Questions for people who earn £250,000 or more each year: What is your job and how did you get into it?
Posted by No-Pin-4-U@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 257 comments
I'm curious to know what life is like for those who earn so much.
- Did you need a university degree to qualify, did you network your way into the job, or both?
- How much is AI prevelant in your position? Do you think AI could replace you in the future?
- Are you remote, in-office, or hybrid?
- What is the day-to-day like? How long are the hours?
- What advice would you give to those who want to get started in your field of work?
edwardus5@reddit
I don't know much but I known someone who used to earn a large salary you described and they are a tax lawyer. First, you need to go to law school and then get a training contract which is pretty hard in these years. In terms of AI though, he said it only really affects the starting people and not the senior people like him. It is probably better to get a job you enjoy, not one with a lot of money that you don't enjoy.
lordntelek@reddit
Degree - yes, multiple in sciences & engineering
Networking - kind of. Once you get more senior in the industry head hunters find you. You also become more known in the industry.
AI - is prevalent in most industries. Will it replace what I do? Not in the next 10+ years at least.
Remote - Hybrid but travel a lot as well. Upwards of 50% travel.
Day - long hours sometimes with meetings at 3am other days at 9pm. Likely do at least 10hrs/day 5days/week. That’s at minimum.
To get in the industry - without the right degrees, schools, etc. it’s near impossible to get into the industry. We’re paid so highly as there are only a few people with the right educational background, technical skills, and soft skills at senior levels. Go to school, get those degrees/technical skills, and network within the industry. Also develop soft skills ie learn to talk to people, present, and keep your message simple.
DryJackfruit6610@reddit
So what industry is it?
lordntelek@reddit
Medical, Pharma, Biopharma, Biochemistry, ChemEng etc.
DryJackfruit6610@reddit
So i am an engineer in oil and gas, I still have no idea what your job is from this reply lmao
lordntelek@reddit
Basics are design, build, commission, qualify new medical & pharmaceutical facilities globally. However, also work with governments and organization for funding, validation and emergency pandemic preparedness. Basically think during COVID you need a facility to make a vaccine in 6 months or your a country that doesn’t have pharma capabilities but you want to build it, you call me or my team. Anywhere from western countries like USA, UK, Western Europe, Japan, to places like China or more risky places like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, etc etc.
Sideralis_@reddit
The answer is always the same. What jobs? Tech in US companies, high finance (investment banking, private equity, hedge funds), big law, management consultants, some senior position in multinational companies. How to get there? Usually study Economics / Law / Finance / Engineering / Computer science, Maths or Physics in a great uni (Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL, LSE,...)
So usually it's not impossible, but it does require years of deliberate effort. Either you start at 10, get in the right school, then the right uni, then the right company, and you can get there relatively early, or you start slowly, but you grind your way up professionally from your first job.
Separate-Milk-7301@reddit
I did BSC. Econ and stats . MSc. In acct and finance . Did UI/UX. here in the uk. Barely scratching by .
VitDMagnesium@reddit
Which unis, that's the question
Eyeous@reddit
Yep - exactly this. I’m in finance with a US company. Studied economics at uni and then investment banking / portfolio management as an Msc. Worked hard and climbed the ladder over 20 years of grinding.
I enjoyed my grinding though - got to travel all over the place in first class staying in the absolute best hotels in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles, and all across Europe (Lux City, GVA, Madrid, Frankfurt, Paris, Dublin). The world was my playground in my 30s and I made tons of friends all over - from shooting in Norway to raclette in Gstaad.
My newest patch is middle east and africa so I’m all over ZA, DxB, KSA…etc.
I’m in my 40s now and focusing on creating a legacy for my two kids. The men in my family don’t live long so I have another 10-20 years before I check into the big 5 star hotel in the sky. Enjoy every minute and make your dreams come true.
PotatoBreds@reddit
Flying first class on holidays with the wife and kids is brilliant. Flying first class 30 times a year on business is awful.
elfordy242@reddit
No you don’t need a good degree from a great university in software sales at top US based tech companies
superjambi@reddit
Correct. People also aren't ready to hear that 250k is low for these fields. 250k is close to the starting salary for American big law firms. My lawyer friend is pushing well over £800k. Probably takes home more than a million. He is not even an equity partner. Yes he works like a dog though.
thelouisfanclub@reddit
That's crazy high for a non partner. I work in law in the city, admittedly not US firm, but I am only just on this after 8 years PQE. It's not low for law, idk about finance/tech they always seem to be on more in general.
superjambi@reddit
Probably because you’re not in a US firm. At my friends firm they’d be passing the 250k barrier at 3 years PQE.
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
Are the values of lawyer salaries in US law firms driven by the litigious nature of American society - EG, from a context where more work is generated per head of population?
thelouisfanclub@reddit
They are also smaller in terms of # employees and work longer hours compared to British firms. Also, often they are paid in comparison with what their counterparts would earn in New York in $, which is higher than what we are generally paid in London in £.
superjambi@reddit
Only a part of the work of these firms is litigation How much money the firms make is the main thing. Bigger market, bigger deals, more profit.
.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
That would lead to more lawyers not necessarily higher salaries. Their salaries are higher because they generate more value - American economy and companies are bigger. American salaries in general are much higher than British salaries.
thelouisfanclub@reddit
Yeah, but I'm pointing out that 250k is not a low salary in this field. Your friend is at a US firm, which are a minority in London, and are known for the very high salaries compared with other firms.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
No law firm in UK is paying anywhere near £250k as a starting salary. I don’t think any pay more than £80k.
superjambi@reddit
I love your confidence! Here is a list of NQ salaries for city law firms.
Those 170k+ ones are all before bonus, too, which is something like 20-30k depending on the firm.
HellPigeon1912@reddit
... So none of them are paying £250k as a starting salary just like they said
superjambi@reddit
Reading comprehension falling short as per usual on Reddit
1) I didn't say 250k was the starting salary, did I? What did I say? Read it again
2) they said no law firm is paying anywhere near... Plenty of firms are paying 200k all in, which is pretty near, no.
3) they said no firms pay more than 80k which is wrong even according to the links they themsleves shared 😂😂
Honestly, this is why they say never argue with an idiot, they'll bring you down to your level and beat you with experience.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
You are confidently calling this guy an idiot for bad reading comprehension, but you have misread my comment. My claim was starting salary is below £80k, not all salaries.
superjambi@reddit
I didn't misread... I think you maybe your misunderstanding is that you think the salary for trainees is the "starting salary"? Understandable mistake I guess but trainees are not lawyers, the starting salary for a qualified lawyer is the NQ salary. Plenty of lawyers don't start as a newly qualified lawyer at the place they trained at, or don't even qualify as lawyers. Plenty of lawyers from overseas don't even do training contracts.
blue_rizla@reddit
Relax
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
He just deleted his account... Not sure if that is relaxing or not?!
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
Yeah for me the definition of a starting salary is the salary you start at, which is as a Trainee Lawyer after university and law school. Of course if you change firm mid-career you don't start a the start.
superjambi@reddit
Yeah, so you've come up with your own special definition there is the problem. A trainee lawyer is not a lawyer. The starting salary for a job is the salary you start once you're in the job.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
We each have our own definition of 'starting salary'. Mine is fairly typical - the salary you get in the first year of your job.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
Depends on whether you call a starting salary your first year of work or your third year of work!
Here’s my list, which tops out at £180k in 3rd year (admittedly excluding bonus).
https://www.rollonfriday.com/inside-info
superjambi@reddit
Something must be wrong here cos the link you've pasted seems to show many firms paying more than £80k??? I thought no firms in the UK paid more than that?? 😂
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
We are talking about starting salary. Of course lots of lawyers earn more than £80k!
superjambi@reddit
Your own link shows that starting salary of an NQ lawyer is over £80k for the majority of the firms on there buddy I don't know how else to explain this to you
Pavlover2022@reddit
Sorry to say that you're way wrong- very realistic for newly qualified solicitors toearn 100k, up to nearly 180k.... https://www.thelawyer.com/trainee-newly-qualified-salaries-uk-law-firms/
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
Yes NQ up to £180k (not £250k) but that’s after two years of work; starting salary is a lot less.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
I once heard a quip that the Oxford PPE degree was "the poshest locksmithing course in the world". Graduate from that and it seems doors just fly open wherever you go.
Legitimate-Ad3778@reddit
I wonder what it stands for.. “Please Pay Excessively” perhaps
gulfrend@reddit
It's true, it's the people you meet there that make the difference. I know someone from a working class background who went to one of those unis, was incidentally flatmates with the son of a rich, powerful family. Through that friendship he has managed to get a free flat in a posh bit of London, and a high paying political job he's wasn't qualified for, all via his mate. Fair play really, he build a hell of a network.
nvk798@reddit
Absolutely this in my case.
Annoying when people hate on people who do well, without knowing how many years of consistent effort it is to get to this position. The emphasis here is consistent, as you need do well for gsce, A levels, uni, then being good at your role from entry position to management.
Yes some people get into certain roles through connections, but there are a lot who put the work in from a young age to get where they are now. It takes many years of foresight to achieve this.
The culture of get rich quickly but with minimal effort is what I'm seeing more and more of today. Although my sample size might be small.
djdndjdjdjdjdndjdjjd@reddit
This is it.
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Now 48, I earn that from the gains on my investments, I have not worked since 2017. Earned from selling a CRM b2b web company, built in my bedroom in 2005 while on a trance clubbing comedown. First time I’d programmed anything, just googled line by line and gambled on google ads using 3 credit cards.
BakerMaker11@reddit
hi fellow nottingham trent go-er
your story smells like bullshit
Ravdoggydog@reddit
😢 lived in Radford, sneinton (above a bed shop next to the outdoor market), and forest fields. Spent my life dancing to metal at rock city/rig, the lenton etc. spent summer afternoons at the arboretum. Should have spent much more time in that big tower building on NTU campus, but only went twice.
Today? Mower issues https://www.reddit.com/r/automower/s/ZnDMyR2yTM
BakerMaker11@reddit
fair enough, perhaps its an unlikely but true story. i suppose that is why you mentioned luck
Ravdoggydog@reddit
It was quite simple to make, at the time people were looking for say “email marketing” on google and found complex large corporate solutions, nothing self-serve with credit bundles, no monthly fees etc. it was just a few database tables, a PayPal link, and ensuring the landing page made it super super simple. Then an interface to select contacts or a group, schedule, press send. Any developer could have made it, and much better than me… right idea, right place, right time, right amount of crazy and willingness to take risks with credit cards to advertise until recurring revenues > cost to advertise.
Responsible-Type-595@reddit
Amazing, what was the website? Also what is CRM exactly? What gave you the idea?
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Can’t/won’t say sorry. CRM (customer relationship management) allows businesses to communicate with customers for appointments, announcements, offers etc, filter contacts, email, text etc. I got the idea when I received a text from a DJ announcing set times.
BakerMaker11@reddit
lmao sorry just seen the property, interesting story.
but did you really just dox yourself to the internet to prove a point to a 20-odd year old? thats a large private property in the outskirts of nottinghamshire and would not take somebody tech savvy 30 mins to nail it down based on architecture and drive design
i would probs just delete lmao
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Nah it’s ok, have nothing to hide - and it’s not in Nottinghamshire…. 😘
AmbitiousSympathy296@reddit
Amazing come back, I did similar party for too long went to uni at 30 and became a nurse, I regret nothing.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
Nice to see another successful person acknowledging the role that luck plays in it. You quite rarely see it.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
Also, fair play for getting his time back and enjoying his life.
You see people who earn £150m a year just in dividends yet they work a 100-hour week. Why?
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
You're more likely to see those people in the US. I've found people in the UK tend to be a lot more laid back and will just sell their successful companies to American conglomerates and I imagine that's exactly what happened with OP here.
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Indian.z
InnisNeal@reddit
if you don't mind me asking, how much was the initial sale of the company for?
Ravdoggydog@reddit
£15m. I didn’t own all of it by the end….
theheadgardener@reddit
It's what it is with any business, you've got to hit the market at the right time to fill a gap in it and meet the right people to catapult it all at the same time
ImportantMortgage1@reddit
Did you go to Passion at Emporium? Legendary nights
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Yeah - the mighty JFK :)
Used to be Godskitchen on Friday, then Passion on Saturday
MaintenanceThen7248@reddit
Fellow NTU alumni, hello!
appletinicyclone@reddit
Legend
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
Not jealous at all
appletinicyclone@reddit
Hahahahha 😂 I love this
grannysGarden@reddit
Oh come on - working 20 hours a day, 7 days per week?? Great that you’ve had success but exaggerating is not helpful!
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Yes, the system communicated with me constantly - for new customer approvals, writing blogs, global customer support. I guaranteed 100% uptime and was always checking and monitoring, even in my wedding day :)
Diligent_Explorer717@reddit
I don’t think this is entirely truthful. No way is someone coding a CRM company in 2005, with no experience at all.
joesus-christ@reddit
I did it. Built in bloody flash because the internet was a wild place back then. Once it worked I asked my mum to create a PayPal account so I could charge people (I was 13, couldn't open one myself).
Made something like $3 from it!
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Sign up to Godaddy for hosting. Add some database tables for user, balance, history, contacts. Learn how to add/edit/delete. Deplete balance as you loop through each send. Add credits on successful PayPal. Most developers could do that in an afternoon.
For the first year I didn’t know what a session was, and I passed username/password in clear text on each page submission…
RizzleP@reddit
Nice. Love this story.
Craic-Den@reddit
Well done 👏
yearsofpractice@reddit
Nicely done - I’m 50 and was at Nottingham Uni from 94-97. Probably spent some time in similar pubs - Gooseberry Bush etc.
I remember feeling very superior as a Uni rather than Trent student back in the day. Now that I know you’ve retired and I’ve got at least another 10 years of corporate grind is making me feel an awful lot less smug in 2026.
Congrats on the win though my brother/sister - all the best and here’s to memories of 90s Notts!
Ravdoggydog@reddit
:) thanks. I was there 96-97 and ended up during a third year at People’s College Nottingham leaning how to use a mouse. 3 years for an HND. Had a lot of fun there though and was sad to leave back to live with my mum in my tiny childhood bed!
Lived at Rock City, Lenton, Arboretum, Essence and any jungle nights!!
yearsofpractice@reddit
We will have almost certainly crossed paths then - one of my favourite stupid memories of Notts is going to a goth night at Rock City and my Scouse housemate wearing his mad townie cream jeans and white shirt - he’s 6 foot 4 and looked absolutely hilarious in this sea of black-clad goths!
Bellatrixforqueen@reddit
My pals ran a hard house after club called Sacrilege circa 00-03. That was mega.
Mental_Body_5496@reddit
Rock City was fab - better around 89-92 I reckon !
superjambi@reddit
Honestly this is the dream. I don't understand why lots of people who have success to this degree just keep going and going instead of just enjoying their success.
Fluffy_Ad2274@reddit
Because often, you need a huge amount of drive to reach that level of success, and people who have a lot of drive are rarely those content to sit back and enjoy things. I have always thought it's a bit of a curse - the character trait that allows you to acquire great wealth is also that which prevents you from being able to fully enjoy it, if "fully enjoy" means no longer working at all.
FrontHeat3041@reddit
Yeah that drive they have usually means they make no time for leisure, as that time could be used for making more money/improving the business. Can be difficult working for someone like this as they expect you to be as devoted to their company as they are.
danieljamesgillen@reddit
Because people get a thrill out of success. Also when you build a company, that is doing something positive in the world, you get to effect the world in a positive way. You also get to employ more people, help people's lives etc.
A person who is motivated by that, is going to get very bored very quickly just sat on a cruise ship year round.
Ravdoggydog@reddit
.. or just doomscrolling on TikTok and Reddit and walking my dog for 9 years. I’ve set up 3 more businesses, but always wipe them when I don’t get traction, my wife is very concerned that I’d gamble it all away on marketing - next time i may not be so fortunate
Elegant_Emu8778@reddit
This makes you a legend my friend 😂
t-t-today@reddit
What is the value of your invested assets to generate that return?
Ravdoggydog@reddit
\~6m at 4%. Although tbf it was 0% last quarter, would have got more in a savings account!
t-t-today@reddit
This quarter will be a ripper though :)
paralio@reddit
I am more curious about the trance soundtracks.
big_armz@reddit
How may I be of service sir?
TerpzArmy@reddit
Calling bull shit on this
kaosskp3@reddit
The bigger question... what DJ's?
Ravdoggydog@reddit
Richie Hawtin, Fergie, Armin vB
summerloco@reddit
This is an awesome story you could probably write a book about it. Bet there’s lots of interesting details along the journey you’ve had both before during and after.
BeersAndGym@reddit
Or a movie
weregonnamakit@reddit
Yea, all bullshit stories turn into good books
flyingokapis@reddit
Congratulations!
I love too hear of stories like this.
Mental_Body_5496@reddit
That was a wild ride 😳 🤣 😂
solidpro99@reddit
I /sort of/ earn that. Run a company, just my wife and I, plough 120k into two SIPPs each year, take £50k each in salary and dividends. Paid off the house about 8 years ago. Paid off another 5 doors up 4 years ago and let it out. I left school with nothing. I got noticed by a neighbour who owned a telecoms company just as the world was moving lots into data. So I ‘new’ how to turn a traditional phone into a VOIP one. Did long hours climbing that greasy pole - call it 8 years becoming the technical lead in a company with nobody else but me and the owner in charge of anyone. Hit the ceiling and realised my boss was good at selling stuff but everything else was a mess. Left the company, scrabbling around for 3 years with lots of debt a thought customers would just appear.
I remember the first year being absolutely over the moon I’d managed to make enough SEO to organically show on a few people’s radar and first deal was a £1500 a year service contract which felt like the lottery.
Eventually my old boss’s company went bust (without me) and all his old customers came over to me. Ran an office with 2 employees for a few years then decided I didn’t want to manage people and pay so much in rent and salaries, so moved the company to my house and let everyone go.
Covid-19 hit, phones on desks went the way of the dodo and I pivoted into providing telephony through Teams. Plan on doing this until it dries up - either people not talking anymore or companies being absorbed into other companies and new broom etc.
It would be impossible now to do what I did and make money, but I tell my two boys if they just get about, do a good job, get stuck in, try, repeat, someone will notice and you’ll elevate.
jc456_@reddit
My degrees are in different fields. I worked in my previous profession for 15 years. Didn't earn anywhere near as much.
AI is pretty useful. I like to use it as much as possible but you need to be careful with it. It can't replace the human touch yet. I'm very sure it'll never replace me as a whole, because we have attempted that in some form since the 90s and the result is always that people need the human touch.
Fully remote and online.
The days are long. I've been pretty flat out for 6 years now. I'm a little better at work life balance these days but I'm established. Regardless the more input the more output up until now. I'm working on some ways to change that in the future but tbh I'm pretty close to early retirement so I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze.
Advice, be a good people person and deliver on your promises.
Recent_Water_7713@reddit
What do you do?
emmytee88@reddit
Only people I know making this work in finance/law in london but even then its a lot.
Statistically, 95%+ of the people making this much are entrepreneurs.
Extraportion@reddit
Statistically >95% of people earning over 250k are entrepreneurs? Do you have anything to evidence that statistic?
Specialist-Abies-909@reddit
Ent sales easily
Tricky-Lunch4111@reddit
I have been offered (and declined) two ~250ish OTE ent sales jobs in tech. That was 2 years ago and I don’t regret not making the jump given the tech market now.
Specialist-Abies-909@reddit
What are you in? I’m v firmly in AI/SaaS. It’s not all bad money still being made. My OTE is 220k
Tricky-Lunch4111@reddit
B2B, finance clients.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
C-suite can easily blow past this, but the workload and expectations are insane. I don't think I could work at that level.
Private_Ballbag@reddit
Yeah I work with a lot of c suite at large companies 95% of them have been really hard working and bright people. Paid a lot but the job is their life
shawerma_sauce@reddit
And usually, they have around 50+ little minions preparing their answers for them
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
Yes, but it’s not an easy job and the decisions still rest on your shoulders.
shawerma_sauce@reddit
You obviously never worked close to C suite... They don't give a flying duck
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
I speak to CEOs almost every day. I’m a management consultant. Most of them care a lot. My CEO works 16 hours a day. I know if I text between 6am to 11pm I’m likely to get a response within 30 mins.
ManIsready@reddit
My neighbour works Finance In London, something to do with Hedge fund. I think he earns...a lot!
Amddiffynnydd@reddit
No degree, one GCE. Left school at 16. self-taught or self-educated. - On the spectrum and neurodiversite.
I work in AI now, Starting IT moved to Tech and Data and epidemiology, data science,
Remote since around 2019 -
Day to day to fine - stucutured - 35 hour per week
Learn AI on Azure and AWS quickly
liverpoolhd@reddit
May I ask how you started teaching yourself about this and with no qualifications how you got a job? I’m interested in learning AI, thank you for any help or advice you could give 😄
Amddiffynnydd@reddit
I learnt most before leaving school, before the internet…. Then got a junior engineering job in the 1990s, i’m just like a sponge…and then got better with internet… Microsoft exams and learnt new tech and data stuff before others….for you do this and azure version too https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-ai-practitioner/?trk=b26abedd-3b0a-41d5-9436-5cc6a1d4ba73&sc_channel=ps&trk=b26abedd-3b0a-41d5-9436-5cc6a1d4ba73&sc_channel=ps&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI4vfIkPXUlAMVTZJQBh3P2xMoEAAYASAAEgKRmPD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4422!3!795841353991!e!!g!!aws%20ai%20certification!23533257049!191084316365&gad_campaignid=23533257049&gbraid=0AAAAADjHtp_FxlXlrjoLXYtw285iE44TJ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4vfIkPXUlAMVTZJQBh3P2xMoEAAYASAAEgKRmPD_BwE
Amddiffynnydd@reddit
It about capability and skills not exams…… I now worked with many people with PHds can I’m still the one who knows how the data or tech works…. And they cannot tie their shoelaces…..without guidance and 20 meetings…. And still I have guide they hands.
impamiizgraa@reddit
Not me but 2 rungs up. I’m associate director; my manager is at 150-180k (including bonus), then her manager is at the 200-250k.
Pharma industry. I expect to be there in about 10-20 years, I’m mid 30s now, not a great degree, company hopped til I passed 100k.
I’ll may back in 10 years and confirm what it’s like OP 😂. But hopefully I’ve invested enough to kick the corporate bucket for good! Yuck
Confident_Drive_3041@reddit
I’ve hit that a few years in enterprise sales.
Went to Law School. Did a training contract
Fucking HATED IT. Got into sales. Started telemarketing selling electronic door stops cold. Moved to MarTech. Love it
dorianjoe1@reddit
(throwaway account for obvious reasons)
I have a Computer Engineering degree from a no-name university in a third world country. Did a few years over there in a small company before I sold everything and moved to Europe (having inherited citizenship from my grandparents helped a lot there)
Landed a web dev job at a startup in Berlin for 35k/year. Climbed the ranks for 8 years, becoming a manager along the way and quit while making 75k/year.
Took a year and a half long sabbatical to recharge. Moved to the UK right when Covid hit. Applied to a bunch of jobs and eventually got hired by a small local company that has just been acquired by a large american tech corp. Came in at 80k/yr plus a sizeable stock grant. In total that came out to 150k/yr total (+/- 20k depending on stock price). Climbed the ranks a bit there as well, eventually realizing I was quite underpaid compared to what recruiters were offering. I brought this to my bosses and asked for a big raise, but was told it wasn't really possible at that time.
A couple months later an ex boss who had previously left got in touch and poached me for an even larger American tech company. Signed with them at 160k base plus stock, about 210k/yr total. Worked there for a year and quickly came to hate it.
Luckily I met some of my ex-colleagues from the previous job for beers and when they heard I wasn't happy they offered my my old job back. I negotiated coming in at a higher position, with higher pay. Now at 250+k/yr after stock and bonuses.
In terms of working conditions, I've always done my 45 hours a week and no more. i am very strict about that and make it clear to my manager always, family and a healthy life comes first. I also ask for and have always gotten a lot of flexibility. I make damn sure I keep up my end of the bargain.
So what is it? My guess is good luck, mostly. Having a passion for something that turns out to be high paying is just lock, really. It helps that I am good at what I do, I take calculated risks sometimes, and I am clear to my superiors about what I'm worth and what I need. I'm not a big networker, didn't get a top tier education, and didn't start out at big important companies.
Inertia_Sleeps@reddit
Nice stuff. I’m assuming this is in London?
urtcheese@reddit
Quite incredible to write all that and not state even in the vaguest terms about what you do
dorianjoe1@reddit
Ah, I though it was obvious when I said I studied Computer Engineering
Ajsmonaco@reddit
I run a sales and marketing consultancy (with customers in 4 countries). No degrees, just 20 years of starting, running and failing at business (I started young).
So many people are using AI and most use it badly. I had a project with a $1b company last year about exploring AI and they didn't have solid processes that AI could augment to start with! There's a lot of noise around the topic and in most cases, I'm yet to see an actual saving as people are using it to replace intelligence not speed up doing tasks.
I'm fully remote but love getting to meet clients in real life. I couldn't do a full time in office job, it'd drive me mad!
Some days I work 12, 14 hours, other days, it's 6. There's always a ton to do and so being able to think strategically and spend time completing tasks that drive future revenue is key. I don't want to be "busy", just profitable!
Start a business, develop empathy for people, study widely, and learn to LISTEN!
Elegant_Emu8778@reddit
I love this! I run a marketing and media company, I totally agree that people have no idea how to use AI & smashing budget down the drain. Would be great to chat some time!
InnisNeal@reddit
I'm interested in media and marketing, how would you propose someone get more involved in the current landscape of the business in 2026 as a young person
sam_packer_03@reddit
Data Engineering/ AI consulting - 550k pa, own business,
Inertia_Sleeps@reddit
Hmmm, congrats on the income. I’m trying to pivot from cloud into data engineering and using QA platform to study python probably build some data pipelines using the labs. Is there anything u would recommend for getting into the field?
Tom50@reddit
Do you have any employees or is it all just you?
sam_packer_03@reddit
Just me, atm
epicmindwarp@reddit
AI Data Engineer - I tell people how to prepare their data for using it with AI.
Putting a speciality over the next best thing is just a money maker. I assume this is what the dotcom bubble was like.
sam_packer_03@reddit
Umm okay…
SaitoSnipe@reddit
Do you want an employee? 👀
Surgicalape@reddit
Most consultant surgeons in the U.K. with private practice earn this.
lizzypeee@reddit
I’m mid 40s and work in senior finance role for an insurance company and base salary is about that with the same again in bonuses. I did well at a pretty average school, studied maths and econ at a red brick uni and then got my professional qualification with one of the big 4. From there it’s been all about working hard and consistently delivering, grabbing career opportunities when they come up and generally being a person that others want to work with. I work hard while I’m there, but I’ve always been quite disciplined about not doing long hours so generally do a 40 hour week with good flexibility.
AI is everywhere at the moment, I use it and spend a lot of time figuring out how/where it can help my team improve what we do. AI is unlikely to replace many roles in my team directly, but over time, those who fail to adapt and embrace it will likely be replaced with those who do.
AWingedVictory1@reddit
In a corporate in the UK. 250 base. Or 150 with bonus shares etc for directors is pretty standard. These people don’t feel rich are necessarily work long hours. Usually it is a series of lucky breaks and relationship related promotions that get people there. Even 500 all in is very realistic in a large company with a global role.
21JoyJoy21@reddit
Sales engineer, computer science degree, took 10 years to get to that level. AI does a lot of my job but I don’t believe it can easily replace a person in this role as a lot of it is relationship. Remote, maybe 4 hours per day. Advice would be go all in first year, make a name for yourself and build internal network at the firm across teams. Before long, they will move on and refer you for a new position. Don’t be afraid to jump each year.
Ready-Fox-3264@reddit
A close friend of mine works as a lawyer and earns around this much. He has almost no life outside work though.
Privately educated, great personality, old money from Sloane Square and I got to know him when we were both studying at Oxford. We haven’t discussed it in as much detail, but it’s an open secret that his father arranged for him to join a grad scheme with one of the big law firms here in the City and he recently moved to White & Case.
t-t-today@reddit
Tech sales. Average total comp last three years has been 400k
One_Appointment8295@reddit
At that level how much time are you spending and prospecting. I’m not in Ent but envy those who are. Seems like it’s more money and less of a grind trying to book meetings and hit KPIs
t-t-today@reddit
Almost never as I have a small number of customers. But Ent has its own stresses. All your eggs in a small basket makes the pressure very high and losing a deal means earning no money as there’s not another to take its place. I’ve had a nice run but this year will be rough.
Sad_Salt_586@reddit
Wealth manager for a big firm, earn around £400k. A chunk of new commission and then a chunk of fees for the ongoing management of the portfolio. I’m 36 so it’s going to scale nicely.
I went to university, and did a masters, both in finance but strictly speaking this wasn’t necessary. Does get you through the door though, as looks good on the CV. Did do a range of industry qualifications though which were a lot more relevant.
A.I unlikely to replace me in all honesty - clients value face to face human interaction, frankly it makes my job easier.
Largely work from home- will maybe have 1 day a week in Manchester (still back for 5 yr olds bed time) and then once a month I’ll do an overnight in London so pretty easy all in all.
Days can be quite long as there’s a lot to do but I also should expect to work for my income so I don’t cry about it.
Cheers!
elfordy242@reddit
Software Sales for a top 5 software firm
- Yes needed a uni degree but they didn’t care what uni or what qualification. I tumbled into it starting my life in IT consulting
- It will replace BDRs (cold callers / meeting setters) but it will NEVER replace a great sales person but it means less sales people can cover broader territories so there will certainly be less sales jobs for those adept with AI
- Mostly remote aside from client meetings or when I fancy a change in environment
- 8-12 hours per day dependent on upcoming deals etc but sometimes can even be 30 hours per week. Just hit your quota and you’re good (mostly). Don’t and you’re out. High pressure so you have to be resilient
- Advice: software sales is high earning and great for flexibility but equally you WILL sometimes work ridiculous hours and be under very high pressure so you must be resilient. It’s one of the only high earning careers where your background doesn’t matter - in fact, some sales leaders like hiring people that have had difficult upbringings because it demonstrates resilience. To get into it, apply to be a BDR and show from your previous experience how you’ve aligned to each part of a sales cycle (cold calling/emailing, discovery [finding problems], pitching, aligning solutions, negotiating, closing).
When you get into the interview process, show EQ, ask more questions than you answer and treat it like your very own sales cycle by understanding why they’re hiring (their pain) and multi-threading into multiple stakeholders.
If you want a leg up, do a course on MEDDICC and read “the qualified sales leader”, listen to “revenue builders” podcast and “hunters and unicorns”
elfordy242@reddit
Just wanted to add to this - it’s not all that to be on a high salary, particularly in the UK where tax is high. Lifestyle inflation is very real and if they can feed you, they can starve you. Be your own boss and you’ll never be trapped
Yours sincerely, software seller lol
JohnCasey3306@reddit
A friend (44m) of mine earns a little over that. No degree. Started his own mobile welding business about ~15 years ago ... Now has 4 teams on the road.
It's important to understand there's barely even a correlation between university education and income -- this is a lie that's been sold to young people for decades.
Various-Advice-9768@reddit
4 welding teams in the uk gets him that much ?? What are they welding ?
drewsausage@reddit
Gas/chemical piping Id imagine. Can charge what you want when the plant is losing 100s of thousand’s a day. The big problem is keeping a team of welders I suppose 😂 they’re a funny bunch and the good ones you need can pick and choose their work
insp_nightingale@reddit
This is not true the relevant data from the ONS can be found in this article https://www.forbes.com/advisor/uk/business/average-uk-salary-by-age/
Valuable-Mission9203@reddit
Yes the median salary scales with education. The correlation largely disappears beyond the 200k range where frankly its pretty much impossible to get to that on PAYE.
llccnn@reddit
Probably around half a million taxpayers earn over 200k, which is about one in sixty. Only a minority are business owners. It’s different at say 500k where it is mostly business owners.
Ok-Humor-5672@reddit
Holy shit, 1/60 is crazy. I don't know a single person earning over 200k. I guess I must not be in the right circles haha
Valuable-Mission9203@reddit
You're right, I havent looked in a long time and 200k just isn't as much as it used to be, and business owners seem to be much worse off due to higher taxes.
memcwho@reddit
If you want a stable career and a comfy life, sure.
If you ever want 'Fuck You' Money. Less so.
uravinalarfmate@reddit
That's not entirely true - it really depends on the industry
I work in Construction, and many of those in leadership roles in that industry are on 200 - 400k. All of us have associated/relevant degrees (Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management etc), and many of us have professional accreditation on top of that.
It's the idea that a Business Studies / Psychology (even Law) degree that will get you anywhere is the lie.
Your right though - if you're canny enough to make your own way, you'll do well either way.
yariso@reddit
Not true, I’ve got a psych degree and earn nearly £200k, however, my job is nothing to do with psychology 🤣
Elegant_Emu8778@reddit
What do you do? I have psychology degree, own a media company now 😂
sawn-off-snotgun@reddit
As an oversimplified way, I’ve always seen a degree (particularly a masters and even more so a PhD) as a demonstration that you can apply yourself for an extended period of time and get a result at the end of it.
In some industries an industry specific/adjacent degree is pretty much the only way in at ground level (like construction or medical jobs) but if you start your own business and educate yourself on how the industry/market works then degrees are just a nice to have. If you are dedicated, driven and have a bit of luck, you can pretty much do anything.
The latter route is of course not for the faint hearted.
HotelPuzzleheaded654@reddit
This what my dad said to me when I was young in a less eloquent way “it shows you can learn”
kazman@reddit
The stats actually show that those with a uni degree earn more, on average, than those who don't. It's important to also recognise that WHAT you study at uni matters as well.
As with anything in life there will be outliers so you get the anecdotes about so and so didn't go to uni and became a millionaire. These are the minority.
The thing is, most people lie firmly within the bell curve so average will apply to them.
StarShipYear@reddit
That is factually incorrect.
What the stats show is that if you build a model of the population and then track 2 people where Person A has a degree and Person B does not, over the coarse of their lifetime, the probability is that Person A who has the degree will have greater earnings.
Basically, the reason so many teachers still recommend further education is because the statistics tell them that the child is more likely to fair better over not having a degree.
There are a few problems I see that cause confusion which I'll try to summarise:
All of that isn't to say that further education is always the right path. If we had more teaching resources then young people could be better advised, but we don't. For some, going onto further education is not the right move, and their talent is better invested in other ways.
However, the stats show that if you were to bet your pension on who would have more earnings between two people, one with a degree and one without, and without knowing any other details about them, you would bet your money on the person with a degree.
RobCarrol75@reddit
I studied Economics but earn 6-figures working in IT. A degree is a means to an end and some of the most talented people I've worked with never went to uni at all.
Little_Order3606@reddit
I have two MSc degrees in stem subjects. One I graduated top of my class of 110 with a distinction. Only three of us were awarded that and I know I beat the other two. Then I did the physician associate course at a red brick university. I am now earning minimum wage as an admin worker int he NHS. I'm 44 single no children. Trust me university and career/pay does not always correlate.
No-Championship9542@reddit
Run my own business, their is no money in being an employee I don't know why peope do it
No_TsandCs@reddit
Because people are trapped financially and can’t or won’t risk starting their own businesses
No-Championship9542@reddit
But why they have nothing to lose? Ballifs are powerless against the man with nothing, plus what's even the startup cost of going alone being an electrician? A van and tools, which you should own anyway.
No_TsandCs@reddit
Tradies are different though, it’s one of the easiest career paths to break through to self employment
No-Championship9542@reddit
Which makes it a logical path to work into aye? Like office jobs by enlarge are just bad now, the food ones (accountant, lawyer, etc) are also better with your own business
Time_Shower9034@reddit
Do you have employees?
No-Championship9542@reddit
Only part times, it's weddings/events so I just bring them in as required and pay them higher
virusofthemind@reddit
My plumber drives a Ferrari and bought it new,
chxrlottesweb@reddit
I don’t earn this amount yet, but I fully expect to be within the next 5-10 years. I work in Auditing for ISO standards for cyber security, business recovery and disaster, clinical safety and more recently (which is the niche I plan to peruse most aggressively) AI regulation for software as a Medical device. I have no degree, I worked my way up from trainee to senior compliance officer at a med tech company, competed several professional courses and a level 5 regulatory qualification via apprenticeship at the expense of my employer. I plan to earn this type of money through specialised consultancy
FenderLord@reddit
AI will kill auditing roles in the next 5 years.
dannycdannydo@reddit
One that is far easier to get into than the usual lawyer/finance/tech is commercial property investment agent.
You don't have to be bright at all, it helps to get chartered (easy) but not required. It's a sales job where you earn 1% on multi million pound sales that in all honesty are not that difficult to advise on.
If you can do sales and once you build up a client base there are people with their own one man practices clearing £2m+ a year. You can do £250k quite realistically with 5 decent clients.
Anathemachiavellian@reddit
Unfortunately not me, but my mate is an equity partner at a large law firm (being the second youngest ever there at age 39). Gets anywhere between half a mill and seven figures depending on the business. He worked like an absolute dog for nearly 20 years, though. Most of his role now is entertaining clients and bringing them onboard.
Zossua@reddit
Some of these are bullshit.
nezukobites@reddit
Anyone else read through these posts, then been like “c’mon brain! It’s time!” And tried to think of a plan to make something happen, before ultimately feeling absolutely no closer than before to understanding where to even begin.
PaddedValls@reddit
Not me, but my father in law earns over that.
He's a self employed accountant with a vast number of clients.
He is, honest to god, the most down to earth guy you'd ever meet.
He's not tight fisted, covered in tattoos, loves small scale rock gigs, goes out for a pint at the weekend.
He, and my mother in law, are insanely generous to the point I feel awkward being gifted things for no reason.
Great people.
Also, that inheritance is gonna be cracker /s
Lucky I love the wife...
/s?
Several_Cold_7160@reddit
First time I have heard of an accountant earning that much. What makes him special as proofs I the pudding
PaddedValls@reddit
He owns his own firm.
Had 'x' amount of employees.
He's done pretty well for himself.
Works ridiculous hours though.
lostnov04@reddit
But does she love you.....
PaddedValls@reddit
Oh god, I hope so or my retirement plan is kaput
FunHearing2282@reddit
It’s mostly luck; but the lucky loath admitting it.
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
Myself and my other half have a combined income that generally hits slightly below this ballpark (though my income is variable).
He’s a housing director for a large local authority and has a PhD etc. so has very much taken an academic route… He’s primarily remote but technically hybrid and aiming to semi-retire in his fifties, probably doing a few lectures and board meetings etc.
I’m a company director/own my own FM business so I work in and around all the trades, pretty much go all over the show and don’t put any work on my contractors that I wouldn’t do myself, so I’m very present on the jobs.
We’re Manchester based and both had to graft and network for it/No nepotism or financial legs up.
AdnyPls@reddit
What’s an FM business?
Kpowell911@reddit
Facilities Management
un32134e4@reddit
how/why did you get into that?
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
Basically started out as a caretaker and then a pest control technician, going on to be an area manager etc.
Moved between a number of companies such as Rentokil and Interserve before going at it alone.
hypertyper85@reddit
I think some chief execs for local authorities earn almost 250k Ours is £220k. I wonder what their day to day workload is. I imagine it's decision making, showing their face at things, meetings.
ashyboi5000@reddit
I almost feel like my only hope for earning a decent wage is working my way up local authority, where I currently am and first as retraining in new career. Probably in very similar industry as housing director.
Does your husband have any tips?
I currently feel like my wider department is all lifers and progression won't happen naturally untill they start retiring. But I'm also not sure if I should try and zig-zag my way up.
As much as I would love to progress more in education I can't afford it and I dislike writing in dissertations (give me loads of short reports) but I do love the researching/learning side. My own BSc honours dissertation is policy focused while usually my career it would be technical.
yeerepd@reddit
31M, earn that working in private equity. Finance background.
AI is a tool. But a very unsophisticated one once you get into more niche areas, so based on my experience highly unlikely to fully replace. Does make me more effective though.
3 in the office, 2 remote
8-6 most days. If working on a deal or putting out fires on another one then longer.
A decent amount of travel (maybe a week every month or two) which can get a bit much with family.
DaddyCool13@reddit
Not me but I know private practice consultant doctors in Birmingham who earn easily above that. It’s 20% being a top tier specialist in your field, 30% networking and 50% being at the right place at the right time.
Low_Stress_9180@reddit
I used too, Physics degree, in IB/hedge funds.
I git out of that the 2 decades ago.
_poptart@reddit
Could tell you didn’t get an English degree
fourth-disciple@reddit
Degree is just a piece of paper. It doesnt make people more intelligent.
_poptart@reddit
I would hope it makes them vaguely more coherent.
fourth-disciple@reddit
I get your point but Education does that not = degrees, pursuing a degree is not necessarily pursuing an education. Degrees have been reduced to mere vocational training. Degrees only teach you to become a better/qualified employee. Its like expecting a fully trained electrician to be more coherent/articulate than a DIYer.
University= Vocational training centre.
About 100 years ago University= Educational institute...but that era is long over.
_poptart@reddit
Am I really expecting too much that the commenter who apparently has a degree in Physics, and used to make £250k a year in investment banking, should be able to string together a lucid sentence? Has education fallen so far?
fourth-disciple@reddit
Dude have u heard Elon Musk speak? Multi billionaire n still struggles to string together a sentance. Yes Education has really fallen that far.
_poptart@reddit
Sorry, being able to spell basic words is classed as “intelligence” now? Well, thank fuck my 7-year-old is a genius then.
fourth-disciple@reddit
You just shifted the goal post pal. First you said having a degree means people would be more coherent. Now you claim intelligence= good at spelling.
Not only do you seem to like arguing for no reason, you also fabricate lies on the spot.
Seem like those teachers with 3 degrees who is jealous the school drop out is making 2x salary 😂
_poptart@reddit
No, I didn’t? All I said, as a slightly derogatory and not particularly amusing joke, was that the original commenter clearly didn’t get a degree in English, due to the unintelligibility of their comment.
Then you weighed in, banging on about how a degree means nothing, the education system in the UK is subpar, misspelled ‘sentence’, and called me a liar?
I just think we should live in a country where everyone should have a fundamental grasp of grammar, spelling and punctuation. I would (perhaps incorrectly) assume that someone who apparently made a quarter of a million a year, would be able to string a few words together. You don’t seem to agree, so - good luck, I guess.
BakerMaker11@reddit
oh my god people like you are insufferable
why does grammar, spelling and punctuation matter on this mobile app I use for an hour of entertainment once a day?
also, i stopped caring so much about grammar when i realised it is (for now) an indicator that somebody is not a bot.
it isnt 2012 anymore.
_poptart@reddit
I was just trying to make a joke mate.
BakerMaker11@reddit
nice backpedal, looked like you spent 3 comments whinging to me
Capta1n_Sully@reddit
And where does he work…?
_poptart@reddit
He’s 7?
Capta1n_Sully@reddit
…Yes he is. Nevermind
_poptart@reddit
I don’t know what your point was intending to be; maybe where you live, you send children out to work?
Anyway, it’s a good job he’ll know how to spell when he’s old enough to join the workforce! Which is more than I can say for some of my colleagues, sadly.
Capta1n_Sully@reddit
It was a joke. Obviously completely lost on you. Whilst I agree with your point to a degree, it’s your opinion.
Being eloquent or good at English, isn’t a sure sign of intelligence. I know plenty folk with the gift of the gab who spout absolute nonsense and have stumbled their way through life. It’s the old doctor’s handwriting adage. I know a Quant and a compliance chief, both incredibly good at what they do but lack life skills, common sense and no doubt piss poor knowledge about life outside of their field.
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
..who inherited a gemstone mine from his rich parents. Musk is like #45 / #47 - rich, yes, entrepreneur, yes, but not a self-made man
Bossman_Mike@reddit
I once hired a roofer who was as articulate as a 1970s politician. I've worked with graduates who don't use punctuation and don't capitalise their own names.
OkRazzmatazz6880@reddit
So rude
hiddenkinkz@reddit
I’m retired now - but I made considerably more than that each year for the last 10 or so. I was (still am really) - ultra technical. I’m was the guy that CEOs sent in to call bullshit on the technical R&D folk. For about 20 years I worked with the same team of people being sent in to failing companies (mostly software companies). Businesses that were in way too much debt, under valued, terrible profit margins and just basically badly run. My job was to take on the technical side of the whole business and fix it. I was also the guy that decided on the product direction. I also took my own risk in each one I did as the model was to “buy in” using my own capital to each of these businesses.
During that time I advised the occasional start up and coached a few CEOs.
It was an incredibly intense job, never a normal working week, and usually required 100+ hours per week. I travelled internationally for all that time. As an example, it was not unusual for me to leave the UK on a Saturday evening, arrive in somewhere like Singapore - in to customers and the business I was working with Monday, business dinners in the evenings - on a plane to Australia overnight Wednesday, land, straight into meetings - work until Friday, back on a plane Friday afternoon, fly back to Hong Kong - brief stop over for a bit of work, then on to London, landing Sunday and then into breakfast meetings 7am Monday.
I was in the UK physically for about a third of my working year due to international travel. I typically had between 500 and 4000 people working for me in these different companies. The job required intense and detailed levels of technical knowledge that took me decades to learn.
Witty_Collection_294@reddit
Chartered accountant but work more in the finance space now.
Makes things easier for a base case but anything in more detail AI is nowhere near good enough yet. I feel bad for the trainees whose role it will replace and has enhanced over the last couple of years. IMO AI will never replace top level advisory.
5 days in office.
Stressful, I drink a lot more and exercise a lot less than I used to. On the clock 24/7 but generally at home by 1730 everyday. Just calls and emails after that or if something really matters to the business you work until it’s done - as in it doesn’t matter if it gets to the next day, you deliver.
Learn how to sell. Everything comes down to sales in the end.
Potatopotayto@reddit
What a great post to find on a bank holiday Monday, especially since tomorrow is already looking rough. You guys really cheered me up!
GW795@reddit
I work in executive search in a SHREK firm and my take home is c£500k a year with most of that as my bonus. Quite easy to get into with a semi decent degree and good assessment skills. I reached this level having started as a Researcher, progressed to a fee earner after 10 years of hard slog. AI will take over a bit of the process but it’s still a sector that will be needed over the next decade. 3 days a week in the office, hours can be long but ultimately you’re your own boss.
bobaboo42@reddit
Earn twice that, senior director of IT nuclear. Left school before finishing A levels
Fun_Level_7787@reddit
My partner: worked his way up from software dev in banks and now development manager/ head of tech in hedge funds. Computer science degree, (he also did his MSc but didn't complete the exams).
maranru@reddit
Finance tech job and entrepreneur
QSBW97@reddit
Sadly, I don't earn that, but a family member does, he became a mortgage advisor, then set up his own company, became one of the biggest in the UK, sold for 10m with the condition he stayed running the business/growing it for 5 years for around 250k a year.
onewaysingleuse@reddit
Software engineer
I've seen people without degrees, but better to have it. Networking is not really important, I've got good offers without it.
AI is used, no worries about it replacing me
In-office
I usually do smth like 8:45 to 17:15 including lunch. But no one will bite a lid if I come later or leave earlier. I've never worked anywhere with strict hours.
TomfromLondon@reddit
A software eng in the UK earning £250k? That's way way above the average, how come you're on so high as that's more like a us salary
kkam384@reddit
FAANG companies also pay at this level here for more senior roles (Amazon SDE3 or Meta L6 for instance).
TomfromLondon@reddit
Ahh didn't realise they hit that level unless staff or something
Volemic@reddit
That’s including RSUs though, so I don’t count that. When I was at AWS, no SD3 was earning that as base
kkam384@reddit
True, but it's still compensation.
TopBookChat1105@reddit
My husbands making just a smidge under this as a TestDev in the UK. I think it depends on the company, most FAANG are at this level in senior posts.
onewaysingleuse@reddit
Base plus bonus in trading firms/hedge funds. Also I'm quite senior with experience in this specific field.
Smarven15@reddit
Here come all the 0.1%, really amazing they all view this reddit
Think-Ladder7925@reddit
Womp womp.
letsbeavenu@reddit
I work 33 hours a day at Sainsburys. It just goes to show if you put the hours in you can reap the rewards, you don't need a fancy degree in science.
Fridgemagnetwisdom@reddit
I went to Sheffield Hallam, studied Diet & Nutrition - haven’t used the degree formally at all. I got int recruitment in 2017 and then shortly after into Tech Sales. I worked my way up from 21k / year doing appointment setting (cold calling), through the different levels of account management to now the past 2 years as an Enterprise AM working with FTSE 100s - I cleared 250k last year and on track to clear 300-400k this year.
To get into this line of work it’s predominantly about your EQ to begin with - you need the “will” to handle daily rejection and still keep going forward, the “skill” comes over time. There’s a science to sales (process, structure, sales methodology, frameworks) and an art to sales (communication skills, understanding others emotions & pattern matching your tone, behaviour, language etc - information is currency, knowing what to say, when, how etc is vital). You can learn the science, the art is a bit more intrinsic to your personality but can also be learned / honed - you need both science & art to really succeed.
It’s hybrid, 2 days in office in Manchester and 3 days WFH. AI is becoming much more prevalent - albeit it’s a “differentiator” for us currently (account research, automation of low value tasks, business health analysis etc). I can see how AI is going to augment, but also replace, various positions within our business.
ArticleAmazing3446@reddit
Slightly left fielding this answer, as different to others: high end TV and film production (HoD) I know earn this much or more, often not working the whole year.
Answering questions: degree not required, but all I know in it do have BAs and MAs. Getting into it: working from the ground up as a runner, being very dedicated to the job, extreme hours, working a lot harder (US style) than others, and having the grit to get through it.
AI: it is used more and more, but not sophisticated enough at managing departments and creative decisions. Possibly will replace VFX at some point, but not soon - lots of resistance/effective strike action (due again to US style unions)
In office/studio work and on location
Day to day: changes week to week, based on shooting schedule. Hours can be as long as 7am to 9pm, all paid (weekly salary plus hourly overtime)
How to get started: hustle. Choose a department and offer to work there, some people even sneak their CVs onto set. If you know someone even better. You’ve got to get through 5-10 years of making peanuts, but at the end of the day if you’re an HoD you’ll make big bucks, perhaps even with avenues towards producing and the royalties etc that come with it.
S2kDriver@reddit
Software manager for a tech company that is named after a fruit. I passed £1M last year.
DankestDaddy69@reddit
You don't make this money working for someone else, usually.
If you want to get true financial independence, you need to be your own boss. It's hard and most fail. But with a solid niche idea, it's doable.
acatalepsy@reddit
Not me. But friend is a dermatologist in London. Earns ~90k from 3 days NHS hospital work and about ~300k from 1 day private sector work.
Dijstraanon@reddit
If we are taking about income not salary. Yes both my husband and I “earn” over £250k each year. About half from our day jobs and the rest from investments and commercial property portfolios. We invested hard in our early years and have seen a steady increase year on year, we mostly plough any excesses into new investments/properties so the growth in income seems greater.
adnshrnly@reddit
What do you invest in?
TopBookChat1105@reddit
Law
I have 3 degrees although only needed 2.
My position? Very little but I’m a terrible dinosaur, the team utilities a lot of AI I just don’t know how to use it and it takes me more time to work it out than just to do the task myself.
I work remote now. But have done both in office and hybrid.
I work 8-5, but I’m in a niche sector where there’s no gain from working more. Colleagues in say M&A work late late.
My advice would be don’t do it and listen to the “don’t be a lawyer” song on repeat until the idea passes.
anon733772772@reddit
I don’t earn this but I work in big4 professional services firm, I.e Deloitte, PwC etc… Any equity partner is clearing 250k a year, even first year equity partner I believe.
Path to equity partner is typically join the firm as a grad and then around 20 years in, you may or may not make it to equity partner. You could also get stuck at director/non-equity partner. Not a bad place to be obviously but you won’t be hitting 250k a year at really at those grades.
Maleficent-Drive4056@reddit
Big 4 equity partner is typically taking £700k - £1m. https://www.ft.com/content/1a917e2e-db83-44e9-8bda-4c624f812cf3?syn-25a6b1a6=1
anon733772772@reddit
Not really, that is an average figure, which is heavily skewed by senior or managing partners.
If you are a fairly new equity partner, you’ll be lucky to make 300k.
LurkFromHomeAskMeHow@reddit
Yes but he said first year equity partner. £250k is about right for that for a top 10 accounting firm including big 4.
Inertia_Sleeps@reddit
I’m a cheeky sod and moonlight and my total income each year is about 250k. 150k is as a engineering VP at an investment bank and the other 100k or so is as a software engineer contractor at another high street bank.
Do I use AI? Yes religiously. That and remote working has made it more possible than ever. Actually looking to add a third role.
I have a bachelors in EE engineering. I used to feel bad but not anymore, companies don’t want to pay fairly so I don’t see why I have to play the game fairly either.
MKDON24@reddit
Survival of the fittest
superjambi@reddit
How do you manage this with meetings and scheduling etc?
Inertia_Sleeps@reddit
I’m lucky because one of the jobs is an American firm and the meetings are in the afternoon. Even then, meetings are rarely exclusively two people where you’re expected to focus and contribute.
plutus_throwaway@reddit
I work for a US tech company in the UK doing product marketing / product management. It's a non technical role.
I went to a normal university, got a 1st and have a master's from a top university. I don't think this hugely helped apart from to get me to interview. My degree is in the arts, unrelated to my work.
I got into marketing when it didn't have a lot of people with dedicated marketing degrees, fell into it as they were hiring SEO grunts in a marketing agency, worked my way until before going for the tech company job. I didn't network, though I think someone I used to work with put in a good word.
I'm hybrid but with medical exception to be remote. I tend to be in 1 day a week. The people I work with mostly live in america so don't care if I'm in.
AI is hugely prevelant, most of my work has changed because of it. I've grasped it with both hands and I'm using as much and learning as much as I can when working in tech so have access to credits.
I'm not that scared of losing my job as I now train the company in how to use some of the tools. I'm more worried that I'll be in a round of tech layoffs.
Hours I'm lucky, they are pretty much 40 a week, and I get to travel to the US 3-4 times a year. Ive modified my work schedule so I work 10-6:30 or 11-7:30 some days. Monday and Friday are strictly ending on time. During busy periods I work some evenings and the rare weekend. I determine and commit to projects and then have to deliver them on time, I can do this around my day so I also work around doctor and physio appointments. I used to be a really high performer, chasing the next level and working 60 hours but now, I'm relatively capped on the level I am so I just focus on doing the minimum good work I can do to continue getting the standard performance review.
I have a number of hobbies I like doing, I own a house, and I'm on track to 'retire' early (I'm hoping by about 45)
Starting in the field now is harder as people are more intentional at their career paths. Getting experience when at uni related to the area is good. Go deep in 1-2 AI products helps with the CV and make sure you have hobbies /a life, as when looking through CVs, everyone has the same experience, I'm looking for the most interesting and curious person.
BigFaithlessness618@reddit
I am not quite at £250k but low 6 figures.
Some of my friends are there and a few of my family members.
The rest all own something, I really think that is the way.
freerangetrousers@reddit
My friend from university earns in the region of 600k , 200k base and the rest bonus.
He works for a private credit fund as a head of department. Up until about 2 years ago we had relatively similar earnings but then he changed firms and his money just absolutely skyrocketed. And with the change of firm his hours went from 9-6 to more like 8am-8pm. Sometimes working until 2 or 3am at busy times. In office 5 days a week in central London.
His job is most building mathematical models for prospective clients and investors
He is also probably one of if not the smartest person I know. From the conversations we've had he plans to do it for a few years and then find a different industry entirely and not have to worry about money for him and his kids for the future.
ClockAccomplished381@reddit
I'm a 'Product Manager' (albeit not a traditional one) in a relatively specialist area, my base salary is nowhere near that but various bonuses and share options etc puts it over. I got into it organically working my way up from various IT Change roles. Never set out to try and become this.
Don't need a degree but it may have helped me land prior roles I guess.
AI is definitely on the rise. It probably won't replace me in the short term as a fair amount of my job is networking and decision making, rather than something that could be easily agentified. Hard to say longer term.
Hybrid.
Day to day is mixed, sometimes very busy, sometimes I can take my foot off the gas. Hours are standard 9-5 with the odd late meeting due to timezone constraints. Can't complain as its not as hard work as previous roles paying a lot less. I think I will get a lot busier in the coming months due to other changes at my org.
In terms of advice, this will sound a bit flippant but I think career progression is partly luck based, in terms of just getting the right opportunities. I guess what you can do is learn to better recognise opportunities (and conversely recognising dead end jobs). I wasted many years early on in a rubbish job that was hard to progress on from, naively I thought being smart and working hard would see me advance.
Infinity_Worm@reddit
Software Engineer at a hedge fund
Yes, realistically need a degree from a top university and some experience in finance industry
Depends from person to person. Some people are blowing through $1000 a day of tokens. Others still using it mostly as a better Google search. AI is probably years away from replacing us directly but right now does mean less new people are hired because existing employees can do more work.
4/5 days a week in office in central London
Very variable. Most work something like 8:30-5:30 but some much more
If you're graduate level it's very competitive. To pass CV screening you need all A-A* at a level and to be on track for a first from top uni. Then the actual interview is probably harder because there are only 1-2 positions (if any) and many will perform well enough to be hired but we just take the top. For actual advice I suggest working really hard at your education and doing as much interview practice as possible.
If you're experienced it's probably a bit easier. To pass CV screening typically you need something big on your CV such as a FAANG level company or finance experience e.g. an investment bank. Then the interviews are easier because there are less candidates so we'll take the first person who passes the internal bar. My advice would be to try joining an investment bank first because they are typically easier to get in to and provide good experience you can leverage to join a hedge fund
Educational_Try_6105@reddit
I know people who have interviewed for roles paying that much at isomorphic labs
Character_Choice_582@reddit
Teacher xx
PM-me-your-cuppa-tea@reddit
I don't. But I work with people who do and my partner does make that.
It's IB and Law.
Both need a degree, but for both that's not enough you need to get into a bulge bracket/magic circle firm straight from uni
AI is prevelant in both but interpersonal relationships are key to success
IB 4 days a week in office, some are 5 (JP Morgan), Law 3 days in the office, sometimes 2.
Long hours, especially at the beginning of the career, IB interns easily work 10-2am and weekends. Similar for trainees in law. Hours reduce as you progress, but still crazy hours, holiday not respected etc
Widebody_lover@reddit
This can be done in SAAS sales even at individual contributor level or
surgicalcoder@reddit
IT consultancy leading teams of people. No degree, just networked over 2 decades of work, working my way up.
I use AI to augment what I do but AI won't be able to make the decisions or have the long term vision of where to take things.
Fully remote, every day is a new challenge, sometimes loads of travel to meet customers. "I can't make it because of school run" excuses doesn't fly with these customers.
IT needs to be your passion. If you don't live and breathe it, you won't get this far. This isn't a 9 to 5 thing.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.