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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I earn a 6 figure salary...

552 replies

herehearher · 09/07/2022 09:49

Just reading another thread and pretty much every post is going on about "6 figure salary" - as if this is some sort of meaningful marker.

But obviously there's a massive difference between someone on £100k and someone on £900k. So by "6 figure salary" are they just essentially saying they earn around £100k? If they earned £250k, how is it acceptable to describe that?

OP posts:
JoBrodie · 10/07/2022 11:12

@EinsteinaGogo - yes, fortune / fortunate is fine :)

Some people are also fortunate enough to be able to spot opportunities or observe something to their advantage that others might miss, or to be in contact with people who give good advice (which they then take).

Jo

EinsteinaGogo · 10/07/2022 11:27

I agree, @JoBrodie.

Fortunate/fortunate in that context, to me, seems a lot more difficult to argue with than 'lucky'.

SavBbunny · 10/07/2022 12:18

@Royalbloo
Good luck tomorrow.

RainCoffeeBook · 10/07/2022 12:21

Can't work out what you want really. It means "I earn a lot for the benefit of this conversation but I don't want to tell you the details."

Chances are you doubt anyone does which always amuses me. It's usually a sexist assumption that women rarely earn that high or their jobs must be insanely unique. In reality many of us are trying to make others aware of what possibilities are out there and you don't have to settle for 14k a year in a role where you're treated poorly.

Misunderestimated · 10/07/2022 12:22

@Royalbloo
Well done and good luck.

Redstripeyellowstripe · 10/07/2022 12:44

Perfect28 · 09/07/2022 10:20

The London point- most earners in London are still not reaching that figure. The bitter point- I'm not bitter, I'm angry. I believe in a ratio between top and bottom earners, the inequality in this country is disgusting.

And don't try and nullify the point about hard work. Many carers and NHS staff work similar hours on pittance. If there were true correlation between hardwork and pay you would happily disclose.

Pay transparency is needed now.

What ratio do you believe in? What’s fair? What provides the right incentives to employ people?

Getoff · 10/07/2022 13:02

RJnomore1 · 09/07/2022 11:53

I was reading some really interesting stuff and salaried in Scotland and equality yesterday and your right, women high earners are a significantly smaller percentage of women than men are of men. Which is a bit depressing.

I watched a Jordan Peterson clip in Youtube where he gives as one reason why women tend to be a small minority among very high-earners is that they are more sensible. Women get to about age 30 and see that to go down that path means working maybe 80-hour weeks, no time for friends, no time to maintain family relationships, no time for any interests outside of work, and think "fuck that for a game of soldiers."

I think (I hope I'm not misrepresenting him) that he said like women generally are much more middle-of-the-road than men, psychologically, which is why men dominate at all extremes of human behaviour, both good and bad.

I did once come across the Youtube channel of a young woman (still twenties I think) who was the epitome of what he was talking about. She was a six-figure earner as a lawyer in her mid-20's who was told in no uncertain terms by her boss in a Saturday phone-call that she could not endanger a project deadline by spending time with her much-loved dying granny, on the very day she did in fact, later on, die. He knew the granny was on her deathbed, but told the woman explicitly that the reason she was paid so much was that she was supposed to put client priorities ahead of that. She did prioritise work, regretted it, and quit her job shortly afterwards.

Of course lots of people earn six-figures without it being so extreme, but that doesn't mean the generalisation of large sacrifices often being required is wrong.

Having said all that, in my marriage it's the woman who is working long hours, for money that not only will she never spend, but that is likely to make a significant difference to her child's inheritance. (Because the child is already likely to inherit plenty.) So I know there are some irrationally work-obsessed women.

Getoff · 10/07/2022 13:04

unlikely to make a significant difference

herehearher · 10/07/2022 13:07

Just catching up - quite a lot since yesterday...

I agree with a bit of what everyone has said really. These arguments don't have to be so binary. Of course, there is never going to be a direct correlation between hard work and salary. 'Hard work' means different things to different people anyway. Of course some skill sets are more specialist than others and will commend higher salaries. This goes without saying. But I also think think there is a culture of knocking people down in the U.K. and blaming other people's success for your perceived lack of it. It's never as simple as that. I don't believe that stat someone quoted about only 1% of people achieving more financial success than their parents. That can't be right, surely?

OP posts:
Xenia · 10/07/2022 13:25

It is a very complex topic but I don't think most mumsnetters lie about their pay and nor are they including rental income and inherited money - it is sometimes that they are simply in jobs that pay well but that not all women realise those jobs are out there. That is one reason debates like this are useful as it helps ensure women are aware what is possible and even if something is impossible (eg I am never going to earn what a footballer does as I am not good enough at that sport) at least you can see the options there are which may be available.

Topgub · 10/07/2022 13:26

@herehearher

That was me and that wasn't really what I said/meant.

If only 1% are earning 6 figures it stands to reason the remaining 99% aren't

Regardless of how hard they work.

Those in the 1% are more likely to stay in the 1 % than those from the 99% make it to the 1%

I linked to a few articles earlier.

There are loads

The UK has one of the worst social mobility rates in Europe.

That's not debatable.

herehearher · 10/07/2022 13:42

Why did you think the U.K. has one of the lowest social mobility rates Topgub?

OP posts:
Topgub · 10/07/2022 13:49

@herehearher

Successive tory govt.

High wealth inequality.

Benefit traps

Low education values/attainment

Inequality in society (sexism, racism)

herehearher · 10/07/2022 14:02

But those are outcomes rather than causes, surely? For instance, if British people don't value education as much as people in say, India, Korea or China, why is this? In those countries there is no safety net, greater wealth inequality and it's not as if sexism and racism are uniquely British phenomena.

OP posts:
Misunderestimated · 10/07/2022 14:19

@Topgub
To address your last two points, my daughter attended a very, very selective school. Some middle-class parents had their ten-year-olds tutored within an inch of their lives which made for a miserable school experience.
Among the children of immigrants (at least 50% of intake), the attitude toward education was different, from the day of the entrance exam onward, there was much more focus (including a child in tears over how she would explain 92% in a Maths test to her mother).
For those from poor families, either they ignored, or didn't suffer the same 'tall-poppy' syndrome that appears to prevent so many bright white working class children from fulfilling their potential. Before their mid-twenties, at least 10% of the year are earning six-figure salaries, some in areas that may not be their personal choice but which is good for the family - one of my daughter's friends turned down a higher salary because the golden-hello cleared her mother's debts at a stroke and she has younger siblings.
Perhaps it's the fear of the brain-drain that Grammar Schools brought to mining and industrial communities when those with options never returned after university, but there does seem to be something holding back talented youngsters who aren't backed by their families and communities.

Chocolatelabradorsarethebest · 10/07/2022 14:37

I never understand the blind assumption people are lying either.

Mumsnet has roughly 1.6m members (from a quick Google search!) if they’re representative of the population that means 1% or 16,000 will earn over £100k. Obviously there is a female skew and the numbers will be lower, but it’s still going to be the thousands. So 10-20 posters saying they earn over £100k isn’t in the slightest out of proportion.

Walkaround · 10/07/2022 15:08

The reality is, vital professions are ceasing to attract sufficient numbers of the quality of candidate required, because they now pay too badly; and some areas of the economy have become so dominant that they can pay people obscenely large amounts for no good reason whatsoever, given that the people working in those sectors have been largely responsible for facilitating vast-scale money laundering, trashing the global economy and making everyone but themselves suffer for their actions. High pay is not really linked to social usefulness, but has a strong link to sectors that help to ensure those truly at the top (the elite, not those on “six figure salaries”) remain at the top.

00865jkk · 10/07/2022 15:18

That's an interesting report that basically admits that yes social mobility in terms of jobs is there but not when it comes to income i.e. yes you can become a manager if you are wc but you will still be poor. Nice

Crystalvas · 10/07/2022 17:47

Raquelos · 09/07/2022 09:58

Surely once you've hit 6 figures it's all gravy!!

Unfortunity its not tax must be paid on it.

Crystalvas · 10/07/2022 17:49

Oh believe me 100k after tax dosn’t go far.

Username91 · 10/07/2022 17:50

Honestly think that people who say they are far from rich when they earn over 100k are absolutely deluded. Yeah you’re not Elon Musk but you most definitely ARE rich! I don’t begrudge anybody earning a lot of money but it really pisses me off when people say this. Reminds me of that man on question time who didn’t think he was in the top 5% of earners on 80k. Going on about being taxed more but you still take home significantly more than MOST people. “It’s not much in London”…complete and utter bollocks!

HairyAl · 10/07/2022 17:51

Reckon OP is saying they’re on a “six figure salary”, but not £900k, so life is tough for them once they pay their mortgage, private school fees, etc, etc…

Blossomtoes · 10/07/2022 17:55

Crystalvas · 10/07/2022 17:49

Oh believe me 100k after tax dosn’t go far.

Believe me it does if you live like most people in this country. I found it went a very long way when I was earning that sort of money.

onlywhenidream · 10/07/2022 17:56

Crystalvas · 10/07/2022 17:49

Oh believe me 100k after tax dosn’t go far.

Really? That's careless of you then

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