If you earn 100k plus, what is your occupation?

[CJ2010]

I've posted this here as it is a bit U, but i am curious to know what jobs pay mega bucks.

I've just been looking on a jobs website at admin jobs, most are paying on average 20-25k (in London). With the cost of living as it it, that sort of money will not go far at all.

I've been a SAHM for a while now and have begun looking for work. I'm considering retraining, but only in something that pays well!

So members of the 100k club please spill the beans and let me know your secrets!

If you are oop north HereKittyKitty I wouldn't feel any lacking . We live in London but I've had a peek at house prices in some northern cities and you get so much more for your money up there, I think you would probably have more disposable income than us, or live somewhere much bigger with a better quality of life. DH likes to walk to work so we are very very central, but we can only get a 2 bed flat on his salary.

Headteacher, DH not me. ExH was a failed actuary, agree the exams are very hard, but, irritatingly he did go on to marry an heiress so it did not matter.

olgaga's info is very interesting but quite out of date as it relates to 2004/05

emsy - it involves someone going into a company and telling them what they are doing wrong and recommending changes, and then charging a vast fee. Often the person doing the telling has come straight from Uni into consulting, and therefore has no actual experience to draw on.

I am obviously a little tongue in cheek here, but the couple of MCs I know went straight out of Oxbridge into roles in a Big Four and admit themselves that they haven't a clue about the realities of working in anything other than a consultancy. While happily drawing £150k+ salaries...

DH earns £100k. He is a company director for a marketing agency. He works really long hours and is always stressed. Never switches off, never sleeps and is glued to his phone!

Totally different world.

I don't think I know a single person who earns more than £50k and few that earn more than £30k.

DH,earns 2000k as a business consultant. He is brilliant at his job and absolutely loves it.

Here (Edinburgh) an NQ lawyer would be looking at about £28-33k. And it takes 7 years to qualify...

I would recommend actuarial studies if the maths ability is there. The only actuary I know earned £39k as a trainee. I earned £16k as a trainee solicitor in 2009...

Chris, I earned 16k as a trainee in 1992!!!

Hi

I do the same as bingullofmaggets. - head up buying for a retail company and us taken 12 years of hard work to get here

I earned £12k as a trainee solicitor in 2002-4! £100k? I bloody wish! My work life balance is great though, I won't burn out and when the kidlets arrive I can work round them, with a great maternity package!

You need to consider training in something you're interested in and have the aptitude for firstly, and then consider if it will bring in the income you're looking for.

We're in engineering / construction for a huge multi-national. I find it a good profession and there are certainly EXTREMELY high earners amongst our managers, that can go up to partnerships in the company where they are on the big bucks and profit share. However, if you don't like moving every couple of years, long hours, business trips away from your family, assignments to less than desireable locations (we flew with relief from our last location!), then it is not the business for you.

I have zero qual's and would not likely reach the 100k unless I pushed myself forward for management. Which is not something I'm sure I want to do, having seen the turnover of staff here. DH has an eng degree and will go into management, I'd say in 4yrs, he could be earning close to that.

i used to, doing a 4 day week, as partner in law firm. hated the job. miss the money!

"Hmmm still don't really understand management consultancy! I just can't visualise what it would involve on a practical level."

Some e.g.s of projects my company has done:

Client wants to launch new product. Calls on consultants to work it out, what is included, how much to sell for, looking at what competitors do etc.

Client is integrating one of its subsidiaries. Calls on consultants to do a huge part of the project, e.g. I worked on customer communication - what the client says to its customers and when

Client is losing money. Needs to streamline its business. Calls on consultants to look at various aspects (e.g. back office), where the money is being lost and propose new targets and plans for how to reach those targets.

Clients is doing a huge project (often across many departments and countries). Calls on consultants to help run the project globally - reporting on the advancement of each department, following the budget and making sure it all happens on time. Personally I hate that type of project - lots of meetings and time planning but not actually getting into the subject matter.

Basically you work on projects meaning the client has skilled and experienced staff at his disposal without having to hire them for only 3, 6, 12 months etc. Also in every project I've done the consultants work waaaay longer hours than the client employees, solving the client's problems far quicker than in-house staff would have done.

HTH

bit of a long reply

I enjoy consulting on the whole, as long as the project is interesting, my manager is nice (changes with each project) and the client is nice/not an idiot

I'm always working at the client site so I'm also checking out lots of companies to see where I'd like to work once DC2 arrives (in a couple of years) and I want more predictable hours (and a semi-fixed workplace!)

I think that sounds quite interesting! Are you a bit like Gerry Robinson then???

I work in Legal Recruitment outside of the SE.
I can tell you that only Partners (and not always then!) earn £100k+ in my region. I know lots of Equity partners earning way more than that, but it's getting harder to get in now I think.
Most often I have LPC graduates talking to me, often working for free, to gain experience (provide free labour) desperate to gain a training contract/paying paralegal work.
I wouldn't go for the Law unless you have shit hot academics and something sought after in your experience to date. You may also then spend years before you get to that income (esp if you are outside of London).

People I know earning those sums are mainly surgeons or self-employed.
It had also been a really hard slog to get there, not just a quick conversion course and BAM! They all really love what they do and have a passion for it as well.

Doing something you love and being good at it that pays a better than average wage is a more realistic ambition than plucking a figure and thinking that you have to earn that.

Hello frankie76 nice to see a kindred spirit on here.

Really depends where you live too. DH doesn't earn 100K, more like 70K in a media company. I don't work and we live in Bucks, where that money goes not very far at all. Most people around us earn considerably more - IT consultants, bankers, hospital consultants. 100K round here wouldn't be unusual at all, leading to a constant feeling of inadequacy of those of us not on that salary

I earn that sort of money working as a senior manager in a Big 4 accountancy firm (similar to magic circle law firms iyswim). Money is good, hours are long and it's not really compatible to get to senior manager or higher after having kids (unless you have a partner who can be a SAHP or can afford a nanny).

This thread is like stepping into a parallel universe for a nose around

I'm a nurse, great job and I think I'm quite well paid but nothing compared to the salaries on this thread.

I do see you have to work very, very hard to achieve those kinds of salaries, with a lot of responsibility, skill, and probably stress involved.

However, I work very hard and take responsibility for 20 odd lives every time I go to work. If anything were to happen to one of my patients, which is a very real possibility, I could be in serious shit. It can be bloody stressful. In monetary terms though, it is not recognised as such

Not that I care. I've not got the skills for management. Generally though jobs face to face with people tend to pay less though. In nursing, it's the managers that rake in the highest salaries.

Who's Gerry R?

It can be very interesting. Can also be deathly dull. And a lot depends on who you're working with. You can have a huge team of consultants on one project (which is rather fun) or be stuck on your own in another country with a manager who does f* all to help you with any problems....

I've certainly learnt a lot though, especially about working with different personalities!

Doyouthink - Nurses should be paid a heck of a lot more than they are. I'm sure you're excellent at your job; why do you think you don't have management skills?

doyouthink My friend is a nurse and I have the highest respect for her job, I know that although I have responsibility, if I make a mistake it'll just cost money and possibly my job, not someone's life.

I do think caring jobs should be much better paid.

dotheythink - i have to say i was pretty humbled/ashamed recently by the contrast between what midwives do for their money and what i do for mine; i do take high level decisions/responsibility, but it's not in the same league.