As a nation, we're pretty much brought up with the understanding that the older we get and the more experience we incur, the higher our salaries will increase.
It explains why entry-level positions are paid pretty underwhelming quantities, constantly being told that it all goes up eventually, once you've got your foot in the door - right?
Sadly, however, the latest figures on average salaries in the UK show that the highest earning age group is definitely not what you'd expect - and, even they don't earn anywhere near as much as you might believe.
We promise we don't want to bring you down with this pretty bleak financial news which has been calculated by the brainiacs over at Forbes. They looked at the numbers from the Office for National Statistics in order to work out the UK median salaries for different ages.
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Age 18-21 - £22,932
As we say, it's probably a lack of experience that explains the low number in this case, with 18-21-year-olds bringing in an average of £441 per week.
The silver lining of this is that it's crucial time to learn new skills that you can then demand a higher wage with.
Age 22-29 - £30,316
The average annual salary in the UK, in general, is around £34,000 a year. And it turns out 22-29-year-olds are the closest to it.
We've usually brought out pre-learned skills, qualifications and gift of the gab to a role in order to secure this wage.
This boils down to £583 a week - which we have to spend on extortionate rent and the odd night out with pals to take our minds off the state of the nation.
Age 30-39 - £37,544
Things are starting to look a bit more cushty at this stage, with promotions probably having occurred by now, as well as your refusal to back down to the powers that be at the company you work for.
This is £722 per week, which is a good place to start if you're thinking about starting a family or popping the question.
Age 40-49 - £40,040
Now, before we proceed, we should probably break it to you that 40-49 is actually the highest earning age-group, and that unusually, pay seems to decrease when you take a new job your 50s.
Don't get too excited, however, because as you can see, while an average of £40k might seem to a new-starter like bags of cash, it isn't actually coherent with inflation, or the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Your salary at this point, if it meets the average, works out at £770 per week.
Age 50-59 - £37,804
As we say, sadly, things seemingly start going downhill pay-wise when you reach your 50s, even though we bet you thought you'd be earning upwards of £70k by then.
According to the findings, 30-year-olds and 50-year-olds will both be earning around £720 a week on average.
While it's unclear why salary declines at this age compared to years gone by, it's enough to send us into an existential crisis.
Age 60+ - £33,852
The average salary, which is just a few grand more than you're likely to make at 22-29 years old.
Maybe the thought of a blissful retirement will be able to distract us from the fact we're bringing home just £651 a week to spend on the grandkids.
Rhianna Benson