to believe the Mumsnet High Earners?

[LigPatin]

Every time there's a thread about earnings, there's always multiple posters who claim that most people on the thread must be inflating or plain lying about their salaries.

Whilst I recognise that people lie, especially on anonymous forums, I find it quite sad that people prefer to dismiss these posts as lies rather than take inspiration/education from them (or just not care).

I come from a poor background - we never had enough money to the point that food and electricity use was rationed. We weren't on the streets, but that was a looming possibility. We lived (mostly) within the midlands.

I fell into nannying as a career (having dreamed of being a primary school teacher) and my first job was in Kensington. The housekeeper had been gossiping about the rent on the house we worked in - it was £3k a WEEK. This was 2012-ish. I remember wondering how on Earth anyone could afford paying £200k+ a year on rent alone, when - in my mind - earning just £50k was amazingly rich.

I remember walking through Kensington and Knightsbridge and Chelsea and seeing thousands and thousands and thousands of these houses, all huge and grand and all presumably commanding similar rent or sale value than the one I worked in. They were all clearly lived in and used.

Perhaps it was arrogance, or naivety, but I figured that if there were enough people who could afford to pay £1k, £2k, £5k+ a week on rent (or buy million pound houses), then there must be a lot of money out there to be earned, and I couldn't see any reason as to why I couldn't find a way to get a share of that money.

That's sort of how I feel about these earning threads - hundreds of people are posting about their high salaries and instead of scoffing that they must be sad-sacks who hang out on Mumsnet to lie about their lifestyles - I think it's inspiring and encouraging to see so many women out there making amazing money and securing their futures.

FWIW - I was 21 back in Kensington, amazed at the £3k a week rent. I'm coming up to 30 now and my average yearly income is about £120k. I remind myself every day of how lucky I am, and how 21 year old me would have been incredulous. Though I'm, of course, absolutely nowhere near being able to rent a £3k a week house

I believe them. My BIL earns at least £120,000. And we live nowhere near London.

Any career that pays £100K+ a year, would permit very little spare time/leisure time. And as if women with a high flying career, that pays £100K+ a year, would be chatting shit on mumsnet, in the precious few hours per week they get to themselves..

Utter bollocks. I earn 125 with a perfectly normal 9-5 office type job. It’s so annoying to throw this kind of shit around. I know a lot of men with small children like to pretend that their jobs require them to miss every bedtime for 15 years but it’s really not the case for most jobs at this level.

It's pretty obvious how much people earn when you know what they do.
You might not have the exact figure and package, but you know the average salaries, or business income.

I don’t really know much about average salaries in different professions- I’d have to Google. Obviously I have an idea which sectors tend to be higher paid than others, but little knowledge beyond that. I could almost certainly accurately tell you which of my friends earn more and which earn less, but couldn’t even give you a ballpark guess on figure without Googling. Maybe I’m just a bit stupid.

MN threads about work tend to be dominated by people who work in the public sector, where only very senior management and a few professionals like doctors will earn over 100k. OTOH most of the public sector benefits from generous pensions and job security.

Location makes a big difference too. When I lived in London, I knew many high-earners (though was not one myself), and stopped being surprised to meet people on 7 figures salary/bonus packages - though I was sometimes surprised by the mediocrity of those who did

I don’t particularly want to take inspiration from those getting megabucks because I’m not that way inclined politically, but I do believe people who say they’re earning a lot- someone has to be.

@Joeblack066, yes, people can work extraordinarily hard for NMW doing worthwhile essential jobs, but they don't usually have the rare and sought-after skills or talents that allow them to command high salaries.

And the comes a point in most organisations where a person has to choose between management and being managed, unless you are the talent.

I definitely do not believe money coralates with happiness. All the high earners I know are miserable and do not get flexible holidays and can't do the school run.

I barely know anyone earning under 80k. In my circle of close (female) friends, the majority are breadwinners. I'm proud of each and every one of them. I used to earn a good salary (c.100k) but chose to be a SAHM while my children are small. DH is a very high earner as are all his friends. They met on a grad scheme in financial services and have all gone onto have successful and lucrative careers. I'm not sure where I'm going with this really. I see threads about someone earning over 100k and its pretty normal to me, why would they lie.

Lol, I am always on MN :) I am always on my laptop though working, including probably 2/3 evenings a week and sometimes at the weekend, so I tend to have say 20 min breaks where I browse MN, twitter etc then back to it, (or sometimes while on boring meetings :)) It's not really a 9-5 job though, more work as and when required, sometimes evenings/weekends, with some corresponding quiet periods in the day.

@TheMarzipanDildo

I don’t particularly want to take inspiration from those getting megabucks because I’m not that way inclined politically, but I do believe people who say they’re earning a lot- someone has to be.

I'm interested to hear why you're not that way inclined politically, only because I felt/feel the same. I married a man who subsequently made a fortune, our children are now in private schools and although we pay a huge amount of tax I can't deny that I wrestle with my conscience every day.

@wesowereonabreak

“huh?!

Many people are paid based on what they bring to the company! Their salary and bonuses barely reflect their worth actually. "Average" is completely irrelevant.

You might argue that some jobs are ridiculously underpaid and some areas under-funded, but there's no such thing as someone being overpaid when you are talking about private companies at least”

Of course there is. The pursuit of vast profits by the kind of companies you’re referring to is socially destructive. The creation and maintenance of the wealth inequalities that these kind of salaries contribute to is directly harmful. It’s very relevant how someone’s salary measures up against the average, as we should be seeking to reduce inequality, not amplify it.

Does anyone take notice of anything said here unless one knows someone in RL , IT'S ANONYMOUS everyone can say wth they like

I was about to post this! Several posters have said they know people in RL who earn 6 figure salaries. I don’t doubt that at all but wonder how they know! I have some very close friends who I’ve known for 20-30 years, and with whom I’ve shared very intimate conversations about our relationships, our childhoods, our mental health issues etc...but I don’t know what any of them earn! I could guess based on their jobs and their lifestyles but I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a conversation in which someone disclosed their salary

I said similar to the below on other posts but sometimes it's just an awareness or industry & the going rates. Friends & I have had discussions about nanny recommendations as you don't qualify for the 30 hours etc or complaining about losing he personal allowance etc.

Well you're definitely not a teacher on that wage! 🤣

@LigPatin
I've spent the last 9 years working incredibly hard to be in my current position

I’m a teacher and have always worked hard in school and at work. I will never earn anything close to what you earn. The hardest workers (in any industry) don’t always earn the most.

@Rukaya

From nanny -120k in 9 years , it's not terribly believable

It's easily believable. Also you literally proved OP's point with that answer!
You do understand that you can actually make 120k AS a nanny? Let alone the fact that 9 years is a long time to gain qualifications and experience?

Who earns over £100k as a nanny?? Maybe if you’re the nanny of a Hollywood actor.

I know at least 8 other women in my department earning in the range £120 - £200K, just based on their grade. Not a hard job in terms of conditions, but requires a lot of specialist expertise and most of us will have earned more before coming into these relatively comfortable jobs.
Women are underrepresented because we hire from a talent pool where they are unlikely to want to work, due to the hours often being incompatible with mum responsibilities, but we are constantly trying to address this.
My two best friends from school earn about £110 and £70 I think in completely different fields.
It may be a small percentage but there are lots of absolute numbers in those small percentages, plenty to be posting honestly on mumsnet saying they earn £100K+.
I have no reason to think people lie about it, other than an occasional weirdo maybe.

[quote tinierclanger]@wesowereonabreak

“huh?!

Many people are paid based on what they bring to the company! Their salary and bonuses barely reflect their worth actually. "Average" is completely irrelevant.

You might argue that some jobs are ridiculously underpaid and some areas under-funded, but there's no such thing as someone being overpaid when you are talking about private companies at least”

Of course there is. The pursuit of vast profits by the kind of companies you’re referring to is socially destructive. The creation and maintenance of the wealth inequalities that these kind of salaries contribute to is directly harmful. It’s very relevant how someone’s salary measures up against the average, as we should be seeking to reduce inequality, not amplify it.[/quote]
Where do you think money comes from exactly?

Most companies pay TAX on their profits - and who enjoy the tax?

What is harmful is what has been tried in the past, capping salaries and rewards. Actually, you can still try today: cap the performance bonuses and commission in any company and see what happens.

The goal should not be a race to the bottom.

Haven't RTFT but totally get what you are trying to say OP.

I grew up thinking that "someone else" or "someone very different to the likes of us" did a lot of things.

Those things included:
Went to university
Earned mega bucks
Became prime minister
Became Doctors (our sort became nurses)
Became professionals (our sort were the secretaries to professionals)

And so on.

I try to convince my kids- someone is going to be running the country, doing the interesting jobs and/or earning ££££ by the time you are 40. All those people are at school right now. Why shouldn't it be you.

The pursuit of vast profits.... is socially destructive.

Sorry, I could not disagree more vehemently. Those vast profits are paid to shareholders, who are largely the pension funds and insurance companies that invest the money everyone should be putting aside for the future. If they do their work well, we (that's you and me) will have a better-funded retirement.

[quote XingMing]@Joeblack066, yes, people can work extraordinarily hard for NMW doing worthwhile essential jobs, but they don't usually have the rare and sought-after skills or talents that allow them to command high salaries.

And the comes a point in most organisations where a person has to choose between management and being managed, unless you are the talent.[/quote]
I must remember to remind my paramedic son of that when he next saves a life.
Or my teacher friend that works with SEN children and gets a breakthrough.
They’ll love to hear that they are not The Talent!

@wesowereonabreak

Agreed - and also people seem to forget that high earners pay high taxes as well and they won't be entitled to any benefit (i'm not talking about those with offshore accounts that are worth tens of millions). we shouldn't be bashing those high earners, instead we should think about improving wages instead eg for certain industries such as nurses, care workers etc.

YANBU, i like hearing stories like these OP. Its nice to see people do well :)

Thank you hello and deer, I shall Add those to the list of potential jobs for ds's!