How does your salary compare to what other people your age are being paid?
Thanks to this study by Instant Offices, you can now find out how much you should be taking home each month based on your age.
As you would expect, they found that "there's a direct correlation between age and salary" - with average salaries in the UK increasing with age and experience:
Late teens: £15,240 - £16,332 Monthly: £1,270 - £1,361
Twenties: £21,948 - £23,088 Monthly: £1,829 - £1,924
Thirties: £27,972 - £30,420 Monthly: £2,331 - £2,535
Forties: £27,096 - £33,960 Monthly: £2,258 - £2,830
Unfortunately for women, the age at which your salary peaks is impacted by your gender.
According to the study, salary peaks for women in their thirties, at £2,331 per month.
Whereas, men's salaries continue to increase into their forties, at which point they peak at an average of £2,830 per month.
The gender pay gap is currently at 18.1% for all UK workers, and 9.4% for full-time staff only.
Location can also impact your earning potential.
London had the highest monthly wages at an average of £2,925. The capital was followed by Crawley (£2,778), Slough (£2,756), Reading (£2,682) and Aberdeen (£2,674).
Meanwhile, you can expect to take home the least amount of money each month if you're living in Huddersfield (£1,729), Southend (£1,746), Burnley (£1,803), Mansfield (£1,811) or Wigan (£1,811).
With average graduate starting salaries at around £19,000-£22,000, your twenties are the time to accumulate years of experience and develop skills in your chosen industry. Knowing what other people your age, in your area, industry and with similar levels of experience are paid is essential to negotiating your own salary and getting closer to the £30K mark come your thirties.