good salary for a mid 20's person

good salary for a mid 20's person

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SWAT78

1,079 posts

183 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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dieseluser07 said:
Now all of my friends seem to be on more than me barring one, yet when i tell people my salary they think its decent.
I think this is most important to you - at your age you'll generally compare yourself with mates. Even if you don't talk about absolute numbers (which you obviously do), if there's one time every few months where your mates are doing something but you can't afford to, you'll think you're not earning enough.

Not that that's a bad thing if it's driving you to improve yourself.

Just be grateful you're not mates with slackers - it's very easy to get complacent and stop trying to improve if you're the highest earner in your group.

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

165 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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£26k if you're not in London at that age is fine. More than fine.

There's grown men of 40+ with wives and kids in my wider team that only take home £20k per year.

BrettMRC

4,089 posts

160 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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As long as you doing what you enjoy doing, and have enough money to support the things you want to do then everything else is frippery.


R1 Indy

4,382 posts

183 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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I always feel a complete failure in life whenever I read a thread like this!

jogon

2,971 posts

158 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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R1 Indy said:
I always feel a complete failure in life whenever I read a thread like this!
Don't. I have met happier and more content people living in wooden huts with no electricity and having to catch their dinner each day than most the people you see on the northern line each day.

Dog Star

16,132 posts

168 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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I think where you live has more bearing on what your salary is worth than any other factor.

I know people who are on sub-20K (even including overtime) up here in Lancashire and they appear to have better lifestyles, MUCH nicer homes and more holidays than people I know down south who earn several multiples of their salary.

toon10

6,183 posts

157 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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williamp said:
As a genral rule of thumb, when I was in my 20s ( I am now 37) I used to think that if I earnt more then my age, in 000's then I was doing Ok. So at 23, earning £23k is not bad. not spectacular, but not bad. At 30, earn 30k. Etc etc. This "theory" was enough for me to work hard and push for payrises, and I've not done too badly ao far
I've always worked on this premise too. If you're 25 and earn 25k+ then you're doing OK. To be honest as you get older, you appreciate the work life balance/quality of life more than career and earnings. At least that's how I see life now anyway.

I'd rather earn £45k do less than 40 hours per week and have a 10 minute no conjestion commute and have a fairly stress free job than earn £75k but have lots of stress, do 50+ hours and have an hour commute stuck in traffic. I value my time and wellbeing more than my bank balance.

JohnSW20

886 posts

237 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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When I was growing up in the North West I had a rule of thumb that you should at least earn your age. So if say you are 26 years old you should aim to earn at least £26k.

CRB14

1,493 posts

152 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
quotequote all
Earnings are so subjective it is difficult to say what is good.

What I earn I think is reasonable but to my friends they think it is insane. The only thing I'd say is don't obsess at work with what other people earn. I used to and it isn't healthy. It can make you resentful and developing an irrational dislike of people.

Regardless, no matter what you earn it'll never seem quite enough.

red_slr

17,233 posts

189 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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The more you earn the more you spend!

Badabing

446 posts

206 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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I'd love to earn more money per annum by happiness is more important to me. I'm a designer and despite what people think of the industry it's bloody difficult in relation to the salary received. Well in my case anyway.

I've earnt great money in central London but disliked certain aspects of the job and commute. I've taken less money to work in the countryside but have more time to spend with my wife and child. Happiness is key. I bet Bill Gates is bloody happy though.

Shaoxter

4,077 posts

124 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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As long as you're earning more than your friends you will feel superior and happy with your life.

I got to a six figure salary at 25, although my friends have since caught up.

vescaegg

25,544 posts

167 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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red_slr said:
The more you earn the more you spend!
Not everyone. I think ive gotten much tighter as my salary has increased hehe

R11ysf

1,936 posts

182 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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This interesting thing here is that not many people have mentioned education as a barometer. If you are 25 and just finished your PhD in financial mathematics then you are being massively underpaid on £26k. If however you left school at 14, spent 10 years on the dole and TWOCing before heading down the job centre then £26k is excellent.

As said above, these threads are pointless as everyone's circumstances are so vastly different. I know people who earn £500k and feel pissed off. Yes I really do, and worse still sometimes they probably are right to feel pissed off at only earning £500k.

If you're happy and not in debt, just chill and enjoy life.

Edited by R11ysf on Tuesday 28th October 15:31

greggy50

6,168 posts

191 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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Shaoxter said:
As long as you're earning more than your friends you will feel superior and happy with your life.

I got to a six figure salary at 25, although my friends have since caught up.
Six figures at 25! WTF

Is this cause I am living in the midlands? As I doubt even 1/2 directors at my place earn that much...

vescaegg

25,544 posts

167 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
quotequote all
greggy50 said:
Shaoxter said:
As long as you're earning more than your friends you will feel superior and happy with your life.

I got to a six figure salary at 25, although my friends have since caught up.
Six figures at 25! WTF

Is this cause I am living in the midlands? As I doubt even 1/2 directors at my place earn that much...
Its certainly possible but certainly not the norm or even 'uncommon'. Its very rare id say.

Half of that is perfectly doable though - many people I know hit 50k by mid 20's.

crashley

1,568 posts

180 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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I wouldn't focus on salary, i'd focus on work/life balance. If you happen to find something you genuinely are passionate about, the money should come in due course.

okgo

38,035 posts

198 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
quotequote all
In 20's generally the only people making lots of cash are sales people, the odd one who got the top grad job and liars hehe


Thankyou4calling

10,602 posts

173 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
quotequote all
Shaoxter said:
As long as you're earning more than your friends you will feel superior and happy with your life.

I got to a six figure salary at 25, although my friends have since caught up.
What business was that in?

That's a huge amount of money at any age let alone 25.

phib

4,464 posts

259 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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okgo said:
In 20's generally the only people making lots of cash are sales people, the odd one who got the top grad job and liars hehe
Or management consultants !!!

Phib