Do any well-paid jobs exist in the UK?

Uther · 1 Dec 2017 at 18:12

I think you might have to accept that you are not worth what you think you are, and join the real world.

dowie · 3 Dec 2017 at 00:12

captain dilbert said:
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.

hand on, if you've already tried the self employed route then you are rather objectively worth a lot less than you think if people aren't willing to pay you/you aren't able to sell your services at a higher rate

this isn't just a case of an employee thinking his employer is being stingy, you've gone out and become your own employer and you're still not getting paid what you want - that ought to make you realise that you're not worth what you think and that is mostly your own fault as you were then the one in control of marketing/selling yourself, acquiring new skills and/or potentially even expanding beyond being a one man band consultant and trying to set up a small consultancy

you'll likely find that the people who do earn more than you/earn what you'l like to earn have taken more risks/put in more effort to specialise or to sell their skills or find out where they'd be more valuable etc...

skaif · 3 Dec 2017 at 15:28

You get the feeling some people won't listen even if what they're being told is their own reality...

Nitefly · 6 Dec 2017 at 00:45

Interesting thread.

Not much to add but I remember being told as a kid that if you earn your age you’re doing pretty well. Maybe add a couple of K and a few bonus K for London but I think that’s about right. Not to say that people earning less than that are not doing well, just that you shouldn’t necessarily be dissatisfied at that level.

Just a generalisation of course.

skaif · 6 Dec 2017 at 06:56

Nitefly said:
Interesting thread.

Not much to add but I remember being told as a kid that if you earn your age you’re doing pretty well. Maybe add a couple of K and a few bonus K for London but I think that’s about right. Not to say that people earning less than that are not doing well, just that you shouldn’t necessarily be dissatisfied at that level.

Just a generalisation of course.

I have an older cousin who also said this, and it may well have been true a decade or so ago. But nowadays I think its age and a half to be doing pretty well. Cost of living in general is way to high (especially in the south) and you wont be able to afford a house in your mid 20's etc if you are earning your age. Funnily enough I just did the maths and I am earning pretty much exactly my age and a half! (Until my birthday in Jan, then I'm a loser again

)

Nitefly · 6 Dec 2017 at 08:57

skaif said:
I have an older cousin who also said this, and it may well have been true a decade or so ago. But nowadays I think its age and a half to be doing pretty well. Cost of living in general is way to high (especially in the south) and you wont be able to afford a house in your mid 20's etc if you are earning your age. Funnily enough I just did the maths and I am earning pretty much exactly my age and a half! (Until my birthday in Jan, then I'm a loser again)

Hmm I know what you mean but I think age and a half is a little higher.

There’s no way most people can have a house at that age without ‘lifestyle compromises’ (I.e a lot of saving) or significant help.

ttaskmaster · 6 Dec 2017 at 10:54

The Craig said:
When you say technician do you just do CAD?

Nope, we have CAD people for doing CAD stuff. I survey and fix sewers mainly, designing repair and rehab solutions from single pipe level right up to entire catchments, as well as dealing similarly with various other drainage assets.

The Craig said:
Your salaries seem very low tbh. I've worked for a couple water engineering consultancies (civil based but I'm mechanical), and you can earn significantly more than that.

Key word - Consultants... As I mentioned, that's where the money is. If you're contracted directly to or employed by the utility company or are part of a JV, you're on the low pay.

The Craig said:
Also surely the only real cost of getting chartered is time? (normally fee company will pay)

Depends on the company. Sometimes going the Incorporated route works better.

Buffman · 6 Dec 2017 at 18:31

ttaskmaster said:
Nope, we have CAD people for doing CAD stuff. I survey and fix sewers mainly, designing repair and rehab solutions from single pipe level right up to entire catchments, as well as dealing similarly with various other drainage assets.

Key word - Consultants... As I mentioned, that's where the money is. If you're contracted directly to or employed by the utility company or are part of a JV, you're on the low pay.

Depends on the company. Sometimes going the Incorporated route works better.

Sounds like terrible rates. If youre unhappy with the salary have you considered moving?

lixxus · 6 Dec 2017 at 19:26

im in envy of those that have a good job outside london with a affordable mortgage.

For us millennials there is no chance. The average salary in London apparently is £34k and for an network/support engineer that is realistic.
but with that annual salary you are pretty limited in what you can do with average rent prices being over £1200 or you end up flat sharing like a human trafficking.
You ideally need a joint income in London to get anywhere and live a comfortable life. Two professionals earning around £70-80k together.
In order to be able to go nice holidays, own a car etc.

I'm hoping with brexit salaries will increase as there will be skill shortage.

malachi · 6 Dec 2017 at 23:11

lixxus said:
im in envy of those that have a good job outside london with a affordable mortgage.

What would you classify a well paid job outside London?

lixxus said:
I'm hoping with brexit salaries will increase as there will be skill shortage.

Sorry isn't going to happen. People with better skills will take them to another country as other businesses go elsewhere. Only the minimum wage/low paid manual labor jobs will be effected by Brexit. NHS has a shortage of staff because the long hours and the barrier for entry is too high. Not worth it to a lot of people.

In our police force, we have an shortage of 20 officers in one place because people are not good enough to do the job. Also doesn't help the starting wage has dropped from 23K a year to 18k over the past 10 years. Oh and they want to make it compulsory you need to have a degree to join the police from 2020 (i think) They want people doing more for less....again not worth it.

These issues Brexit will not fix.

ttaskmaster · 7 Dec 2017 at 16:07

The Craig said:
Sounds like terrible rates. If youre unhappy with the salary have you considered moving?

That's the industry for you...

I was actually TUPE'd into the utility from my consultancy because it was cheaper for the former. The consultancy later sold off that section of their business, made all their Engineers redundant and buggered off to Dubai.
Worse still, I can't go to a different utility company, partly because it means moving to a completely new Region and we're setting up a life here... and partly because I'd be paid even less elsewhere. We have London and Oxford, so the highest salaries are here and if we did move away, we'd never afford to move back.
I am looking at what other jobs I might be able to do in another industry, but the things I'm good at are pretty niche specialist.

krooton · 8 Dec 2017 at 19:15

How the heck am I earning a chunk more than the OP with zero tertiary education?

Sure, I work in Surrey, but still, I'm just a self-taught analyst

Lunawolfy · 8 Dec 2017 at 20:27

Getting a job is only half the work of getting a good wage. Your wage increasing is largely down to your ability to display your work and illustrate that to the people who pay you. You can be paid vastly more than everyone else in the room if your employer believes they are getting a good deal.

BF-Bert · 9 Dec 2017 at 20:15

If your setting out on site then your on the bottom rung of Civil Engineering, get a few years experience and take a more management/design orientated role and your salary will rise.

Kenai · 10 Dec 2017 at 22:01

ttaskmaster said:
That's the industry for you...

Worse still, I can't go to a different utility company, partly because it means moving to a completely new Region and we're setting up a life here... and partly because I'd be paid even less elsewhere.

I'm only Incorporated and on more than your Chartered Over 55s with London Weighting at a different utility. Might be worth looking into more before deciding that's the best you could find...

OpenToSuggestions · 11 Dec 2017 at 00:15

Ayahuasca said:
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.

Best post I've read in quite a while.

It is interesting to read the posts since I added post number 3.
I've quit many jobs.....once I had a new one lined up, always on more money*. I can gladly say I am also happy with my current role in terms of job satisfaction.

*I'd have taken a cut if it some something with prospects or closer to home but this situation hasn't arisen.

ttaskmaster · 15 Dec 2017 at 13:03

Kenai said:
I'm only Incorporated and on more than your Chartered Over 55s with London Weighting at a different utility. Might be worth looking into more before deciding that's the best you could find...

Dunno about the Engineers, but my skills aren't really transferable outside the water industry. Kinda stuck without expensive* retraining for a career change, in that respect. Downside to specialising.

*As in, however much it costs, I can't afford it.

Kenai · 15 Dec 2017 at 14:00

ttaskmaster said:
Dunno about the Engineers, but my skills aren't really transferable outside the water industry. Kinda stuck without expensive* retraining for a career change, in that respect. Downside to specialising.

*As in, however much it costs, I can't afford it.

Still Water, just a different area is all I meant by different utility.

Axeboy · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:01

Keep an open mind with Water too, you don't need to stick to wholesalers, try retailers and supply chain too. Usually don't have as good a package in terms of benefits but the money can be better and in general it will open more opportunities in my opinion.

esoteric · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:03

The UK, where we have an abundance of foreign workers and unemployed nationals, where employers can throw another £7.50 temp worker at the problem instead of investing in proper equipment, training and structure and have us compete on a global scale. And if you complain for more money there are another 100 people waiting to take your job.

Reminds me a bloke at work who is stressed and complaining he doesn't have enough money and has to get by on £800 a month. Everyone who heard about it said "wtf I'd love £800 a month SPARE"