Is 26.7k a good salary for a single person?

[Bethditto1]

Who lives on their own.. this is in the Civil Service, this is for a person with no children.
Based on 37 hours. I think it's quite poor, just curious to know what people think?

I am in the NW, looked at that role and haven’t applied as no it isn’t enough for me. Single and mortgage and I need 29k minimum which is proving tricky to find

That's really low. I'm London based civil servant.

Ive had to come in via a recruitment agency to get a foot in the door. Well I didn't 'have to' but it was faster.
So unless I can apply for permanent roles here, I'm not getting the same pension or sick pay.

No I think it's a terrible salary to be honest.... only just above minimum wage. That's not an insult to anyone on that wage by the way...I'm a sahm and if I re entered the work place, I'd probably get the same. However, 20-25 years ago, when I was job hunting, roles were paying that and here we are, still on these ridiculous salaries. It's an absolute joke how people are supposed to live on this.

No flexi in the role im in, fixed start and finish times.

You are required to be assessed and automatically placed into a pension plan to which your employer contributes. The minimum contributions are 8% with at least 3% coming from the employer (you would contribute 5% on the minimum structure). They can utilise postponement and delay your auto enrolment assessment by up to 3 months.

Look at the bigger picture. There are other perks which come with the role, including good pension, leave entitlements and once you are in the civil service and have passed your probation, you can apply for other more senior roles with better pay.

But agree with the pp you should look at the bigger picture in terms of the specific role.

My point was a broader one that wages are just shit in this country, regardless of the sector.

Currently there's no bigger picture for me sadly, a couple of extra days of leave don't make up for a low salary, I dont yet have the CS pension and honestly when you're over 30 years from retirement, thinking of the pension isn't your priority on a low income.

Very doubtful in a civil service department!

Civil Service Pension employers contribution is now a huge 28.97%, so thats worth £7,734 on top of your salary. Private sector is 4% or £1068 - you are over £6500 better of in your civil service role so make sure you take that into consideration.

What’s an AO?

This. All my Civil Servant friends retired in good pensions. If you can live on it, take it. It will only go up.

It's not great, but if there's room to progress and has a CS pension it might suit some people.

It depends on the job. Let's face it, we'd all love to be on £60k + and be significantly more comfortable (for outside of London).
The reality is, unless you have the skills for a higher paying role, it is what it is. You can make do, won't be easy but it's all down to the options you have.

I know this because I'm in a similar position pay wise. If it can lead to better opportunities, stick it out and progress. If you can get higher in another role, go for that.

That's the same as my graduate starting salary in 2008, its insultingly low

I've recently returned to the job market after a long break, and I'm genuinely shocked by the salaries in my field. It feels like they've either regressed to 2007 levels or simply haven't kept up over the years, and I just hadn't noticed. It's left me wondering if it's really worth the stress and effort of going back to work for what amounts to just above minimum wage.

My DS is on almost 35k at age 24 on a degree apprenticeship. When he graduates this year I think it’s going up to about 40k.

It not great for your age but it’s a job that if you get taken on a permanent non agency contract will be much better. don’t underestimate a decent pension. I took mine out at 21 and had en eye on retiring early even then.

I was coming here to say ‘that’s a call centre wage’ and that’s what you are doing so it’s the normal wage.

that being said, I would probably try to get a similar job in a bank, good bonuses and career progression in comparison

Gosh AO isn't actually entry level, AA is
I was an AO with MoD( medically retired in 1993) and got pretty much the same then

My DS1 is on 28k working for a university single, renting
DS2 on 55k, renting, planning to buy next year at 27.( chartered accountant)

https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs

Some departments, including the one I work for, have effectively abolished the AA grade. AO is “entry level”.

That said, entry level as a term is a bit misleading. I started in one department as an EO and the next as a HEO. They were my entry levels but not at the bottom of the chain.

Entry level doesn't necessarily mean easier or unskilled. I'm not just making cups of tea and photocopying, AO roles are usually frontline ops roles with a lot of targets to meet.

People talk about progression in the CS but it's really not always that easy. I've got friends who've been trying for years but even EO roles are very competitive. Experience and performance don't really matter for a lot of roles, it's about how well you can write a personal statement/answer the behaviors in interview. You can be 21 and walk into an EO role.