How Much Do You Earn? #2

[Begborrowsteal]

£135k plus 20-40% bonus per annum. Financial Controller for a large construction group. Early 30s. Work min. 50 hrs pw and don't really switch off but I love it.

Mediocre grades and didn't go to university, did my AAT & ACA after my a-levels and worked my arse off.

There was an element of luck - good mentors and good opportunities to progress but I would not have been given those chances without a good work ethic and attitude.

Downside, I missed out on travelling, uni, nights out other experiences in my 20s as I was studying and i regret taking life so seriously.

I've got major imposter syndrome as I don't have a degree and I'm a woman in a very male industry.

I haven't got a wealthy family so whilst it seems an insane salary to many, it's what I need to afford to live in London (where I'm from) and help my family.

Top tip: be more "masculine" in approach to job hunting, i.e. knowing your worth and being bolder with salary expectations. Your current salary sets the base for all future roles.

Tbf even for London, 135k with those bonuses is still pretty insane! Well done, love to see women doing well in male-dominated fields. My organisation has a lot of women in senior roles and more are stepping into leadership roles within the finance and construction areas, love to see it.

 

[petitspois]

Maybe only people who feel like they're doing pretty well feel like posting. The heart of this thread is to try to aim to ensure women talk about salaries and money more openly so it's harder for companies to pay men more for the same jobs.

 

[maharini]

Everything that’s wrong with wages/NHS. Our large doctors practice, 30,000 patients, is looking for a lead administrator with real responsibility for 4 other staff, liaising with patients, clinicians, other hospitals & departments, IT, telephony. It’s been vacant for months, leading to chronic issues for patients wanting to contact and access the practice. They’re paying £10.60 an hour for 37 hours. You can get more working at Lidl. Almost all the GPs are on a 4 day week and the admin staff pick up the slack. Our health pays.

 

[Shaunaftw]

I'm a plumber for the local authority earning 29k a year, 33 days plus bank holidays now and do 37 hours a week. I imagine I could earn double that if I went in to the private sector but to be honest I like knowing I'll be home by 16:30 Monday to Friday. I could do call to increase it slightly but there's more to life..

 

[Sabbie]

If I may give some advice, he should make sure he is contributing as much as he can to his pension (maxing his employer match if that's how his scheme operates - it's tempting in London to prioritise saving for a house which is not a bad approach but those early contributions will really grow), he should also try to avoid lifestyle creep as his salary grows. The City lifestyle isn't for everyone for life and so making the most of your earning power while you can to build your pension pot and save for a house is so important as it really will pay dividends later.

This advice. Ten times over! My brother left school at 16 and went into a city finance junior job. Worked 12 hour days until he was 40 and went freelance pulling in $250k+ a year plus silly big bonuses from companies he did projects for. Never spent money on anything. Pocketed it all away into pensions, investments, and housing. He retired at 50 and has plenty behind him for a very comfortable retirement traveling (pre covid, obvs.), an apartment by the Thames, and a fuck off house in the country. Not jealous. He earned every bit of it. Arsehole.

 

[MsGilmore]

£22K in a thankless public sector job trying to help the overpaid and underworked in society. I could earn more working at Pret.
I got told to go fuck myself yesterday hence why I am striking today!

 

[sixdinnersid83]

I love this thread, no sneering and congratulating success.

 

[bunnyboo]

I work full-time as a product designer and I mostly work from home, I sometimes go into the office (usually twice a month). I have 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

In 2019, I started off on €38,000 when I barely had any experience, and was the only designer in the firm (it's a start-up). I got a small raise in 2021, went up to €40,000. Now the team is growing and we finally have a junior designer so I got a promotion last week to lead designer and I'm on €46,500.

Sometimes when I feel like reaching my salary goals is impossible (€60k), I have to remind myself that up until 2018 I was in a horrific minimum wage job, doing 40 - 60 hours a week and bullied by a power-tripping, egotistical manager. I was even doing the managers job as this prick was so incompetent, but paid €9 an hour. I think he was jealous of me because I was just finishing up my masters degree at this point and on my way to becoming a product designer. He had done a few graphic design/film/photography evening courses but he never really got anywhere with it. But yeah, I've come a long way

Side story:
I bumped into my ex-boss a month ago, and turns out he's unemployed (or "freelancing" as he put it lol). It felt SO good to tell him that I'm the head of the design department in my firm.

 

[Rxt156]

Youre younger than me and earn more than I do. I don't care tbh. My quality of life is more important than my salary or work stress.

Amen to this. I don’t want to earn £100,000 a year if it means I have to work 12 hours a day and have no time for family. No time for hobbies/no energy for anything? No thanks

 

[Heyholetsgo]

I earn 28k as a graphic designer and my other half works part time earning 5k a year, might start another thread called who is always in their overdraft

 

[Flowergirl14]

I feel very fortunate. Some of you guys work so hard, and your pay does not reflect it. I earn over £75k a year working as an accountant for the past 30 years. That includes a car allowance, I took the money rather than have a fancy car sitting on my drive for the past year! I have a lovely boss and great fun colleagues, I work 37.5 hours a week. No stress, which is very important to me.... I know I could earn more if I changed jobs, but I value a stress free life and nice colleagues. Money is not everything, maybe easy for me to say....

 

[JellyDonut]

£130k as a compliance officer for a medical devices company. 9.30am - 5pm Mon-Fri. 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, plus 2 week company shut down over Xmas and new year.

 

[User111995]

I’ve never paid “rent” to my parents and I’d never charge my own children, it doesn’t sit right with me

 

[willb79]

I’m 42 and work in procurement for a food manufacturer. £79k plus car (including fuel). Bonus tends to be around £25k.

No formal training, left school with GCSE’s and started in retail management, moved to head office into procurement and career has moved on since

 

[Cariad]

Son's just been accepted on to a grad scheme with a global bank and will be starting on a salary of £40k +£5k starting bonus ( aged 22!) he's got a 2:1 BSc in Geography and Environmental Science ....I have 30+ yrs nursing experience and don't get paid that much

 

[Scorpihoe]

One of my friends cousins mum takes it to the extreme. She got her daughters bedroom electrically wired separately from the rest of the house (or something like that, can’t remember exactly what she said), and charges her daughter a separate electricity bill.

she won’t let her charge her phone in the family living room either and “use their electricity”, and makes her buy all her own food. I remember she used to charge her phone at college

 

[Avenged7Fold]

Ah ok! So what made you leave the office job?? (Sorry I’m just curious as to what was appealing about becoming a carer?)

My Mum passed away in hospital from Alzheimer’s. She was in a cottage hospital with lots of old people with dementia. They kept coming to her side ward door and asking me to take them to the toilet/help them get dressed/get them in to bed. I realised that’s what has been missing in my life and got a job in a care home and handed in my notice. It’s hard but it brings me more joy than keyboard bashing in a stockbrokers

 

[MissTeddy]

The OP is a CEO …That role carries a huge weight of responsibility for all aspects of the organisation. In many commercial organisations £80k is a middle management salary. No one is saying it’s not a good salary but in no way is it appropriate for the pressure and accountability of the CEO role.

 

[Chocolateorange67]

56,000 a year in marketing. I’d happily take more but quite comfortable on that as a single person no kids!

 

[jeam90]

I know it sounds ridiculous but that is his wage! Even I find it hard to comprehend at times. I never would ever have imagined living the way I do now, I came from an average middle class family.

We met at uni and then I got pregnant with our eldest at 23 (she’s now 14) so I dropped out to become a mum and he carried on working ridiculously hard, he’s a bit of a workaholic. The only reason I work is so I have some of my own money and I just save about 3/4 of it so if something were to happen I have my own money because we live off his money. I also volunteer 1 day a week at the local food bank helping out but I didn’t add that in because obviously I don’t earn anything from that!

I’m not going to say his job for privacy reasons but a couple of people have guessed right!

We now also have a 6 and 2 year old and I couldn’t be happier!