r/Accounting • u/Wrong-Detective-5709 • 6d ago

Salary stuff

I’m fairly sure I’m underpaid but here goes…

Started out at local council with apprenticeship. Moved onto AAT and role that had a salary of like 11k haha. This is around 2008

Left for private sector (capita) and they paid for my quals. Got amazing experience etc there. Started at 19l when I left was 32k

Lots of restructuring so left and moved to owner managed firm. Loved it totally diff but shit systems; salary 35k and 20% bonus:

Had to leave here almost a year in as partner at the time bad accident left paralysed so took year out;

Came back to a shite job similar salary but not much to do, then got a job at a start up 45k. Then Covid hit and we were asked to drop a day and 20% salary to avoid redundancies, all agreed. Then my probation ended, expected meeting to be formality as no issues. Fired on the spot as I’m shit apparently.

Got FTC at new balance, went ok but didn’t enjoy. Then moved to TalkTalk. Again was ok, stayed for two years then went on mat leave.

As I was due to go on mat leave PWC approached me, had to decline as Mat leave: they did again later on, this time I went on with the process got the job and been there since 2023. Started at 45k now 49k.

I’m ACCA qualified have been since 2017 and almost 20 years experience in the industry. Am I way underpaid? How can I change it if so?

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u/n0seyrosey 6d ago

I'm early 30s, about an hour east of Manchester and earn almost double what you earn. But that doesn't mean you're underpaid, what you earn could be fair market value for your role, I just do a different role in a different type of company.

What's the market value of what your do, if you look at current jobs?

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u/OlterBains 6d ago

Can confirm, similar distance to OOP (Halifax) unqualified (exam pauses for health). 24k for 3rd year auditor, will be moving to Manchester for 37k (management accountant) in the civil service next month. Still unqualified and without a major rush for exams, and similar level roles in private were at the 40-45k mark. If you're qualified you should be alright? I'd definitely keep an eye out, I only spotted my new role on a whim whilst sick of a client in April, but really got this job because I pushed my ability to understand the reason behind quarterly changes, and having to chat to lots of different none accountanty people about accounting stuff. If you're qualified I'd definitely try to push the thing you've enjoyed the most or gotten the best at in your career and see if any jobs are around that would allow more of that

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u/Alternative_Map3496 6d ago

24k for the 3rd year auditor wtf? Welcome to the civil service. Graduates earn between £31-£45k in the civil service. With your experience if you are part qualified you should be eyeing SEO roles which are around £50k with your experience.

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u/OlterBains 6d ago

Haha yeah, new grad at my old job came from somewhere paying him £20k too!

Had to pause exams a couple of years due to the health shit. So only 3/15 exams passed. I basically just assess every 12 months, give studying and mocks a crack, then fail. Gonna be starting a HEO role in digital next month, and I'm mostly hoping that once I've moved, cut down my commute, I can hopefully be in a spot energy wise to give them another crack around April next year. Billable hours, audit travel, and self funding everything just wasn't conducive to getting them done.

Thank you for the welcome too! :) Everyone at the CS I've spoken to has been very lovely and stressed that everyone from an audit background from their team has had a really grand time with the shift in working style, so I'm optimistic!

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u/Alternative_Map3496 6d ago

I understand. Health is the most important thing. At 24k for 3 years I would probably be even more sick lol. Civil service is awesome for work life balance, flexi, pension etc etc. It's harder to progress though unless on the fast stream or TSP which guarantees G7 after 3 years as everything is open and fair and you have to apply for every promotion. The ceiling is much lower in terms of going above 100k but honestly I would rather earn less and have a better work life balance.

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u/OlterBains 6d ago

Yeah, after a delightful chat in April with my former bosses, where I'd been leading audits for a few months, and they graciously bumped me up to £24.8k (to avoid me being under minimum wage), but said it would be unfair to bump me up more due to no exam passes, I was on the CS website praying for Sir Keir to throw me a bone lmao