wages

[pholooh]

I'm new in the uk and have been working long hard hours to save up for my training. For budgeting purposes i will like to know how much one needs to earn per week in order to afford to fly regularly. I do not intend to take any loans.

[no sponsor]

A difficult one. It depends where you'll live, and how you live. Do you want a flat/house for yourself, or share with others. It also depends what "fly reguarly' means too. But I'll have a go:

Flat Share in the south of UK: Budget £250-500 per month

Own place: Budget min of £700 per month.

Council Tax: 50 per month

Food min £70 per week

Car 200 per month (with fuel and hp)

Other stuff £100

= Total for £1120 ish (on your own living)

So, say you'll fly 3 hrs a week = £3 * £85 * 4 = 1020 per month.

Therefore minimum of £2240 to get 12 hrs per month.

12* 2240 = £26,880 take home. With tax and NI to pay for, your looking at about 34K per year as a salary.

You could do it cheaper, with a share, and living right next door to your place of work, and definitely not working in london.

[Billies]

I have been living in the UK for the past three years, hasn't been a problem as I am fortunate to hold a British passport.

Realistically the only way to finance your studies, short of obtaining a job that pays in the region of £35K, is to take a loan even if it's just for half the training costs. At least in that way it will ease the pressure of living expenses and life in general. A CDL is brilliant, although only £8K it allows you to get the ball rolling in the direction that you want, further loans do prove to be a problem due to lack of banking history and no security, but it can be done......

Oh, and a company car is a great help, the jobs are out there for anyone with reasonable intelligence and ambition

[foghorn]

And don't forget that NI (which is basically a salary tax) is going up by 1% next year across the board to help rescue the NHS!

[Elvis21]

:rolleyes:because we don't pay enough already :mad:

[Tinker]

This is an extremely personal question and involves many factors, some of which have already been mentioned.
You should have some idea what it costs to live in the UK, as you have inferred that you already live here, and only you know what your own personal cost of living is.
The more cynical of us would think that there is an ulterior motive behind your questioning but in answer to your question the answer is, 'as much as you are able to command'.
I live in one of the more expensive parts of the UK and can afford to fly one or two hrs a week on much less than the figure already suggested.
As you obviously have access to the Internet I suggest you do a search for flight schools in your area and look at their rental and instructional rates, then you will be able to make up your own mind.

[silicon chip]

Do you calculations very carefully. The detailed ones above by no sponsor are great for the net income. However I'd love to know how the tax is worked out. 26,880 net works out at significantly more than 34k gross.

Be careful about company cars as well- they're no longer a perk even if your business mileage is high. With the latest change in the tax law, a car may cost you significantly. Business mileage is no longer a factor. Emmissions are a factor. If the company allow - which mine didn't - it may be better to take an increase in salary and supply your own car, then claim a mileage allowance from the company. There can be tax benefits in using your own car for company business.

If you get a job with a car or car-allowance get the relavent documents from the inland revenue web site and do your calculations.

[pholooh]

Thanks for all your help, guys. As an A level grad (brit passport), i wonder how i'm going nto make that kind of money. except bank robbery.
well thanks.