What is a good salary in UK at present?

malachi said:
I dont anyone outside the M25 on £30K a year nevermind £40k unless they are in management.
Click to expand...

What? £30k a year is easy to make.

Anyone without any educational issues/or anything else stopping them work can make £30k. They might have to make some sacrficies, but it's not hard.

I failed school miserably, and on more than that.
 
malachi said:
Laziness.

He works in a factory counting money.

This is the same guy who got top marks in school when we left over 20 years ago. Waste of talent.
Click to expand...
Someone I went to uni with was on the toughest engineering undergrad course as it was a 3 year accelerated masters. He got a 1st but 20 years later is still working in a council administration job as he has zero self confidence and is content doing what he's doing.
 
panthro said:
Someone I went to uni with was on the toughest engineering undergrad course as it was a 3 year accelerated masters. He got a 1st but 20 years later is still working in a council administration job as he has zero self confidence and is content doing what he's doing.
Click to expand...

Got a 1st but has 0 confidence? That does not make sense
 
Ocean Breeze said:
Just walking into a £30K job outside of London is not that easy. You generally have to stay with an employer for a good while to achieve that salary or you’re going to have look for jobs based in cities which could be a long distance away..
Click to expand...

I think the line of work you're in is probably pretty important. Some sectors are just crap, no matter how good you are. My missus has been undervalued most of her career, as her sector (adult education) is just not highly renumerated in general, even for experienced and qualified staff. On the other hand, in the right sector, like software engineering (to pick a sector I'm familiar with), my starting salary in my very first job back in 2008 was 22K, which must be 30K now, what with inflation and all.
 
nightwish said:
I think the line of work you're in is probably pretty important. Some sectors are just crap, no matter how good you are. My missus has been undervalued most of her career, as her sector (adult education) is just not highly renumerated in general, even for experienced and qualified staff. On the other hand, in the right sector, like software engineering (to pick a sector I'm familiar with), my starting salary in my very first job back in 2008 was 22K, which must be 30K now, what with inflation and all.
Click to expand...
100%.

Far too many people unclear of growth trajectory when applying for roles.
 
Ocean Breeze said:
Just walking into a £30K job outside of London is not that easy. You generally have to stay with an employer for a good while to achieve that salary or you’re going to have look for jobs based in cities which could be a long distance away..
Click to expand...
Excalty, I'm also from one of the poorest areas in the UK (Sandwell) and none of my friends work in any STEM field. As historically it's been an industrial area. So unless you been in a company for a long time and work your way up. Most people are stuck on between 25 to 28k in that area.
 
Ocean Breeze said:
Just walking into a £30K job outside of London is not that easy. You generally have to stay with an employer for a good while to achieve that salary or you’re going to have look for jobs based in cities which could be a long distance away..
Click to expand...

Opposite I found.
I only got paid more when I changed jobs.
I stayed in a job 5 years and got py rises of less than per year.

Then I switched jobs 4 times in 5 years and went from 27 to 55.
 
Last edited:
Yeah no one hangs around if they actually want a pay rise.

I went from £19k to £27k to £38k over the course of 5 years all not that far from sandwell actually but this last job is the only one that's had proper pay rises for sticking around.

In 6 years I'm now on 1.5x the salary I started on.
 
Last edited:
Don't forget with company pensions, the company also contributes. I put 16% in, my company puts in 6 and a bit (some salary sacrifice bonus). That means my pension gets £790 a month and I'm only losing £520 (I think that's before tax too). My returns are averaging close to 10% a year, not sure investing privately would make up fir the work/tax deficite.
 
Last edited:
tom_e said:
Yeah no one hangs around if they actually want a pay rise.

I went from £19k to £27k to £38k over the course of 5 years all not that far from sandwell actually but this last job is the only one that's had proper pay rises for sticking around.

In 6 years I'm now on 1.5x the salary I started on.
Click to expand...

I've moved areas too. But my salary is even higher as 5 years ago I was commuting daily and having to wear shirts in an office.
Vs now, full time WFH.
I don't even need shirts anymore. Saves on washing too! :D
 
theone8181 said:
Don't forget with company pensions, the company also contributes. I put 16% in, my company puts in 6 and a bit (some salary sacrifice bonus). That means my pension gets £790 a month and I'm only losing £520 (I think that's before tax too). My returns are averaging close to 10% a year, not sure investing privately would make up fir the work/tax deficite.
Click to expand...
Pensions are mental money savers. People who ignore them need a head wobble. To beat a pension in private investments you need to beat 20/40/50/66% to even break even.

Downside is you might die but then you're dead so who cares?
 
malachi said:
Excalty, I'm also from one of the poorest areas in the UK (Sandwell) and none of my friends work in any STEM field. As historically it's been an industrial area. So unless you been in a company for a long time and work your way up. Most people are stuck on between 25 to 28k in that area.
Click to expand...

There will always be varying circumstances for different people, but I think there's an element of 'going out and getting it' that some people lack.

As it happens I am from an area very near Sandwell. I used to work in a supermarket, but I went and got a Mechanical Engineering degree, went and got a job in the automotive industry, then went and got a better job for an OEM in the industry. Not earning megabucks but certainly a world away from where I was.

I could've just stayed at the supermarket and despaired...
 
dlockers said:
Pensions are mental money savers. People who ignore them need a head wobble. To beat a pension in private investments you need to beat 20/40/50/66% to even break even.

Downside is you might die but then you're dead so who cares?
Click to expand...
A kid I used to work with decided to pull out his money (from a final salary scheme) for some beer money. Yes he was an idiot with money :rolleyes: .
 
Bassmansam said:
Got a 1st but has 0 confidence? That does not make sense
Click to expand...

Confidence is a huge factor in how much you earn. Some people are academically minded but lack real world confidence. This is me, same company for over 20 years now. Comfortable there, it has its perks for sure. I maybe could get more money elsewhere but would come with some huge risks giving up the security/comfort I have now, the need to get to know all new people, the need to go more managerial etc. Some people just blag their way through these things even though they are not as diligent or competent. Then when it doesn't work out or they aren't getting the results they wanted they just up and go somewhere else, leaving the company in the lurch. It's a shame loyalty isn't rewarded well, at least in monetary terms.

I'm also from the Midlands and have to agree on the opportunities not being that good. Heavily industrial region, high levels of poverty and welfare dependence. Another reason I'm reluctant to move is the risk that the grass is not greener, given the area.
 
danlightbulb said:
Confidence is a huge factor in how much you earn. Some people are academically minded but lack real world confidence. This is me, same company for over 20 years now. Comfortable there, it has its perks for sure. I maybe could get more money elsewhere but would come with some huge risks giving up the security/comfort I have now, the need to get to know all new people, the need to go more managerial etc. Some people just blag their way through these things even though they are not as diligent or competent. Then when it doesn't work out or they aren't getting the results they wanted they just up and go somewhere else, leaving the company in the lurch. It's a shame loyalty isn't rewarded well, at least in monetary terms.

I'm also from the Midlands and have to agree on the opportunities not being that good. Heavily industrial region, high levels of poverty and welfare dependence. Another reason I'm reluctant to move is the risk that the grass is not greener, given the area.
Click to expand...

Seems very rare you get rewarded fir loyalty.
My step dad worked for ABF and did really really well just working up the ladder. (with his damn boomer final salary pension)
 
413x said:
Seems very rare you get rewarded fir loyalty.
My step dad worked for ABF and did really really well just working up the ladder. (with his damn boomer final salary pension)
Click to expand...
If you're on some kind of leadership programme or scheme then it's worthwhile. Otherwise I would never recommend staying in the same job long term. I've seen so many companies walk all over their employees because they know they will never leave. They keep them happy by spouting that ice cream trucks and summer parties are just as good as a meaningful pay rise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom