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[Help] My salary!

Blogs > Kaeru
Post a Reply
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 12:22:52
April 28 2015 11:49 GMT
#1
--- Nuked ---

Osmoses
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Sweden5302 Posts
April 28 2015 12:04 GMT
#2
It's a good question. Will you be paying for health insurance and the like?
Excuse me hun, but what is your name? Vivian? I woke up next to you naked and, uh, did we, um?
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 12:06:41
April 28 2015 12:06 GMT
#3
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y0su
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Finland7871 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 12:21:01
April 28 2015 12:15 GMT
#4
I'm a bit unclear if you're currently a freelancer or contracted employee of one company and or how that might change (just cause that might affect your income).

Unfortunately you can't just take US salaries at face value You should definitely check all the "extras" that you're provided to make the best comparison. After you're a little more clear on that you can better determine your offered salary vs "normal".

I would ultimately request a salary that's closer to what others are making.

E: Honestly (especially if you know the company well) you can probably even work out something where they pay a lower salary but cover your rent (this isn't that unusual for overseas relocation).
Osmoses
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Sweden5302 Posts
April 28 2015 12:15 GMT
#5
I suppose it's a matter of the difference between your expenses as a Swede living in the states compared to a "native". You might also be expected to pay taxes to both countries, or at the very least you might be required to "deklarera" your income when and if you return to Sweden.

I can only imagine how much more complicated this stuff could get -_-
Excuse me hun, but what is your name? Vivian? I woke up next to you naked and, uh, did we, um?
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
April 28 2015 12:20 GMT
#6
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y0su
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Finland7871 Posts
April 28 2015 12:27 GMT
#7
On April 28 2015 21:20 Kaeru wrote:
I am currently contracted and work full-time for this company in Stockholm, I signed in February.

These are some facts that I know:
- I need to pay my rent and all living costs myself.
- Company provides with health insurance.
- We have 5 weeks vacation.

That's nice! :D
As I said, look into that stuff compared to what others in your field/position get and don't be afraid to ask for more if there's still such a big gap.

How often would the company pay for you to come back to Sweden? You may not think it now, but it's nice to visit home. If the company wouldn't have any compensated travels for you that would add to your expenses (and be a reason to ask for more).
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 12:37:07
April 28 2015 12:36 GMT
#8
--- Nuked ---
itsjustatank
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Hong Kong9168 Posts
April 28 2015 13:52 GMT
#9
just keep in mind you dont have to live in the city
Photographer"nosotros estamos backamos" - setsuko
Lonyo
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United Kingdom3884 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 14:12:26
April 28 2015 14:08 GMT
#10
Also bear in mind that with 5 weeks vacation you will have a lot more vacation than most US workers, so your salary might be lower partly due to that (e.g. if you got a job with a US company you might get 2 weeks vacation not 5).

It might be an average salary but potentially include above average benefits. You have to think of the whole package.
e.g.:
Health insurance.
Vacation.
Pension.
Travel expenses back home.
Potential bonus, if any.

For example, my company might not pay the highest salaries, but for pension contributions I put in 8% of my salary, and they contribute an extra 12% (for a total of 20% pension contributions). That effectively means I get "paid" 112% of my salary since they give me my salary and the further 12% for my pension. If I wasn't saving for a pension at all, then I would be only getting a salary at 100%, and I might feel I deserved more.
HOLY CHECK!
_fool
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands681 Posts
April 28 2015 16:45 GMT
#11
Did they actually offer you stock/shares? Or "is there a good chance" they'll offer you stock? Be advised: the latter is worth 0.0.

In the Netherlands the 5300 would be a nice salary, benefits over here are roughly the same, 5weeks vacation, pension plan, health insurance, phone/laptop/car.

Check out http://news.ycombinator.com. Your question is frequently answered there, they focus on US tech startups and the like. There's a great article there about salary, taking shares, etc that I'll try to link later on.
"News is to the mind what sugar is to the body"
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-28 20:39:43
April 28 2015 20:39 GMT
#12
--- Nuked ---
Disregard
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
China10252 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-29 02:02:08
April 29 2015 01:49 GMT
#13
You don't have to live within the city, travel out and in of NYC isn't that long and is accessible except when a giant snowstorm hits during the winter. The railroads going to suburban areas have daily schedules unlike MTA subways which can have terrible delays at times, especially on lines with constant construction/maintenance. Get used it after taking everyday for 10+ years.

You can even try Staten Island since there are express buses now that go directly to Manhattan. I live in Brooklyn but my house was purchased almost 20 years ago so the prices were totally different. But €5300-6900 monthly is really good money, that is basically a relatively comfortable middle-class life over here if you're not aiming for swag living like the new residential towers in Downtown Brooklyn. Wish I earned that much in my architectural profession, I do more unpaid overtime and work than many others even at my low level job after graduation.

And long term employment for this generation doesn't exist, everyone hops from one employer from another to advance their prospects.

edit: But I think as someone that has family that invested into a house before the recession instead of renting my experience is different. There is no way I can afford decent rental accommodations let alone get a house nowadays in NYC.
"If I had to take a drug in order to be free, I'm screwed. Freedom exists in the mind, otherwise it doesn't exist."
teamamerica
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States958 Posts
April 29 2015 02:44 GMT
#14
My cynical thoughts on it, echoing some of the previous thoughts (damn Lonyo at 12% pension match!),
- No garuntee you get shares. Are they garunteed to be worth much if you do?
- Health includes dental or not? Somehow they are different I don't understand why.
- Them providing you laptop for personel? Don't overvalue. At best laptop is like 2k for near top of the line. So a 2k increase in your salary gives you a new laptop year.
- 5 weeks vacation is nice. And ymmv, sometimes I wish I could trade weeks of my job for more free time for less salary. But I'd value 5 weeks at best like 5k, since I just look at 2wks vacation and count upward and look at your salary.
- Phone is ok, but not out of the norm.
- Relocation expenses + covering travel for you to go home?
- Pension match?
- How confident are you in company being long term job?
- Any immigration related questions you'll need to work out?
- How much salary are they paying themselves? Would be unfair if you were taking such a pay cut but they were all paying themselves market rates.

Not trying to sound like an asshole but it's a good time to have your skillset, and if you think the avg salary is more then 20k a year more, why settle for such a drop to move halfway across world? Obviously there is some concept of a nice job being worth something, maybe you want to live in the US, etc etc.

If I were in your position I'd ask for more because I'm always worried about what might happen in the future. But at the same token I miss out on things because of making choices like this. Best of luck!
RIP GOMTV. RIP PROLEAGUE.
Grovbolle
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Denmark3813 Posts
April 29 2015 08:28 GMT
#15
On April 28 2015 21:15 Osmoses wrote:
I suppose it's a matter of the difference between your expenses as a Swede living in the states compared to a "native". You might also be expected to pay taxes to both countries, or at the very least you might be required to "deklarera" your income when and if you return to Sweden.

I can only imagine how much more complicated this stuff could get -_-

He doesn't have to pay Swedish taxes if he works in America for an extended period. He has to pay American taxes.
Lies, damned lies and statistics: http://aligulac.com
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-29 08:53:15
April 29 2015 08:47 GMT
#16
--- Nuked ---
FFGenerations
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
7088 Posts
April 29 2015 10:12 GMT
#17
you are joking right, you're asking if $70,000/yr is enough salary and fear living in a box eating bread? this is fucked up dude, haha.
Cool BW Music Vid - youtube.com/watch?v=W54nlqJ-Nx8 ~~~~~ ᕤ OYSTERS ᕤ CLAMS ᕤ AND ᕤ CUCKOLDS ᕤ ~~~~~~ ༼ ᕤ◕◡◕ ༽ᕤ PUNCH HIM ༼ ᕤ◕◡◕ ༽ᕤ
Lonyo
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United Kingdom3884 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-29 12:23:53
April 29 2015 12:20 GMT
#18
One piece of advice, consider whether you want them to set your pay in USD and not SEK or EUR, to make sure any currency changes don't screw you over (and whether the company will do this).
It might not seem too significant, but in the longer term it might have an impact, e.g. if the Euro keeps falling and you are being paid in Euro, your salary will be decreasing in real terms while you are in the US.

1 year ago, €1 = $1.38
Now, €1 = $1.1
That's a 20% drop, and if it happened again it would be a 20% drop in your salary if you get paid in Euro.
The SEK has moved a similar amount vs the dollar as well.

Equally if the Euro got stronger and you had your pay set in Euro your salary in USD would increase, which is a potential upside, but it's never guaranteed.

Now you are looking at €63,600/$70,000
April 2014 it was €63,600/$87,800

I would assume if you are moving to the US to start business there, you will be dealing with US companies in US dollars, in which case the company should be happy to pay your expenses in USD as it hedges itself (income in USD expense in USD) rather than having as much exposure currency movements (income in USD, expense in Euro).
HOLY CHECK!
Kaeru
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Sweden552 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-04-29 15:04:03
April 29 2015 15:02 GMT
#19
--- Nuked ---
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