[user104658]

Trying to determine the skill level of a job based on salary is absolutely ridiculous, I have no idea where the government got that idea from. I mean... it's really, really daft.

When I worked for t'bookies I had area/regional managers who were on higher salaries than newly qualified doctors/lawyers etc. and I swear some of these people are thick as two short planks. Like you could train any reasonably intelligent teen fresh out of school to do their job in under 6 months. They got the job by virtue of "being there a really long time". But going by income, they're more "skilled" than a junior doctor, or an experienced Band 6 nurse.

Some people with plenty of skill and education will have a starting salary of under £25k. Yes, it usually goes up relatively quickly but the point remains; for the first few years after training, most skilled staff's wages will fall in the "unskilled" category. Meanwhile actual slack-jawed yokels can easily get to around, say, the £40k mark through just determination and plugging away... no real skill required.