Do any well-paid jobs exist in the UK?

[Rifte]

Not a great idea to jack in a job before obtaining another one.

General rule of thumb? An employer will only pay you as little as he or she can get away with.

When I worked in the UK any significant increase that I saw was on the back of a move to another company, and on this basis I jumped numerous times. Before I went self employed I was on just over 70k, and I only quit when I was able to sustain my family's lifestyle by setting out on my own. I have no room for error with 2 children involved on the back end of any decision that I make.

 

[balky12]

LOL you'll be earning a paltry wage since you're based in the UK; even a 20k gross yearly increase amounts to pennies/month. I'm living off the tax payer free of charge - thanks for the free beer and rent. In fact I don't intend to change that until wages increase to my satisfaction or I come up with a lucrative money making idea.

Enjoy your day of slavery tomorrow.

You're living in a car aren't you? And you haven't even started claiming jobseekers? So I don't know why you're thanking me.

Also do you think your worth, or rather what a company is going to pay you, is going to increase when your experience isn't increasing?

Based on your attitude and understanding of the job market I can't see you coming up with a lucrative money making idea but best of luck to you.

Today happened to be a days holiday. But tomorrow I will return to 'slavery'.

 

[peterwalkley]

How long now before dilbert asks a mod to delete this thread like the last time he created one in the Careers section and ended up looking unemployable in that one too.

 

[Mr^B]

LOL you'll be earning a paltry wage since you're based in the UK; even a 20k gross yearly increase amounts to pennies/month. I'm living off the tax payer free of charge - thanks for the free beer and rent. In fact I don't intend to change that until wages increase to my satisfaction or I come up with a lucrative money making idea.

Enjoy your day of slavery tomorrow.

I don't mind paying for people less fortunate than me to have a beer and to have a roof over their head.

I often raise a glass of champagne to them as I'm eating caviar out of a supermodel's crevice and thank them for putting my hard earned tax payments to good use.

 

[Uther]

If you quit your job for no reason you won't be getting any benefits. I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends down at the foodbank this Christmas.

 

[randomshenans]

I don't mind paying for people less fortunate than me to have a beer and to have a roof over their head.

I often raise a glass of champagne to them as I'm eating caviar out of a supermodel's crevice and thank them for putting my hard earned tax payments to good use.

 

[zola25]

LOL you'll be earning a paltry wage since you're based in the UK; even a 20k gross yearly increase amounts to pennies/month.

I normally avoid this sort of discussion, but I just had to bite this time.....

Sorry, but what? An increase of £20K gross amounts to an additional £1K per month at higher rate tax. Short of C. Montgomery Burns I am not sure who'd refer to that as "pennies".

 

[dowie]

I don't mind paying for people less fortunate than me to have a beer and to have a roof over their head.

I often raise a glass of champagne to them as I'm eating caviar out of a supermodel's crevice and thank them for putting my hard earned tax payments to good use.

 

[#Chri5#]

I don't mind paying for people less fortunate than me to have a beer and to have a roof over their head.

I often raise a glass of champagne to them as I'm eating caviar out of a supermodel's crevice and thank them for putting my hard earned tax payments to good use.

Shame the OP is now sitting in his camper van drinking Lidl value lager - now there's something to aspire to!

 

[Ayahuasca]

Shame the OP is now sitting in his camper van drinking Lidl value lager - now there's something to aspire to!

Sounds pretty good to me, his attitude was unlikely to find him an enjoyable career so why not.

 

[Mark1989]

Lol 33k not decent okay, many people in England would love to just reach 20k, just seems like you were ungrateful, and think your owed something. Rage quitting a job is just daft, should only leave if have something in place imo, unless your getting abuse from employer of some kind or ill to point may aswell not be employed e.g. Off work for months at a time.

 

[Ayahuasca]

If you're in the situation where you'd love to just be on 20k then you can't have worked very hard on personal development or a skillset, I mean come on you don't need to be a brainbox or have any special capabilities to obtain that, a bit of effort and showing some initiative in fairly basic roles such as a 1st line call centre role will see you on that within a couple of years.

The reason those people are stuck on salaries below that is that they fear failure and don't open themselves up to new opportunities, they sit in the same job they moan about for years on end wondering why their manager isn't turning around offering them more money.

 

[Vonhelmet]

£33k not a living wage? Looking for £138k?

Literally mental.

 

[malachi]

If you're in the situation where you'd love to just be on 20k then you can't have worked very hard on personal development or a skillset, I mean come on you don't need to be a brainbox or have any special capabilities to obtain that, a bit of effort and showing some initiative in fairly basic roles such as a 1st line call centre role will see you on that within a couple of years.

The reason those people are stuck on salaries below that is that they fear failure and don't open themselves up to new opportunities, they sit in the same job they moan about for years on end wondering why their manager isn't turning around offering them more money.

I have to agree. It's down to general lack of motivation.

No motivation = no well paid job.

 

[Boycey0211]

Great read 10/10.

On 32k before any deductions here, just bought my first house, own a car and while I don't have cash to throw around I'm far from 'frugal'.

Not many chances of increasing that really either so luckily I've got the job of my dreams for atleast the next couple of years.

 

[The_Abyss]

To answer a few recurring (yet irrelevant to the thread title) questions:

I'm leaving rented accommodation and will be residing full-time in a converted van - 'avoiding homelessness' essentially.

33k after deductions (income tax and student tax) is less than a few grand a month. Don't know what job, lifestyle / salary responding posters are partaking / earning, but for the job I was doing on a daily basis - setting out permanent works on building sites which entails a great deal of responsibility, being outdoors in every type of weather (inclement / hot & humid [every day last summer]), daily commuting to alternating locations on heavily gridlocked roads, red-tape and highly pressured site work: <2k per month is not close to a worthwhile income, completely negating the physical/mental health implications. Baring in mind my skills, qualifications, house prices and future provisions; I'd value such a job at 70k net to make it feasible (~138000k gross FYI). So not even close. I'd define a living wage as 1.5k net per month; just covering the basics, there's not much left after living existing on that.

As someone correctly indicated - I quit my job without any lineups, as no jobs pay reasonable salaries - hence this thread to seek out 'well paid jobs' or confirm my belief that 95% of the population are existing on paltry living wages. The UK is not a prosperous country; I never participate in rigged games. Anyway from the few responses it seems as though the majority are content with their small salaries - which is why salaries will remain that way.

Good and bad news OP.

Firstly, bad news. I don't think you should look for a future role in finance or tax. Your calculations are way off.

Secondly, good news. Your calculations are way off. To net £70,000 per annum you only need a gross income of around £112,000. There, I've saved you £26,000 in aspirational wages that you no longer need to earn.

That doesn't take into account any student debt though, so adjust accordingly.

 

[easyrider]

Bedfordshire, not close enough to get the London weighting
!

Then you must be a Head of department or something?

 

[skaif]

Then you must be a Head of department or something?

Indeed!

 

[Electroshadow]

OP

33k for a civil engineer highways/infrastructure/ Site engineering & consultancy is a quite normal if you are perm working for a large bluechip company or such. If you go to a smaller local large contractor firm 45 -60k is more the norm but if you are looking for more money again you will have to give up your job security and go contracting, £45ph hour being the normal or I would suggest a 400 day rate or similar. Then again if you don’t have family or mind working away try the middle east $14k per month tax free out there .

The thing is in the contracting world or even the construction industry, experience and a track record is going to get you a lot further than a degree, a lot of people make the mistake that a degree means a lot to an employer it doesn’t at the end of the day. What they really want are people that are going to support project progression and have the experience to get it done on time and safely.

 

[captain dilbert]

give up your job security and go contracting, £45ph hour being the normal or I would suggest a 400 day rate or similar. Then again if you don’t have family or mind working away try the middle east $14k per month tax free out there .

I set up a limited company last year and undertook a number of contracts but never got anywhere near the 45GBP / hour rate - in fact that would make my efforts worthwhile. Consistent hourly rates are 24GBP / hour for the provision of site engineering services; which taking into account tax, very expensive insurance (business + business vehicle) and fuel, it leaves me with an average income. Eager to learn where to find those 45 / hr rates.