This is mother’s payslip, from 1974, when she worked as a hospital cleaner in the old people’s home on Portrack Lane. Opposite the Anglican Church.
Her basic pay was £27.05 per week, or just over £1400 a year. Down in London, as a junior research scientist aged 32, I was on about £3500 a year, which wasn’t brilliant given the cost of London rents. What surprised me was the high level of income tax at £7.75, which was about 27.7% of her salary. In contrast, National Insurance, at 79 pence, and total pension contributions at £2.04 were piffling.
On the basis of a 42 hour week she was getting just over 65 pence an hour. The minimum wage today is about £10.60 an hour. She was offered the job of a supervisor at a higher pay level, but decided to stay with her mates.
Images and details courtesy of Dr Fred Starr.
Picture Stockton Archive 
Fred, I am not surprised that your mother turned down the supervisor’s position, she had a very well paid job for what she was doing, considering the differential, between male and female workers in those days.
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That was interesting to see what other people earned at that time. I started my teaching career in September 1973 on a salary of £1384 per annum. Roughly about same as your mother was earning.
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