Huge salary gap?

I am absolutely gob smacked at how little people earn here.  Someone very close to me is a lecturer at a University famous enough to be mentioned on page 1 of the da Vinci code.  Almost everyone in their department earns just slightly more than they would at Burger King, but they all work weekends and nights for free because they are terrified of losing it.

When I was doing my masters, there was a big issue in the department about the fact that a loophole in the salary band requirements meant that the post-doc researchers were able to negotiate a starting salary that was higher than the salary the experienced lecturers were earning!

Original poster, if you didn't hear about the latest controversy about BBC salaries, you should Google it.  In summary, the BBC was forced to release the salary information for most of it's on air talent. The salaries varied widely between people doing essentially the same job, with some people get paid an obscene amount completely disproportionate to thier value.  And universally, the woman were all paid significantly less than men.  I'm certain this is the case for many large companies, just not public. 

In the UK it's considered not to be good manners to discuss money. 

I meant in general, asking about life in certain towns (access to transit, what neighborhoods are like, which to avoid and that kind of thing) ... people certainly had plenty to say about the labor platform of raising minimum wage.


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I appreciate all the replies. 

I know we are super tight-lipped as a nation regarding finances, my Mother has no idea what my Father earned for the last 25 years of his career, nor what his pension is!

I think it might help people though to discuss it more, if they really thought about how little salaries have moved along while property values have increased dramatically, they might feel inspired to push for changes.

Thanks to those who put all the financial requirements on here, but that wasn't really what I was asking about - I'm well aware what we'd need, and how we'd have to do it.  Fortunately the funds can be accomplished by selling our current home, and it doesn't have to "sit" for 6 months as it was our joint residence, so that helps.

Thank you.

Original poster, if you didn't hear about the latest controversy about BBC salaries, you should Google it.  In summary, the BBC was forced to release the salary information for most of it's on air talent. The salaries varied widely between people doing essentially the same job, with some people get paid an obscene amount completely disproportionate to thier value.  And universally, the woman were all paid significantly less than men.  I'm certain this is the case for many large companies, just not public.

I saw Twitter explode that day, interesting reading!

  Fortunately the funds can be accomplished by selling our current home, and it doesn't have to "sit" for 6 months as it was our joint residence, so that helps.

It doesn't need to have been your joint residence in order for the money not to have to have been liquid for 6 months. It just needs to be a property that either or both of you have owned for more than 6 months. 

Here's something that was in the paper today, they want a cyber security expert to manage security for the royal family


£36,000 should be plenty for that.

Here's something that was in the paper today, they want a cyber security expert to manage security for the royal family


£36,000 should be plenty for that.

Gonna get some super high quality talent for that in London!


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Because management level security experts working for one of the richest families in the world usually do it for 1.5 times minimum wage. 

The RF is notoriously cheap for wages though (even more so than the rest of the companies here) its supposed to be an "honor" working for them 

Im on a salary several multiples above the national average and I do a whole lot of Not Much at work on any given day, but thats not going to be real helpful if I want to jump to another job back in the US etc. This salary is a smidge below my prior UK salary but I work less hours so it comes out in the wash. Other Half is too but he needs to find a new job this fall because hes underpaid and leaving too much money on the table for what he does (data viz), or he could have better prospects going contract and earning that sweet, sweet day rate.

Honestly, it took me a while to find where the better paid salaries are, but it was a combination of looking at larger companies (FTSE100, maybe larger end of the FTSE250) at manager level or higher, usually not advertised or go through headhunters/recruiters. Lot of networking in London. Then I noticed at that level people tend to get jobs through word of mouth or recommendations, which is how I got my next two offers.

More concerning is the level of productivity and capability - I've found it a bit lacking. But why invest in capital or labor or training when the entire economy is propped up by house prices? This is a bad, bad idea so honestly, you may want to see what happens in the next year and a half and realizing the low salaries now could save you a lot of pain further down the line.

Im on a salary several multiples above the national average and I do a whole lot of Not Much at work on any given day

going contract and earning that sweet, sweet day rate.

Have we met ?  You seem to know so much about me. 

That sweet, sweet day rate paid for my house. One company paid my contract day rate for 7 years. 

By the way, if your husband is USC and does go contract, tell him to get good tax advice from someone who knows about US tax law .  NOT someone who just assumes they do.

Honestly, it took me a while to find where the better paid salaries are, but it was a combination of looking at larger companies (FTSE100, maybe larger end of the FTSE250) at manager level or higher, usually not advertised or go through headhunters/recruiters. Lot of networking in London. Then I noticed at that level people tend to get jobs through word of mouth or recommendations, which is how I got my next two offers.

Do you know of anything or anybody in the Swansea area? 

Have we met ?  You seem to know so much about me. 

That sweet, sweet day rate paid for my house. One company paid my contract day rate for 7 years. 

By the way, if your husband is USC and does go contract, tell him to get good tax advice from someone who knows about US tax law .  NOT someone who just assumes they do.

I knew a guy at my last job who was on day rate for 4 years... he went on a massive trip to the Bahamas when they finally realized it would be cheaper to replace him with a permanent contract.

Other Half is dual US/Swedish so definitely would have to find a proper tax lawyer. Day rate adds up quick - a Scottish buddy contracts and he seems to know all the ins and outs for the UK at least but US tax and tax shelters is a whole other ball of wax.

I knew a guy at my last job who was on day rate for 4 years... he went on a massive trip to the Bahamas when they finally realized it would be cheaper to replace him with a permanent contract.

Other Half is dual US/Swedish so definitely would have to find a proper tax lawyer. Day rate adds up quick - a Scottish buddy contracts and he seems to know all the ins and outs for the UK at least but US tax and tax shelters is a whole other ball of wax.

We have a contractor at work who gets £1,750 A DAY.  I seriously want to train in his field.  He can set the insane rate as we can't find anyone else who meets the requirements!

I'll do it for a thousand a day!  What is it?  Accounting?