch agreed. Also self-employed versus employed. I’m at the Bar (majority of us are self-employed. We are also sole traders so don’t get the tax benefits of this either).

I earn well (some areas of the Bar are poorly paid). I work crazy hours, regularly have had to miss events because of work. I don’t get pension, sick pay or holiday pay. I have to pay for expensive childcare (Nanny) because If a judge decides we are sitting late I can’t leave/can’t get cover in.

My colleague became a full time judge. On paper big salary cut, but she will have an amazing pension, sick pay, holiday pay and she’s also been able to stop having a Nanny as her hours are much more 9-5. She says that actual the 50k pay cut on paper has made no difference and she has a far better quality of life.

25 - 22.5k

35- £54k

Had 3 children in 5 years in my late 20's - early 30's. I work in a male dominated industry so feel like I've done alright and it hasn't hurt my career massively.

25 was 10k
35 was zero. 5 year gap to sahm.
47 12.5 k part time

25- 31,000
31- 36,700

Same job