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When I worked in Canada, I started a consulting company because high salaries were very hard to find. Now Trudeau is making it harder to make money in consultin
by TimPC 9y ago
When I worked in Canada, I started a consulting company because high salaries were very hard to find. Now Trudeau is making it harder to make money in consulting by going after corporations aggressively. There is a severe salary shortage problem in Canada and instead of fixing it we end up with articles talking about how $60K CDN in Waterloo is better than $105K US in the Valley. We also end up with the idea that it's fair to compare base to base as if the valley didn't have bonus and RSU's (I've seen a lot of companies in Canada that don't have bonus or stock payments, enough that I'd even say it's the norm). I think at it's core Canada is a smaller market so most companies have a Revenue or Potential Revenue problem which turns into a fundraising problem which turns into a Salary problem. I have sympathy for start-ups trying to make it in a tough market, but it's pretty ridiculous to think about this as a HR style recruiting/retention when you generally talk to the right people but they pass on comp.
- amit_m 9y agoWow, $60k CAD is really low. I don't think the smaller market is enough to explain it. In Israel the market for most startups is practically nonexistent, yet typical salaries are >$100k with Google/MSFT senior devs making more than $200k CAD. Many of the Israeli startups are structured as dual US-Israeli companies with sales and marketing in the bay area and R&D in Tel-Aviv. Canadians could pull this stunt a lot more easily, since the geographical distance timezone and culture are much closer to the bay area.
- TimPC 9y agoThe idea is that $60k CDN in a market where $300K CDN buys a semi-detached and $500k CDN buys a detached house is a good rate. To me I say if you really want to live there consider doing a 3-year tour on a TN in SV on a frugal budget and move back with your house paid off. Or do 15 years in SV then retire to a nice environment in Canada in your 40's.