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By looking at her Linkedin, it is easy to see what companies she is talking about, some big names up there. I think her viewpoint is a bit naive though. Of cour
by kayoone 9y ago
By looking at her Linkedin, it is easy to see what companies she is talking about, some big names up there.
I think her viewpoint is a bit naive though. Of course a company will pay market rate in a european city if that is what it takes to be competitive. The fact that they pay their US employees more might create tensions inside the company but in the end is just down to the fact that the market there is completely different and that is what it takes to be competitive there.
In the beginning of my career i also had similar thoughts like "Why does the company make so much money when i am doing all the work" but while running my own business later i realized that it is not as simple. The company has a whole lot of risk and work bringing in projects and keeping everything afloat, as a programmer i did not have to worry about anything of that and only later i realized how much value that has, especially in a region where programming and consulting gigs weren't really easy to get.
Location really matters for programmer salaries. I went from a smaller european city where all there was for programmers were small software/marketing agencies to a european tech hub with a lot of startups and a booming market. My salary doubled just by changing location and living costs are still comparable and i finally feel i am getting paid what i am worth, which is still far from US standards though.
- wyclif 9y agoYour point about companies absorbing and mitigating risk, and doing lots of risk assessment, is one of the biggest issues missing from her consideration. It's very simplistic to look at salaries from the standpoint of product delivery alone. One could argue that the larger the corporation, the more risk is diffused across the organisation. It's not simply about keeping the lights on at headquarters. It's also another reason why salaries are generally higher in the USA for the same programming job: pay is higher because risk is greater (stock market, investment, litigation, etc).
- Swinx43 9y agoOut of interest which European tech hub did you move to? Berlin? I am currently looking at making a move and would love to hear some first hand experience of the tech hubs in Europe that people have moved to.
- gggdvnkhmbgjvbn 9y agoBerlin wages are really low in my experience. After taxes maybe 2000-3000 euros per month.
- Swinx43 9y agoThat is exactly why I am asking. When I investigated Berlin I was rather surprised by how low the wages are.
- raverbashing 9y agoBut then again you can (theoretically) rent something good for less money, healthcare is "free" (your employers has to pay insurance), transport system is great And it was ok-ish safe (in 2013, not sure about now)
- Swinx43 9y agoHealthcare is definitely not "free" in Germany. In fact it is quite high compared to the UK. If you are a freelancer in Germany you will have a relatively large upfront cost compared to say freelancing in the UK. Bring on top of that the Germany tax rates and you will quickly be taking less home than in say the UK. Rents are also not as low as it previously was. It has steadily been rising and buying a place is also out of the question now given how the property market has performed in Berlin. Don't get me wrong, I love Germany and have personal connections to it but one needs to take everything into account when you make a move to a new city.
- raverbashing 9y agoYes, you have to pay more than in the UK and possibly France. But for most people, those that are relocating for a job, healthcare doesn't cost much.
- BrandoElFollito 9y ago
- gazarullz 9y agoIs it Berlin you've ended up into ?
- poooogles 9y agoIf cost of living stayed the same that rules out London. Past that it's normally Berlin, Paris or Barcelona?
- Swinx43 9y agoYes London is definitely off the table due to exactly that reason.
- kayoone 9y agoYes. Rent obviously went up a bit, but not dramatically though and the rest pretty much stayed the same. Good food is incredibly affordable here.