To ask what your goal salary is?

[SmokeyApo]

Hi all, just being nosey here

I have been thinking a lot about career progression and asking for a raise lately, and that got me thinking about what my goal salary is. As in, the salary that I would like to earn at the peak of my career (let's say between age 40 and 50).

So I will ask: what would your goal salary be?

I won't share mine for now just because I don't want to influence the answers, but I will happily share it later on.

@lifeturnsonadime I'm in Scotland so not expecting London salaries, I'm 27 and 3 years qualified. I have friends doing admin jobs they got from leaving school who earn more than me and have 0 stress. I've tried to move industries and Careers I'd much rather an admin job for £30k than my job and hours for £35k but I get rejected from everything as over qualified or no experience in that industry.

I've never had an earning goal. But thinking about it now, I'd be happy with £30-£35 grand/year. Unlikey to ever happen in my chosen career though I'm a registered veterinary nurse who hasn't even hit £25K after over 20 years in the industry!
Its definitely a job you do because you love it, not for the cash.

ONS says average salary in uk in 2020 was £38,600. Median was £30,800. Top Band 7 nhs fte is £44,503. The vast majority of non doctor nhs staff will never get to top of band 7.

My aim was £70k which I achieved

A penny for your thoughts

Don't have a goal salary. I want to make partner which does pay well.

Late 30s on 50k but would want to get to somewhere between 75k and 100k.

At the moment opportunities are a bit low in current company but benefits do make up for it.

Decided to chnage up my hours and do compressed hours as a way to grg over lack of progression and pay rise this yr. Effectively moving to a 4 day week.

ONS says average salary in uk in 2020 was £38,600. Median was £30,800. Top Band 7 nhs fte is £44,503. The vast majority of non doctor nhs staff will never get to top of band 7.

I calculated the average on here up to page 8 (of peoples current earnings if they had disclosed them , not aspirations) and it was over 58k. Gov website says you're on 97th centile if your gross salary is 100k, but that doesnt correlate with this thread either!

I'm on 80k just now and there's part of me that would like to tip into six figures, but I like my job as it is (very autonomous SME, no managerial responsibilities) and I'm not sure I could be arsed with the next steps, which would probably involve people.

Lady Jayne Can I ask what Sector you work in - I earn a similar salary but am drowning in managerial responsibilities.

I'm a single parent in 25k..id like just earn enough to not worry about money and have some spare for holidays and treats. I'd be proud of myself if I could work up to 40k by the time I'm 40!

100k

I earn £36k as a teacher. It’s pathetic pay for what’s involved going by the salaries on mumsnet.
Neither my husband or I have ever been high earners but we are incredibly good with money. I would love to say I earned £50k but it’s never going to happen. I’m content with my lot tbh . I never worry about money, we have everything we need and some of what we want. Life is good.

don't really have a goal salary. Happy with where I am in life at the moment. Very comfortable with where we live and our outgoings are low, nearly paid off our first mortgage (I'm 30), so see no need for more income. My salary is around 26k-27k (regular overtime is available so can be more if I want), husband the same, so it is quite a high joint income, considering we only pay out about 1k in outgoings every month. I also don't like the thought of more stress at work, so happy doing something relatively easygoing!

For me personally I'd like to be earning 40-50k by mid forties.

I'm Mid thirties now and work part time so my earning potential is higher than what I'm actually earning as higher paid opportunities tend to only be available full time.

I qualified in my profession at 20 so am somewhat senior at 31, in theory I could climb all the way to just over 100k, but that would very much mean absolutely none of the on the ground stuff I enjoy and instead being entirely focused on money and outcomes.

Realistically, I will likely at some point in the future thing about the next jump, which would be WTE 50k, but not sure I would go higher. I also don't intend to work full time again which will impact on earnings (I currently work 3 days a week but will increase to 4 when ds starts school).

I think a joint salary of 100k between me and dh isn't inconceivable in years to come.

I'm currently doing my masters degree, once I'm qualified I will be a nurse consultant, earning around 58k starting, moving to around 62k after 5ish years!

@Schnauzersaremyheros

I've never had an earning goal. But thinking about it now, I'd be happy with £30-£35 grand/year. Unlikey to ever happen in my chosen career though I'm a registered veterinary nurse who hasn't even hit £25K after over 20 years in the industry! Its definitely a job you do because you love it, not for the cash.

The downside of wanting a job with animals, eh (I do too) they don't pay so well. I won't go into what I do but as far as animal work goes I think my industry is one of the best paid.. but one of the least appealing!

I’d be happy with about 30k a year. I don’t spend much but want the extra 5κ for travelling.

I'm currently on £30k, going up to £36k in about 6 months. That would feel like a lot if DH weren't unable to work currently and I still have debt I'm paying off. Once I finish paying the debt and he's back in work I will feel LOADED.

My goal would be £40-45k, only because in my line of work to do the stuff I actually find interesting that'd be the absolute max working for myself, and I've got no interest in going back to being an employee anywhere now.

If I did an abrupt career change to do my other professional interest full time I could probably triple that, but it would require retraining, a lot of constant networking and working self employed as a consultant, which is just not worth it to me and I'd have to give up my very generous work-life balance.

Plus I don't have or want children so I won't be taking any maternity leaves or need to save for university etc, so that makes feel comparatively well off compared to friends on similar or even higher salaries.

My goal would be 30k a year. Which would mean more training and for the stars to align I'm only 29 and have accepted a new job which means that maybe just maybe in 10 years I'll be earning that. Obviously inflation will rise so it won't really be that great buy hey got to have some goals!

@Trinacham it certainly is! I'm intrigued about your career now though - I'm guessing some sort of research? (You don't have to say )

Great question. I earn £55 k and that is enough for me. If I go for promotion it will be because I am bored and want a new challenge, not because I want more money. Dh is a very low earner £14k and is unlikely to ever earn much more.

Like the pp who said she would be happy not having to count the pennies when shopping, that was always my goal of comfortable, not eking out the last 20 quid til payday. I am there now, use a budget, save every month, overpay the mortgage by a small amount and have plenty of treats if not exactly a luxury lifestyle .

I'm not bothered about a bigger house or a better car. I like my life as it is. When the kids ( currently teens) get through uni and become independent I expect we'll feel positively wealthy.

I suppose the goal would be to be able to work part time.

My goal income would be £40k

Probably not going to happen. Currently on about £26k

I just can't conceive of earning £100,000. I cannot think what I could possibly do to earn that (without significant retraining or a change in temperament), and I'm fairly sure I'd have to earn it with long hours. And I'd probably have to dress in something other than jeans, or wake up early. Noooo ;)

Jo