Would you class £32,000 as a good salary?

[Poshpuppy]

I know there are so many variables. For a 21 year old living at home it's probably a very good salary!
For a single parent who owns a home maybe not.

For me, I'm 35 and I don't feel this is a good salary for me. I'm in the Civil Service, I have a degree and master's, it's my own fault for possibly doing qualifications that haven't led to anything higher paid/more specific.
I'm an EO/Executive Officer grade which is junior. There are not many HEO/Higher Officer grades that don't require very niche experience or line management, there are also few fewer HEOs than AOs or EOs so competition is tough.

I'm looking outwards at the local council, third sector and private sector. I know money isn't everything but when you have things to pay for and any chance of saving then it does help. I think I'd feel comfortable on closer to 40k, whether this will happen is another matter.

Of course there will be people on under 30k who manage perfectly fine, it's all relative. Just wondered what anyone thought!

Also avree with pp that education is irrelevant once in a career.
Noone cares unless you work in education or for a uni.
Courses and certifications relevant to specific roles are valuable though once in work. So focus on those for career progression as noone will give a flying hoot about a masters or your degree subject.

Its about what you have done once you started work.

There's so much discrepancy in various industries, companies (private or public sector) and regions.

My colleague's son is leaving uni this year (engineering) and is going into a grad scheme job with a starting salary of £45k with a guaranteed minimum 10% bonus each year. Another colleague's children both went into big finance (accountancy and insurance) businesses straight out of uni and are earning £100k + each before they're 30. They have very stressful, intensive jobs though.

Another friend of mine has worked in the civil service for 30+ years and has a very senior role but is only earning around £70k. She has degrees and post grad qualifications.

I wouldn't say £32k is a good salary though for your qualifications. My SIL is earning a similar amount in a customer service role for a utility company and has no qualifications beyond GCSEs.

It's really tough if you don't get that right/lucky break...

No, it's not. As others have said, you need to focus on career progression to improve it, your degrees are a given. Do you have a mentor?

I know the CS is supposed to have a good reputation for salary/career development, but when I see jobs posted on LinkedIn they seem to offer 20% less than equivalent roles in other public sector organisations. Yes, the pension’s great but that doesn’t pay my right-now bills…

Hi I earn the same but I am part time as a Teacher 3 days per week (55k FTE). I would definitely struggle if I didn't have my partner's income.

As others have said it seems low for your qualifications and over 10 years experience.

Yes, thank you for understanding. You're made to feel like you should accept whatever salary because of the pension, but that doesn't pay for things now, not in 30 years' time.

What exactly is your job?

Do you have skills that are transferable to the private sector?

A lot of private sector also double match pension contributions. I have had a few roles where if i pay 10% the employer pays 20%.

No, not if it’s your sole income

Have you tried looking and applying for other jobs?

One thing to accept is you usually have to work a heck of a lot harder in the private sector to earn more.

No clocking off early, staying at work far longer than the 37 hours a week, less holiday, lower pensions.

All my family work in the private sector (my kids are older than you) and they work long hours with a lot of responsibility.

100% - I’m a single parent and as much as I would love to change jobs, I’m still holding on due to the risk involved. I can’t afford an interruption in wages coming in.

Plus I live in a suburban area and all the “good” jobs will inevitably (unless I’m very lucky) involve some form of commuting, which will also add costs + time spent.

I think it’s the way you worded your post - as if “gosh!”
I am a single income household and a lone parent. I know the pressure. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as finding another job these days. That’s partly why salaries are so low - they have hundreds of applicants.

Does the C.S. still have a non-contributory pension scheme?
That's worth a lot of money.

Local Government used to be compulsory 6%, maybe still is.

It still is where I am

I'm the same, Bsc+Msc, in CS, same salary. Admittedly, I'm up North. I find it OK. Covers my necessary expenditure, good pension and flexible around parenting. Don't have the private sector stress, log off at 5 and that's it. Maybe I will look for progression once DD2 is in secondary school (a while yet), but not now. It wouldn't have been doable if both DDs were in nursery and the mortgage was this rate, though, so I do appreciate I'm having it easy with the timings. Also I'll have to consider the AI impact in the future. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

Most eo jobs will be digitised by 2030 so I would definitely not rest on your laurels either way

I was made redundant from a well paid job in Sept. I had over 3 months of no salary coming in. My new job is much less money and I’m working weekends freelancing to boost it.
I’m a professional. There were over 100 very qualified people going for the job I now have. The answer to my “is the salary negotiable” was “no”. It’s also a fixed term 12 month contract. So even though I don’t get a day off I’m sticking with the freelance so keep that door open.
Sorry….made it all about me.
The point is that many, many people don’t have wiggle room to find better paid work.

£32k isn't bad although it depends on your responsibilities. Are you working towards getting the experience you need for HEO? I had to pro-actively ask for work to get the necessary experience.

No, don't be ridiculous. The only NC pension scheme in the country is the armed forces.

I think it's all subjective really. I earn a little more than that but have a mortgage and have two adult children at home who do contribute but nothing like 1/3 of the costs.
When the kids were younger I had CM as well but have always earned a low wage and we manage. Owned a car, holidays abroad most years etc.

Not really. It’s what I’m on
Single parent
if I hadn’t had inheritance I’d struggle

Surely that's only relevant if the worker is entering a field which required the degree and masters. Organisations rarely give higher starting salaries to people with no experience or relevant qualifications, just because they went to university.

No it is not.

Will your Department pay for you to do a postgrad/training in something that would help you to get promoted eg HR, law, public policy?

Upskilling will make you stand out in competitions.

I'm a civil servant too, and it can feel like we have to be so so grateful for flexibility, pension etc, but as you're planning on having children, it's really valuable.

I have a couple of friends with private sector jobs who were made redundant when they were pregnant - employers claimed nothing at all to do with the pregnancy, what a coincidence. That doesn't happen in the civil service. Flexible working is available in other employers, but there is a risk, particularly with a smaller company, that you'll be turned down.

I imagine your local council has the same sort of flexibility as the civil service, so might be the best option to consider.

Surely part of your answer would be either to make an income from your flat, or sell it...