So, how much do you earn? 17 FJ readers reveal their current salaries

“Among my fashion friends $74,000 is considered good.”

Left and right, taboos are being broken down. We’re more than happy to talk openly about anything from threesomes and squirting, to our political preferences and who we voted for at the last election. Yet despite our collective efforts to get comfortable sitting in the discomfort, I’d argue money is perhaps one of the final frontiers we’re yet to tackle.

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There’s something about money that feels… private. While we may know the ins and outs of our friends’ sex lives, how many of us know the balance in their savings accounts? Or their annual income?

Whether it’s using your coworker’s salary to help ask for a raise at work or getting a glimpse into different industries, knowledge is power when it comes to money. So, we put the call out to FJ readers, asking them how much they earned annually, and whether they thought it was fair compensation.

Greta*, 27, she/her

I’m a graphic designer and I earn $70,000. I feel like I’m working above my pay grade, stretching myself creatively without financial reward.

Chrissy*, 28, she/her

I earn $90,000 as a copywriter. I used to put more effort in at work and felt resentful. Now I’m only doing what I have to do, not going above and beyond, so now I feel like my salary is fair compensation.

I talk about salaries with friends but not with coworkers! I think some of my coworkers are underpaid so I don’t want to make them feel bad. I’ve tried to subtly tell them to advocate for themselves without revealing my exact pay.

Lorna*, 25, she/her

I earn $74,000 per year and I work as a fashion designer. The fashion industry is known for terrible pay and I think brands get away with it because they’re all as bad as each other. So no, for the workload I have and the education I completed, along with my experience, I am absolutely not fairly compensated.

I think it’s important to be transparent, especially with other friends in the industry who are struggling. It helps to not feel alone when we’re all in the same position and having a hard time paying for groceries and rent.

My first full time job in the industry I was offered $45,000 and this was at a renowned Australian high-end brand. It’s taken me years to get to this rate and it’s disheartening to think that it’s not really going to get much better anytime soon. Crazy that among my fashion friends $74,000 is considered good.

Montana*, 24, she/her

I’m a creative coordinator and I earn $62,000 annually. I don’t think I’m fairly compensated for the work I do, people in roles below me earn more and I’ve taken on a larger work load. My financial compensation doesn’t mirror my responsibilities.

Fiona*, 24, she/her

I earn $74,000 and I work as a product developer in the fashion industry. I know I could get more money if I moved to a different area of fashion or a different company but I mostly enjoy what I do so don’t complain. I also got a pay rise last year, but without that I’d feel unfairly compensated.

I believe speaking about money is the best way to protect yourself and others from being taken advantage of but sometimes it hurts when my coworkers are earning more for the same amount of work.

Nadia*, 27, she/her

I earn $70k a year and work at a media agency. I’ve been working in the industry for four years now, and the workload is intense and the hours long. You’re often required to attend after work events to network and build relationships on top of regular work hours as well.

I’ve noticed that younger employees are much more open to a chat about pay however senior staff are visibly feel uncomfortable if the topic is brought up. My friend circle is extremely open with pay and we all find it interesting how pressure and workloads vary but the level of compensation doesn’t match this.

The media industry can be quite unforgiving to women in general. I’ve recently had lots of chats with other women who feel that they will never make it to senior positions due to timing of these opportunities coinciding with starting a family.

Bianca*, 33 she/her

I earn $60,000 as an office coordinator. I’m in two minds, sometimes it feels fair given my experience and the work isn’t high pressure but considering inflation and higher costs of living, it feels like I’m back on $50,000. I think if employers can’t offer higher wages to keep up with inflation, flexible arrangements need to be on offer.

Anika*, 28, she/her

I’m on $125,000 and I work in change management. My salary feels fair given the role requires a lot of different skills, like data analysis, project management, stakeholder engagement, public speaking and behavioural change.

My friends know I earn well but don’t know my salary. I think I down play it because I’m sensitive to the cost of living crisis and recognise my privilege. My career success is due to my own merit but also luck. I fear people will view me differently if they know how much I earn for my age. I’m more interesting than my work and my salary, and I have more value than my earning capacity.

Jade*, 29, she/her

I earn $67,000 and I’m a store manager, online store manager and marketing assistant. I love my job and workplace but I get paid one salary to do two and a half roles.

Niamh*, 25, she/her

I’m a marketing coordinator on $65,000 but I do the work of a marketing specialist. When I was hired there was no clear job description, so I quickly fell into doing everything for the company. I talk about money with friends but I feel like it would be unprofessional to talk about it in a work setting, especially when the company is so small.

Maya*, 26, she/her

I earn $92,000 as a customer success manager for a social enterprise. I think I get paid more because of the emotional toll but what’s the real cost of that?

Ash*, 21, she/her

I earn roughly $20,000 a year and I work in retail. Retail can be a hard industry due to the customers but I can understand why I’m on minimum wage. I do wish I could earn more and get more consistent pay but I can’t work full-time due to study.

I feel so ashamed of the fact that I live paycheck to paycheck and have no savings. I’ve been working for years and have had two jobs at a time but I just can’t save no matter how hard I try. I feel so stuck and I’m not sure what to do since my pay varies so heavily. I could earn less that $100 one week and $1,500 the other.

Nora*, 35 she/her

I earn $125,000 plus superannuation at 17 per cent and I work in university and industry partnerships. I’m not required to do extensive overtime and my workload can be busy but not overwhelming.

My grading classification is public so my colleagues are aware of this. My friends and I all talk about money, we’re all undergoing the stress of trying to buy houses and having children.

Tahlia*, 23, she/her

I’m an account executive on $50,000. I don’t think it’s fair – I’ve seen the exact same role advertised for $60,000 plus and I know that I’m going beyond my role description. I don’t talk much about money with coworkers other than my boss but my friends and I are very transparent around our salaries.

I think conversations around money and getting rid of the attitude that it’s ’rude’ will help create a culture in working environments of being able to ask for a fair raise without feeling guilty.

Brooke*, 30, she/her

I earn $114,000 as a supply chain professional at a beauty company. I feel like it’s fair. I’m overqualified for my job, however I have taken this job a small step back to focus on less stressful work.

Jess*, 26, she/they

I’m a safety advisor and I’m on $130,000 annually. It’s fair, because my work week is typically under 40 hours and I can take leave at half pay when I like.

It’s really important to know what other people in your industry with similar experience are getting paid so you know if you’re getting paid fairly. It can be difficult if you don’t have any friends or trusted people who are ahead of you as your career progresses.

Me and my female friends tend to have to move around a lot more to progress, whereas men tend to get promoted in a more linear fashion.

Tyler*, 27, she/her

I earn $70,000 plus super as a buying coordinator for a furniture retailer. It’s a mid-tier junior role (not super junior but not senior) and is a significant jump from my starting role.

*Names have been changed for privacy.

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