Burnout Is Coming, But I’m Used To My £50k Salary

Illustrated by Virginia Gabrielli.

In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.

Been in the workforce for at least five years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here. Published stories receive £100.

Age: 24
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Social worker, local authority
Current salary: £50,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Five

Starting salary: £18,000 in 2018
Biggest salary jump: £33,112 to £50,000
Biggest salary drop: £18,000 to £11p/h

Biggest negotiation regret: Accepting the first offer they made rather than going back to negotiate further, as I was happy to be given the job opportunity. This is a mistake, as you see other companies offering their employees a lot more for the same job.

Best salary advice: Don’t accept the first offer or job just because you’re happy to be employed — usually there is something much better out there.