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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if you think this salary is reasonable or am I being greedy?

437 replies

bkyegres · 06/05/2023 16:47

I qualified as a solicitor in 2016, so I’m around 7 years pqe. I’m paid 62k in Bham, commercial rather than private client work. I’ve only just paid off my student loan last year and honestly I feel like the firm are taking the piss… all the studying and expense feels ridiculous to be seven years on and barely over 50k. Obviously I know what some other firms pay and I can look into it further with recruiters but I am starting to wonder if you have to join a new company for any decent pay these days?! I could have skipped uni and worked my way up to this salary by now so it all seems a bit pointless.

OP posts:
Mumsanetta · 06/05/2023 22:15

Regional salaries in the south east at your pqe would have you on around £70k so I think what you are on sounds about normal or just below normal. Have you considered applying for a role at the regional office of a city firm? DLA Piper, Trowers & Hamlins, Squire Patton Boggs for example all have offices in Birmingham and I would expect them to pay more than you are on.

SeasonFinale · 06/05/2023 22:38

Mumsanetta · 06/05/2023 22:15

Regional salaries in the south east at your pqe would have you on around £70k so I think what you are on sounds about normal or just below normal. Have you considered applying for a role at the regional office of a city firm? DLA Piper, Trowers & Hamlins, Squire Patton Boggs for example all have offices in Birmingham and I would expect them to pay more than you are on.

I would say that visas £10-15k too low for Birmingham and regional firms such as Cambridge.

SeasonFinale · 06/05/2023 22:42

VivX · 06/05/2023 20:25

The survey is from 2018, so £62k was the national average 5 years ago. The Greater London average then was £88k. The OP is in Birmingham, so would expect her to be more than the midlands average.

Tigofigo, if your friend is also in Birmingham on not much more than £62k now, perhaps they're also on less than average.

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Perhaps the OP is her friend 😉

GeraltsBathtub · 06/05/2023 22:53

Moreorlessmentallystable · 06/05/2023 21:49

I have a degree in science and make only over 33k...

Maybe you should be looking for a new job with a higher salary too then. The median salary for graduates is £36k.

Moreorlessmentallystable · 06/05/2023 23:08

GeraltsBathtub · 06/05/2023 22:53

Maybe you should be looking for a new job with a higher salary too then. The median salary for graduates is £36k.

Show quote history

I have, but nothing in my area (Scotland)

MrRee · 06/05/2023 23:18

tenbob · 06/05/2023 21:18

I cannot fathom how small your world must be to think that a £62k salary is more money than anyone ought to earn

In every school, hospital, Surgery, supermarket, train station in the land, there are (several) people earning more than that

surely no one is that blinkered and small minded..?

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• Median UK salary is £31,400.
• Mean UK salary is £36,800.
• 90% of UK people earn less than £62,750.
• So earning £62k puts you in the top 10% of UK earners.

It's ludicrous to say that lots of people in every school, hospital, surgery, supermarket and station are earning more than that.

It's simply factually true that £62 is an incredibly high salary.

GeraltsBathtub · 06/05/2023 23:24

MrRee · 06/05/2023 23:18

• Median UK salary is £31,400.
• Mean UK salary is £36,800.
• 90% of UK people earn less than £62,750.
• So earning £62k puts you in the top 10% of UK earners.

It's ludicrous to say that lots of people in every school, hospital, surgery, supermarket and station are earning more than that.

It's simply factually true that £62 is an incredibly high salary.

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No, that poster was correct. Doctors, headteachers, train drivers and supermarket managers can and do earn that much+

HauntedPencil · 06/05/2023 23:24

Several people. The supermarket manager will for example. GPS in a surgery. She was correct?

Obeseandashamed · 06/05/2023 23:28

Try being 4 years qualified and still on £30k or 10 years pqe and knowing your maximum pay is £42k. Public sector solicitors don't get great pay either!

Okthenhun · 06/05/2023 23:50

Obeseandashamed · 06/05/2023 23:28

Try being 4 years qualified and still on £30k or 10 years pqe and knowing your maximum pay is £42k. Public sector solicitors don't get great pay either!

The public sector is not great in terms of pay for legal jobs. I was a solicitor at a gov department and the salary was £32k! Even the more senior solicitor roles were not above £50k at the same organisation. I see someone noted GLD pay circa £60k for senior lawyers but that’s London based too. Salaries have just stagnated in those areas.

sst1234 · 06/05/2023 23:51

Bovrilla · 06/05/2023 16:49

Well you get paid more than any standard teacher, nurse or Doctor with degrees and postgraduates for teachers and doctors at the same age so maybe yes YABU

Maybe I missed the bit in this thread where the OP said she is also a teacher or a doctor. I read that she is a lawyer.

sst1234 · 06/05/2023 23:54

This is MN, OP. You are unreasonable if you earn more than minimum wage. How very dare you. Only the virtuous race to the bottom here.

hereiamagainn · 06/05/2023 23:55

I think you are being greedy honestly.

hereiamagainn · 06/05/2023 23:56

sst1234 · 06/05/2023 23:54

This is MN, OP. You are unreasonable if you earn more than minimum wage. How very dare you. Only the virtuous race to the bottom here.

Really? My experience of MN is that anyone earning under 120k is a pauper.

sst1234 · 06/05/2023 23:56

hereiamagainn · 06/05/2023 23:55

I think you are being greedy honestly.

How much do you earn as a lawyer?

hereiamagainn · 06/05/2023 23:57

sst1234 · 06/05/2023 23:56

How much do you earn as a lawyer?

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I am not a lawyer. Does one need to be, to answer OPs question? If so perhaps she should have asked a group for lawyers.

Princessbananahamock · 07/05/2023 00:07

cadburyegg · 06/05/2023 17:05

"Barely over 50k" as if 50k is minimum wage 😂😂😂

This lol 😂

TimesRwo · 07/05/2023 00:08

hereiamagainn · 06/05/2023 23:55

I think you are being greedy honestly.

Well no, not necessarily. If you found out that you were being paid less than other people in the same role, with the same level of experience, in a similar type of company, would you also not complain?

It doesn’t matter whether OP is a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher or a retail worker. The point is each of those careers have an average salary, and OP is worried hers is too low. Just because it’s higher than the UK average, doesn’t mean it should be scorned at.

hereiamagainn · 07/05/2023 00:21

She’s 7 years into her career and earning £62k.
I think being dissatisfied with that amount is greedy. OP obviously thinks she might be too or she wouldn’t be asking.

Clearly there are others earning the more. It’s not a high salary that makes you greedy but your attitude and the extent you seek it out.

hereiamagainn · 07/05/2023 00:24

Greed = an excessive desire for wealth.
I think there are quite a lot of greedy people in Law as it happens. Very high paying careers tend to attract greedy types.

OrwellianTimes · 07/05/2023 00:26

If you don’t like the pay you’re free to apply elsewhere.

blueshoes · 07/05/2023 01:02

hereiamagainn · 07/05/2023 00:21

She’s 7 years into her career and earning £62k.
I think being dissatisfied with that amount is greedy. OP obviously thinks she might be too or she wouldn’t be asking.

Clearly there are others earning the more. It’s not a high salary that makes you greedy but your attitude and the extent you seek it out.

OP should know her place and not strive to earn more after all who wants to be called greedy Hmm

Attitudes like hereimagainns who seek to shame the OP only strive to keep women down in the pay stakes and reinforce the delusion that the only morally worthy jobs are low paid.

Why shouldn't OP go for a high paying job and insist on being paid the wage for her skills in the market that she is in? The highest paying legal jobs happen to be the most competitive to get into and make a lot of demands on their personal life. People should be applauded for their gumption, ambition and hard work they are prepared to put in to chase those jobs.

Just being greedy gets you nowhere just like aiming low keeps you low rather than shooting for the stars. But at least you are not called greedy FFS.

TimesRwo · 07/05/2023 01:08

hereiamagainn · 07/05/2023 00:21

She’s 7 years into her career and earning £62k.
I think being dissatisfied with that amount is greedy. OP obviously thinks she might be too or she wouldn’t be asking.

Clearly there are others earning the more. It’s not a high salary that makes you greedy but your attitude and the extent you seek it out.

I’m also 7 years into my career and I earn more than double that. I’m also aware that other people in the same level as me in other firms earn even more. My colleague and I regularly complain about how we are unpaid when compared to our peers.

It’s not greed to know your worth. Or is dissatisfaction with your salary only permitted for those that earn under £60k? Or maybe £50k? Or maybe at minimum wage?

TimesRwo · 07/05/2023 01:10

blueshoes · 07/05/2023 01:02

OP should know her place and not strive to earn more after all who wants to be called greedy Hmm

Attitudes like hereimagainns who seek to shame the OP only strive to keep women down in the pay stakes and reinforce the delusion that the only morally worthy jobs are low paid.

Why shouldn't OP go for a high paying job and insist on being paid the wage for her skills in the market that she is in? The highest paying legal jobs happen to be the most competitive to get into and make a lot of demands on their personal life. People should be applauded for their gumption, ambition and hard work they are prepared to put in to chase those jobs.

Just being greedy gets you nowhere just like aiming low keeps you low rather than shooting for the stars. But at least you are not called greedy FFS.

Show quote history

Well said. With MN, it’s always a race to the bottom. Anything that is not at the very bottom is mocked and criticised. The envy shines through in these posts.