Is this a decent salary for a young person?

[greentrianglechocolate]

Can I ask for some honest perspective on this because I’m now so confused and I don’t know if I’m completely in the dark about typical salaries etc.

for a recently graduated (2yr ago) young person, is 54k a decent salary?! Not in London or Edinburgh nor in any city for that matter. Just a regularish town in the UK with decent house prices where I live already

basically the context is I’m desperate to move out of my family home and finally purchase a house haha. Think my parents are probably desperate for that to happen too haha. I’ve just got a new job and was saying to my friends how I’m so grateful to have found a job that has a good pay and I can actually get a mortgage on etc, they immediately started saying how it’s not a good pay, it’s very typical, they would have wanted more, I won’t get a mortgage etc. I wasn’t talking about actual salary figures with them until they asked outright, it was on the job advert anyway so I guess they could have seen it.

sounds really silly but I just felt a bit deflated, maybe I was giving myself too much of a pat on the back and maybe I’m completely wrong in the average or typical salary, but for my age and just starting off I was chuffed with it and my friends have put a bit of a dampener on it now. I’ve done mortgage quotes online and with the right deposit I seem to be able to get a mortgage on that salary as a single person but now my friends have got me worried sick I won’t be able to and that I was living in fantasy land that it’s a decent salary for my age and stage

bit of perspective here, is it a decent salary or is it just typical? And please tell me it’s enough to finally move out?🥲

That's what our household income is. So yes. Its a good salary

Good grief, your friends have high expectations. Its a brilliant salary for someone your age. Well done.

Your friends sound rude, I wouldn't discuss my salary with people like that / anyone who doesn't need to know.
You must be capable of going online and looking up average graduate salaries for your area? I'm surprised that you come across as so clueless unless this post is just a weird humble brag.

I did! Literally nothing comes up, just an ordinary town in semi rural Northern Ireland. I wasn’t going to discuss it at all with them but they asked if I liked it and why I changed job etc, we’re all in a similar sort of field (although they work in Belfast) so they were asking more questions about it than normal and it’s hard to avoid giving details. I’m definitely clueless about the whole mortgage thing, I’ve looked online SO many times and done the mortgage principal calculator thing and for the life of me cannot make sense of the whole variable fixed rate thing. All I remember getting taught in school was to keep your mortgage under 35% of your salary. Definitely need to do some more research and get clued up a bit but I’m just soo desperate to finally move out

Do you work in a particularly high paying field or something OP? Because if not, that sounds loads for a (nearly) new graduate.

It's more than I am on as a teacher on maximum pay.

It’s definitely a job that pays better than average but its not one of the typically expected high paid jobs (lawyer, medic, pilot etc)

its actually a job that pays better in more rural ish areas usually- I guess because in cities there are more candidates going for the job so they can lower the salary a bit, whereas rurally not so much choice

just my guess anyway

There you go, found it in about ten seconds.
HESA data 2025
Average starting graduate salary in Northern Ireland is just under 28k.
Ask a bank if you want mortgage advice. You should be able to see on Rightmove etc how much houses cost in your area. Probably not much if you're not in the city.

I’m 28, salary 32k and in an equivalent town. I’ve been approved for a mortgage on my own with deposit.

52k is such a good salary. Idk what your friends are on about?!

Try this OP https://mortgage-affordability-calculator.moneyhelper.org.uk/

I’m struggling a bit here to be honest. You’re 23, graduated a couple of years ago, this is not your first job and yet you have no idea whether 52k is a good salary or not? And you’ve been living at home earning not sure what and that doesn’t give you any context?

Even at minimum wage you’ll have been earning almost £24k.

So help me here. Have I misunderstood anything?

I’m intrigued about what job it is. OP, it’s a fab salary imo

Congratulations @greentrianglechocolate it's fabulous 🥂👍

Read the papers or look up median salary and minimum wage in the UK. Then you'll see how clueless your friends are being.

Are your friends all in IT or something or are they just very naive??

Unless there are security issues or other location related challenges, that's a very decent salary for someone with decent experience and a profession behind them, let alone only a couple of years out of university, particularly in Northern Ireland.

How much do your friends earn?

Oh come on OP. You must know how ridiculous you sound. How much do your parents earn?

£54K salary for a graduate with only 2 years experience is a very good salary.
You must have in demand skills. Curiosity makes me ask what field do you work in?
Understand that salary levels fluctuate with supply/availability and demand of particular skills so what attracts a good salary today, may not in 5 years.

Very good salary.

The graduates I know earn (2-5 years post uni) earn under £40k.

It's very good and you know it. I'm in NI, solicitor and we pay our 2 year PQE solicitor 42k which believe it or not is really good for that level of pqe here, so I don't believe you're comparing with the right sectors either. Dying to know what you do tbh.

I'm about twice your age and I don't earn that much.

It's a fantastic salary for a young person. No idea what your friends are thinking. I'd take their opinions with a pinch of salt from now on.