adindas

One of my brothers has been offered a job in Australia as a Senior lecturer with AUS$80,000 per Annum + Super annuation 17%.
In the UK he earns £39,000 with Super annuation is approximately the same? He is currently living in North West where the cost of living is relatively cheaper?
If the decision is solely basis on finance (take home pay), do you think he will be better off in Australia?
What is the possible pitfalls if he is taking the job in Australia (apart from taking a risk of new job) ?

2. I have found the following:
http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/how_m...rer_earn_in_uk
An academic typically earns £37,428 in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/how_m...n_in_australia
An academic typically earns 71,340 Australian dollars in Australia.
Does it mean that an Academic in Australia earn more than UK academic?

I understand that the cost of living in Australia is cheaper than in the UK, but please correct me if I am wrong.

Could you please give your view/advise ?

Grayling

You are very wrong

Bermudashorts

If it were a decision based on finances alone, then I would be inclined to think £39k in the north of England would go a lot further than $80k in most Australian cities.

The Woodcutter

It really depends on the circumstances and opportunities. I was an academic in the UK 5 years ago living in the north west. I earned 35k. I am now an academic in Australia with a basic pay of 74k but the earning opportunities for me are better.

In the UK I had 21 student contact hours a week and taught 3 evenings a week - I only worked 4 days a week having Friday off because of my evening work.

In Australia I have 20 student contact hours a week BUT 9 of these is teaching on-line and I can do this from home. If I cover a class for a colleague who is off ill I can claim overtime ($70 an hour for day time, and $105 an hour for evening). Again I work full time but only 4 days a week.

Last semester I managed to secure 8 hours a week evening work @ $105 an hour - this was in addition to my normal salary.

Because I work full time and manage to condense this into 4 days a week I also take on corporate work on that extra day - 7 hours @ $70 an hour. I have also taken on bespoke projects like writing on-line material for various courses and these might pay between $800 and $1000 per project.

I dont mind the extra work because the holidays are incredibly generous. To give you an idea - on a basic salary of $74k last year I earned $135k.

Deutschmaster

Unless your friend will move to the middle of nowhere he'll be a lot worse off due to the high cost of living.

In pure dollar terms academic pay seems a lot higher but in 'relative' terms - how much you'll pay for stuff is also a lot higher. As an example a new research fellow, just graduated with a PhD, may get around 24k GBP in the UK but $60k here. $60k sounds a fortune in pounds but renting a pokey flat may cost $15,000 per year. Beer is around $8 a pint in Melbourne, nights out can be expensive. Two peoples' groceries for the week around the $100 mark.

Most universities here publish pay scales on their website so you can search. Your friend may be expected to pay a few thousand dollars towards their healthcare insurance - some universities expect that for foreign staff (despite maybe having access to medicare) - I'd try to get the University to pay for that.

Deancm_MKII

So you are just managing to get by then?

fish.01

Should be aiming for roughly 2.2 times his uk salary to convert to oz. So around $85,000.

Your reference for oz average lecturer salary seems possibly a little out of date. These are the first two I came across:

$84,198
http://mycareer.com.au/jobs/-/educat...sity-lecturer/

$86,710
http://content.mycareer.com.au/salar...rsity-lecturer

As others have said coming from a small town in the nw to a large Australian city would lead to higher expenses.

Kiwijack

Surfboards are cheaper. Suncream is more expensive and you need to use ten times more. Heating bills are lower and factor in the additional cost of a cooling system.

The point is that very few people move half way around the world to gain financially. If he wants more money it would be easier and less traumatic for him to work on a promotion in his current job.

In Australia, a senior lecturer is a good job and is relatively well paid. He won't need to be visiting the soup kitchen and he'll be able to live in a good suburb - so maybe he should focus on the other reasons for moving.

My apologies for sounding a little critical, but Aussies and Kiwis have little time for financially focussed people. Life in Australia has far more opportunities and dimensions.

Financially he'll be fine.

NKSK version 2

Y' reckon?!

Deancm_MKII

You reckon? For an academic I would have thought Australia would be mind numbing.

BadgeIsBack

I've would have thought it depends..on sector and position. There are niche areas that Australia does well.

80k in a city is nowhere near as good as 40 up north....but it depends on whether you own your own home.

JBJ14

I'm moving to Melbourne, paid $12.50 for a pint in Perth last night ! Ridiculous!
Two peoples groceries here would be closer to $150.

Grayling

Bollocks

I have never met people more focussed on money

Kiwijack

Britain or Australia - depends which uni you work for and your area of research. Australia isn't short of well funded departments producing their fair share of world class research

Overall, public research funding is good in Australia compared to British governement funding. Not sure I would want to be back with a British uni given the tightening of the govt purse strings. Research funding will be first out of the Cameron budget.

Kiwijack

Yes, Aussies work hard and save money. They work hard and play hard. Obsessed with money? I think not. They look after their money and they generally don't use it as a measure of who a person is.

It takes a long time for expats to shake off the need to pretend they have money. They still suffer from that English disease of taking on big debt to buy a new car or plasm or whatever just to give that illusion. Or needing that latest model company car that is just that little bit better than their mate's or neighbour's car. Your new company car (or debt funded car) really doesn't impress your average aussie.

I's always good to see a new expat finally begin to integrate into Australia and stop being so obsessed with showing they have money.