Wage Bands

[andrewducker]

A few years ago I noticed that not only did different jobs pay vastly different amounts, but that the job types were ehavily stratified, making it hard for most people to work their way up to a job that paid very well from a job that paid badly.

You've got the "admin/temp/McDonalds jobs" wage band, which pays between 4 and 6 pounds an hour.
Above that you've got the "jobs for most people" band which varies between £10k and £18k.
Above that you've got "career jobs" which start at £16k and go up to around £30k (teachers, nurses, policemen, etc.)
Above that are "graduate jobs" which start around £22k and work their way up to around £50k.
And then there are "licensed careers" - lawyers, accountants, doctors, engineers - thee can start off with a period of low wages (like £8k for
Adam) but then move swiftly up the ranks until they're being paid £70k-£150k.

There's no easy way to move between salary bands - you can't be promoted from McDonalds to having a career. The only real way round this is via management - most jobs allow eventual paths into managing other people, which tends to pay extra and allow more movement, as all areas need managers somewhere.

Obviously there are areas which don't fit into this kind of stratification (self-employed people, consultants, etc.), but the vast majority do. If you're sitting in one of the lower strata and thinking "Some day I'll be doing better than this!" then I really hope that your plans involve some method of getting yourself out of that strata and into a higher one - because otherwise you're just going to make a nasty splatting sound as you hit the ceiling.

Comments

[dapperscavenger.livejournal.com]

*snorts* Tell me bout it! I have a plan, but implementing it is hard.

Step 1 has begun.

[allorin.livejournal.com]

Above that are "graduate jobs" which start around £22k and work their way up to around £50k.

Not in this graduate scheme, buddy.

[andrewducker]

You seen how much grade 24/25 people earn???

[rainstorm.livejournal.com]

that's incredibly depressing.

i think i'm goign to do a teaching courses and hate my job but actually have decent holidays and a reasonable pay. so i'll end up stressed and stuff but hey, i'll be doing something respectable that gives me money.

after all, money is the most important thing in the world.

i'm not even being sarcastic.

[dreema.livejournal.com]

oddly, I'd say that being happy is the most important thing in the world, and money is only a means to achieve that.

Personally, I would rather have a job that didn't pay so well, but well enought that I was able to be happy in both my personal life, and my work life, rather than having a job that pays bucketloads, but contains lots of stress, hassles and bad working practises.

[rainstorm.livejournal.com]

i thought like that a while ago, but people seem to have brainwashed me. i've just started a new job, in a joke/costume shop. so far, i like it. but already i've had people telling me that i need to keep looking for other things that pay better.

i have enough money to live, to go out and to have some fun. evidently it's not enough for me, according to other people. and i've always been told to not listen to other people, but that's bullshit. if i don't listen, they just nag me more and more until i get very depressed because they keep telling me i'm wasted on a shop job. so far i like it, but that doesn't matter, oh no. no, i need to have money and it doesn't matter if i'm in an office enviroment where i can't be me and i can't do anything i like.

i'm slightly pissed off at the moment. can you tell?

i figure if i get a job where i get paid a reasonable amount then people might get off my back about doing something in my life - doing something -always- means making money, of course, not actually enjoying being young.

[dreema.livejournal.com]

Well, you can turn around and tell them that you are looking to better yourself. As you mentioned, you're wanting to do teaching. This is bettering yourself, but you need money to do that. You can't live off grants, etc any more, you need a job to fund yourself through the course. It might as well be something that you're enjoying doing in the meantime.

As you say, you _are_ making the effort, you've got a flat, you've got money for food and clothes, and to enjoy yourself, you're not on the Jobseekers.

Decent job isn't going to happen overnight, you need to get the bits of paper first, and if you need to work in a joke shop to get those bits of paper, it's just a means to an end, and as you're liking it, so much the better. If people can't see that, then they should butt out.

[andrewducker]

Fuck em.

Fuck em right in the ear.

Enjoy your life - you've got until you're at least 30 to settle down and start worrying about the future.

[spaj.livejournal.com]

I own.

Did I tell you about the £10k pay raise I was going to ask for???

Adam

[andrewducker]

You certainly do.

I'm sooo looking forward to you moving to Edinburgh.

Interesting story

[johnbobshaun.livejournal.com]

About a year ago I was offered my own business. My Uncle Peter, a fairly wealthy man, was wanting to retire. The exact details of the business I can't remember... it was a shipping firm of some kind. But he wanted someone fairly IT literate to come in train up and eventually take over. And be pretty damn well set for life.

I said no.

I would have to move to Stevenage, basically start a new life. Wasn't willing to do that. Wasn't willing to let a single descision shape the rest of my days. Some things are more important that wage bands, y'all. Friendship for one.

Re: Interesting story

[andrewducker]

Oh, definitely. Money isn't everything by a long way.

But if you're in a job and thinking "someday this will get better" it's worth checking that there is a vaguely clear path to where you want to be.

[kpollock.livejournal.com]

I disgree that you need to 'settle down' or anythign at that magic age of 30 or so. I am very nearly 32 and, yes I happen to be married and have a sensible job, but I've been living with someone and having a sensible job for the last 10 years.

I value the sensible hours and closeness to home (and lack of strain on my brain) of my present job. I need too much sleep/exercise/good food/leisure time to be the cutting-edge guru that I have often felt that I should be/wanted to be. I'm certainly capable, but I just don't have that much interest. I want other things more now. I'm not saying that will not change. I had a bit of a "career/money" oriented phase, but all I want now is a job that pays enough money to live on (which is very little for me) plus enough to invest for when I can't work. It's nice for me to have enough money for toys (bike, skates, ski stuff and latest project - a sailing dinghy) and in my line of work I don't have to try too hard to get that - but it's not co-incidence. I chose a computing degree over biology after comparing salaries (I was equally interested in and good at both). I chose either of those over medicine because of the limited curriculum and that I'd have to really study to get all As in my Highers (I didn't stress and so got 2As, 2Bs and a C).

I have had shit jobs, but I have always been in a plan that means that that wouldn't be permanent.