Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you have a wage/income that would shock people?

796 replies

Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 20:40

Inspired by the tipping hairdresser thread, and a post on there about people having no idea what some people earn with an anecdote about a London cabbie earning twice what his nurse wife did.

I just wondered if anyone does a job where people would actually be shocked to know their true earnings based on stereotype- either way. For example cleaner earning loads or lawyer earning very little.

OP posts:
Fiddledediddledeedee · 28/02/2023 10:35

YourApplePie · 28/02/2023 10:32

I'm a part-time writer and content creator. I'm the main earner in our family but everyone assumes it's DP and his FT tech job.

Yes I had that
” o nice house you must be doing well dh “
even though we work in the same industry……my own generation saying it too
like I don’t exist.

Mushroo · 28/02/2023 10:40

I WFH full time and generally a bit scruffy.

But I love my job - technical writer with no stress, 9-5, 30 days holiday and my broadband / travel expenses are paid for.

£75k pa.

horseyhorsey17 · 28/02/2023 10:43

Twatalert · 27/02/2023 21:36

I earn not far under six figures and for me it is a lot. My friends can probably tell I don't worry about money but I think they'd be shocked that I earn that much. I know on MN pretty much everyone earns six figures, but honestly I never thought I'd achieve that kind of salary, especially in my very early 40s.

Does everyone on MN earn that much?

Any posts on here seem to be split between people for whom money is no object and live in massive mansions and are in line for giant inheritances, and people who get angry and accuse you of showing off if you admit that you can afford the occasional Waitrose shop.

Oochiewalla · 28/02/2023 10:45

Retail sales consultant, 24 hours per week 35k per annum. People always assume retail is minimum wage.

bellswithwhistles · 28/02/2023 10:45

I'm self employed and charge £40 an hour.

I earned £15k last year.

Lots of costs involved and I can't work 8 hours a day.

Disneyforaweek · 28/02/2023 10:46

imnotthatkindofmum · 27/02/2023 22:20

We always get that too although our income has considerably dropped, even when we were high earners we were treated like lepers lol. Went to an estate show house and the salesman refused to give me details for a 4 bed (had all 3 kids with us).

We bought a house in the neighbouring estate!

Show quote history

We had this once as well.

Went to a show home at a new build estate. Asked to look at their 4 bed house. Looked us up and down, sneered, and said they didn't have one to view (they did).

At the time we were selling our 3 bed house and had absolutely no problems affording and getting a mortgage for a 4 bed but because we were dressed casually and quite young she looked at us like shit on her shoe.

We bought a 4 bed detached on the next estate over and I sent an extremely strongly worded email of complaint to the house builder.

YourApplePie · 28/02/2023 10:47

horseyhorsey17 · 28/02/2023 10:34

As a full-time writer/content creator, I would definitely assume that!

Show quote history

I worked in magazines until I had kids, but I couldn't handle the hours or enjoy the perks after. The perks seem to have all but disappeared now - press trips, discounts and booze :)

I'm not that specialised, I mostly WFH in my PJs and I have a handful of v good retained clients.

Guis · 28/02/2023 10:47

Morestrangethings · 28/02/2023 09:39

I know a teacher that works very hard - even on Saturdays, when she helps to supervise Saturday sports. She is very dedicated.

Show quote history

I guess it is the same in most places. Some really do a lot and others less.

DuvetDownn · 28/02/2023 10:51

Not me but my DH, he retired last year from his 185k per year IT job. We have a nice house, but by no means a mansion and always went on lots of holidays but I don’t think any of my friends had any idea of his salary. It was really only when he retired at 55, we joined a swanky spa, golf club and upped the holidays that friends and family stayed to become curious.

00deed1988 · 28/02/2023 10:52

McHelenz · 27/02/2023 22:12

Just had a look at the agenda for change pay scales and to earn 50k you need to be a band 8a. So to say you're not experienced is a downright lie when you're either exaggerating your wage or you're a modern matron.

I'm a band 7 and earn just over 40.

I am a band 6 MW working in outer London. I do a lot of unsociable hours and this year my main job role wage will be around £43,000. I also do a lot of bank and that so far this year has totalled £14,888 on top of that. Qualified 3.5 years so not massively experienced.

ÉireannachÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ · 28/02/2023 10:57

Fifiellz · 27/02/2023 21:44

I'm a childminder and earn £4.5k a month. I think most people would be surprised about that. I'm cheap for my area too.

Well over your numbers then

bellswithwhistles · 28/02/2023 10:57

My friends husband runs a building company.

He pays his labourers (yes, labourers - young lads, no quals) £1000 a week.

That shocked me tbh.

pippinsleftleg · 28/02/2023 10:57

Wordsmith · 28/02/2023 07:09

I'm a freelance writer and my income varies. I usually turn over about £50K and get to keep the majority of it thanks to operating as a limited company. But I get no holiday pay, sick pay or redundancy and am 100% responsible for my pension contributions etc.

When things are quiet I often think about going back to an employed position for security of income, but the lack of flexibility and autonomy puts me off. So I sacrifice a lot of security and financial stability for a lot of control over who I work with, how I work and when I work. I'm also the main earner in the family.

I'm either completely in love with what I do and buzzing with the satisfaction of being my own boss, or lying awake at night wondering where the next project is coming from and whether I'll ever work again.

Do you mind me asking what kind of writing you do?

I did some freelance copy writing years ago but stopped as I needed the security of a full time job. I’m in a position now where I can pick it up again but not sure where to start.

horseyhorsey17 · 28/02/2023 10:58

YourApplePie · 28/02/2023 10:47

I worked in magazines until I had kids, but I couldn't handle the hours or enjoy the perks after. The perks seem to have all but disappeared now - press trips, discounts and booze :)

I'm not that specialised, I mostly WFH in my PJs and I have a handful of v good retained clients.

Show quote history

I wonder if I know you IRL! I have worked in magazines for 25-odd years - went p/t when I had the kids but am full time again now. I WFH too, and have been lucky in that I've been able to do that since 2015 now. Lots of my writer friends are freelance and I'd dabbled with that but - unless, like you, you have a few good retained clients - you have to work so hard on pitching and then never know when you'll actually get paid that it was no good for me, as a single parent. I need to know I can pay my mortage on the 1st!

And nope, no perks these days!

Fiddledediddledeedee · 28/02/2023 10:59

bellswithwhistles · 28/02/2023 10:57

My friends husband runs a building company.

He pays his labourers (yes, labourers - young lads, no quals) £1000 a week.

That shocked me tbh.

Think the architects, engineers and site agents need to change jobs

Fifiellz · 28/02/2023 11:00

"Well over your numbers then"

Absolutely not. Expensive area and full Mon- Fri with full timers.

ÉireannachÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ · 28/02/2023 11:03

Fifiellz · 28/02/2023 11:00

"Well over your numbers then"

Absolutely not. Expensive area and full Mon- Fri with full timers.

Lol pull the other one

Racingadmin · 28/02/2023 11:03

Dbil is an aircraft engineer only 5 years post apprenticeship. £60k plus shift pay , private healthcare and amazing staff travel benefits . Not bad for under 30 years old

Fifiellz · 28/02/2023 11:05

What's your problem ? Can you do basic maths.

£60 per day x 4 children = £240 a day. And yes I am allowed 4 children 😂

Maybebabyno2 · 28/02/2023 11:09

No but I'm working on it. I am determined to be self employed by the end of next year. And I want to have a salary would make people's eyes water 🤣🤣 it's good to have dreams eh?

GobbieMaggie · 28/02/2023 11:09

00deed1988 · 28/02/2023 10:52

I am a band 6 MW working in outer London. I do a lot of unsociable hours and this year my main job role wage will be around £43,000. I also do a lot of bank and that so far this year has totalled £14,888 on top of that. Qualified 3.5 years so not massively experienced.

Show quote history

I'm a band 8b, ICU Central London and with occasional bank I earn just over £80k. Qualified over 20 years and I've worked overseas.

LeatherSkirt82 · 28/02/2023 11:10

My husband works in an office, wears a suit/tie and has a fancy title... I work from home, in leggings and joggers. I make 3x his salary. People still assume that he's the main breadwinner.

Igniteyourbones · 28/02/2023 11:21

I used to work as a Nanny and when I told people what I did they would say “Ahh that’s so sweet” or something similar. What they didn’t know is that I worked for extremely high net worth and famous families and earned £100k a year! Working insane hours and travelling around the world at the drop of a hat. Used to drive me mad when people would make comments eg “You’re lucky to have a husband with a good job in finance, so that you can have a fun job!” I used to earn more money than him!

Abouttimemum · 28/02/2023 11:28

pollykitty · 28/02/2023 08:46

I don't know if it would shock people but I'm a freelance writer and I get the impression that people think I earn about 20K/year. That I do it just to get a bit more income in, to supplement my husband's salary. We live in a small house and have an unremarkable car and never do anything really exhorbitant. The truth is I earn about 5x that, it stays in the bank and my husband and I are planning our retirement.

how did you get into freelance if you don’t mind me asking? I write for a living (pays well) but for a company and I’d like to be freelance but no clue where to start!

AgentCooperdreamsofTibet · 28/02/2023 11:34

I'm in a senior professional service role in a university and earn just under £50k. Family and friends assume I'm on a low wage and like a PP, I often get sent links to jobs around £20k. Conversely, on the odd occasion I've been honest about my salary, I get met with indignation and told that it's an outrage that I earn that much compared to nurses, carers etc. Usually from folk who have no idea of the reality of my job and, let's face it, would be unlikely to say the same to a man in my position. So I largely keep quiet about my salary.

DH is in retail management and I'm amazed at the amount of folk who think this means he must earn a very high salary. He is on £25k. I often get told that I've landed on my feet, marrying a manager and isn't it nice that he can pay for us to go on holiday while I have my little pocket money job.