To ask what YOU think a high salary is?

[minimummies]

Going off the back of the salary thread and the savings threads. A lot of people are aghast at the wages and say that ppl are lying!

What do you think is a high wage for say a woman in their 30's?!
Would you say differently for a man?

I think anything over 100k is a high wage for either. 25-35k would be low imo and anything in the middle would be a good salary.

That's crazy! I'm 30 and in a job that requires no skills or qualifications - all on the job learning - outside of London and I earn approx. 27k (I say approx. as it does include overtime which differs, but this is the figure I earned last year)

It is indeed crazy Trinacham, sadly that’s the museums sector for you!

I’m not in the UK anymore, but I lived in London from the late 90s, and got a (proper) job in 2000 and was on $25K then. By the time I left in 2005, I was on $50K.

I find these threads enlightening, and wonder how people have such different experiences.

My DB is a director at a MC law firm. I won’t post what he’s on.

I have been looking into the museums sector as a possible future line of work. As far as I can see I would have to do an MA which would several thousand and mean I could only work part time while doing it. Incredible how poorly paid it is. As a society we really don't place value on the right stuff.

• £65k

shouldreallynamechangemore it’s grim. It’s amazing work to do but it really does take its toll.

I think it’s very location dependent, because housing in some areas is very expensive, and that’ll influence what people would think is a good salary. I’d say £100k plus is very good. I’m aware many friends who live near me are on over this (London). Friends living in other areas are on less, but they have bigger houses, gardens, lower working hours so a salary of much less would be good.
This is in our thirties. I also think it’s really important to talk about salaries, because if it’s always shrouded in secrecy, how can you compare if what you’re being paid is good. Or you can use the information to think about more training and a different career

@minimummies

Under 25k to me would be extremely low and I would expect it to be a part time role if I'm honest.

I don't think you have a good understanding of what the reality is for most people. I'm also not sure if the point of the thread tbh. It seem like you've just come here to brag. Which is quite embarrassing.

GF

[quote minimummies]Anyone I know in less than 25k in their 30's works part time!! If they were in their 20's and starting out in a career then yes full time at

Over 100k I would consider a very high wage. Over 65k a high wage

There's a pretty statistical answer to this. 30k is the uk average salary- closer to 40k in London. So logically, 'high' would mean something a good bit above that (50-60k?)

Since average factors in folk who are earning off the scales income, the mean will be lower than those numbers. (Mean being if you lined everyone up from lowest to highest earning, the middle person's earnings). Ie most people in the country earn less than 30k. So someone earning more than that can feel pretty fortunate.

I get really pissed off with people who declare 30k to be a low salary- suggests you are really out of touch and don't know how lucky you are.

BarbaraofSeville thank you- interesting re: council tax

There are plenty of full-time jobs less than £20K. Certain areas pay very poorly like my home town. It's the main reason I moved.

One problem is that people are deriding slightly lower salaries e.g. 35k as not high, but if you have two people earning this in a household, it makes a decent income.

25k to run an entire household on your own would be very low. Two people on 25k is 50k income which is edging towards high!

I'm a single parent and the only money coming into my household is one salary, mine, so that drastically affects how I rank my salary- I need it to be 50k just to be on a part with a household who has two workers on 25k (it's a little more complicated tax and benefit wise but the principle still holds).

You can't talk about high salaries without considering overall household income really, that's what determines your standard of living more than whether one individual person earns 25k or 50k.

It’s not your salary that makes you rich. Especially if your disposable income is low because you spent a ton on childcare, commuting, and on a mortgage for a modest flat in London. Assets make you rich and if you rely on your salary to build your assets, it can take a very, very, very long time unless you are a very lucky speculator.

I earn £28k and I think that’s a decent salary 🤷🏻‍♀️ But maybe that’s because 2 years ago I was on £16k I think anything upwards of £45k is really decent, anything upwards of £60k I would consider high.

God I hate these threads. Just why? It’s really not a subjective issue. It’s important to talk money but this is just unhelpful.

What I’m really interested in is is our NMW actually enough to live on? Are the super-rich taxed enough? Are women getting paid equally? Are public sector workers fairly compensated?

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid

I am a graduate but on a zero hours contract doing a graduate only role.

I would genuinely love to know how to kove into a 35-40k "average job."!

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid Most graduate schemes for large companies offer at least 30K. The Big4 accounting firms have loads of vacancies , and every firm has either finance/tech(not necessarily technical coding but project managers etc ) role. None of these require a degree in the relevant subject as all training is given. The downside is that they’re very competitive - it’s on a rolling basis so you need to apply the moment they open and have practiced for the several rounds of interviews etc.

Anything above 30k

£40k.

Most people earn less than £30k and MN is not remotely representative.

@SignsofSpring I suspect that a fair number of people I know are in substandard relationships for this very reason...

@sst1234

It’s not your salary that makes you rich. Especially if your disposable income is low because you spent a ton on childcare, commuting, and on a mortgage for a modest flat in London. Assets make you rich and if you rely on your salary to build your assets, it can take a very, very, very long time unless you are a very lucky speculator.

This. I'm not naive enough to suggest dh and I are not high earners. But we have no assets, won't inherit and live in London with 2 small children so cost of living is high. We're lucky not to struggle but I wouldn't call us rich either

I live in London/SE.

I think 35k-40k is about normal as a 30-40 y/o woman working full time in a fairly professional job. But then lots of women drop down to part time in their 30s, so actually now only earn half of that. Of course there will be high earners, who think £75k is normal...it's not though. I'd say £50k is high.

We have a massive problem between the minimum wage and high cost of living.

I think in my area you need a household income of £60k to be comfortable in a small house or flat if you have a child.

House prices where are live are mad and we live in a 'cheap' commuter area...

Crikey, I've worked full time all my adult life and never broken £20k. Currently on just under £16k. So anything above £25k I would be rolling in it!!

I agree. DH is semi retired. I work part time in a job I love, but isn't well paid, BUT - our mortgage is paid off, ours cars are paid off, our solar panels cover the cost of most of our utility bills, our biggest monthly spend is council tax and DD's university accommodation. We don't have an extravagant lifestyle and have savings and no debts.

Compared to a lot of mumsnetters you would think we were living in poverty, but we consider ourselves quite comfortably off.