David6330

Hello. New member here.

I have been offered a job in rural WA, based in a country town (pop 2000), 2 hours NE of Perth. Starting off on WHV for 6 months trial period. The company will sponsor me if the trial period goes well.

I have been offered $65000 salary which includes company vehicle, phone and laptop. I am 25 yr old single male.

My question is can I live comfortably off this wage when living in rural WA? I have never been to Australia and will be coming from the UK. Not so sure if the package is good? My UK salary falls into the £30-35 k bracket.

Any advice is much appreciated

Amazulu

2hrs NE of Perth is pretty average - if it was SW it would be a different story

Salary is not that great but if the job has prospects then why not? You are still young

Night life will be very limited and there will not be many young single women around

Be careful though - I'm sure (although I will stand corrected if wrong) the WHV is not intended for what you are trying to do. I know people who have converted from a WHV to 457 and then PR, but when they started out that was not the intention. I reckon that what the company is trying to do (to do it on the cheap basically) is not right

Good luck

spouse of scouse

Hi David. When you say that the salary includes a company vehicle, does the value of that actually get taken off the $65,000? Will work help you with accommodation, and if not have you done some research on accommodation options and the cost?

In terms of 'buying power' you'll probably be a bit worse off than your UK salary. However, as mentioned there won't be a lot to spend it on in terms of nightlife You certainly won't go hungry or thirsty! It'd be good if you know someone in Perth so you can have a place to stay if you want to drive down for a weekend. (check if you have full private use of the company vehicle, or if use is restricted in terms of mileage and/or locations).

At your age and with no family commitments it's the best time to suss out another country. Is it possible to take a 'career break' from your current job, just to leave your options open if things don't work out here?

Whatever you decide, good luck with it all. At the very worst you'll experience living in another country and go home, at the best you may find you love it here and have good career opportunities. Let us know how you get on!

ps for more useful advice on whether the salary package offered is ok for your industry, you'll probably have to say what the job is. It'd be a great salary for a roustabout who gets room and board included, it'd be very light on for a mining engineer!

the troubadour

I'd say a very decent wage on a WHV considering the terms of the visa is to travel.

vickyandrob

Where is the job? Is it a two hour drive or flight?

If you are wanting an adventure then I would say go for it. But just be aware rural in WA can mean you are hours from absolutely anywhere, often surrounded by red dust and not much else

Turban Explorer

I think you would feel poorer on 65k AUD. Normal rule is around 2.5 times your UK salary would be like for like. Rural WA may be absolutely soul destroyingly dull. Only you know what sort of person you are...whether you like socialising, good conversation, mucking around the internet etc.... If you think you just want to experience culture shock and weirdness then - go for it (especially if you can walk back into the better paid UK job) - but these places can be red neck and a bit intimidating. They'll be some fabulous sunsets and wildlife though.

paulry

Well put and a fair estimation of the way it's likely to be except for perhaps the intimidating part.

spouse of scouse

...I think 'red neck' and 'soul destroyingly dull' might be overstating a bit, as well. There'd be countless people who've made their homes in rural towns that'd say this isn't the case.

paulry

For a young, single person it could well turn out being like that. I once lived in a remote town that had 3.5 times that population and it was incredibly dull. But in some ways it depends where you are in your life. A young family or older couple might love it while a single bloke might loathe it. Depends on the working environment too. A mining environment will be different to an agricultural one.

People tend to use the term red necks very loosely in Australia but those I've met have country ways but are normally very civil and easy to get along with - even those who look a bit rough around the edges appearance wise turn out to be very friendly.

spouse of scouse

Point taken about the stage of life, but I suppose it depends on the individual. Not all young people need a heap of artificial (as opposed to natural) amenities to be happy

My idea of a 'red neck' is an racist, ignorant boor and I don't think rural areas have any monopoly there. There might be more actual red necks there though, compared with cities, because they're outdoors more

paulry

Very true. I think by the time we are older we have learnt how to entertain ourselves or actually enjoy "just doing nothing".

Maybe I'm confusing "red neck" with bogan? My family and I haven't encountered any racists yet. But then again, since being here (three and a half years ) we've lived only in Canberra and have so far traveled around Sydney and Melbourne and a fair bit in between.

Kelli28

I'd say you'd be fine on that wage, there's also many people on WHV travelling around rural WA and once you get to know people you'll find that rural communities make there own entertainment and it can often much wilder than in the city's as there's not many cops around to control it.

spouse of scouse

True that. The wildest party I've ever been to was in the middle of a paddock, at a farm out of Mullewa. I was a 15 year old city girl and although I can't remember what I expected it to be like I know that I didn't expect it to be like it was!

the troubadour

For what I assume to be a younger back packer on a WHV not a bad amount. I thought that was the idea to experience another culture and all the weirdness that goes with that.
Hardly a lifetime move so the deficiencies in cultural attributes can surely be surmounted over a medium term time frame.

the troubadour

Or more to the point less exposed to outside influences and difference.