3 ms·

It boggles my American mind that you are willing to work for half of what I make in trade for a couple more weeks vacation time. I'm sure we could both find mo

It boggles my American mind that you are willing to work for half of what I make in trade for a couple more weeks vacation time. I'm sure we could both find more snotty lines to throw at each other if we try, but what's the point?

dkersten 9y ago
I make less than a SV salary, but my cost of living is also substantially lower. It works out fairly close last time I checked, assuming your salary is approximately the SV average for software engineering jobs. I’d also happily take a pay cut from what I earn now in exchange for more free time.
- edraferi 9y ago
  Quit?
  - dkersten 9y ago
    Because earning nothing is the same as earning less?
- matte_black 9y ago
  People (especially Europeans) always say something along these lines, that they earn less but they also have a lower cost of living so it’s ok. But it’s not a good trade off. Having a lower cost of living does not give you nearly as many options as simply having more cash. A person with a high salary can always cut his standard of living and go into a high savings mode if they are planning some big money moves.
- dmoy 9y ago
  Last time I considered moving to Europe and ran the numbers, it didn't come out "fairly close" in any major city, even Oslo and Zurich. Zurich was closest though. Some cities were ridiculously out of wack, like London where the pay cut would be like 30-50%. When you can swing an after tax savings rate of near 30-50% on the west coast, it becomes really, really difficult to make the numbers work out. But then again this is anecdotal for a specific level. Though when I did a more brief look for levels above me, the difference was even more stark (we got some serious income inequality for upper levels in the US).
  - eatplayrove 9y ago
    "even" Oslo and Zurich? :-) you picked two of the most expensive cities in Europe if not the world!
    - dmoy 9y ago
      Exactly. The fact that Zurich came closest to making the math work out should tell you something.... When you don't spend 100% of your income on getting by, marginal increases in both pay and living costs favor you, so long as they are remotely balanced.
rasz 9y ago
Good on you, break a leg. No wait, dont, you might go bankrupt ;)

dkersten 9y ago

I make less than a SV salary, but my cost of living is also substantially lower. It works out fairly close last time I checked, assuming your salary is approximately the SV average for software engineering jobs. I’d also happily take a pay cut from what I earn now in exchange for more free time.

edraferi 9y ago
Quit?
- dkersten 9y ago
  Because earning nothing is the same as earning less?
matte_black 9y ago
People (especially Europeans) always say something along these lines, that they earn less but they also have a lower cost of living so it’s ok. But it’s not a good trade off. Having a lower cost of living does not give you nearly as many options as simply having more cash. A person with a high salary can always cut his standard of living and go into a high savings mode if they are planning some big money moves.
dmoy 9y ago
Last time I considered moving to Europe and ran the numbers, it didn't come out "fairly close" in any major city, even Oslo and Zurich. Zurich was closest though. Some cities were ridiculously out of wack, like London where the pay cut would be like 30-50%. When you can swing an after tax savings rate of near 30-50% on the west coast, it becomes really, really difficult to make the numbers work out. But then again this is anecdotal for a specific level. Though when I did a more brief look for levels above me, the difference was even more stark (we got some serious income inequality for upper levels in the US).
- eatplayrove 9y ago
  "even" Oslo and Zurich? :-) you picked two of the most expensive cities in Europe if not the world!
  - dmoy 9y ago
    Exactly. The fact that Zurich came closest to making the math work out should tell you something.... When you don't spend 100% of your income on getting by, marginal increases in both pay and living costs favor you, so long as they are remotely balanced.

rasz 9y ago

Good on you, break a leg. No wait, dont, you might go bankrupt ;)