new-leaf

Hello all

I've just found this forum and it seems a really friendly place with lots of good advice

My husband and I are in our late twenties and have an 18 month old son. I am currently doing my PhD in Psychology, and am due to graduate in Sept 2014. We have been talking about moving to Australia for a while now, and are starting to do some research etc.

We feel that Australia would allow me to secure a more successful career in psychology academia than the UK can provide. Psychology academia in Australia is booming, is well-funded, and has exciting and innovative research being conducted. We also feel that Australia would allow us a better quality of life than the UK, and would provide our son with more opportunities (academic and social) later in life. It's also a bit of an adventure I guess, and we feel that we'd like to seize the opportunity whilst our circumstances allow and we have little ties (upon my graduation we'll have no debt, we rent so no mortgage and our son is not yet in school so no upheaval concerns).

We would move over on my visa - a 457 probably. I would ideally like to secure a lectureship position at a University (Macquarie preferably but we'd go where the job is within reason), but I would also apply for post doc positions.

Does anyone have any tips / advice / useful links? As I said, we're in the very early stages of planning and the move is entirely dependent upon me securing a job in Australia. Has anyone in academia made the move?

Any information welcome

Zen10

I worked in academia in the UK, but when I came to Australia I gave it up because it had depressed me so much. My wife works in the university sector in Australia and tells me it is a totally different environment and that I should give it a shot, but my UK experience was so negative I doubt I shall return.

But, the university sector here is booming, lots of new recruitment, and very good wages. Some of the professors my wife works with earn $350,000 +, which is just out of this world compared to UK wages. One of my previous VCs in the UK was on £140,000, which I thought was outrageous, until I got here and discovered they can easily earn $850,000.

renth

Here's the academic pay scales at my place:

http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/policies/po...cales/academic

to be fair, compared to what a lot of people are getting on the mines the salaries are fairly modest IMO.

Zen10

Hi Renth

If you look at an average junior lecturer in there it's $5200 per month, or around $62,000 per year. UK junior lecturer more like $40,000 or $45,000. With constant QE the exchange rate is never going to make this any better in favour of UK either.

renth

True, good point. New-leaf's other half will have to get a decent job too though. $62k isn't enough to live on in Perth,

[EDIT] I see New-leaf is going over east, it's still not much of a wage over there either.

Zen10

+1

Amazulu

My economics lecturer moved to Perth from Ireland at the beginning of the year. He loves it here and was telling us that he earns more than he did in Ireland

Good luck

Zen10

Economics is never something I could get my head around to be honest. I'd like to know more, especially international economics, but I've run out of steam a bit with "the learning".

Amazulu

I'm doing a module as part of my MBA. Macro is much more interesting than Micro. I've just finished an assignment on Macro, so I've just spent the weekend getting my head around Phillips and Lorenz Curves - gripping stuff.

Zen10

You might have replied in English I would need to Wiki half of that stuff, to be honest.

spouse of scouse

The most interesting, relevant economic term I've ever learned - opportunity cost. Very simple premise, but very powerful.

Amazulu

I've been using that in my assignment too

Zen10

Thanks, off to Wikiland I go.

new-leaf

Thanks for all the replies

My husband would get a job yes, but it would only be part-time as he's primarily a stay-at-home Dad. 16 or 24 hours a week I guess on minimum wage - shop or bar work I'd imagine.

The cost of living is something we've been looking in to a lot, as although wages are higher cost of living is too (as compared to the UK). Post doc and junior lecturer jobs I've seen that I'd be eligible to apply for pay between $70,000 and $80,000. We've done some rough-and-ready calculations and I think we'd need about $5,000aud pcm to live comfortably (so about $78,000aud pa household income made up between me and my husband).

Does this seem realistic to you guys?

spouse of scouse

Hi new-leaf. An Australian resident on $70,000 a year would receive around $55,700 of that 'in hand', after paying income tax. A 1.5% Medicare levy is on top of that, around $1,000. Income tax rates for non-residents are higher. A resident would pay no tax on $8,000 per year (couples pay income tax on their individual incomes, not combined).

So, if you were on $70,000 a year and your husband was on $8,000, and assuming you were both Oz residents for tax and Medicare purposes, your yearly 'in hand' income would be $62,700 (this is only a rough calculation!). If your expenses are $5,000 per month, then they'd be $60,000 per annum.
Tight but doable Have you factored housing, utilities, car, insurances, public transport, school fees and costs, and some 'fun money' into your calculations?

One of my sisters has a PhD in Psychology, she lectured at athe Uni she studied at for 10 years but got a bit sick of the politics, and the endless push to attract research dollars, so she works for herself now as a consultant

I wish you the best of luck in your quest!