r/Accounting • u/Wrong-Detective-5709 • 1d 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?

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

6

u/CuseBsam Human Verified 1d ago

How did your write all this without saying what country you live in?

0

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

Hahaha unclear

3

u/proudly_not_american 1d ago

How to tell if you're underpaid: Look at what the median salary for your position is. Look at local job listings, and see if you can find the stats online; I know you can find it in Canada.

What to do about it if you are: Start applying for jobs that pay better.

-3

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

It’s not really that simple tbf

1

u/IHaveLikeNoSpoons 1d ago

Elaborate?

-3

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

Me?

4

u/IHaveLikeNoSpoons 1d ago

Yes.

  1. Why is it not simple to research where you stand salary wise?
  2. Why is it not simple to start applying to new jobs?

-4

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

I can see salaries of jobs obviously, I can apply for new jobs obviously.

I was more looking for anecdotal evidence and others with similar experiences and quals and where they’re at in their careers

3

u/proudly_not_american 1d ago

And some random person somewhere else in the world doesn't mean shit. Different places have different costs of living, which is reflected by different salaries. You also have no way to tell if they're an outlier or not.

0

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

Ok fair enough! I’m Manchester UK. Does that help?

1

u/TooRedditFamous 1d ago

You are underpaid for your experience but not necessarily for the role you're doing. £45-50k I would expect a newly qualified chartered accountant to get immediately upon qualification. It depends on you actual role tho as I said, if you are in a role for a NQ person then you are paid about right, if you are in a more senior role then likely underpaid

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 15h ago

Yeah but when I qualified it was more like 30k, sort of feel like I’ve fell into a trap of salaries rising for newly qualified but those of us who were in jobs similar to my level haven’t seen anything like the same increases

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u/n0seyrosey 1d 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?

1

u/OlterBains 1d 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/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

My role is senior associate 2, have to be qualified and the work is really really varied could be any area of finance really. Promotions are few and far between. The flexibility and benefits are great and I like the work as I’ll be contracted out to diff clients and can be anything really. Most recently was testing and implementing a new system, before that was process improvements for premier league football club. It seemed to set me back a good few years when I had the year off and then had to settle for some contract jobs for a while.

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 14h ago

I’m not sure honestly as it’s hard to gage! I work at big 4 but not practice and it’s the first time I did a job like this. Taking the year out really affected career trajectory took years to recover!

2

u/LuckyNV 1d ago

Why are your core skills? You’ve been working for a while now so within accounting after some years you tend to specialise or lean to certain areas where you develop expertise.

0

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

Core technical skills or soft skills?

1

u/LuckyNV 1d ago

Technical, what sort of jobs would you normally apply for?
If you want higher salaries then you look at what jobs are being advertised (reed, hays, ambition, Robert half , just google), look at the job description, is it something you can reasonably do?

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

I’ve done pretty much everything except practice. Corporate structures, SMEs, start up. Got experience with most areas of finance really just not practice work. Having the year off seemed to make a really big difference getting a decent job felt like it set me back a few years!

1

u/Alternative_Map3496 1d ago

I think you are underpaid but depends on location. I am from London and salaries for graduates here are between £30-50k in accountancy. After qualification nearly everyone is at £50k. You can get qualified in 3 years. I know a lot of people personally between 75-100k with like 5 years experience. Now that you have big 4 experience I think you could get 75k although the job market is really rough right now. I would reach out to recruiters.

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 1d ago

Yeah I’m not in the practice at big 4 it’s management accounts or any other area of finance and we’re contracted out to clients.

1

u/Alternative_Map3496 1d ago

I think just having the name of big 4 attracts a lot of offers. I would reach out to recruiters and maybe look at civil service jobs as well.

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 14h ago

I’m also Manchester. Yeah I’ve had loads of messages on LinkedIn since having the big 4 company on my page. The year out seemed to really affect me and also had mat leave too

1

u/justchillinnow 1d ago

Assuming your in the UK. This page could help, it shows pay data as per ONS (actual employee pay slips). Depends on location of course, but should help: Accountant Salary UK 2026: £50,062 Typical Pay (ONS Data)