To ask if £30k is a low FT salary these days?

[morningperson5]

A few years ago I dreamed about earning £30k. Now I have finally got there after 9 years of FT work, it now seems many grads are being employed on salaries of £30k plus, especially in the public sector. However, I still see lots of job adverts looking for someone of 3+ years experience and offering a salary of £24k in the public sector.

This is in the south east.

The average salary is approx £33k according to Google.

Lovemycat2023. My daughter is similar to this. Late 30s single on around £29,000. South east but north of London. Can't afford to live as a single person on this amount claims UC for rental top up. Just about to get shared ownership with substantial help from us. Couldn't afford anything to buy outright as could only get £134.000 mortgage.

very low for private sector

It's confusing somehow isn't it. I would be on £33k if I was full time. Degree. Masters. Worked in the industry since 2005. Senior level job. Public sector. Decade of pay freeze / cap. Low paid work area.

I work in a university and it's the equivalent of our grade 6 (of 10) so relatively senior. I've worked here for 15 years and don't earn that much.

I was earning £22k when I graduated in 2013, now earning about £48k but that’s me hit the ceiling without going for promotion - although we do get sector wide wage rises semi regularly, which has added maybe £10k onto my salary in the last few years.

I recently went from £42k-£48k and got basically nothing extra in my wage packet, so that’s something to bear in mind.

The average full time salary is 33k, so it’s a bit below average,

I would love to be on 30k. Currently at 22k which I have been for 18 months. Yet again we were told no pay reviews for another 6 months. In which they will have no choice as the band below me will be on my pay level due to minimum wage rise. Hence time for a new job. Hopefully one of the 27k+ I have been applying for.

Whatever the average on MN is, irl a lot of people will be earning this.

My eldest aged 20 earns £24,000 so yeah not as much as it used to be

My FT equivalent is about £45k although I only work 0.6 currently. I’m planning to go back full time but not for any less than 50k as it’s not worth it for us in terms of family lifestyle. My perception is skewed though as my husband is a high earner, so I see anything less than 50k FTE as pretty low. We do live in an expensive part of our city though (North West).

of course you could afford to live, what rubbish! Given the vast majority of the population do manage it, unless you genuinely need 24hour care or something to keep you alive, you wouldn't keel over if you only earned £59k (or heaven forbid the much lower average wage!)

Perhaps you couldn't afford to live your current lifestyle (and good for you if you've worked your way up to earning the amount you need to live the lifestyle you want) but that's not what you said...

I’d say £30k is low for full time. I’m on £35k for full time and I’m not particularly happy with that. I’ve only just started the the role so need to get a bit of experience before going for a promotion which will be £44k.

I've just achieved this after 6 years back in work post kids. I feel it depends on so many factors - for the job I do (semi-professional, public sector, outside central London) it's at the top level. However, it's also 20 minutes walk from my house which means I save a ton on travel costs and essentially makes it worth it. If I wasn't in this position I would be looking for a new job.

I think it's low and not a living wage for a single person up North

I graduated 13 years ago and that was my starting salary for a full time job working 40 hours.

I have had a similar payrise and it has made a £400 difference per month