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i've been in Hong Kong for 6.5 years already. Worked in small consultancies, large logistics company, and local startup. PROS: a) Salary is high, especially if

i've been in Hong Kong for 6.5 years already. Worked in small consultancies, large logistics company, and local startup. PROS: a) Salary is high, especially if you get to work in finance/insurance/luxury retail fields b) disposable income (aka savings) is extremely high as income tax is low, no more than 17%, also, no capital gains tax! c) great hub to work and explore Asia CONS: a) IT jobs (development mainly) aren't that exciting as they are mostly outsourced to cheaper countries so you ended up being a lonely team member in HK or in management type of jobs. There's always exceptions to this (Credit Suisse, Lalamove, Chengbao to name a few) b) tech is lagging behind in all aspects, from testing to devops. For example; Continuous Integration I'm yet to see a team in mid to large companies effectively having and respecting the build. This can be seen as an opportunity if you are willing to try. c) You work longer hours, more stress and generally fewer vacation days However, if you come here to work as a founder to be closer to Shenzhen (factories), you also reap the benefits of an established legal system in Hong Kong. Plenty of highly motivated fresh graduates as well.

goobynight 8y ago
Define high (at least the ballpark). I had a much different experience in the same city. I doubled my pay by coming back home.
- zukunftsalick 8y ago
  high as in I usually have 50% of my income available after paying rent/food/transportation and other costs. Rent is high if you keep "western" standards for your living space, likewise for food.
  - jaxbot 8y ago
    Honestly that's comparable to SF, percentage-wise. But the 50% that's left will be higher.
    - zukunftsalick 8y ago
      Yes, I know you could potentially earn 180k as a junior per year but then you potentially have to live in the US.
      - sealthedeal 8y ago
        180k as a junior... no way
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
        jaxbot 8y ago
        At Google I made around that my first year as a new grad (total comp, not salary) and far more than that in following years (again, total comp).
        seveneightn9ne 8y ago
        If you're including RSUs in that number, sure
jaxbot 8y ago
That's a great point about access to Shenzhen from HK. How's the language barrier been? Have you had to learn both Canto and Mando and read both simplified and traditional? Is there a distinct advantage to living on one side of the border over the other?
- zukunftsalick 8y ago
  HK has uncensored and fast internet. The language barrier can be a issue but English is still widely spoken, even in remote areas of HK like where I live. I know enough Canto for numbers, food and the rare times I get a taxi. I can't ready anything though. There's a big question mark as 2047 looms closer, which is till when China promised to keep HK the way it is now (capitalism, different currency, open, legal system and so on).
  - philsnow 8y ago
    > There's a big question mark as 2047 looms closer, which is till when China promised to keep HK the way it is now (capitalism, different currency, open, legal system and so on). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Hong_Kong_protests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Hong_Kong_protests They're not going to wait until 2047. Already many (most?) elementary schools in HK speak Mandarin instead of Cantonese.
    - ralph84 8y ago
      Some elementary schools also have a non-trivial number of mainland children who cross the border every day for school. Birth tourism for mainlanders was big in HK (they've cracked down on it now) because Chinese born in HK automatically get HK permanent residence.
    - chaostheory 8y ago
      > Already many (most?) elementary schools in HK speak Mandarin instead of Cantonese. Mandarin is far easier to learn and speak than Cantonese
      - 8y ago
contingencies 8y ago
Not to discount the value of your experience in HK, but I feel compelled to point out that in all practical aspects (legal, fiscal, market, visas, business culture, transport, food, education, medical, etc.), certainly for anyone who has spent time in the mainland, Hong Kong isn't even remotely the same as living and working in China.

goobynight 8y ago

Define high (at least the ballpark). I had a much different experience in the same city. I doubled my pay by coming back home.

zukunftsalick 8y ago
high as in I usually have 50% of my income available after paying rent/food/transportation and other costs. Rent is high if you keep "western" standards for your living space, likewise for food.
- jaxbot 8y ago
  Honestly that's comparable to SF, percentage-wise. But the 50% that's left will be higher.
  - zukunftsalick 8y ago
    Yes, I know you could potentially earn 180k as a junior per year but then you potentially have to live in the US.
    - sealthedeal 8y ago
      180k as a junior... no way
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
      - jaxbot 8y ago
        At Google I made around that my first year as a new grad (total comp, not salary) and far more than that in following years (again, total comp).
      - seveneightn9ne 8y ago
        If you're including RSUs in that number, sure

jaxbot 8y ago

That's a great point about access to Shenzhen from HK. How's the language barrier been? Have you had to learn both Canto and Mando and read both simplified and traditional? Is there a distinct advantage to living on one side of the border over the other?

zukunftsalick 8y ago
HK has uncensored and fast internet. The language barrier can be a issue but English is still widely spoken, even in remote areas of HK like where I live. I know enough Canto for numbers, food and the rare times I get a taxi. I can't ready anything though. There's a big question mark as 2047 looms closer, which is till when China promised to keep HK the way it is now (capitalism, different currency, open, legal system and so on).
- philsnow 8y ago
  > There's a big question mark as 2047 looms closer, which is till when China promised to keep HK the way it is now (capitalism, different currency, open, legal system and so on). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Hong_Kong_protests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Hong_Kong_protests They're not going to wait until 2047. Already many (most?) elementary schools in HK speak Mandarin instead of Cantonese.
  - ralph84 8y ago
    Some elementary schools also have a non-trivial number of mainland children who cross the border every day for school. Birth tourism for mainlanders was big in HK (they've cracked down on it now) because Chinese born in HK automatically get HK permanent residence.
  - chaostheory 8y ago
    > Already many (most?) elementary schools in HK speak Mandarin instead of Cantonese. Mandarin is far easier to learn and speak than Cantonese
    - 8y ago

contingencies 8y ago

Not to discount the value of your experience in HK, but I feel compelled to point out that in all practical aspects (legal, fiscal, market, visas, business culture, transport, food, education, medical, etc.), certainly for anyone who has spent time in the mainland, Hong Kong isn't even remotely the same as living and working in China.