is 13.5k a good salary?

ceridwen

Nope - its an appalling salary - not much more than NMW.

So - its up to you as regards what your other options are as to whether you take it - but it IS a very poor salary. Unfortunately many jobs only pay these measly paylevels though...

Raquela

I would point out that there's not much difference between 13.5k and 15k after tax and NI is taken out. You definitely can live on it, but only if you have a shared house, and you won't be going out much. If it will be of benefit to do it short term just to get some experience, then go for it, but keep looking for other things (it can be easy to stop actively job hunting when you're in a job, even if you hate it - I know, for I'm doing this at the moment!)

3plus1

Depends whether this is a graduate job or a non graduate job.

If it's a grad job, you should be looking closer to £20k than £10k for general roles. Anything specific like engineering and you should be over the £20k mark to start with.

As it stands, this is the only full time offer you have, so I would suggest taking it and continuing to apply for other jobs...

Bobl

janninew wrote: »

Gosh your points are depressing me bristol, cos there so true! I'm on a similar wage as mentioned by the OP and it is so depressing to see people on benefits with a better lifestyle than me (i work 40 hours a week and get no benefits) Sometimes you have to wonder what the point is?

The point is you have a job and do not deliberately leech off of the state. I am sure it is tough, but if you can afford to live you don't need benefits. The sooner the conservatives get in and reduce benefits and tighten up the system the better.

To the OP - it sounds like you cannot afford to take this job at the moment, you would probably end up in more debt; I suggest you look for a full time job whilst staying with your parents, that way you can save for a deposit, and help your parents out.

Good Luck

paulwf

As with any job you need to look at the costs associated with working not just the earnings.

I'll explain...someone working in central London office might be on a good salary but with a £3,000 annual train fare, spend several hundred pounds a year on suits, and because of the extra travel time and office culture prefers to buy lunch at Prets and ends up spending £30 a week on sandwiches and coffee. All those expenses are after the tax etc has come out of your wages.

Alternatively where I work I can walk or catch a bus, get uniform provided, there is usually coffee and cake provided for free plus I have time to make my own lunch, and I get staff discount.

The difference in expenses between job A and B could add up to £6,000 a year or so before tax...you really do have to look at the overall picture.

FWIW I lived in south London working a catering job before the days of min wage which means I got a pittance but had the time of my life and always had spare cash...and that was before access to online shopping that has driven prices down and before supermarkets really got into value ranges which has driven the price of basic food down. Basically you adapt to live within your means but you can still enjoy life.

woody01

Maybe i am not in the 'real world' sometimes but i cannot imagine how earning £25K is a liveable wage let alone £13.5K.

minerva_windsong

If you're part time in the shop job then can't you stay there (say doing weekends or when they have late night opening) and do the full time job as well? I'm not entirely sure of the ins and outs of that tax wise though so if it's not possible then fair enough.

What actually is the job? Or am I being dense and not seeing it?

Alternatively, you can see what the 'average' wage is for what you do and where you are by going here (using the jobs listed on the Reed website, other salary calculators are available): http://www.reed.co.uk/CareerTools/SalaryCalculator.aspx

lisamummytoarchieplusbump

before i got made redundant i was earning 13.5k a year. i was single and after paying bills i still managed to go out every friday saturday and sunday lunchtime so it all depends on what you spend on what

Pee

You don't like the current job, but you don't much like the sound of the new job? I think you will appply for more jobs if you are working parttime, although it certainly can be done fulltime. £13,500 is not brilliant money, but I think it's a good bit better than minimum wage. Which of the jobs will look better on your CV?

I started on £8k about thirteen years ago. I ended up renting a house and to a certain extent supporting a boyfriend on that salary, which was pretty much impossible then as now - rent was about £250 a month for a tiny place that would be £500 now, other costs quite similiar. (Think it was £80 a month council tax and is now £100.) That job was a great stepping stone and very positive in terms of my future career, so worth a struggle, even if at the time I had to put cardboard in the soles of my shoes - ok until it rained!

sunshine09

I earnt 12k in 2001 when I was 18 and I managed to get a mortgage on my own with no help from my parents and save an £8000 deposit in the 2 years prior to this. I also went clubbing 4 nights a week and on holiday every year! Its loads of money if you budget properly. I now get £7800 and my husband is on £13k and we have never claimed housing benefit/job seekers or anything like that and we manage to go on holiday every year, loads of weekends away, out all the time, have sky, the internet etc. We also own a car outright. We havent got any debt either. Of course it can be done! We also have a mortgage on a bigger place and we live in an expensive area in the South West.