to ask what the "stereotypical 6 figure MN mum" does?

[TigerJoy]

And how can the rest of us get a job like that?!

Dh earns 6 figures. He did an apprenticeship when he was 16 did worked another 4 years after that and then went offshore.

@Flittingaboutagain Sadly I don't think that's me!!! Certainly some people on MN have read my books as I've seen them come up now and again on threads about books! But I'm still a pretty small-time author in the grand scheme of things!

I know 2 people on 6 figures.
One is in banking, worked her way up from absolutely nothing and the other one has his own business in advertising. Also came from nothing and worked hard.

I earn low 6 figures as a divisional HR Director. I expect to take on more when I return from maternity leave and be earning around £125k plus bonus. I was the first person in my family to go to uni, did a Law degree at an ex poly and 5 years down the line my employer paid for me to do an MSc.
My boss is the top HR bod in our medium sized organisation and earns over £200k.

In the IT world your private school and involved parents mean nothing. The right skill set and keeping up with what is the current most in demand means everything. In addition, the notion that the tech world favors men is at least 20 years out of date, at least in the US. It may differ in the UK.

I work as a senior director of clinical research and development at a large pharmaceutical company; not based in London; started 8 years ago at £75k pa

Current base salary is 150k pa with annual bonus, for example £40k in 2021, £56k in 2022, £64k in 2023

I’m an immigrant from a developing country with a medical degree from there (didn’t go to private school but the state school I went to is the top national school), so probably not so stereotypical

Many mums who are directors where I work, HR, finance, accountants, buying, customer service, marketing.

I don't understand this fashion of wanting to know who earns what it's very alien to me. People are obsessed with what other people do and how much they make. Im from a culture where we don't talk about money and finances. We don't tell people how much we earn or what we sold our homes for. I find it extremely crass and odd.

Cleaning windows.

It's not uncommon in certain creative fields either. At a senior (but not senior leadership) level in branding, advertising and marketing you will easily make over six figures. A creative director or executive design director can easily make well over £100k and in some cases more like £300k if they are an industry-leading talent. (This is my main line of work and I'm in this camp but not, I should stress, making £300k!)

I got into the field aged 30 and was on 6 figures within 6 years.

The only woman I know personally who earns 6 figures (just) is a CEO of a charity. She's mid 50s and doesn't have any children.

But who do you think benefits by nobody knowing what their peers earn? Do you think it’s you? Or do you think it’s your employer, who can pay you as little as they think they can get away with whilst you’re blissfully unaware that Bob at the desk next to you who’s better at negotiating is paid twice what you are?

Partners and directors in large accounting firms. It's the slog that puts you in contention and politics that gets you promoted. A lot of people don't want to play the game. You can have a very comfortable life without the stress of seniority.

@ComtesseDeSpair I think it's important to point out that that argument only applies to the private sector. In the public sector we are completely constrained by pay bands - we don't have the option of negotiating salary.

I know I know two, one in marketing and one in pharmaceutical, both with kids. One had a straightforward grad scheme career trajectory to get where she is now, the other didn't finish uni but has undertaken a lot of qualifications since.

I suspect another friend does or nearly does, via a business with her husband. They both have the same professional qualifications and do the same role in the business.

I considered banking but I'm too lazy and would not have wanted to put the hours in.

Oh and actually some of my schoolmates clearly do, it's apparent from their roles etc but I am only in touch via social media so know very little. One in banking, two in fashion, one in law. 3 of those 4 live overseas.

I have jumped from £60k odd to six figures in the last 5 years (age 44). I have slogged away in IT for 20 + years to get here

I think this whole 'yeah but lots of people work hard but dont earn much' is a bit pointless. It's not necessarily the working hard bit that gets you there, it's the working hard in an area most people can't do.

I'm similar to an actuary and work with them. Most people simply couldn't do the maths or technical skills so if you can and you work hard it's not hard to get to 6 figures male or female

Own business — 80K salary by 25 and now around 125K at 27 about to turn 28 having grown it. Same as other people I know in same age group.

Graduated uni with a pretty useless degree so got to work with own business idea / going full-in with self employed from 21. Lived at home for a long time to save money!

Of course, the great beneficiaries of that opacity around pay are the employers who routinely underpay women for the work they do, and their male colleagues who earn more for doing less work.

The undervaluing of women’s labour is a cultural and systemic issue. We absolutely need to be talking to each other, and men, about it.

I am part of a highly supportive network of women in the same profession as me. We absolutely discuss money, pay, profit and all sorts of other ‘crass’ topics. And we actively encourage each other to know our worth.

Ensuring that employees are unaware of the going rate for their role is how some employers can continue to underpay their workers. They have a vested interest in convincing you that such discussions are crass.

I know two on six figures; both IT for big businesses.

I agree @Honeychickpea. The gender pay gap would be a lot smaller if women were able to gauge their market value.

I went into HR reward after having my children and worked up to senior level. I work in the private sector for a large global organisation.

I started a recruitment business 7 years ago & now earn 100k buy as a completely single mum of 4, supporting 2 through uni & 2 at home I'm not well off on that. Ok but not putting much into a pension & not a lot of spending money

I’m so glad people do. I didn’t realise what a ride I was being taken for at a previous job until there was a discussion about salaries. Then I went and asked and got a pay rise. It’s beneficial to discuss salaries because of that reason - so employer can’t screw you over financially. And before anyone tries to suggest I wasn’t worth it, I was very much worth it which is why they paid up as soon as I mentioned it. They were fucking me over because they could and I thought it was normal.