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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what your job is if you earn £50k plus

704 replies

CareerInspirationRequired · 14/07/2021 07:32

Just that really!

I'm in a job that I fell into many years ago. Its OK but I'm bored. It's a professional job that many people would think earns about twice what it does. I'm on approx 30k (people are always shocked to learn this) and will be forever in this job (no real promotion open to me). Its a sector a LOT of people want to work in and in which some people will work for free. The result is we are actually paid very little - and people outside the sector are always shocked by this.

I'm considering a career change, but have no ideas what to. So if you're earning 50k plus sell me hour career. I have a degree, an MA and I'm sure lots of transferable skills.

OP posts:
Ceit · 15/07/2021 18:02

I used to earn slightly under £60k as head of English in an inner London school

PocketRocket12 · 15/07/2021 18:02

Chief Marketing Officer. All my marketing colleagues and friends with marketing careers are atleast 50k+ (outside of London) once you hit middle management.

LazJaz · 15/07/2021 18:03

In house strategy consulting

JillyF1 · 15/07/2021 18:06

I am a coach and I help people find direction in both their business and personal lives. If you would like to have a quick chat to see if I can help point you in the right direction let me know.

GlomOfNit · 15/07/2021 18:07

I earn nada Sad and my last (only) professional role was an entry-level university lecturer, albeit in a RG university, which nearly 20 years ago now, started me off on about £22K ...

DH earns over 50K (not that much more though) and is also a university lecturer at professorial level (not a RG but a red brick, eg not new, university). It took him best part of three decades to get that far if you include undergraduate days. Academia is not well paid and nowhere near as attractive a gig as it used to be!

OP, I thought you MUST be in the museums/heritage sector from what you said! (about people now doing work in your sector for free and it being badly paid but oversubscribed.) How do you mean, that some people do work in your sector of HE 'for free'? I used to do some teaching as a post-grad whilst working on my PhD but got paid (a pittance) for it.

undersleptagain · 15/07/2021 18:09

Software engineer

Seahorsemama · 15/07/2021 18:09

Well as a senior nurse with degree, masters and post graduate certificates and 11 years experience…worked throughout covid seeing patients, I only earn 30k (27 hours)…
And if I get my job wrong people die… but hey that’s what’s wrong with this country

OldYorkshirePud · 15/07/2021 18:11

I’m a software developer and earning just short of that figure. I don’t have a degree, I started at the bottom and worked my way up, mostly self-taught.

Earnings potential is much higher in IT if you’re good and ambitious.

puddleduckmummy · 15/07/2021 18:12

My husband is a HGV driver and earns £47k a year.

CovidCorvid · 15/07/2021 18:12

If you’re earning 30k I’m assuming you’re on a lecturer grade not SL? Is there no scope for an SL post? You’d end up on approx 50k then.

I’m an SL and not quite on 50k but with a few more annual increments I will be.

JillyF1 · 15/07/2021 18:12

I am a coach and I help people in their business and personal lives. If you want to have a quick chat I am happy to see if I can point you in the right direction. I am starting with a client next week who is thecsame position as you with regards to a career change.

DoItAfraid · 15/07/2021 18:19

Tax accountant

Julesb77 · 15/07/2021 18:22

Originally trained as a journalist but found it didn’t suit.
Moved into corporate finance and it brings in £60k plus bonus

thebookworm1 · 15/07/2021 18:23

IT - the salaries can be ludicrous. If you don’t have a coding background there are 2 career paths accessible through transferable skills:

  • testing (you can start as a manual tester the quickly progress to team manager or learn automation. The latter is a really good earner)
  • product management. You can start as a Business Analyst or scrum master (after a short training course) and move into product ownership or management.

If you want to retrain and are prepared to follow online courses, devops is a goldmine of a career with a dearth of candidates.

FredtheCatsMum · 15/07/2021 18:23

Head of IT at a further education college on 55k.

In a charity in a similar role I was on £72k - lots more staff though.

Mesoavocado · 15/07/2021 18:24

Clinical Service Manager in NHS Scotland is band 8a and above 50k per year.

No requirement for a clinical background but some experience in NHS will help

Stickyjamhands · 15/07/2021 18:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FreddieLounds · 15/07/2021 18:27

I earn 6 figures as an RG academic. Not in senior management, but very research-centric (grant income, prizes etc).

Could you get some mentorship to improve your prospects? At my institution those on the teaching and scholarship route can now progress to professor...

DaphneduWarrior · 15/07/2021 18:34

Content designer - freelance, so work in public and private sector. I wfh so rate isn’t location-based.

Depending on projects, I take home around £300 per day. (£50k = about £200 per day before tax). Sounds amazing, but if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. So I don’t get paid for my holidays, public holidays or if I’m ill / need time off for medical appts etc. I also don’t get any employer contribution to my pension. And I don’t get paid between contracts / when I’m looking for work.

But I absolutely love my job. I love the freedom I have, the value I can contribute - and the lack of office politics!

bigbaggyeyes · 15/07/2021 18:34

IT service delivery manager

ElArco · 15/07/2021 18:37

Head teacher. Primary. Earn just over £50,000.

AustralianCrunch · 15/07/2021 18:43

Optometrist

dontdillydallyonthewayoldchum · 15/07/2021 18:44

Earn 130k upwards. Started my own business in jan 2019. Before that was a stay at home mum who could barely make ends meet

chachachachachange · 15/07/2021 18:47

@Seahorsemama

Well as a senior nurse with degree, masters and post graduate certificates and 11 years experience…worked throughout covid seeing patients, I only earn 30k (27 hours)… And if I get my job wrong people die… but hey that’s what’s wrong with this country
Same here. Nursing and other health professions are severely understaffed and managers wonder why? well, maybe if we got the pay that other demanding, stressful jobs do... there would be more people applying for jobs. I wish my parents had spoken to me about the importance of earning money and to think of your future (if you get a physical or mental health issue you won't be able to be in nursing in your 60s). My idealisations of helping people/ saving lives do not pay the bills and the stress/bullying are worse than a wall street trader.
Hopepark · 15/07/2021 18:52

@CareerInspirationRequired

Just that really!

I'm in a job that I fell into many years ago. Its OK but I'm bored. It's a professional job that many people would think earns about twice what it does. I'm on approx 30k (people are always shocked to learn this) and will be forever in this job (no real promotion open to me). Its a sector a LOT of people want to work in and in which some people will work for free. The result is we are actually paid very little - and people outside the sector are always shocked by this.

I'm considering a career change, but have no ideas what to. So if you're earning 50k plus sell me hour career. I have a degree, an MA and I'm sure lots of transferable skills.

Are you in the veterinary industry? People are always surprised how badly paid this is in comparison to doctors/dentists etc!