To think this is a rubbish salary increase over 10 years?

[flyingtartar]

I found a payslip from 10 years ago this morning and it revealed the depressing news that my net take home pay is just £600 more now than it was then. During that time I have been promoted 3 times and reached the top of my grade. I had me children before then so there have been no gaps in that period. Of course my tax and pension contributions have increased, but £600??!! I am in a public sector career and have little prospect of further promotion as the next step up is a big one that few make and I’m not sure I would even want to. I feel better off as there’s no childcare costs anymore and no useless ex to support, but it seems such a paltry amount of progress over a long period.

AIBU or do I need a shake?

Yes, £600 per month. The cost of living has gone up in that time so that makes it worse. I didn't have a student loan as I'm old! Not a lot I can do about it really. My job doesn't really exist outside the public sector and obviously my pension is decent. It's just a bit galling to think that I do so much more than those who were doing my role 10 years ago, for no greater reward and I'm not really any better off than my younger self...

In ten years mine has not increased at all.

That does suck OP. I have no advice, but YANBU

What is your take home pay? We can't tell if that's a large or small percentage without that.

I have had a ~£15k pay rise since my first job a decade ago. But I think after tax that amounts to about another £800/month take home. For me is is several pay grades different, but perhaps the financial amount is fairly standard?

I work for one of the largest companies in accountancy and our graduate starting salary hasn’t changed in about 10 years.

Stagnating wages is a huge problem across the board, especially compared to house prices.

YANBU most of us are being screwed so that the Sir Bufton Tuftons can keep their snouts in the trough.
I've only just managed to claw my way back to my 2006 pay level, when I moved into this house. It is caused by too many people falling for Tory ideology even though it offers them nothing. We are also much too (small C) conservative as a nation - we badly need electoral reform and the end of shite like the House of Lords.

You take home more £600 a month than 10 years ago in a public sector role-that doesn’t actually sound bad? I’m a teacher and my pay hasn’t gone up that much in the last ten years.

Unless you’re in a skilled profession like solicitor or doctor I’d say an extra 600 per month is quite good.

What was your salary ten years ago and what is it now?

I was made redundant from a higher paid job 6 years ago, since then I've had other jobs but overall my pay is still lower than 10 years ago.

Yabu

£600 per month isn’t actually that bad. After tax, NI, student loan etc that’s around a 12k increase, so just over 1K pay rise for each year. That’s cost of living plus some extra so compared to others pretty good.

Yabu. Partner has been in the same job for 30 years. Takes home less for the same hours than he did when he started. That’s road haulage for you.

My pay will go up by less than half that over the next 10 years according to my salary scale. It is a bit annoying but we start high, I'm on 55k after 2 years, top of the scale is 65k after a long 17 years!

Yanbu. Salaries in this country are awful and the ever widening pay gap between the richest and poorest is just sickening.

I agree, OP, it doesn't sound a lot.

However, for comparison, after being made redundant twice in 3 years, it took me 10 years to get back to the salary I had when I was made redundant.

I'm not a doctor or a lawyer but my profession requires a postgrad qualification.

My salary is £49k now - not sure what it was 10 years ago but I think it would have been about £38k.

It just seems a bit rubbish.

I’m afraid I think 600 a month is a pretty good increase over that time. Mine is much, much less than that -about 150 a month. I originally thought you meant 600 a year. It’s a definite problem.

Sorry about the dual-posting. I was multi-tasking and didn't realise I'd done it!

My personal circumstances have meant this paltry increase hasn't been much of an issue, but if someone trying to get on the property ladder or have children in need of childcare had this...you can see why people struggle.

£600 a month net is quite a lot, I thought you meant annually.

Yes, it's obviously a lot better than annually. I'd be spitting feathers if it was annually, especially after 2 promotions - I've realised I've muddled my dates and one was earlier than 10 years ago.

49k is a big salary too. 38 ten years ago would be very good. I live in London and don’t earn anything like that, so I think your viewpoint is a little skewed. However, you are right regarding the general lack of increase in pay and how it affects affordability of property etc. Eg, in my job I could afford to buy a flat by myself. Nowadays that’s impossible. My co-workers all live in rented house shares, even in their 30s.

You started on a high salary though so your take home is quite good. In comparison my starting salary as a graduate was low twenties and I have gone up around £20k in 10 years so £1000ish per month increase in take home pay. My salary is still less than yours.

Public sector roles aren’t known for being brilliantly well-paid though, are they? £49K up from £38k is pretty good even for a job needing a post grad.

As a teacher-a role requiring me to do a post grad after my degree-I’m at the top of the pay scale and like you, can’t go any higher without taking a big step that few people make. I’m on about £41k. I’ve been top of the pay scale for some time so this hasn’t really changed and won’t do so in future.