How has your pay fluctuated since becoming a mum?

[ICE50]

Just wondered how your salary has fluctuated since becoming a mum.

In 2006, I took a career break and left a generous package of £45K. DC were 5 and 3.

In 2010, I returned to work on £18K.

I'm only now back on £45K after requalifying. DC are now 18 and 16.

I wouldn't change a thing with the benefit of hindsight and I know how lucky I was to be able to take some time out of the workplace but I was definitely naive to think I could walk back into a similarly earning role.

I'd be interested to hear your personal experiences.

Thank you for all your replies, I'm finding this thread quite inspirational!

1994 1st child born £26k
1995 retrained 13k
1997 2nd child born- childcare costs for 2 were more than salary but DH understood shared cost
2002 30K
2009 70k
2019 £150k

2013 - 2016 - £32k
2017 - £19k (conveniently made redundant and forced into new role after a late m/c early on the year, and had DS in December)
2018 - £15k, return to work to find during Mat leave I've been phased out, and my maternity cover is my new line manager. Later found out I was 'demoted' to give her the extra 4K to her salary.

2019 - £17.5k, I'm retraining, should be on £25k next year, and should be on £35k in around three years with great potential for growth. It's a job I know I'm going to be happy in, with a really family friendly organisation degree also underway.

I really hope this isn't discouraging OP! The truth is, my employer was very anti having any sort of priority other than work.

I love this thread. So inspiring and so proud to read all of your growth.

2013: 22k (23 yo)
2014/2015: 22.5k (24 yo and had DD, then got made redundant)
2016: 28k (26 yo and new job)
2017: 31k (27 yo and internal promotion)
2018: 45k (28 yo and new job)
2019: 55k (29 yo and new job)

It's not been easy at all, DD Has been in nursery full time since 9 months. I have my guilt sometimes but she has such a great quality of life and my career is v important to me so its just about finding the balance that works for you!!!

My salary has increased significantly (I earn about 7x as much as I did when DD was born). But I only took short maternity leaves (6 months for DD in 2004, 8 months for DS in 2006) and went back to work FT. So I don’t think having children has had much of an impact on my earnings.

Everyone who earns 45k+ what jobs do you do?!

Choodechoo - great question! I'm a Finance Manager (MAAT) earning £45K in the South East.

I went on mat leave with DC1 earning £43k.

Took a 7 year break and 8 years later earn mid six figures.

Having DC has motivated me to do the very best I can.

1994 - finished uni
1994 - 2002 various jobs which fit around travelling the world. Never earnt more than 16k
2002 - started long-term temp job earning 16k
2006 - had DD and took a year maternity leave
2010 - dropped down to working 4 days a week, earning 13k
2019 - still earning 13k doing the same job as I was in 2002. No pay rise for 17 years. I don't know what I can do to increase my earning potential. I think I am destined for low-paid work.

Same as MsAwesome on P1, until I chose to go PT. I've still gained promotions and different jobs PT though so the FTE has continued to rise, although obviously I'm pro-rata.

Choodechoo when I was earning loads of money (pre kids) I was an actuary.

@Choodechoo I’m a patent attorney.

Left on 35K ish in 2010. Had a few years out and also career changed which didn't help wih pay increases obviously. Now back on 35. Better late than never though, and I've kept up pension contributions, albeit small, the whole time.

I left for maternity in 2012 on 25k age 26.
2013- went back 4 days per week equivalent of 27k.
2015- started second mat leave on 31k.

Didn't work for two years

2017- 3 days per week at 22k
2018- present - full time maternity cover 37k. This is the most I've ever earnt- I'm a teacher.

I'm about to move abroad for 2 years to teach while my kids are young and my husband is game to save some money. My salary before benefits is 65k and then there are many benefits on top of this so I think it'll be the most I ever earn in my life! I'm 33.

I hope that I will eventually earn around 50-55k and my husband similar. This is so much money for us as we come from non wealthy backgrounds and it would enable us a fantastic life but I've got a lot of progression to make to ever get there.

Well I got made redundant not long after returning from 2nd Mat leave. Was previously earning 45k plus but bonus.

Started my own business last year, profit this year will be 20kish BUT I work part time, term time only, entirely on my own terms.

This is making me 🤣, living on a pension £1000 per year!

What sort of jobs to people do to earn the likes of 60k plus as a matter of interest. I noticed on one post someone earns 150k a year...my house was 143k to buy

This is a real inspiring thread but I do feel trapped in my salary bracket.

I am a lone parent to a DS in reception. I work in sales around his school day to avoid childcare which has crippled me for years. I also want to keep a good balance and be around for my child as I am his only parent.
I would love to provide a better life for my child but I can't see how I can study or retrain. I have no help from my sons family, he is absent completely. I have a mortgage, bills and unfortunately huge debt repayments he left me with (all his but in my name) money is exceptionally tight every month. We just about get by. I just don't know how I could make things better with the responsibilities I have to meet day in day out.

Well done ladies for working hard at your careers. I wish I could find a way to improve mine

Loads bit because I switched from full time PAYE to contracts and then ad hoc freelance

From over £100k to under £20k in some years and again almost zero right after having a baby

I think I’m still ok to get a well paid contract or job but only just, I’ve got a very small gig that keeps my CV ticking over - blank can be a killer

@Mumof1andacat I don’t know about uk but here in Ireland even a primary school teacher with no extra responsibilities can earn 60k+ I’m only just back into the Irish payscale (approx 40k) but if I hadn’t left for 5 years I would already be on 53k.

2007: had DS, earning 12.5k
2008: new job, 16.5k
2011: new job, £25k
2012: payrise, £30k
2014: new job, £48k
2015: new job, £55k
2016: went self employed to be around for DS more, £12k
2017: new job, £36k
2019: payrise, £38k, but went part time due to DS SEN , so £28.5k

2002 Mat leave £34k
2003 local job PT £25k
2006 working from home £18k
2012 new job £32k
2013 new job £38k
2014 new job £30k as previous role was horrific and needed to get out
2018 new job £37k
2018 promotion £55k

I was in banking in the City. Very good package. Was promoted between DCs who are very close in age. Left and became a sahm 2 years ago, but really want to go back to work when DS2 starts Reception next year . Don't want to go full time and don't want to go back into banking. Haven't a clue what to do.

2011: had DC1 - salary of £28k

2013: made redundant and took a more junior role as that's all there was at the time - salary of £25k

2014: moved to a role almost on par with 2011 role - salary £28k

2016: had DC2 and left job after a year of mat leave due to unsupportive and inflexible manager / borderline discrimination (got a good pay out)

2017: took a more junior role that offered very flexible working (pt, term time and from home) - salary £11k (full time equivalent £24k)

2018: had DC3

2019: about to go self employed with no childcare costs and hoping for £10k in year 1, with scope to increase my hours as children get older each year

Honestly my confidence and self worth is rock bottom. Becoming a mum has for me killed my career. It was the 2014 job with the horrible manager that did it. I'm terrified of working and feel sick about it. Even in my last job where I had good feedback I had no confidence (not helped by the fact that manager although nice was running a small startup and very reliant on me doing a lot of stuff outside the scope of my role that I had no experience of and was no given any support in). Have had cognitive therapy but didn't find it to work for me. Desperately wish I could get back to my 2011 role where I was happiest and my career was flying - working at board level often and was a key person within the business who was highly regarded.

It's shit.