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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for ‘normal average’ salaries?

393 replies

Mamacita191 · 04/10/2021 09:33

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?

OP posts:
SilverGlassHare · 04/10/2021 15:19

@MatildaIThink Oh yes, I mean it was a great payrise. But obviously it didn't provide the same standard of living as DH and I have now because my mum didn't work, so that was the sole family income. I know they felt a lot better off though!

@TeacupDrama it does seem like we have a massive amount of disposable income to me. On the other hand, we'd struggle to pay for private schooling, and I think that would have been much more within reach of two working professionals in the 1990s! But we can buy pretty much anything we want without much consideration, we don't worry about bills, I can do the food shopping without worrying about a budget, we have ISAs and a savings account. So yes, I do feel rich.

Bonbon21 · 04/10/2021 15:19

20 years full time in the NHS and now on 23k...
Speechless at some of these salaries.

julieca · 04/10/2021 15:27

I am surprised you are speechless. That is a pretty normal salary for a lot of jobs.

Kangaroosfeet · 04/10/2021 15:33

I earn 31k for 4 days a week as a senior nurse. I don't think that's bad for part time but I'm not loaded.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 04/10/2021 15:33

@HasaDigaEebowai

High Street lawyers don't make sic figures

Well they can if they’re equity partners.

But then it isn't a salary, the thread is about Salaries.

Even in good regional firms in the Midlands or North a six figure salary will be out of reach for most who aren't partners. Successful associates in commercial teams might but most won't.

Sexnotgender · 04/10/2021 15:33

@Bonbon21

20 years full time in the NHS and now on 23k... Speechless at some of these salaries.
20 years doing what?
onlychildhamster · 04/10/2021 15:33

@Bonbon21 a family friend of my DH works for the NHS as an accountant (management level). He probably earns 6 figures simply because his house in north london is over a million and while he has equity from previous homes in north london, he also went through a divorce and the wife got the bulk of the equity.

MrsPToBe123 · 04/10/2021 15:36

There seems to be a lot of talk about lawyers and a view of distorted high salaries. Being a partner is not the norm.

Commercial law firms in the midlands start their nqs on around 40-45k and then it'd probably go up a couple of grand a year. High street firms would see an nq start in the high 20s/low 30s.

onlychildhamster · 04/10/2021 15:39

@MrsPToBe123 i read law and my lawyer friends in high street firms are the same. Salary wise, you are better off working as an analyst in a investment bank than working as a solicitor on average and its a lot easier to get the former job than get a training contract.

HasaDigaEebowai · 04/10/2021 15:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dearreader · 04/10/2021 15:48

If you earn the same as your age in years you are doing well.

julieca · 04/10/2021 15:57

So at 60 I should be earning £60k, about double the average for full-time employees? And by the time I retire at 67 then 67k?

olidora63 · 04/10/2021 16:02

Two of my children have decent degrees from Uni in the top ten rankings. They are both scraping £22-24 K a year ! Absolutely rubbish and we still pay for their cars to be fixed etc …not sure how their generation will ever be 100% independent!

julieca · 04/10/2021 16:03

I have a degree and earning about £28.5k.

MatildaIThink · 04/10/2021 16:03

@olidora63

Two of my children have decent degrees from Uni in the top ten rankings. They are both scraping £22-24 K a year ! Absolutely rubbish and we still pay for their cars to be fixed etc …not sure how their generation will ever be 100% independent!
If you don't mind me asking what were their courses in and did they actually look at future career prospects ahead of doing their degrees?
PurpleFlower1983 · 04/10/2021 16:05

I earn 45k, husband earned £36k in his previous role before going self-employed/part time SAHD. That’s in education and theatre. Where we are in the North I would say that’s higher than average but my friendship group earn similar.

qualitygirl · 04/10/2021 16:16

@Dearreader yep I was always told your age should somewhat match your age so @julieca in your 60's you should aim to be earning in the 60's bracket at least.

BigWoollyJumpers · 04/10/2021 16:18

How long is a piece of string. It will always be dependent on where you live, and exactly what you do.

I earned £40k, twenty years ago, in a sales admin role, without a degree. I have been a SAHM since, but if I had stayed on, probably would have been £50k/60k by now.

DD's graduate friends in London mostly started on £30k, some on £40k, a couple on £70k and one on £120k. A couple of others went into the arts and only earn £20k (if lucky). All are first class degrees from top uni, but obviously in different disciplines with different job opportunities.

Dearreader · 04/10/2021 16:20

Having said that (about age matching your salary) for many people and for many jobs this will never be possible. Most people do not earn anything like that. Most people earn very low wages and a handful earn a very good wage.

julieca · 04/10/2021 16:21

@qualitygirl yeah I missed that memo. So do most people though.

Iggly · 04/10/2021 16:23

It’s a shame an average wage isn’t enough to get by on in huge parts of the country with our epic housing and childcare costs.

julieca · 04/10/2021 16:45

Childcare costs are only epic usually for the first 5 years of a child's life. Of course there are exceptions, but generally when they start school, childcare costs significantly reduce. So over the working life of someone this is only an issue for a part of people's working life. The bigger issue is housing.

SofiaMichelle · 04/10/2021 16:49

@Bobsyer

BUT - I want more money as the reality is that the more money you have the more you spend.

People say this, but it's not universally true.

Definitely not the case for DH and I, and not for plenty of others I know.

LST · 04/10/2021 16:50

[quote qualitygirl]**@Dearreader* yep I was always told your age should somewhat match your age so @julieca* in your 60's you should aim to be earning in the 60's bracket at least. [/quote]
First time I have heard that ridiculous statement!

ViceLikeBlip · 04/10/2021 16:54

40k as experienced teacher with no extra responsibilities. Feels like a decent professional salary round here (Midlands) but i do often wonder just how much extra work/stress those mythical 100k+ London jobs really are....