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It's more complicated than that. American faculty salaries are high in absolute terms, but they don't adjust fully for the local cost of living. While you can l
by jltsiren 4y ago
It's more complicated than that. American faculty salaries are high in absolute terms, but they don't adjust fully for the local cost of living. While you can live a comfortable life as an academic in an average area, good universities are often located in areas with high costs of living. (Or maybe it's the HCOL areas that are concentrated around good universities.) For example, good luck buying a house within a reasonable commuting distance as an academic in the Bay Area.
When I was in Europe, industry salaries were ~50% higher than for comparable academic roles. When I arrived in the US a few years ago, I was surprised that the gap here was ~2x. Today the gap is approaching 3x, which makes scarce necessities such as housing really expensive.
- bowsamic 4y agoYou wouldn't expect to buy a house on a single engineer's salary in Europe either. I still think it's far higher when adjusted for cost of living. I know personally a few people who stayed in the US and I think it's for that reason: moving back home you take a huge pay cut. Btw, here in Germany the industry salary for a senior engineer is 70k max, usually around 50k to 60k. The maximum academic salary is around 50k to 60k. That said, I know people call Germans "poor people in a rich country". Still, we are happy on this amount.
- watwut 4y agoYes, but you absolutely will be able to buy a flat as a single engineer. That would not be extraordinary at all. In many places, a house in America is what apartment in Europe is - the prevalent kind of housing supported by government policies, zonings and what not.
- searchableguy 4y agoThe size is not the same though. Not really comparable. You can have cheaper apartments for same sq in US outside of middle of the main cities which are bloated due to speculation and cheap mortgage.
- q-big 4y ago> Yes, but you absolutely will be able to buy a flat as a single engineer. That would not be extraordinary at all. Considering the current housing and apartment pricing bubble in many German cities, I'd say that as a single person, this is not be easily affordable. Even as a couple, this won't be cheap.
- DeathArrow 4y agoHow many years would the average software engineer in Germany would have to pay for the average apartment, assuming 100% of his salary goes towards that?
- bowsamic 4y agoAbout 7 to 13 years
- jltsiren 4y agoIt depends on the level of the engineer. The average engineer with a few years of experience probably can't afford a house on a single salary. A successful engineer with 15-20 years of experience often can, at least in Finland. As do recently tenured professors with a similar amount of experience.
- DeathArrow 4y agoIt might depend on what we call a house. A house with courtyard, a small apartment, a big apartment. In the best part of the city, in the worst part of the city, in a near suburb, in a far suburb. A huge house, a tiny house. I can get a house in one of the cheapest villages in my country for 2-3 monthly salaries. The small apartment I live in I can get for 1 year worth of salaries. A big apartment or a house in the best parts of the city would take 20 years worth of salaries.
- DeathArrow 4y ago>Btw, here in Germany the industry salary for a senior engineer is 70k max, usually around 50k to 60k So with 50k in Romania I'm better here than moving to Germany. Although, Glassdoor shows a bit better salaries for Germany.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]