To ask what your high-paying jobs are?

[patienceandprudence]

My DD is in uni doing History. We’re working class through and through, and while she we were chatting about jobs she said that more than anything she’d like to earn a good amount. I’ve no idea what to suggest and DD only came up with a role in the Civil Service.

I always see people on here with high-paying jobs. What could she do with a History degree?

@WearsideBridge

Just what do you do *@Tooembarrassingtomention*?

I was a primary teacher (mid £30k), primary headteacher (mid £40k/low £50's) and education adviser (low £50k).

I also think there has to be a consideration about the availability of jobs. The Local Authority, Assistant Director for Education earns £80k - but that is one post for the whole county, covering nearly 400 schools.
Same with many other jobs, only the very top posts give such high salaries, not everyone works within that field.

@wearsidebridge was your primary school tiny? I can't understand why your salary as a head teacher was mid 40s/low 50s. I was on that when I was a head of department (secondary). I hope you don't find that rude, I'm just surprised and wanted to offer some balance to the thread. Teaching obviously is such a difficult job, but I don't think it's badly paid and members of SLT (certainly in secondary schools) can earn very very well. But maybe not by MN standards!

My husband never went to uni, but learnt all about IT etc on his own while working in other jobs. He then started his IT career 5 years ago and has worked his way up from IT support to management and is now a Cloud Engineer. Its a pretty good wage and no uni debt.

Definitely go for something you have a passion for!

I work in recruitment although I'm not a recruiter myself. They make very good money and we often hire humanities grads.
It's not easy and it's not for everyone but lots of people earn 50-100k around 4 years in if they stick at it

@sst1234

All the people recommending Law are forgetting she is studying History.

Huh?! A good chunk of the lawyers in the FTSE100 I work for have history degrees at undergrad and did a law conversion. It's a great degree for law.

It's a good degree for many professions. I know people with history degrees in law, accountancy, compliance, finance, ESG, Big 4 consultancy and many other sectors with high pay.

What she really needs to grasp are sacrifices that at some point will have to be made.

Some years of long hours, moving around for your career possibly even overseas. Dh has relocated totally three times for his career inc a year overseas before I knew him. I have relocated twice. You arrive knowing no one, it’s quite tough.

The best paid folk in both mine and DH family at one time or another
Surgeon
Academia
Research for big Pharma
Accountancy
PA to an international sporting star and English and Russian business men. Know nothing as she always has to sign non disclosure contracts. She speaks multiple languages.

As this thread demonstrates, there are loads of options open to her.

She needs to decide on something she’s interested and really go for it.

It definitely pays to be ready for the milk round applications in her final year. And to have plenty of varied experience to tell them about at that point.

Studied English & History because I had no idea what I wanted to do post university. Went into marketing, now a project manager; did a top up course in PM skills a few years ago. I earn £65,000 a year and manage a team, senior manager etc. Aged 33, don’t really “use” my degree but wouldn’t have my job without it.

Not sure why I didn’t mention this earlier, but practically all the people I know who did history at uni ended up as IT project managers and earn a packet. Not sure why so many are in the same area.

Oh my goodness reading this post makes me wish I'd have followed my head not my heart. I got good grades but wanted to help people so I'm now a nurse. Definitely crap money 😂

As many others have said, pay attention to what she is enthused by, enjoys and is good at. My well-paid job is in IT (I'm a product owner) - my degree is in Economics and I started as an accountant because it was a good job with strong prospects I was terrible at it because my heart wasn't really in it. The managing partner at the time who did enjoy it and was passionate about it had a music degree. The degree fundamentally proves you can think, learn and apply yourself it isn't training for the career itself generally.

City jobs, consulting, law, right kind of tech jobs (e.g data science, cloud, security, business transformation) all good possibilities

Where does she want to be in the UK? What does high earning mean to her?

Law outside City doesn't pay that well (my brother is a history grad. solicitor). My SIL is a GP and earns much better than him.

I'm a chartered accountant & DH is in investment management. Most people I know on high incomes either own their own small businesses, work in high level IT jobs, or are in finance or law.

DS has a humanities degree and has (rather randomly) ended up in sales on a £60+ salary in his twenties, outside of the SE.

Oh and I know barely any lawyers with law degrees! All the top city ones I know did good academic subjects at Russell group, followed by conversion course and vac scheme.

@DeepaBeesKit

Oh and I know barely any lawyers with law degrees! All the top city ones I know did good academic subjects at Russell group, followed by conversion course and vac scheme.

Agree with this.

@Hulkynothunky

Yes, HT of a small primary, with a large deficit budget.

I'm currently looking to return following some time as an education adviser. This is current - starting at just under £55,000 for a two form entry school (just under 500 pupils) uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=e247bdf89d9196ed&from=serp&vjs=3

Buying

In Law both history and theology grads do well. I knew a barrister with theology.
It is the ability to construct an argument and do research that are recognized.
Specialist law can be learned.

@leavesthataregreen thank you - central government policy. Started in London but moved to 'regions' 5 years ago when I had my son as single parent. I've still worked in jobs that are traditionally seen as London based until recently.

What did she think would happen when she decided to do a degree in History? It should be illegal for universities to offer these types of degrees that provide zero actual job skills (other than a history teacher).

[quote WearsideBridge]@Hulkynothunky

Yes, HT of a small primary, with a large deficit budget.

I'm currently looking to return following some time as an education adviser. This is current - starting at just under £55,000 for a two form entry school (just under 500 pupils) uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=e247bdf89d9196ed&from=serp&vjs=3
[/quote]
Shockingly low. It seems very wrong to me that colleagues in secondary are earning so much more. I taught in a school with around 500 pupils and was on about 45k as head of department (not top of my payscale yet either) so I know the head teacher definitely wasn't on 10k more than me! Seems very wrong to me.

Anyway, best of luck returning

@CallyWW

What did she think would happen when she decided to do a degree in History? It should be illegal for universities to offer these types of degrees that provide zero actual job skills (other than a history teacher).

Have you actually read this thread? ZERO job skills? Please. History isn't a Micky mouse degree.

@CallyWW

What did she think would happen when she decided to do a degree in History? It should be illegal for universities to offer these types of degrees that provide zero actual job skills (other than a history teacher).

Erm but that's not all of the skills that a history degree offers, plenty of transferable skills, and many employers value it as a degree.

With a history degree, god knows.

Work in tech. Some of my colleagues are now heading for 6-figure US-remote salaries just 3-4 years after completing a bootcamp. The market's insane.