To ask how you've reached a high salary? 50k+

[Redvelvetdreams1]

I'm on 29.5k which is the most I've ever earned in my life, and I'm 34. I have a degree and a PGCE but here we are.
I'm never going to be a millionaire, but I just don't feel like I'll ever know what it's like to be well off. I live alone too but fortunately only have myself to support.

I'm an EO in the Civil service, which i hate. I'm not trying to be rich, but I'd just love to have a comfortable salary and be able to save comfortably, go on proper holidays and not just a £19.99 ryanair flight (I know I'm lucky to even do that) afford to learn to drive, and just know what it's like to not have to check my bank account daily and count every penny.

However I know this is the reality for most people. Maybe I can go back to teaching and try to make it up to SLT, but school behaviour is horrendous these days which is why I left.

I'm just feeling a bit lost. I know I'm lucky to even have a job, but without sounding arrogant I considered myself as intelligent, I gained qualifications, can speak other languages and a lot of people my age are earning quite a bit more than me.
Just interested to hear anyone's stories and any advice on where to go from here.

You say you’ve got a degree and a PGCE but you aren’t using either of them. You need to look at graduate jobs like civil service fast stream or other company grad schemes if you don’t want to go back to teaching. Pick a field, stick at it and work your way up. I’m on £70k but I’m mid 30s and have worked my way up over 14 years.

LinkedIn! You're right to leave - the only people who stay in the civil service are those that are institutionalised. The pension isn't even that good! I have a better pension, better flexi and get paid a shit load for what I do with 6 monthly bonuses and yearly decent payrises. Get yourself on LinkedIn.

If you are in hmrc have you thought about moving to tax roles in practise and doing qualifications?

Tax and accountancy in the private sector is far better paid.

Most I have earned was close to 40k, well that’s the actual salary now, adjusted from when I was nursing. DH is an academic and earns 70k PA. He has a PhD from Cambridge. His friends that also have those qualifications earn mega money. Two work in banking and one works in the oil and gas industry at the global HQ, not in the field. My brothers earn loads, one works for Big pharma and has a PhD as does his wife and they earn crazy amounts of money and my other brother is a chemical engineer. Basically all the scientists and engineers we know earn loads. Even the bankers qualifications are in engineering and science. The only other person I know who earns loads who doesn’t have a science or engineering background is a corporate lawyer.

That’s harsh. The median U.K. salary is around £31k she’s not doing terribly. I don’t really think salary and age are linked

If you're willing to work long hours, and it's just the classroom behaviour that's putting you off going back into teaching, you should look at private schools.

I don't know about your family situation- a live-in job in a boarding school is not for the faint hearted, but is a great way to save up some money, and House Mistress can be a good way into SLT (deputy head pastoral would be the normal route).

@Casualbrowser21 please can you tell me a bit more about how you got in to this role? Im a mortgage advisor at the moment (self employed) and looking for a change!

This! The key is to get into the private sector from the start! I studied political science and languages, considered law, in the end went into business (marketing and advertising), and that's basically where you earn decent money!

The challenge now is you are 34 and not easy to pivot into the private sector I think.... In the nicest possible way - how did it take you 10 year to work out there wasn't going to be any money in your field?

You need to get into the private sector and switch companies a lot. Whenever you apply for a new job, tell them your current salary is higher than it is, so you're guaranteed a pay rise.

I switched jobs every year or two at the beginning of my career. Don't listen to anyone who says it puts people off hiring you, it doesn't.

If your department is about to expand by another 500 people then there will be people manager roles coming up too?

Can you build a good rep and start showing yourself as suitable for promotion?

I work in Tax but in the private sector. £71.5k plus £10k bonus. Have you thought about a career in accounting or tax. You could apply for a graduate scheme and be qualified within 3/4 years and earning circa £40k on qualification. You can progress quite quickly from then if you work hard to become a manager within a couple more years and be over £50k easy.

I used to be a teacher. Left that behind in 2017 and I now work in professional services for a London university end I earn more than £50k a year.

It's not a case of being harsh.

The OP is 34 and is in an entry level position. It's a job she could have got immediately after leaving school.

It's self-evident that entry level positions aren't as well paid as senior positions.

People doing entry level jobs can't afford all the nice things that people in senior positions can.

This isn't a case of declining living standards, it's simply a reflection of having an entry level job.

not sure what GPs earn generally, but my friend who’s a gp and works 3 days is on 90k.

I’d be here for hours if I listed it all. But essentially in my managerial position, I’m responsible for the running of a very large department (more than 30 consultants and significant number of junior doctors) including ensuring the smooth, efficient and productive running of more than 10 theatre suites, 20 plus out patient clinics a day, preoperative service, several hundred nurses and AHPs, and more than 60 administrative staff including receptionists, admissions officers, waiting list clerks etc.
I am accountable for the departments pay and non pay budget and adherence to them, achieving cost improvement targets, performance and activity targets, achieving national performance and quality targets and reporting them to the ICB or NHSE, investigating and responding to complaints, investigating any issues or near misses and working with the clinical teams to improve and streamline pathways and patient experience.

basically run the “business” operations of a specific specialty.

I'm a social worker, so there are plenty of jobs and opportunities for progression. I earn 50k but could earn 60-70k in management.

I'd love to know more about a 'basic admin' role paying £50,000...

@ThisOldThang

Your posts are really helpful. Certainly given me something to think about. Thank you.

You are asserting that everyone can get a ‘senior position’. There are nowhere near enough of those jobs, even if there were many suitable applicants.

Many people, for myriad reasons, will only have ‘entry level’ jobs. The issue absolutely is that pay is not in line with the rising costs of living. People need to be paid more. Not everyone wants or can get senior positions. This does not justify them being paid a less than living wage.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you are a trainee/apprentice at the moment? What is the scope for when you are fully trained?

Sadly I do have colleagues aged 18-20 and for whom this is their first job, so it's true I could have been doing a lot better.

Same salary ill just be streaming out, but hopefully I'll have found something else by then.

60k qualified social worker, now in management. I love my job, it truly is where my interest lies and can’t ever see me doing anything else.
however it’s hard work and I often get a bit green eyed at my friends who wfh (and tell me how they spent the day not working and watching tv -I understand these folk are in minority. They obviously have different jobs and get paid about half my wage.. my point is money isn’t everything. I get good money but I would like to slow down a bit 🤣

you could apply for the TSP scheme through HMRC? It’s quite competitive but a good salary and prospects once you’re in.

A friend of mine did a Level 3 apprenticeship with civil service at 18 instead of uni and just never left. Now a grade 7, earning well over £50k. Just years of courses, moving to new roles, secondments, always learning new things and moving up, playing the game. The only person I know to buy a house at 23.

Also, speaking from experience, just go for a job even if you don't think you have experience. 60% of any role is just learning on the job, 20% is transferrable skills, 20% is formal learning. I didn't realise this and spent 8 years working entry level jobs just trying to break the £20k mark. A agency pointed this out and I went from a £17k job to a £38k job within a few weeks. (Applied for a job outside of the agency! Ironic.)

And if you go for it, get an interview but don't get picked then you'll have proper feedback to feed the fire next time.

DH is a police sergeant with 20yrs service