Is 90k pay middle class

[Mudball]

Came across this interesting video .. Is 90k middle class income. Spoiler alert: He uses data to prove it is not.

But I think the data only shows part of the story. On a supply side, 90 seems a lot, but when you consider the demand side (expenses), the 90k will become vapor very quickly
However i would argue that 90k in some parts of the UK is very much middle class. If you work in London, then 90k does not go very far. If you live in London, you will indeed struggle. 90k translates to about 5k montly.
With Rent/Mortgage around 2k (appropriate for someone earning 90k), Car, Train, utility, etc another 1k.
Thats 2k to run the household. Again seems a lot, but if you have a family, you can just about manage 1 kid without your partner working.
(PS: you can ignore the MP's earning angle in the video; focus on the bigger question)

 

[Neilds]

Does the class system mean anything nowadays? Most people either lie about what class they are in (denying they are middle class, preferring to be working class for example) or don't know what the requirements are to be considered in each class.

 

[RichA]

Does the class system mean anything nowadays? Most people either lie about what class they are in (denying they are middle class, preferring to be working class for example) or don't know what the requirements are to be considered in each class.

Yep. It says more about politicians and journalists than real people if it's even a factor in anyone's pay negotiations.

 

[Imurg]

I know my place....

 

[Pathetic Shark]

I know my place....

Yes and everyone looks down on you

 

[Arthur Wedge]

No idea what is middle class , lower class , higher class

 

[Lord Tyrion]

As with other posters, it's an outdated concept now. The lines are far too blurred.

£90k is a lot of money for a salary though. If you are getting that, well done to you but don't plead life is hard with that much coming in.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Upper Class - Royalty, nobility etc.

Middle Class - High wealth, very little or no need to work to maintain comfortable life.

Working class - dependent on work to maintain reasonable or comfortable life.

Some upper and middle class people choose to work, but that does not make them working class.
Some working class people will claim to be middle class, because of a fairly high income. But their lifestyle is dependent on that work.

You have to be holding a significant amount of wealth in order to be a different entity in the economy from working class.

A high earner and high spender is merely performing the same function as a few lower earners.

People have a view that class is about social status.
I see it as what role in the economy is being performed and not about social status.

 

[nickjdavis]

I know my place....

BBC Four - The Frost Report Is Back!, The Class Sketch

The famous 'class sketch' from 1960s satirical comedy series The Frost Report.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Neilds]

Upper Class - Royalty, nobility etc.

Middle Class - High wealth, very little or no need to work to maintain comfortable life.

Working class - dependent on work to maintain reasonable or comfortable life.

Some upper and middle class people choose to work, but that does not make them working class.
Some working class people will claim to be middle class, because of a fairly high income. But their lifestyle is dependent on that work.

You have to be holding a significant amount of wealth in order to be a different entity in the economy from working class.

A high earner and high spender is merely performing the same function as a few lower earners.

People have a view that class is about social status.
I see it as what role in the economy is being performed and not about social status.

A quick google search brings up a myriad of definitions for middle class, all different - some examples of examples are university education, foreign holidays, jobs (teacher, doctor, lawyer). I'm pretty sure that some people would say golf club membership should be on the list as well somewhere. With no set definition, how can it be possible to say what class you are - if you did care?

 

[D-S]

Upper Class - Royalty, nobility etc.

Middle Class - High wealth, very little or no need to work to maintain comfortable life.

Working class - dependent on work to maintain reasonable or comfortable life.

Some upper and middle class people choose to work, but that does not make them working class.
Some working class people will claim to be middle class, because of a fairly high income. But their lifestyle is dependent on that work.

You have to be holding a significant amount of wealth in order to be a different entity in the economy from working class.

A high earner and high spender is merely performing the same function as a few lower earners.

People have a view that class is about social status.
I see it as what role in the economy is being performed and not about social status.

I would of thought that in the past doctors and head teachers for example would certainly be firmly considered to be Middle Class and that they would mostly have to work maintain their lifestyle rather than always have independent means.

 

[Voyager EMH]

A quick google search brings up a myriad of definitions for middle class, all different - some examples of examples are university education, foreign holidays, jobs (teacher, doctor, lawyer). I'm pretty sure that some people would say golf club membership should be on the list as well somewhere. With no set definition, how can it be possible to say what class you are - if you did care?

I would of thought that in the past doctors and head teachers for example would certainly be firmly considered to be Middle Class and that they would mostly have to work maintain their lifestyle rather than always have independent means.

Excellent examples of the social status view of class distinction that the vast majority of people have.
I do not hold that view.

I see differing roles in the economy based on the need to work and the ownership of wealth.

 

[GreiginFife]

Class is nothing more than a state of mind, a social construct that has nothing to do with wealth in this day and age.

Millionaire builders are not middle or upper class. I am not middle class but have decent income.

 

[chico]

Whatever people earn they tend to spend it. So someone on 150k would struggle if their income dropped to 100k. The other side of the coin if someone on 50k suddenly had a rise in income to 100k they would feel like a lottery winner.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Class is nothing more than a state of mind, a social construct that has nothing to do with wealth in this day and age.

Millionaire builders are not middle or upper class. I am not middle class but have decent income.

Do you own assets such as property and shares that gives you an income of £50,000 or more whilst that capital continues to grow?
If you died tomorrow, would your estate be £4 million or more?
Those are the sorts of amounts that I would consider might put a person in a different role in the economy as an owner of wealth. Such a person may choose to work as well, but their ownership of wealth is then significant enough to have them performing another role of ownership in the economy.

I shall assume the answer is "no" and that your decent income is dependent on the work that you do. Well done by the way. I enjoy when you post about stuff you have done.

In my view you are working class like the vast vast majority of people.

 

[Backache]

Upper Class - Royalty, nobility etc.

Middle Class - High wealth, very little or no need to work to maintain comfortable life.

Working class - dependent on work to maintain reasonable or comfortable life.

Some upper and middle class people choose to work, but that does not make them working class.
Some working class people will claim to be middle class, because of a fairly high income. But their lifestyle is dependent on that work.

You have to be holding a significant amount of wealth in order to be a different entity in the economy from working class.

A high earner and high spender is merely performing the same function as a few lower earners.

People have a view that class is about social status.
I see it as what role in the economy is being performed and not about social status.

Virtually everyone I know needs to work until retired I would consider many of them to be middle class.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Virtually everyone I know needs to work until retired I would consider many of them to be middle class.

And I think the majority of people would agree with you.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

As with other posters, it's an outdated concept now. The lines are far too blurred.

£90k is a lot of money for a salary though. If you are getting that, well done to you but don't plead life is hard with that much coming in.

I would suggest that sort of salary makes great demands on the person getting it.

 

[PJ87]

Came across this interesting video .. Is 90k middle class income. Spoiler alert: He uses data to prove it is not.

But I think the data only shows part of the story. On a supply side, 90 seems a lot, but when you consider the demand side (expenses), the 90k will become vapor very quickly
However i would argue that 90k in some parts of the UK is very much middle class. If you work in London, then 90k does not go very far. If you live in London, you will indeed struggle. 90k translates to about 5k montly.
With Rent/Mortgage around 2k (appropriate for someone earning 90k), Car, Train, utility, etc another 1k.
Thats 2k to run the household. Again seems a lot, but if you have a family, you can just about manage 1 kid without your partner working.
(PS: you can ignore the MP's earning angle in the video; focus on the bigger question)

Certainly does depend where you live. However even in London you don't "struggle" on 90k just doesn't go as far as if you lived somewhere else.

We manage with 3 kids in London and my salary is 86 wife's is around 20 . Even if she gave up work we would be far from "struggling"

People manage on a lot less

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I would suggest that sort of salary makes great demands on the person getting it.

Absolutely. Companies get their pound of flesh when you are in that territory, I've seen it happen to friends and relatives. Interestingly, each of these in the heady heights pulled away in later years, deciding that the stress was not worth it.

Nobody forces people into those situations though, they get there by choice.