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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:
Original poster
Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:36

Riverlee · 27/02/2023 21:28

I’m at the other end of the scale, and earn next to nothing. Recently felt embaressed when I realised newbies to the job were earning the same as me, despite having years experience. Left fairly shortly afterwards to a similar job but a lot less stress and slightly more money.

This is another good reason why we should talk income more. I remember when I left a job paying me only just over minimum wage salaried where I was working loads of hours over contract I only found out after 2 of the guys I was working with who were not as experienced were on more. Sucked.

OP posts:
Carrotsandsuede · 27/02/2023 21:36

When my DP was a painter/decorator he earned 60K doing it in construction.

He earns 30K now so half of that previous wage by project managing building sites! Workers earn way more.

Original poster
Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:39

billycorn · 27/02/2023 21:20

I’m self employed, have my own business in a skilled trade. My turnover is 200-250k a year, gross profit around 100k. I’m sure my clients have no idea how much I earn. I work bloody hard though.

Wow good going. Did you learn on the job for the trade or do an apprenticeship? Interested in learning more about variety of jobs ready for when my kids are older as feel I knew very little when growing up about anything other than regular retail or admin positions and had no clue what people did or earn and how

OP posts:
Original poster
Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:40

Carrotsandsuede · 27/02/2023 21:36

When my DP was a painter/decorator he earned 60K doing it in construction.

He earns 30K now so half of that previous wage by project managing building sites! Workers earn way more.

Wow I wouldnt have expected this

OP posts:
Switchwitch · 27/02/2023 21:41

Carrotsandsuede · 27/02/2023 21:36

When my DP was a painter/decorator he earned 60K doing it in construction.

He earns 30K now so half of that previous wage by project managing building sites! Workers earn way more.

Presumably this has more longevity though. My in-laws are tradespeople and they all suffer from physical issues (bad backs, knees, even lung problems from asbestos exposure) and end up having to either hobble in pain to maintain an income or the savvy ones have moved into management

BankOfDave · 27/02/2023 21:41

Justanotherlurker · 27/02/2023 21:35

A lot of that is a by product of the recent few decades of thinking that going to University was seen as an automatic route to a higher wage and being sniffy about working a trade, you still see it now with people trying to reframe it as 'a must needed experience etc' and others complaining that having a MSc in some social science degree is earning just above a full time retail worker and is not respected.

A multitude of other factors play a part in the supply and demand of trade of course, but the average trades person who is now on 100K has worked from the bottom.

Show quote history

I know - that’s why I posted it because the MN ‘everyone has to go to a RG Uni’ narrative is tedious and judgemental snobbery of ‘blue collar’ jobs.

Anyone who earns £100k has worked from the bottom up, trade or white collar. Good luck to them.

Looforapoo · 27/02/2023 21:41

Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:33

I can imagine there's a lot of outlay too?

Show quote history

Very much so, at least a third of my earnings go on expenses

Original poster
Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:42

Orangetapemeasure · 27/02/2023 21:27

DB is a butcher and earns £100k

Wow id no idea butchers could earn so much

OP posts:
AllDayBreakfast92 · 27/02/2023 21:42

£40-45k driving a truck (varies with o/t pay etc).

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.

Boxe · 27/02/2023 21:44

We have a household income of just over £300k. I think people would be shocked because we don’t really tell people what jobs we do and, if we did, I don’t think they’d entirely link them to salaries.

Creamcrackersandricecakes · 27/02/2023 21:46

I am a housekeeper/PA in an employed role 2 days a week, (8 hour days), the rest of the week I'm a self employed cleaner. I never work more than 30 hours a week and make around £30k pa. Even my dad was astonished, (he kept trying to give me money, convinced I must be as poor as a church mouse).

ImAGoodPerson · 27/02/2023 21:48

My 16 yo earns around £100 an hr. He is a musician and that is his performance rate. Obv that doesn't take into account the hours they practice, travel etc. They currently earn about £10k working on average 2 hrs a week.

girlfriend44 · 27/02/2023 21:49

Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:42

Wow id no idea butchers could earn so much

Show quote history

How's that then, butchers are poor today as everyone uses supermarkets.

Carrotsandsuede · 27/02/2023 21:50

@Switchwitch exactly this! Most of DPs friends are tradesmen and earn a fair whack, some 6 figures, but it’s a ping mans game.

DP said you’ve got electricians, bricklayers, joiners etc still on site well into their late sixties. Plus 1 injury and you’re fucked.

People drag themselves into work as sick as a dog to work in shit weather from 7am because they can’t afford to take time off. I remember when DP was doing trade and got flu and lost £800 forms the few days he had off.

LaughingCat · 27/02/2023 21:50

Other half and I have a combined household income of around £110k (databasing and comms), but that just means we now have a lot of managerial responsibility (line manage large-ish teams with high levels of delivery and strategy development responsibilities) but don’t make as much as we did in our non-managerial £45k apiece roles, thanks to being shunted into a higher pension contribution bracket, higher tax bracket and no child benefit.

If anyone would have told me this before we pushed ourselves, I probably wouldn’t have to be honest. We now face the choice of either pushing for higher and higher earning roles which take up even more of our family time until we break free of this band and start earning more again, or drop back down to below the threshold and hope that subsequent wage increases don’t tip us over the frozen threshold again before 2026.

It’s not a moan (eight years ago I was earning £15k a year in a call centre so very happy with the trajectory)…just the reality we’re currently facing.

Orangeis · 27/02/2023 21:51

Newmumatlast · 27/02/2023 21:34

Wow that's a good income. Are you very experienced?

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Not especially, about 12 years, but with lots of part time working and a few maternity leaves in there.

Nannyoflondon · 27/02/2023 21:51

I’m a nanny and earn £48k working 3 days a week. I used to earn over $150k working full time in the USA in my 20s.

Switchwitch · 27/02/2023 21:53

Carrotsandsuede · 27/02/2023 21:50

@Switchwitch exactly this! Most of DPs friends are tradesmen and earn a fair whack, some 6 figures, but it’s a ping mans game.

DP said you’ve got electricians, bricklayers, joiners etc still on site well into their late sixties. Plus 1 injury and you’re fucked.

People drag themselves into work as sick as a dog to work in shit weather from 7am because they can’t afford to take time off. I remember when DP was doing trade and got flu and lost £800 forms the few days he had off.

Cash in hand work also means many don't accrue their NI stamps/pension if they don't sort out their finances early enough.

Amy8 · 27/02/2023 21:53

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.

One of the reasons I just went back to work because SAHM who was earning through property investments wasn't cutting it for me for mental stimulation but also the mad judgement , so now I let people presume I earn jt through my work - which would be near impossible in my profession

user1471453601 · 27/02/2023 21:54

I get £30k pa. my outgoings are as minimal as you can get. No mortgage, no debts, just utilities.

My daughter and her partner pay for food.

Your income is only relative to your outgoings. I live very well on my income because my outgoings are few.

on the other hand, if I were trying to pay off a £200k mortgage, I'd be in trouble.

and to answer the question posed directly, I'm retired, my in come comprised of my occupational and state pension.

Eastmeetswest1 · 27/02/2023 21:57

Most people think I’m a SAHM to 4 children and am around for my elderly parents.

In reality, I work once the children are asleep / early mornings before they are up / any free time round the their activities and now earn more than my husband who gets to go to his job Mon - Fri 9 - 5 (some flexibility). I could count the number of people on one hand that know I have my own co.

Brieandme · 27/02/2023 21:57

I imagine people would be surprised that I earn more than my DH, given that I'm in social services (albeit at a manager level) and he is an architect for a prestigious firm. Outside of London, architects rarely go above 40k ish unless they're willing to go the route of becoming a partner - which means essentially learning how to manage a business alongside the actual architecture bit. It's a lot of risk and responsibility and not something he's interested in (he's quite happy to continue designing buildings) I don't think many people would expect that ceiling given it's a minimum of 7yrs to qualify and usually longer (5yrs uni + a couple of years of practice before taking professional exams)

Phos · 27/02/2023 21:57

I earn £60,000 working part time. My FTE would be £75,000. It sounds a lot but I actually think my employer pays very low against what people think. I work for a large bank. I outearn all my peers because I used to work in a specialist area and policy is that your salary won't be slashed just because you move roles.

DepartmentOfMysteries · 27/02/2023 21:58

I've been a doctor for nearly 3 years and earn less than £24,000. I have to pay indemnity, professional registration fees, exam fees, parking charges etc out of this as well. I am part time, but not significantly less than what many would consider full time, at about 33h a week, including weekends and evenings.
It has surprised me a lot how much many tradespeople charge as an hourly rate. Some of them charge over 10x my hourly rate, plus materials.