Government Admin - pretty much a 300% increase since mid 2004 - which after 7 years pretty much puts me on the level I was at before I emigrated.

feb 2005 $80k
Jan 2006 $150k
Oct 2007 $138k

Oct 2010 £75k but much better off
May 2011 £172k. Laughing all the way to the bank.

The last ones a good increase! Not become a drug dealer have you?

I am a solicitor. When I first got here, I was not admitted to practise in Queensland, hence the very much lower salary. I had to spend a year and $5k to re-qualify. I live regionally as well so salaries aren't as high. If I lived in Brisbane, I expect the increase would have been greater.

My OH started off as a welder and has now gone into government admin work. He works casually which means he gets casual loading. If he was permanent then the salary would be quite a lot lower.....

Mr BS just got a 40pc increase after one year. Nothing for me so far but I expect maybe 3 or 4pc shortly.

Dec '08, OH got a job in two weeks of arrival, year later they gave him a 25% increase, last pay review he got on par with inflation. I have gone from working long hours and earning peanuts, to flexi time, working from home for myself, earning peanuts, but not paying child care, so better off in the long run.

HV industrial electrician/cable jointer.

This is the internet you know?
People have been known to make things up.

Arrived 2003 - 142% increase since then.

Never thought that would happen in Govt Admin!! But it depends what you changed.

Me - 150pc. But for doing much the same work.
The pc inc would be far higher if I changed the scope and direction, and this might happen inside 18 months.

Some factors:
-I'd wager that most of these increases over 150pc are mining related.
-The ones of about 150pc in IT might even be the difference between permy and contract...
-Some people take low paid work when they arrive to get their foot in the door, essentially taking a lower rate to remain competitive and keen.
-When people move into mgmt, or consultancy, change the direction, change jobs then there are huge increases.

Most companies pay inflation, I don't think I would work for the type of company which would not at least do this.

Just steadily worked my way up through the ranks from the very bottom. My first job here was at the lowest pay band possible withou being a tennage trainee. The actual pay rates per band haven't changed that much but if you can work your way up through them then you steadily progress in level and thus in salary.

No front office development and On the other hand I do buy lots of people drinks and technically alcohol is a drug so I suppose I am!!!!

Yes contracting is the only way to make money in IT my last 2 are the difference between a permy job in the City and Contract.

Mr Dreamy has had a 167% increase from his first Australian salary in 2008.

With his last promotion, he was pretty much back to the same career level as he had been in the UK (well almost) - using a 2.2 exchange rate (the rate it was when we came here) his pay increase since his UK wages is 212%.

Obviously, if we used the current exchange rate it would be much, much higher.


Our actual living standard is higher, despite having a much larger mortgage we don't have any other debt and our disposable income is much greater, even though my income (UK based pension) has gone down considerably.

1994 $ 38k + superan
2000 $ 55k
2005 $ 70k
2010 $ 90k + superan

A friend of mine who still lives in England, does a similar job in the same industry tells me his salary has increased almost the same year-on-year, even with exchange rate variances.

In terms of capital city salary's $90k isn't a lot but up here on the Central Coast it's in the top 10%. 10 years ago the cost of living here was much cheaper than Sydney, but these days it's almost the same but salary's are falling behind.