60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
#46
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Ozzie is one of my fav mates on BE. He really is the poster boy for the 30+ dollars an hour 'pick and mix' job. I'd do it too if I had a terrace in Carlton - absolute w*nkfest life.
Love his work and life. Our lives intersect in some ways - leave it at that - as this is a public arena..totally get his life...and luck
He'll understand, if not agree with my politics which is that unions are great for bargaining but that's where it should end - and as they do more than they should, they need to go.
cheers
Love his work and life. Our lives intersect in some ways - leave it at that - as this is a public arena..totally get his life...and luck
He'll understand, if not agree with my politics which is that unions are great for bargaining but that's where it should end - and as they do more than they should, they need to go.
cheers
#47
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Thanks guys, although to the OP I'd say there is plenty of opportunity out there. There aren't many people that would migrate 12,500 miles to have their wives loading trucks or parcel cages on evening shift or whatever else comes along.... yet that is where the money is and 20 years down the track you could well realise how you've lived and what you've accumulated and how your kids have lived .....It was more than worth it.
I think what doesn't come across to people in the UK, is average here is generally speaking far higher, broader and more lucrative than the UK.
I think what doesn't come across to people in the UK, is average here is generally speaking far higher, broader and more lucrative than the UK.
#48
Just Joined
Joined: May 2010
Location: Darwin
Posts: 3
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Iam living in Darwin with wife and children 7 and 11. I work in Security and not making much more than $60K. We get by well enough and its just a matter of cutting your cloth to fit. Wife is looking for cleaning jobs just now to up our income a little which would give us the occasional luxury or treat. That said we are happy and able to adapt. Darwin, contrary to popular belief is an expensive place to stay, more so than Brisbane.
#49
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
The ABS says the average individual wage in Australia is $57,980 before tax - so $60,000 puts you at (very) slightly above average. The average full-time wage was $74,274 before tax. "High" income is classed at $94,328 after tax and Medicare levy.
As Australia is a highly urbanized country - most of that data would have come from people who live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth etc.
So certainly lots of people survive on $60k. You won't feel rich but sure it is doable, particularly if you can keep your housing cost under control (which will be difficult in those two cities).
As Australia is a highly urbanized country - most of that data would have come from people who live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth etc.
So certainly lots of people survive on $60k. You won't feel rich but sure it is doable, particularly if you can keep your housing cost under control (which will be difficult in those two cities).
#50
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
I find myself in a very similar situation at the moment and i have a war going on between my head and heart.
My husband has been offered a job in melbourne on $70k roughly. We have 3 children and as my youngest is only 18months i couldnt work initially.
The employer wants him over quite quickly so is looking at a 457 visa. The job is on csol so my pref would be 186 (but 14 years experience isnt a formal qualification for the skills assessment...even though most people working the same job in australia dont have formal qualifications either) as i feel unable to commit on the temp basis. In a few years when i can work i can expect to earn around $50k according to jobs i can see advertised now. So i would be happy to 'struggle by' for a few years if it meant we could realise our dream. I also know that in the interim years we could get a little help if we were PR. Not that i want to sponge but i know i would be paying plenty back to the system as soon as i could.
So this thread is useful to me too.
My husband has been offered a job in melbourne on $70k roughly. We have 3 children and as my youngest is only 18months i couldnt work initially.
The employer wants him over quite quickly so is looking at a 457 visa. The job is on csol so my pref would be 186 (but 14 years experience isnt a formal qualification for the skills assessment...even though most people working the same job in australia dont have formal qualifications either) as i feel unable to commit on the temp basis. In a few years when i can work i can expect to earn around $50k according to jobs i can see advertised now. So i would be happy to 'struggle by' for a few years if it meant we could realise our dream. I also know that in the interim years we could get a little help if we were PR. Not that i want to sponge but i know i would be paying plenty back to the system as soon as i could.
So this thread is useful to me too.
#51
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 706
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Linda Evangelista (apparently she hails from the same neck of the woods as a rather furry semi-aquatic mammal that can be found here on the forum ) once famously said she wouldn't wake up for anything less than $10,000 per day.
While I personally find that a little arrogant and quite unbecoming of any professional (if strutting one's skinny frame on 6 inch heels can be termed "professional") there's a lesson to be learnt from that rather haughty statement of hers.
In my opinion, no one should be tempted to make the move unless it's for a great deal more money than what can be had at home. I dare say a doubling of the applicant's present income might be a good starting point, especially if on a non-permanent visa like the 457.
With no social support and governmental help to speak of, the small quantum of increase in take home pay can easily be outstripped by the increases in costs of child care, health/medical needs, schooling and rentals - both expected and unexpected. What if a child fell ill? Or you hated the house and needed to look for a new neighborhood?
Anyway, the above is just my personal view. There's no right or wrong in it - it's just what you and your husband feel is best for the family. Good luck whichever way you end up deciding!
While I personally find that a little arrogant and quite unbecoming of any professional (if strutting one's skinny frame on 6 inch heels can be termed "professional") there's a lesson to be learnt from that rather haughty statement of hers.
In my opinion, no one should be tempted to make the move unless it's for a great deal more money than what can be had at home. I dare say a doubling of the applicant's present income might be a good starting point, especially if on a non-permanent visa like the 457.
With no social support and governmental help to speak of, the small quantum of increase in take home pay can easily be outstripped by the increases in costs of child care, health/medical needs, schooling and rentals - both expected and unexpected. What if a child fell ill? Or you hated the house and needed to look for a new neighborhood?
Anyway, the above is just my personal view. There's no right or wrong in it - it's just what you and your husband feel is best for the family. Good luck whichever way you end up deciding!
#52
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Two things I wasn't prepared to do and that was to go on a temp visa and not have a job lined up before I left. I managed quite well on bout $65-70 AUD with 2 kids living on the Gold Coast QLD albeit 7 years ago.PR visa had its advantages because we were entitled to claim money for kids,similar to tax credits and because we were renting we also got a rent payment to top up our rent. I assume this still happens because it made a difference. My kids went to state school where you make an occasional donation for books etc. Someone will correct me I am wrong but I think QLD now charges for school if you are on a 457 temp visa.
#53
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Two things I wasn't prepared to do and that was to go on a temp visa and not have a job lined up before I left. I managed quite well on bout $65-70 AUD with 2 kids living on the Gold Coast QLD albeit 7 years ago.PR visa had its advantages because we were entitled to claim money for kids,similar to tax credits and because we were renting we also got a rent payment to top up our rent. I assume this still happens because it made a difference. My kids went to state school where you make an occasional donation for books etc. Someone will correct me I am wrong but I think QLD now charges for school if you are on a 457 temp visa.
#54
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Linda Evangelista (apparently she hails from the same neck of the woods as a rather furry semi-aquatic mammal that can be found here on the forum ) once famously said she wouldn't wake up for anything less than $10,000 per day.
While I personally find that a little arrogant and quite unbecoming of any professional (if strutting one's skinny frame on 6 inch heels can be termed "professional") there's a lesson to be learnt from that rather haughty statement of hers.
In my opinion, no one should be tempted to make the move unless it's for a great deal more money than what can be had at home. I dare say a doubling of the applicant's present income might be a good starting point, especially if on a non-permanent visa like the 457.
With no social support and governmental help to speak of, the small quantum of increase in take home pay can easily be outstripped by the increases in costs of child care, health/medical needs, schooling and rentals - both expected and unexpected. What if a child fell ill? Or you hated the house and needed to look for a new neighborhood?
Anyway, the above is just my personal view. There's no right or wrong in it - it's just what you and your husband feel is best for the family. Good luck whichever way you end up deciding!
While I personally find that a little arrogant and quite unbecoming of any professional (if strutting one's skinny frame on 6 inch heels can be termed "professional") there's a lesson to be learnt from that rather haughty statement of hers.
In my opinion, no one should be tempted to make the move unless it's for a great deal more money than what can be had at home. I dare say a doubling of the applicant's present income might be a good starting point, especially if on a non-permanent visa like the 457.
With no social support and governmental help to speak of, the small quantum of increase in take home pay can easily be outstripped by the increases in costs of child care, health/medical needs, schooling and rentals - both expected and unexpected. What if a child fell ill? Or you hated the house and needed to look for a new neighborhood?
Anyway, the above is just my personal view. There's no right or wrong in it - it's just what you and your husband feel is best for the family. Good luck whichever way you end up deciding!
#55
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Or am I misunderstanding what "average individual wage" means in Australia?
#56
Account Open
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 4,298
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Iam living in Darwin with wife and children 7 and 11. I work in Security and not making much more than $60K. We get by well enough and its just a matter of cutting your cloth to fit. Wife is looking for cleaning jobs just now to up our income a little which would give us the occasional luxury or treat. That said we are happy and able to adapt. Darwin, contrary to popular belief is an expensive place to stay, more so than Brisbane.
It might not be perfect from day 1, but if you're prepared to make a sacrifice and take a chance - then why not?
#57
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,206
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
We did not have the internet etc when we migrated to Aus, we learnt things through the nearest Australia House (Manchester at that time) we went on Permanent Residency Status, we did not know a sole or had even visited Australia before but we wanted to try something new. We picked WA as it was nearer to Asia and less of a flight to Europe and it was described as having a Mediterranean lifestyle which sounded nice and familiar. We did not arrive with a great deal of money and my DH could not find any work in is trade at the time so worked for a local British Builder as a labourer, we rented for a few months then bought a small home 4 months later (not a great area but it was our own and a starting black) Fast forward a couple of years my husband had a career change and was working then for Telstra and I in a private hospital working 2 days a week in Theatre (Clerical) we paid a small fortune for child care in the school holidays and after school as having no family etc to help (but that was the case in the UK anyway). These years we did work so hard and we did struggle but we did get to a stage where we were eventually comfortable but that is what we have always done both in Aus and the UK. If I had used this site back then fantastic as it is I am not so sure we would of migrated lol, we were a bit naïve, young and just wanted to migrate and did not know of others peoples struggles and opinions.
#58
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 706
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
We did not have the internet etc when we migrated to Aus, we learnt things through the nearest Australia House (Manchester at that time) we went on Permanent Residency Status, we did not know a sole or had even visited Australia before but we wanted to try something new. We picked WA as it was nearer to Asia and less of a flight to Europe and it was described as having a Mediterranean lifestyle which sounded nice and familiar. We did not arrive with a great deal of money and my DH could not find any work in is trade at the time so worked for a local British Builder as a labourer, we rented for a few months then bought a small home 4 months later (not a great area but it was our own and a starting black) Fast forward a couple of years my husband had a career change and was working then for Telstra and I in a private hospital working 2 days a week in Theatre (Clerical) we paid a small fortune for child care in the school holidays and after school as having no family etc to help (but that was the case in the UK anyway). These years we did work so hard and we did struggle but we did get to a stage where we were eventually comfortable but that is what we have always done both in Aus and the UK. If I had used this site back then fantastic as it is I am not so sure we would of migrated lol, we were a bit naïve, young and just wanted to migrate and did not know of others peoples struggles and opinions.
Hard work and determination have never ceased to be in vogue - and congratulations on having made something out of what was essentially a leap of faith and a new adventure in an unknown land.
That's an inspiration right there for anyone thinking of making a move Down Under.
#59
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2016
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 474
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Not sure if this expat forum or another, I remember seeing one poster who compiled a pretty detailed spreadsheet(suspect an accountant ) in which he compared his living costs in the UK to what roughly he may spend in Australia right down to the mundane things, including the kids school clothes, kids entertainment at weekends, school trips, comparing basic setup costs, then day to day living costs. It included things I would not have thought about.
I wish I had the link, but cannot remember where I seen it. He made it available of google drive so people could download it. It was broken down over a few years, using the current exchange rate at the time so how he could see how better or worse of they were going to be.
I think at this moment of time $70k/year for a family of four with no equity in the UK, moving to Melbourne is pretty insane, especially if you are looking longterm and wanting to get on the housing market, unless some major correction happens here.
I wish I had the link, but cannot remember where I seen it. He made it available of google drive so people could download it. It was broken down over a few years, using the current exchange rate at the time so how he could see how better or worse of they were going to be.
I think at this moment of time $70k/year for a family of four with no equity in the UK, moving to Melbourne is pretty insane, especially if you are looking longterm and wanting to get on the housing market, unless some major correction happens here.
#60
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: 60k Salary in Melbourne or Brisbane managebale??
Not sure if this expat forum or another, I remember seeing one poster who compiled a pretty detailed spreadsheet(suspect an accountant ) in which he compared his living costs in the UK to what roughly he may spend in Australia right down to the mundane things, including the kids school clothes, kids entertainment at weekends, school trips, comparing basic setup costs, then day to day living costs. It included things I would not have thought about.
I wish I had the link, but cannot remember where I seen it. He made it available of google drive so people could download it. It was broken down over a few years, using the current exchange rate at the time so how he could see how better or worse of they were going to be.
I think at this moment of time $70k/year for a family of four with no equity in the UK, moving to Melbourne is pretty insane, especially if you are looking longterm and wanting to get on the housing market, unless some major correction happens here.
I wish I had the link, but cannot remember where I seen it. He made it available of google drive so people could download it. It was broken down over a few years, using the current exchange rate at the time so how he could see how better or worse of they were going to be.
I think at this moment of time $70k/year for a family of four with no equity in the UK, moving to Melbourne is pretty insane, especially if you are looking longterm and wanting to get on the housing market, unless some major correction happens here.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+Kingdom&country 2=Australia&city1=Sheffield&city2=Melbourne