To ask for ‘normal average’ salaries?

[Mamacita191]

After seeing loads of posts recently about what people earn, I feel like it’s a completely different world to what I am living in. I live in the midlands and a good salary is 30-40k which is what most people comfortably sit at. I certain rarely see jobs advertised for £60k or more (even 6 figures which I’ve read is what some people make!). Even the jobs that people advise to go into such as lawyers and accountants in a good firm etc don’t make 3 figures as I’ve read on here.

Is it just me who thinks 30-40k is a normal salary that a lot of people sit comfortably at? Am I missing out on something?

[quote Phrowzunn]@Nap1983 it’s funny - I’m in Scotland too and my DH earns about £60k as well. I am a SAHM though so have no income and we have two kids. I feel like I can’t imagine how ‘rich’ we would feel if we had an extra £30k coming in. I wouldn’t know how to spend it all! It just shows you though, it’s all relative. People live to their means, no matter what they are.[/quote]
Totally agree… I never worked when my DC was young and TBH I always thought I’d feel loaded when I had a full time wage. Turns out I just spend more

@PileOfBooks Exactly! I have family living in the south in a rural area where a lot of very rich people including celebrities. My family all do ordinary jobs such as selling cars, hairdresser, call centre, etc. They still rent or buy houses, but small starter type homes in places the rich people look down on. What people mean when they say they need to earn a massive amount to buy an expensive house is that they need to earn that to buy a house they would consider and in a suitable town or village.
Even my father when he died, his bungalow sold for £300,000 in a Sussex village. Not cheap, but not the massive amounts people here say they need to spend. But it wasn't a fashionable village. It was the kind with a chain pub rather than a gastro pub.

@NotresDames Lots of people are headhunted by agencies, the jobs are still advertised though. I do understand though with people on very high salaries that the jobs probably aren't advertised. But just saying head hunting happens at all levels above the lowest wage jobs.

[quote borntobequiet]This is a useful calculator to see where you stand financially compared to the rest of the population

ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/where_do_you_fit_in[/quote]
This tool told my sister she was in the poorest 1% in the country. She earns 38k!

@PileOfBooks

Sonar it isn't for nurses/teachers etc. You'd have to be a headteacher to earn that!

And you do realise lots of people live in the SE who will be earning far less... and must live somewhere. Just much smaller places than you call "average!"

It's amazing how blinkered we become when we just mix with "people like us."

It works both ways though - if all your friends are on minimum wage you’re going to think that 30K is a handsome salary. and that nobody can earn 50K. While people can present anecdotal evidence etc it’s only statistics for the population that make a difference. And even then what’s enough is subjective. Should it be ‘expected’ for a single minimum wage earner to be able to support a family alone? What does family mean - one children, three ? What is the ‘acceptable’ cost for each major expense (food, childcare, housing)?

I work in the public sector where jobs have to be advertised, including the salary. But when I occasionally get tapped up on LinkedIn for private sector jobs at the same kind of level, even if the job has been advertised it never says the salary, just “competitive” or something like that. So while you may not see many adverts saying “£65,000” that doesn’t mean those jobs don’t exist.

I earn approx £35-45K (it can vary) as a freelancer (plus get some maintenance from ex). I'm in Scotland and feel like I'm pretty well paid and don't feel poor – though at the same time, I have a modest flat and mortgage, I don't splash out on lots of holidays, new cars, designer bags or anything like that.

On the one hand I know I'm paid very well compared to a lot of people, for work I like which I can do in comfort at home, and I'm very grateful not to be struggling.

On the other, I know people like lawyers, hospital consultants, people in finance etc who are paid well over 100K and have big houses and loads of cash. One friend couldn't fathom how I could survive on less than her £140K, as everything's so expensive - but that would be private school fees, £200 cut and colours, multiple foreign holidays, expensive clothes etc.

So it depends on your POV, as well as location, and what you consider the things you "need".

The issue is that a lot of expenses can vary depending on your choices. Where I live I could rent or buy terraced housing in the cheapest place, or a detached house in a middle-class area. I could eat good quality free range meat every day, or fray bentos pies and similar.

@RosieLemonade we get 10k less than your sister and it’s told is we’re richer than 24% of the population, so somethings wrong there! 😂

Our household is 28k

Actual wage is around 18k for 40hrs but I get commission which is uncapped and that's anything up to 1k a month
That takes me to around 26k on average (NW)

Income is only half the story. The other half is outgoings.

I've just been looking at household income at work. As mentioned above average household income is circa £36k, however, higher earning families may have less disposable income due to higher outgoings - this could be mortgage, car, school fees etc.

Just because they earn more doesn't mean they have more disposable income

My salary has been a bit of a roller coaster due to a mixture of redundancies and lack of opportunities in local area - mid 30s I was on £47k, mid 40s on £28k. Now early 50s and on £38k + bonuses (usually £8-10k, but not guaranteed, £0k last year!).

We know people who work in low paid jobs such as care work right up to the crazy salary that DH two friends earn in banking. I think it’s quite unusual to have a range of friends and relatives across the entire earning spectrum. His mates that are bankers earn the astronomical salaries that probably 2% of the population make

For a very rough idea do this, The institute of fiscal studies. It’s not exact, anecdotes need to be put aside as so many permutations exist. We come out in top 15%, we are in our fifties in East Midlands one job and one pension due to early retirement.

ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/where_do_you_fit_in

It therefore seems that there are a lot of considerably higher than average earners on mumsnet then from reading previous threads!

There are also lots of fantasists on Mumsnet, just like on all social media.

My exdh earned £45,000(lawyer,scotland) but made about £10,000 on top of that with private clients. I was a sahm. He never tired of telling me how we couldnt live on this salary! The reality was we should have managed fine but he is shit with money and was comparing himself to his collegues who were all private educated folk married to doctors. I think anything above £30,000 is a good salary.

Pipsquiggle that argument always amuses me - they also have a nicer house/car and private schooling in your example. A bit "oh yes I earn more but I spend it so I have less left over..."

@RosieLemonade your sister needs to recalculate without putting a comma in her annual salary.

It did that to me and I was a bit bemused but when I reinput correctly it says my household is in the top 6%! And the graph now looks right so I'm assuming it does work properly.

@pinkgin85

Professional qualifications and niche fields will probably pay higher. I work in tech and do something fairly niche and I'm on £60k, but that is the top end of what I could get I think.

Exactly. I’ve got a fairly niche skill set and earn just under £50k with progression coming once I finish mat leave.

Income is only relevant within the context of location, property, home ownership and relationship status.

A single parent earning 50k renting a two bed house in an expensive area, with a child in full time childcare, running a car will struggle.

However, couples where both work and have a mortgaged property in a cheaper area, with family nearby, are going to be much better off.

It is pointless saying what you earn unless you give the context.

My dh earns above the national average but we live in an expensive area and have disabled children who need a full time carer. We struggle. If I have been able to keep my job, we wouldn't struggle.

@Pipsquiggle

Income is only half the story. The other half is outgoings.

I've just been looking at household income at work. As mentioned above average household income is circa £36k, however, higher earning families may have less disposable income due to higher outgoings - this could be mortgage, car, school fees etc.

Just because they earn more doesn't mean they have more disposable income

Of course they have more disposable income. They are choosing a nicer house to buy, a nicer car, to pay school fees. I could earn a million pound a year and have it all committed on a massive mortgage, running costs for a mansion, top private schools and day and night time nannies. After a basic base amount, you CHOOSE your outgoings. At least take responsibility for that.

Snap julieca! It amazes me people don't see this.

@FatOaf

It therefore seems that there are a lot of considerably higher than average earners on mumsnet then from reading previous threads!

There are also lots of fantasists on Mumsnet, just like on all social media.

This is very true. A friend went to a MN social meet up expecting it to be full of women whose families were very well-off. In reality, it was a very ordinary group of women who were a good laugh.

@PileOfBooks the refusal to take responsibility infuriates me. As if someone makes people buy more expensive houses or a more expensive car. I don't understand why seemingly intelligent people won't take responsibility for their spending decisions.
DP and I are not high-earners but are better off than we should be for our salaries. That is because we haven't increased our spending as our income has increased a bit except on discretionary spend like holidays. I now earn £28k, DP £25k. But we take responsibility for our own spending.

only 25% of people pay any higher rate tax which kicks in at roughly 50K the median is about 30K even in London the median is less than 40K so obviously half the population of london are somehow managing on that
how rich, comfortable poor you feel depends on living costs everyone needs to pay rent or mortgage until mortgage free needs food and heating but although these are unavoidable they are not fixed you can live in a smaller house or flat in a different area so choosing expensive accommodation doesn't make you intrinsically poorer it is a choice to live in an expensive area buying a 500K house is a choice so is renting at £1600 a month but someone on 30K with £600 rent is going to feel a lot more comfortable than someone paying £1000 or £1500 out of the same income
we have slightly below median household income but are mortgage free and have savings so don't feel poor at all in fact are financially secure. obviously I can't buy just anything but I don't worry about food heating or fuel for car or any other regular expenses and have more than enough for emergencies but I fully appreciate someone else on same income with rent childcare and no savings would feel completely differently

My DS was a chef (now at university) but does cheffing PT for a few hours. The rates for competent chefs (not frying or microwaving ready meals) have gone from £9-11 ph for a commis, to average £16 ph in the South West this summer, and more if you are good enough to work through an agency. And there is still a skills shortage. But hospitality isn't popular because of the hours and the conditions.