Is Earning Over 60K+ Still Considered A Good Wage These Days??

discus · 03-06-2012 11:27AM

Afraid you're wrong Dudess, there are quite a few on 120k/150k. I've seen the roles advertised myself.

Ms.M · 03-06-2012 11:29AM

Dudess wrote: »

Whatever about semi states (and I appreciate ESB technical staff get paid very well - shame lazy people, especially the braindead dregs of humanity who post comments to TheJournal.ie, apply this to admin staff also) I would not believe for a second that county engineers are on 150k. I'm familiar with local government, having worked there and having a parent who worked there for 35 years - that kind of figure is just alien to the local government world.

Thanks Dudess. I was hoping someone would challenge that. I'd have no idea what county engineers earn but I know they don't drive nice enough cars to be making 150k!

freeze4real · 03-06-2012 11:34AM

padd b1975 wrote: »

freeze4real wrote: »

I remember arguing with some boarders that once I graduate the only job I'll go for is one that pays €45000 per year. That's salary in Ireland is took much for a graduate but it's being paid in some plays like the UK or the states.

In my area of progression I expect to get €60000 within 4 - 5years.

There are also individuals who get €450000+ and they're less that 26yrs old. THE.g those guys who work in quantitative fields. My bro for example works in a finanacial trading firm his mates if 23 earns 55000 per year plus 10% bonuses.

Yes they're jobs that pay that amount but it's. It those jobs that require no skills e.g call centre.

In the Uk those that earn over €60000 are a lot I mean a lot. Ireland is just s h i t in terms of ranges of employent.

Still trying to get to grips with the touch screen typing??

Lol I just noticed those grammatical errors caused by auto correction on the iPhone.

newmug · 03-06-2012 11:38AM

Shane732 wrote: »

:pac::pac:

For a professionally qualified person €60k is nowhere near the high end of the scale.

Hell a very good newly professionally qualified person is capable of earning €60k.

Yourself and the OP's friend need a good kick in he arse. I am a fully qualified electronic enginer. I started working for Intel (probably the most famous engineering company in the world) in 2003, I was earning 290 Euro per week. Yes, you read that correctly. By 2011 I was earning E500 per week. This was for 24 hour call-out availability, day and night, weekends, and even Christmas day. Thats what all the engineers in my area were on. I was made redundant last year along with 300 others. Only 3 people of my crew of 21 were kept. I didnt get a fraction of E60K for my redundancy after 8 years of loyal service. OP, your friend will get a nasty shock when he graduates if he thinks E60K per year is not a good wage.

Ms.M · 03-06-2012 11:41AM

dj jarvis wrote: »

the esb is a unfair example considering the astronomical wage they are on , but i would find it hard to believe that even today a civil engineer with state or semi state is earning anything other that 60k plus a year , but im open to correction on this one

My sister was on far less. She was working on the national grid. She's a qualified chemical engineer though, not a civil one. I don't know if that would make any difference. She'd also only just qualified so it was a starting wage.
I don't think they typically make that much. Mind you I don't think they typically earn that much in the private sector either. Until they've got a lot of experience. She's on a little more than 60k now and she's got engineers working under her authority. 60k is a very good wage, even for an engineer.

mikeystipey · 03-06-2012 11:45AM

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

60k is a great wage in the real world. I'd assume he'd have a lot of opportunities for nixers as well outside of that...doing stuff like ...engineering with civility and other such things :pac:

Engineering with civility...I did chortle

MysticalRain · 03-06-2012 12:09PM

60k is a great wage considering most civil engineers I know are either on the dole or have emigrated after the construction bubble burst.

Odysseus · 03-06-2012 12:15PM

I would think that it is just about ok for my qualifications and experience. But then again I do earn more than than, I just have to do private work to boost my HSE wage in order to get it.

Dudess · 03-06-2012 12:19PM

I doubt I'll ever earn 60k.

RMD · 03-06-2012 12:19PM

Depends on how ambitious you are. For many 60k is an amazing wage, for others it's an awful wage. It all depends on how far you plan to go.

newmug · 03-06-2012 12:25PM

RMD wrote: »

Depends on how ambitious you are. For many 60k is an amazing wage, for others it's an awful wage. It all depends on how far you plan to go.

YYeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It all depends on how much you wish for it:rolleyes:

Sea Filly · 03-06-2012 12:25PM

Dudess wrote: »

I doubt I'll ever earn 60k.

Me neither, unless I go down the PhD road. But that would mean serious financial hardship to get there, and I'm 28 now so...

Sea Filly · 03-06-2012 12:26PM

RMD wrote: »

Depends on how ambitious you are. For many 60k is an amazing wage, for others it's an awful wage. It all depends on how far you plan to go.

Should ambition be measured by how much you earn? So many people love their jobs, or work in very rewarding careers but could never dream of earning 60k per annum. Meanwhile others get paid lots but hate going in each and every day.

Dudess · 03-06-2012 12:28PM

Ideal age to be doing a phd IMO - still young but old enough to have the maturity for it. However it's a massive commitment and it's tough. Awful brokeness too as you say.

Dudess · 03-06-2012 12:34PM

Sea Filly wrote: »

Should ambition be measured by how much you earn? So many people love their jobs, or work in very rewarding careers but could never dream of earning 60k per annum. Meanwhile others get paid lots but hate going in each and every day.

Had a job that paid way more than I earn now - and there were far more prospects in terms of promotion, pay increases etc. Hated it so much.
Adore my job now even if there isn't much scope to advance. I look forward to going into work some days though. It's worth the paycut.
To be fair though, if you have dependants, what you earn is going to be of more importance than job satisfaction I'd imagine.

Mark200 · 03-06-2012 12:36PM

Sea Filly wrote: »

RMD wrote: »

Depends on how ambitious you are. For many 60k is an amazing wage, for others it's an awful wage. It all depends on how far you plan to go.

Should ambition be measured by how much you earn? So many people love their jobs, or work in very rewarding careers but could never dream of earning 60k per annum. Meanwhile others get paid lots but hate going in each and every day.

And then there are the people who earn lots AND enjoy what they're doing

Personally I wouldn't be enthusiastic about going into an area where the top wage is 60k (and that's what this topic is about.. the 'top' wage).

Not that I have a wishlist of things I'd want to be spending money on, but knowing that no matter how long/hard I work I'll never be earning more than twice a graduate salary?

But again, that doesn't mean I'd take a job I don't enjoy just for the money. But it is very possible to get both enjoyment and high salary.

Carles Puyol · 03-06-2012 12:38PM

To answer the question in the thread title, yes, it is a good wage.

However, if that's the max he can earn, well, I wouldn't blame him for switching careers.

markgb · 03-06-2012 12:55PM

forfuxsake wrote: »

He smokes a pack a day, more at weekends and this takes another 70, leaving him 380.His car costs him about 100 a week(tax/insurance/loan repayments) with another 80 on fuel for his commute. So now he has 200 left but from that he still has to buy food, clothes, medical bills and everything else for four people.

Interesting that he prioritises smokes over food and medical bills for his dependents :rolleyes:

Raisins · 03-06-2012 12:55PM

Yes of course it's a good wage in a general context.

A silly comment by some leaving cert student shouldn't lead to massive thread. I remember a story in the Irish Times a while back claiming that some huge percentage of LC's intended to earn 100k within x number of years. That's just immaturity. The same poll isn't taken when students are repeating exams in college, working part time and trying to pay their debts.

As an aside many civil engineers earn way in excess of 60k. It depends on the course your career takes. That's why these students need guidance counsellors.

RMD · 03-06-2012 12:56PM

newmug wrote: »

YYeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It all depends on how much you wish for it:rolleyes:

No. It depends entirely on how hard you're willing to work for it. Money can't be wished upon, but it can be worked for. Get an education, get a good profession and break your arse. You will reap the rewards.

Sea Filly · 03-06-2012 12:57PM

Mark200 wrote: »

And then there are the people who earn lots AND enjoy what they're doing

Personally I wouldn't be enthusiastic about going into an area where the top wage is 60k (and that's what this topic is about.. the 'top' wage).

Not that I have a wishlist of things I'd want to be spending money on, but knowing that no matter how long/hard I work I'll never be earning more than twice a graduate salary?

But again, that doesn't mean I'd take a job I don't enjoy just for the money. But it is very possible to get both enjoyment and high salary.

Of course.

But he seemed to be exclusively equating ambition with money.

I doubt the average graduate salary is 30k though. In my field, it wasn't even that in the "boom" years.

Muir · 03-06-2012 01:05PM

Sure Aldi pays better:

http://www.graduates.aldirecruitment.ie/the_rewards/index.asp

60k starting, increases over 4 years to 88,250, Audi A4...

Mr Benevolent · 03-06-2012 01:07PM

forfuxsake wrote: »

It's a decent wage.

A friend of mine earns that. He gets about 800 a week after tax etc. His boom-time mortgage takes 350, leaving him 450. He smokes a pack a day, more at weekends and this takes another 70, leaving him 380.His car costs him about 100 a week(tax/insurance/loan repayments) with another 80 on fuel for his commute. So now he has 200 left but from that he still has to buy food, clothes, medical bills and everything else for four people.

I earn just over 1/3 of that and have more free money at the end of the month than your friend does. And I'm not living at home or living frugally. Puts it into perspective really.

markgb · 03-06-2012 01:14PM

newmug wrote: »

Yourself and the OP's friend need a good kick in he arse. I am a fully qualified electronic enginer. I started working for Intel (probably the most famous engineering company in the world) in 2003, I was earning 290 Euro per week. Yes, you read that correctly. By 2011 I was earning E500 per week. This was for 24 hour call-out availability, day and night, weekends, and even Christmas day. Thats what all the engineers in my area were on. I was made redundant last year along with 300 others. Only 3 people of my crew of 21 were kept. I didnt get a fraction of E60K for my redundancy after 8 years of loyal service. OP, your friend will get a nasty shock when he graduates if he thinks E60K per year is not a good wage.

Really? You have a university degree in electronic engineering and you only earned 15k a year from Intel? It sounds more like you had more of a technician role for some reason. Intel normally starts R&D engineering grads closer to 30K. And the pay scale for engineers goes up very high. Principal engineers would probably certainly be earning 6 figures with bonuses etc.

Shane732 · 03-06-2012 01:27PM

newmug wrote: »

Yourself and the OP's friend need a good kick in he arse. I am a fully qualified electronic enginer. I started working for Intel (probably the most famous engineering company in the world) in 2003, I was earning 290 Euro per week. Yes, you read that correctly. By 2011 I was earning E500 per week. This was for 24 hour call-out availability, day and night, weekends, and even Christmas day. Thats what all the engineers in my area were on. I was made redundant last year along with 300 others. Only 3 people of my crew of 21 were kept. I didnt get a fraction of E60K for my redundancy after 8 years of loyal service. OP, your friend will get a nasty shock when he graduates if he thinks E60K per year is not a good wage.

Shall I bend over for you?

Your figures seem a little fudged. The €500 a week would have been just over minimum wage - surely you don't think that is a good wage for a qualified engineer? Maybe it is, I know I wouldn't be happy with it.

Dudess · 03-06-2012 01:33PM

Confab wrote: »

I earn just over 1/3 of that and have more free money at the end of the month than your friend does. And I'm not living at home or living frugally. Puts it into perspective really.

The guy has children though.

newmug · 03-06-2012 01:42PM

RMD wrote: »

No. It depends entirely on how hard you're willing to work for it. Money can't be wished upon, but it can be worked for. Get an education, get a good profession and break your arse. You will reap the rewards.

Thats grand except, in reality, you wont. You will be subject to luck of the draw, like everybody else.

markgb wrote: »

Really? You have a university degree in electronic engineering and you only earned 15k a year from Intel? It sounds more like you had more of a technician role for some reason. Intel normally starts R&D engineering grads closer to 30K. And the pay scale for engineers goes up very high. Principal engineers would probably certainly be earning 6 figures with bonuses etc.

Well there ya go. You havent a clue who gets paid what, your figures are all wrong. I know all about what Intel starts people on, I spent my twenties there.

Shane732 wrote: »

Shall I bend over for you?

Your figures seem a little fudged. The €500 a week would have been just over minimum wage - surely you don't think that is a good wage for a qualified engineer? Maybe it is, I know I wouldn't be happy with it.

I dont think its a good wage, I'm just telling you its the norm.

Sappa · 03-06-2012 01:44PM

Dudess wrote: »

Confab wrote: »

I earn just over 1/3 of that and have more free money at the end of the month than your friend does. And I'm not living at home or living frugally. Puts it into perspective really.

The guy has children though.

Your forgetting the generous childrens allowances he gets,plus he may have benefits in kind.
Amazing how poorly he budgets,he is obviously living way beyond his means a 1500+ mortgage per month,huge smoking habit,there are many ways he could cut corners from those statistics.

Conguill · 03-06-2012 01:47PM

Not going to wade into what figure is a reasonable wage but OP's friend is completely wrong about the maximum salary for a civil engineer. A few random examples below.

MD of Sisk and of SIAC (building contractors), CEO of the National Roads Authority, directors of engineering consultancies (PM Group, Arup, Jacobs etc.) are civil engineers and are all comfortably on six figures.

I would be surprised if Dublin City Council's chief engineer was on less than 100k, pretty sure it is well above that.

The founders of CRH (building materials) are civil engineers and on Ireland's richest lists.

1ZRed · 03-06-2012 01:55PM

You seem to be unfamiliar with the whole engineering hierarchy;

Civil engineers are the boring ones,
The electronic engineers are the geeks,
The mechanical engineers are the real men,
The biomeds are the arrogant ones stuck between engineering and medicine,
The sports and fitness 'engineeers' are the jocks,
And the construction management engineers are the glorified builders.

So by that logic, mechanical and biomed must pay highest!:pac:

And the sport and fitness engineers are just dtf:p

Is Earning Over 60K+ Still Considered A Good Wage These Days??

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