Feel like I'm on a very low salary for my age

[Painauchocolats]

I'm early 30s, and I have 2 different jobs with slightly varying hours so it's difficult to say exactly, but for a 40 hour week I earn 23.5k. in April it will increase to just under 24k.
Don't want to say which industries but one is notoriously low paying and the other fairly better.
I know I am above minimum wage but when I compare with peers, it seems like most of my friends from high school are on over 30k, and that I could earn a lot more.
I am applying for jobs that pay more so fingers crossed. My take home is about 1650/1700 depending.
I know it shouldn't matter as long as I am comfortable but just feel like I'm selling myself short. I think working 40 hours is enough too.

It varies massively on industry and location. I am an EA, with A Levels, on 45K a year in a creative field. You can earn up to 80K if you go work in finance (not my cup of tea).

I know if I moved to another part of the country I would struggle to go over 28K which is why age 40 I am studying a qualification in HR to widen my prospects as I do not want to stay tied to London.

I find salary calculator marvellously helpful as sometimes the jump annually doesnt feel like a lot monthly for what ends up being a boring or stressful job.....

Rather than judging by age, judge by your industry standards. One is notoriously underpaying you say. That suggests either a vocational career that is undervalued by society (teaching, nursing etc) or an overpopulated 'glamorous' career such as acting, fashion design etc.

If it's the latter and you love it, then that is a huge plus which people trudging through their thirties doing boring jobs just so they can update their kitchen or car, don't have. And there's huge rewards that aren't monetary in doing this for as long as you enjoy it.

If it's the former, I'd use your skills to move to areas with higher pay - eg doing agency work or tutoring.

If you are underpaid within your industry, ask for a raise and also apply for parallel or next stage jobs with other companies that pay the going rate.

Seriously it's highly unlikely that your job roles could be outing. Unless there are less than 100 people doing them in the country, which I doubt. You'll get more tailored answers if you give more info: eg jobs that can build on your transferable skills + qualifications.

If you really don't want to say, then can you at least say why you're doing the low paid job. Is it in an area you feel passionate about, hence sucking up the low pay. Or are you lacking in confidence to go for better paid but more challenging roles? And why do you do the better paid job for only eight hours per week?

How can it be outing to name the industry unless it’s one where there are only about 3 people doing it like ‘astronaut’?

We have similar levels of qualification - degree and a masters. I was in the public sector, started on about £24k and after promotion maxed out at about £32k. I’ve now moved to the private sector and earn roughly £60k, so pay does vary hugely across different facets of the same field, is this something you can look into?

Wages are ridiculously low in this country. When I was job hunting twenty years ago admin roles paid £20-25k. Today, admin roles pay the same. It's shocking.

Crikey, I’m ‘unskilled admin’ - on 22K. Some of our Team Leaders are only on 25K.

Yes, wages are so low here! I'm originally from a different country, where I would be earning twice as much for the same role. It makes visits back home extremely expensive.

When I was job hunting twenty years ago admin roles paid £20-25k. Today, admin roles pay the same. It's shocking.

@Comedycook I was offered a freelance job yesterday on the same rate as my first ever entry level job I took in the profession I've been in for thirty years. It was low pay even then. I was so shocked. I was genuinely expected to do about 2 week's work for £200! I turned it down. But it shows how very slow our country is in keeping pay level with inflation.

I'm 31 and earn 20k 🤷🏻‍♀️
It's a lot lower than my friends but I am generally an "unskilled" worker whereas they've either worked up from lower levels or are in professions linked to their degree.
When I go back from maternity I'll be able working towards a vocational qualification but it won't really add much in terms of salary, maybe an extra 5k.
I'm generally unbothered by it, I have a good work/life balance as I'm not taking work home or really thinking about it once I leave!

Actually @WinterFoxes what it shows is market forces. Nothing to do with 'the country'.

There are many freelancers who will take anything as payment, as they are desperate so businesses keep paying peanuts. I've freelanced and I was shocked at how people accept such low pay as it drags the profession down. It will only improve when all freelancers walk away and then the business will pay a proper fee.
Sadly, some people accept any payment- you may know of 'fiver' where people will copywrite, design logos or draft press releases for £5.

It's a joke.

I have no idea where you got £25K for an admin job 20 years ago.

Teachers' salaries were less than that.
Clearly you were overpaid.
what sector was that I wonder?

Graduate salaries start at about £26K now so you were very overpaid.

It’s only been as I approach my 40’s that I’ve increased my salary from late 20’s to now I’ve been working part time around the kids etc

In my 20’s I was on 20-25k
In my early 30’s I was on 25-32k

Now I’m nearly 40 I have nearly tripled my salary (I do work bloody hard for what I earn now and work 45/50 hour weeks) the work life balance has tipped dramatically for me however we need the money, cost of living and other things have meant if I’d carried on we would have been up shits creek without a paddle, now I’ve given my family a decent safety net.

In my early 30’s I did some courses which have helped me gain this higher paid position and I have some more courses I would like to do, within the next 4/5 years I want to be sitting on a salary of around 100k and by my 50’s on around 150k a year.

I am now out earning all of my friends while before this they always had the higher salaries, I have no idea about the national average as I’ve never looked into it.

@AIBUYesSometimes I'm trying to think back but about 17 years ago I was in an admin job and being paid £24k. In the private sector in central London

Yesterday I saw a full time admin job in London being advertised as between £18k and £21k

Yes but earnings progression in healthcare are better and bens like decent pensions.

@BodyShapeWoes please can you say what you do? What courses helped you triple your pay?

You don’t say which industry is it which will make a difference

I work for it.
I started working around 25-26years. Earning 24k. I think I got 30k around my 30th bday
i‘ m 38 now and earning 68k.

so whilst I was in low income 12 years ago I’m now a lead hence earning more. If I wasn’t a lead it would be around 50-60

if you’re in IT you’ll soon start earning more. Also remember that money is not everything, and you’ve to be happy with what you do and what you take home. Don’t compare yourself with others , they might be feeling miserable at their work place even if they take more than you(this is me today that I wished I could resign as quite fed up about everything)

@MaryLennoxsScowl by trade I’m an engineer, I’ve moved into Construction/Project Management now, a few courses I have done include Prince2 foundation & practitioner, NEC project manager course, an nvq in law (mainly for the contract management side) this year I am applying for my Chatership as well, I am also interested in becoming a scrum master.

Don't know. It does depend which industry but for comparison, 15 years ago my first graduate entry level job was paid £22k. I thought that was low then to be honest.....

I’m lucky in the roles I’ve had I have gained a lot of transferable skills which has helped me massively even tho the pay has always been low

And that was in London

One is in social care (even though I'm a senior) and one is a support role in a school.

Sure but you can’t pay your rent or your children’s nursery fees with potential. Plus although there’s no denying a consultant’s salary is decent it’s falling with inflation and to get there you have to win a highly competitive training post, make it through years of training, and pass some insanely hard postgraduate exams. It’s not a given that you’ll get there, plenty don’t. And while you try you’re working in a job where the salary is wildly out of step with the responsibilities of the role.

Not the point of the thread though and I don’t want to derail it entirely so I’ll shut up now.

I'd agree. I've just looked, and the job I did 10 years ago is still paying the same salary I was on 10 years ago. It wasn't then a minimum wage job, but it almost is now!