That not all jobs are equal

[Jobqualifications]

There’s often a lot of heightened emotions about salaries on here, where low wages jobs are equally, if not harder work than high paying jobs.
What do people think makes a high paid job? Why do people seem to resent them?
I’ve been a SAHM, and for me that was my hardest job ever….predominantly out of boredom and monotony.

@LoisFarquar not consciously but yes, people are happy knowing that some people are on crap money and think that's the way things should be.

I think it depends. It is absolutely a lifestyle choice for many SAHPs, but if you're a low earner with multiple children in childcare, you may not really have any choice.

Either way, I agree that SAHP isn't a job.

Having a high paid job is generally harder, but life outside of work is easier. Having a low paid job is generally easier, but life outside of work is harder.

Try being a social work line manager...

Ok. So is the mental effort of an ad executive greater than that of a doctor?

I earn ‘reasonable’ money - significantly above average but not mega bucks. My job is really not THAT hard. Not as hard as a social worker, police officer, fire fighter, all of whom I out earn.

By the time she retired, my sister was making well over $100,000 as an art teacher in a bog-standard NYC state school, and she had an easy schedule with hardly any work or admin to do at home (no art exams or anything like that in the state system in the US). She didn't work harder than a teacher in Louisiana or in England- she had a powerful union.

The disparity between job pay and effort is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including economic principles, societal values, and personal fulfilment. In a capitalist economy, compensation is largely determined by market forces, where roles that generate significant profits for employers, such as those in finance or technology, command higher salaries. This is often irrespective of the physical or mental effort required.

Conversely, essential jobs that provide critical societal services, like teaching, social work, or emergency response, are frequently underpaid because they do not directly generate revenue despite their intrinsic value.
Additionally, jobs requiring specialized skills and extensive qualifications tend to offer higher pay due to the investment needed to attain these roles and the limited supply of qualified individuals.

However, the perception of "hard work" varies widely, with some viewing physical labor as more demanding, while others consider high-stress mental tasks equally challenging.

People who bring in the money will always earn more. Same with people who have skills that aren't easily replaced.

I work in marketing, at director level.

Arguably, the sales team I work alongside would have no leads without me and my team, yet my director level sales peers earn 3x what I do because they close the deals that pay everyone's wages and can pretty much demand what they want (and get it). With the relationships they have and the connections they've built, they wouldn't be easy to replace either - so they're in a perfect negotiating position, and fair play to them, they exploit it. That said, I wouldn't want to be them at the end of every quarter, where they're pulling all nighters and stressed to the max - sod that for a game of soldiers.

My position isn't as easy to quantify. I don't bring in x amount of profit and can't set financial targets to hit as clearly as sales can. Whether I am as easy to replace is debatable. Probably not particularly easy, but I have a good team and am a stickler for good planning so I am probably more expendable than I could be!

Interesting thread.

I’m sure that’s not easy, neither is mine and some of the geopolitical issues that come our way, very upsetting as well as the practicalities

It’s just supply and demand isn’t it.

There are fewer people who’ve achieved the right level of qualification or promotion to progress further. Those with the rarest but in demand skills - eg premiership footballer - will get paid the most.

There’s no moral aspect to it, just market forces.

I think you'll find vets are pays a whole lot less than you think they are

How on Earth would that work?

It’s just supply and demand isn’t it.

Is it? I look forward to teachers being paid 100k then, since we are in short supply!

Supply and demand but more focus on the return on investment for the company

Profit is not the only thing that affects pay by any means

Pay is influenced by a multitude of factors, reflecting a complex interplay of economic, organizational, and individual considerations. Here are some key factors that affect pay:

Market Forces and Supply and Demand

Supply of Labor: If there is a high supply of workers with a particular skill set, wages tend to be lower. Conversely, if the skill set is rare, wages are higher.
Demand for Labor: High demand for specific skills or professions can drive up wages. Industries experiencing rapid growth often pay more to attract talent.

Profitability and Revenue Generation

Profit Contribution: Jobs that directly contribute to a company’s profitability, such as sales and finance roles, often command higher salaries.
Revenue Generation: Positions that help generate significant revenue, like those in sales, business development, or executive roles, tend to be better compensated.

Skills, Education, and Experience

Specialized Skills: Jobs requiring specialized skills or advanced education generally pay more due to the investment in time and money to acquire these skills.
Experience: More experienced workers typically earn higher wages due to their advanced knowledge, expertise, and ability to perform complex tasks.

Job Responsibilities and Complexity

Responsibility Level: Higher responsibility positions, such as managerial or executive roles, often have higher pay to reflect the greater accountability and decision-making power.
Complexity of Tasks: Jobs that involve complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic planning tend to be better compensated.

Industry and Sector

Industry: Some industries, such as technology, finance, and healthcare, traditionally offer higher wages compared to others like retail or hospitality.
Sector: Public sector jobs may have different pay structures compared to private sector roles, often influenced by budget constraints and public funding.

Geographic Location

Cost of Living: Wages often reflect the cost of living in a particular area. Urban areas with high living costs generally offer higher salaries than rural areas.
Economic Conditions: Regional economic health can impact pay levels, with economically prosperous areas tending to offer higher wages.

Unionization and Labor Negotiations

Union Presence: Jobs in industries or regions with strong labor unions often have higher wages due to collective bargaining agreements.
Negotiation Power: Individual negotiation skills and the ability to advocate for higher pay can also influence compensation.

Company Performance and Policies

Company Success: Employees at financially successful companies often receive higher pay, bonuses, and other financial incentives.
Compensation Policies: Company-specific policies, including pay scales, performance incentives, and benefits packages, affect overall compensation.

Economic and Regulatory Environment

Economic Conditions: Broader economic conditions, such as inflation, unemployment rates, and economic growth, can impact wage levels.
Minimum Wage Laws: Government regulations, including minimum wage laws and labor protections, set the baseline for compensation in many industries.

well then surely the mental effort a physicist puts in is higher than a professional footballer?
And why is only mental effort relevant anyway, what about physical effort, or overall social value?

Vets and medics are needed all over the world. If we don't pay them what they're worth, they will go where they feel valued. Question is, do we want doctors and vets in the UK, because if we do we need to pay them their worth.

Nobody would expecta neurosurgeon to be on the same wage as a checkout operator would they?

No, it is generally not expected that a neurosurgeon would be on the same wage as a checkout operator. The differences in wages between these two roles are influenced by several key factors:

Education and Training:

Neurosurgeons require extensive education and training, including medical school, residency, and specialized surgical training, which can take over a decade to complete.

Checkout operators typically require minimal formal education and training, which can often be completed in a matter of days or weeks.

Skill and Expertise:

Neurosurgeons possess highly specialized skills and expertise to perform complex and high-risk brain surgeries.

Checkout operators perform tasks that require less specialized skills, such as scanning items and handling cash transactions.

Responsibility and Complexity:

Neurosurgeons hold significant responsibility, as their decisions and actions can have life-or-death consequences for patients.

Checkout operators have lower levels of responsibility and the tasks they perform are generally routine and standardized.

Market Demand and Supply:

There is a high demand for neurosurgeons due to the complexity of the job and the limited supply of qualified professionals.

There is a larger supply of potential checkout operators, leading to lower wages.

Revenue Generation:

Neurosurgeons contribute significantly to the revenue of hospitals and medical institutions through the high cost of surgeries and treatments.

Checkout operators contribute to retail sales, but their individual role is less directly tied to large revenue generation.

Impact and Value:

The impact of a neurosurgeon's work on patient health and well-being is immense, leading to high societal value and higher compensation.

While checkout operators play an important role in the retail experience, the perceived impact and value of their work are generally lower.

These factors collectively explain why neurosurgeons are compensated at much higher rates compared to checkout operators.

Industry: Some industries, such as technology, finance, and healthcare, traditionally offer higher wages compared to others like retail or hospitality.
Sector: Public sector jobs may have different pay structures compared to private sector roles, often influenced by budget constraints and public funding.

This is true. I've done exactly the same job in public and private sector Unix sys admin) and pay is significantly more in the private sector. This means the public sector won't generate get the best staff, because they'll get more elsewhere- not only base salary, but pension, bonuses, private health, quite possibly training and promotion prospects. That's not the same for some specialised fields, but for roles where there are direct equivalents between public and private, it's usually better to go private as an employee.

For generate, read generally.

Higher pay indicates level of experience and qualification (or rarity of skillset) and level of legal responsibility, but definitely doesn't indicate how hard you work. That's totally naive!

I've never worked harder than when I was a minimum wage support worker. I'm now pretty senior in NHS terms and have a much easier ride.

Higher pay indicates level of experience and qualification (or rarity of skillset) and level of legal responsibility

Or that you have a penis.
(Yes, I am a little bitter about how hard it has been to be paid equally to my male peers in more than one company, despite being usually better qualified.)