Lawyer doubles salary after switching to scaffolding career

A former solicitor has nearly doubled her income after leaving the legal profession to work in scaffolding.

Mollie Pollard, 33, from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, joined Attridge Scaffolding in January 2024 after seven years in the legal industry, where she had been earning £42,000 annually, according to The Sun.

The career change resulted in a 75 per cent pay increase for Pollard, who said she struggled to live on her previous salary whilst paying off a £45,000 student debt.

“I was putting blood, sweat and tears into my job as a solicitor and getting nothing,” Pollard told The Sun. “I’m so much happier now. I haven’t looked back. I’ve got more flexibility and free time too.”

Pollard, who joined her husband Tom at the scaffolding company, said her previous legal salary of £32,000 to £42,000 made it difficult to achieve financial independence.

“If I wasn’t with Tom, I couldn’t have moved out from my parents’ house,” she said.

Pollard said she hopes her career change will encourage others, particularly women, to consider opportunities in scaffolding and construction.