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Original poster

What is your job title and how much do you earn?

319 replies

worldshottestmom · 12/02/2026 18:32

As per title. What do you do and how much do you get paid?

I'll go first; SAHM. £0 pa.

I have a degree in Psychology, but I have never done anything with it as I fell pregnant not long after graduating. But soon, ill have enough time to go back to work full time and I honestly cant wait! I just feel at this point in my life im not sure if I want to pursue a career directly related to my degree.

So, i'm asking you fellow mumsnetters what you do, so I can get a feel of whats out there with accurate salary / hourly rate reflections.

If anyone also has any advice on what other things I could do with my degree, id be very appreciative! I have heard a lot about recruitment / HR roles being fond of Psychology graduates, but job advertisements for those roles always require experience. I also graduated in 2018 which does NOT work well in my favour, but a degree is a degree and im sure it'll help with some roles (or at least I hope so lol).

Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
worldshottestmom · 13/02/2026 11:17

user1476613140 · 13/02/2026 07:51

I think the biggest elephant in the room is how AI will affect many industries and knowing which ones will be best avoided for the younger generations. It's going to be a real challenge. Going into a well paid job doesn't necessarily mean job security long term.

Yea this is what concerns me most. Was working a crappy paid cashier job for years, but right as covid hit everyone wanted to work there. Made me so grateful to even have a job at that point and really put things into perspective for me in terms of job security. I just feel all these office jobs etc that I would be suitable for, can easily be mostly replaced by AI in the near future. Just really not sure what to do!

OP posts:
Original poster
worldshottestmom · 13/02/2026 11:18

Glitterybee · 12/02/2026 23:51

Recruitment Account Manager £60k.

I started off 18 years ago on the reception desk. and progressed through the ranks as follows:

Receptionist (£10k per year)
Recruitment administrator (£12k)
Trainee Recruiter (£14k)
Recruitment consultant (16k)
moved to a new company to be an onsite Recruiter on £21k
Then went to another new company to be an In-house recruiter (26k)
Promoted to in-house principal recruiter (£35k)
Team Leader (£39k)
And then finally Recruitment manager (£45k) where I’ve been for 8 years. I’ve received a small annual increase each year which has brought me to £60k currently

Looking at my pay progression I feel like I had more money when I earned £26k (circa 2015) than what I do now!

I could progress to senior manager but not sure if I want it to be honest. I feel comfortable and settled, I think I value my wellbeing over taking on anymore responsibility and stress

Really great answer, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
worldshottestmom · 13/02/2026 11:22

Lucyccfc68 · 12/02/2026 22:15

If you are keen to get into a HR role, then look for a HR admin role to start with and work your way up. Some places take on HR apprentices and the 2 places where I have advertised for these roles, the starting salary has been £22k, but jumped to £30k after 18 months.

HR is such a broad department (most people think it’s just about grievance and discipline - that’s actually ER - employee relations).

So, the different strands of HR:

Employee Relations
Internal comms
Talent Management
Recruitment
Early Careers
Well-being and occupational health
Learning and Development
Business Partner
Payroll
Reward and Benefits
Outreach and partnerships
Learning Designer

There are so many opportunities in HR. I have worked my way up to a senior role and earn £82k + 12% bonus. I have never worked in a role where I have been directly involved in discipline or had to know employment law. I have worked in Learning and Development, Talent, Early Careers and Outreach.

At my current organisation, we have a team of 40 in HR and only 5 of them deal with discipline, grievance and policy. I work with L and D Managers, Learning Designers, Early Careers and project co-ordinators. We have had a number of more mature people who have come in as apprentices (they wanted a career change). We have an apprentice who is currently working on the design of assessment centres for apprentices and graduates and she has a psychology degree.

This is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for, thank you! Really detailed with so much information. Honestly, i didnt really get the full range of HR but wow, its a lot! Very encouraging, definitely something id enjoy :) thank you

OP posts:
SpringSe · 13/02/2026 12:01

I work in HR for a company that works on the psychology field. HR is very much an experience led career, you would more likely go further with no qualifications and the right experience over all the qualifications and little experience. I started in HR admin which is a great baseline for HR. I have a business degree and then one low level CIPD qualification.

I’m the only HR where I am so I do everything. My salary is just under £80k (20 years experience).

TheCurious0range · 13/02/2026 12:21

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 12/02/2026 19:08

I am an interventions manager in the probation service. I’m on £35k (not in London). The same role exists in prisons and a lot of prisons look for psychologists to support the programmes they run.

Surely as an IM you should be on band 5? Or are you a treatment manager? Band 5 starts about 10k higher than that. I still have lots of friends who work in probation (I used to)

Lookingforwardtospringster · 13/02/2026 12:21

Consultant £125K. 30’yrs experience

LadyFlumpalot · 13/02/2026 18:06

Assistant Project Manager - £45k

Middlechild3 · 15/02/2026 10:34

worldshottestmom · 12/02/2026 19:52

How on earth did you swindle that?? Do you work heavy hours?

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You must know by now that you don't need a degree to be good at something..........

Middlechild3 · 15/02/2026 10:39

Whooo · 13/02/2026 00:51

Grad schemes are the most competitive though - you’re up against the best of the best there, candidates who have likely done juicy internships or have worked previously ie offer more than a degree. I mean, most universities encourage their students to get some exposure to work as best practice so it ups the baseline expectations across the board.

in OP’s shoes it’s probably easier to get a smaller employer to take you on as opposed to via a grad scheme. But I’m only saying that as someone in my 20s who has done well at work and have friends/family in different places. The market is simply brutal to those who don’t have experience and entry level jobs rarely accept entry level experience.

Show quote history

Also I think for a lot of grad schemes you can only apply if you are within 3 years of graduating.

Strumpetpumpet · 15/02/2026 10:41

TheOneAndOnlyMumster · 12/02/2026 19:19

I was talking to dh earlier about changing jobs earlier and my youngest dc said I could become a weirdo.

I asked if “weirdo” was actually a job and what does a weirdo do all day long?

And he said “that’s exactly the kind of question a weirdo would ask.” Laughed and wandered off to play Legos.

So I’m currently an accountant and I earn £50k. But quite intrigued by the idea of becoming a professional weirdo.

I love this 😂 I’m an accountant, 30 years qualified but work in education so on £72k but I love the idea of being a professional weirdo - if you find out how to apply, please let me know!

BrownSharpie · 15/02/2026 10:44

Machine operator, I work 6 months of the year and earn £36k

da675fh35 · 15/02/2026 10:49

I am a civil servant, G6 with professional allowances on top and earn £85,000.

There are lots of professional specialisms in the civil service, from digital roles to HR, risk management, commercial etc. With a psychology degree you’d be eligible for an apprenticeship, or you’d likely be able to get into an entry level position within a profession.

I moved up very quickly (SEO to G6 in 3 years, but I was already qualified in my position at a base level). The civil service have spent £20,000 on me on my courses so it’s been a great way of developing my career which is how I have ended up with my additional allowances and now out earning the SCS1 grade which is higher (with much more responsibility!)

It’s also very flexible.

bekind123 · 15/02/2026 19:52

School Designated Safeguarding Lead (support staff but SLT). 40k. social care degree.

Yuja · 15/02/2026 20:32

Corporate Learning & Development Specialist 45.5k

MangoPancake · 18/02/2026 08:34

Another business analyst but 44k here, outside of London in Home Counties exclusive of annual bonus.

Wondering how I get to 170k🤣

SingingSands · 18/02/2026 11:33

Legal PA - £38k - North of England

Have worked in this field since I dropped out of uni and it’s been good to me - good benefits, nice offices, great colleagues, maternity leave x2, part time hours, full time hours. My commute is 30 mins door to door and I can run home in the summer months along a lovely canal/river path. I have to remind myself sometimes that I’m fortunate to have this role, especially when I get stressed out, but it’s a job that works really well around family life and has the right amount of challenge to not bore me.

WTAFIsWrongWithPeople · 18/02/2026 16:29

Name changed for this.

HR Director in pseudo public sector. Chartered CIPD and 20+ years experience. Did a psychology degree whilst working but didn’t need it to get to this point.

Package is worth around £180k a year. It’s hard fucking work. (Username is a clue.)

Bluebuddha10 · 18/02/2026 19:09

Public participation role in charity £43k

Youabsoluteblinder · 18/02/2026 20:40

Studied Law but decided I didn't want to practice so I started off as claims legal advisor for an insurance company on £28k (stayed in job for 2 months as boss was a C*).

Then worked as a civil servant for 4 years (starting salary was £18k which increased to £36k by the time I left, as I got promoted).

Decided to move to the private sector and got a temp job in the Banking sector with a starting salary of £24k. Ended up staying there for 15 years, gaining several promotions during that time. By the time I was made redundant last year, my salary including bonus was £75k.

Redundancy package gave me a nice cushion to have the summer off and enabled me to take a pay cut to start a new job in a completely different area in the public sector.

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