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British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)
-   Canada (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/)
-   -   Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/%2428-hour-decent-wage-calgary-724481/)

Kris_Rocks Jul 11th 2011 1:59 pm
Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Hi
husband has a job offer on the table for a mechanic $28 an hour plus good benefits health and dental etc. in Calgary.
Is this a good enough wage and could 2 adults with a 4 year old live on it initially?

Thanks

Almost Canadian Jul 11th 2011 2:02 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Depends upon how many hours a week are guaranteed.:p

40 hours a week would equate to approx $55,000 a year.

$28 is an OK hourly wage, whether you will be able to live on it in Calgary is dependent upon many variables.:D

Kris_Rocks Jul 11th 2011 2:35 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Its a full time job 40 hours a week - so that is guaranteed.
Was looking at Okotoks area

Steve_P Jul 11th 2011 3:02 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9488469)
Its a full time job 40 hours a week - so that is guaranteed.
Was looking at Okotoks area
At that rate and those hours you pull in approx $58,450 per year plus benefits and of course any overtime.

It's doable but you're not going to be living high of the hog.

Are you going to be buying or renting? How big a mortgage do you anticipate having if you do buy?

Aviator Jul 11th 2011 3:18 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9488469)
Its a full time job 40 hours a week - so that is guaranteed.
Was looking at Okotoks area
It seems it may be a typical wage for mechanic. http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/em...schedule.shtml Whether it is decent or not is subjective. You can only get what a trade will pay for the level of job. Whether you can live off it, I would say yes, but not, as Steve says live the high life, but you'd get by with modest needs, which is where pretty much all of us were/are at one point or another.

If this is a typical wage, then the only way to get more is to advance into management, dealerships would likely be the best route for that. Start off with what you can get and move up as you get settled and more accustomed to how things work here.

Before getting into too much debt, also be sure how secure the job is. The Canadian work culture is that if work is slow, they cut back hours or lay off at a whim. So long as you find a busy shop then you would likely be fine.

GavinR Jul 11th 2011 3:28 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Is it salaried or piece work though?

neolight90 Jul 11th 2011 5:00 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Does it cost so much more in Canada then here then as that translate into over £3k a month and that would allow you to live quite nice outside of London and averageish in London

Steve_ Jul 11th 2011 5:08 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9488413)
Is this a good enough wage and could 2 adults with a 4 year old live on it initially?
Yes probably, with rent though you're not going to be living in luxury for sure.

christmasoompa Jul 11th 2011 5:21 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by neolight90 (Post 9488739)
Does it cost so much more in Canada then here then as that translate into over £3k a month and that would allow you to live quite nice outside of London and averageish in London
How does it translate to £3k a month? Are you forgetting that pesky thing called tax maybe?

neolight90 Jul 11th 2011 5:32 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by christmasoompa (Post 9488784)
How does it translate to £3k a month? Are you forgetting that pesky thing called tax maybe?
Well yes I did lol but still £3.1k before tax isnt bad.

What is the tax in Alberta?

Piff Poff Jul 11th 2011 5:48 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9488413)
Hi
husband has a job offer on the table for a mechanic $28 an hour plus good benefits health and dental etc. in Calgary.
Is this a good enough wage and could 2 adults with a 4 year old live on it initially?

Thanks
It would depend on whether it's salaried or piece work. Many dealerships (most) not sure about independent garages will only pay you if you are physically working on a job, so if your not working your not getting paid ANYTHING. That said if your OH is a good mechanic and not afraid to do the crap work as well as the good stuff then he could earn almost 30-40% more than what the other posters are quoting;)

My OH WILL take the crap jobs just so he's not standing around doing nothing BUT he will also fight for the decent ones and fight to get paid for the crap jobs. If he's seeing the other techs getting service after service and he's getting electrical probs after electrical he will complain.

We live very comfortably with one house and a mortgage and bills, two adults and a teen, OH buys whatever cars he fancy's, we have weekends away and are able to save a bit too. Fancy holidays are a luxury we haven't yet mastered, maybe next year, we've been here 6 years, OH is earning far more than he used to in the UK. One thing to consider is the stuff is bigger, therefore heavier, therefore it takes more of a toll, my OH does not want to be doing this until retirement, it's too hard. He would consider going somewhere where there are not too many trucks and UPS vans though:rofl:

GavinR Jul 11th 2011 6:24 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
It would depend on whether it's salaried or piece work.
That's what I said but nobody listened:cry_smile:

GavinR Jul 11th 2011 6:29 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
One thing to consider is the stuff is bigger, therefore heavier, therefore it takes more of a toll, my OH does not want to be doing this until retirement, it's too hard.
I'd agree with this too, getting older doesn't help either!

Piff Poff Jul 11th 2011 7:02 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by GavinR (Post 9488907)
That's what I said but nobody listened:cry_smile:
I heard ya! Just highlighted the missed question:rofl:

Originally Posted by GavinR (Post 9488919)
I'd agree with this too, getting older doesn't help either!
Completely agree, not much fun watching a guy seize up after a days work and not being able to do the things he wants to do:frown:

Also wanted to mention if the OP's OH is going to be a diesel tech he should be earning a few more bucks per hour than the regular techs!

scrubbedexpat091 Jul 11th 2011 7:27 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Its certainly not a poor wage. I'd be in hog heaven making 28/hr...lol but then again I make a mere 9.50/hr...

pacepeter Jul 11th 2011 7:55 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
I think it is good to start with and gets your foot in the door once you get PR could earn a lot more maybe $35 - $37 an hour or self employed even morr

neolight90 Jul 11th 2011 8:25 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by pacepeter (Post 9489164)
I think it is good to start with and gets your foot in the door once you get PR could earn a lot more maybe $35 - $37 an hour or self employed even morr
Is it worth while be a self employed electrician in Canada/Alberta. Open up your own contractors??

JonboyE Jul 11th 2011 9:50 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by neolight90 (Post 9489253)
Is it worth while be a self employed electrician in Canada/Alberta. Open up your own contractors??
There is certainly an opportunity. Whether it is worthwhile depends on your desire to be your own boss, and attitude to risk. In the Vancouver area you can do very well for yourself if you go about it the right way.

Aviator Jul 11th 2011 10:53 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by JonboyE (Post 9489453)
There is certainly an opportunity. Whether it is worthwhile depends on your desire to be your own boss, and attitude to risk. In the Vancouver area you can do very well for yourself if you go about it the right way.
And willingness to work long hours.

Auld Yin Jul 12th 2011 3:43 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by The Aviator (Post 9489552)
And willingness to work long hours.
The harder I worked the luckier I got.

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 10:23 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Steve_P (Post 9488510)
At that rate and those hours you pull in approx $58,450 per year plus benefits and of course any overtime.

It's doable but you're not going to be living high of the hog.

Are you going to be buying or renting? How big a mortgage do you anticipate having if you do buy?
Will be renting

Not expecting to be living in luxury hopefully I will eventually be able to earn too but want to be sure that if we had to we could survive on one wage really

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 10:25 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by pacepeter (Post 9489164)
I think it is good to start with and gets your foot in the door once you get PR could earn a lot more maybe $35 - $37 an hour or self employed even morr
Thats what we are thinking - if we can live on this one wage then if I can also start earning and then look around and see what else is out there then we could build up from there

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 10:31 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 9488826)
It would depend on whether it's salaried or piece work. Many dealerships (most) not sure about independent garages will only pay you if you are physically working on a job, so if your not working your not getting paid ANYTHING. That said if your OH is a good mechanic and not afraid to do the crap work as well as the good stuff then he could earn almost 30-40% more than what the other posters are quoting;)

My OH WILL take the crap jobs just so he's not standing around doing nothing BUT he will also fight for the decent ones and fight to get paid for the crap jobs. If he's seeing the other techs getting service after service and he's getting electrical probs after electrical he will complain.

We live very comfortably with one house and a mortgage and bills, two adults and a teen, OH buys whatever cars he fancy's, we have weekends away and are able to save a bit too. Fancy holidays are a luxury we haven't yet mastered, maybe next year, we've been here 6 years, OH is earning far more than he used to in the UK. One thing to consider is the stuff is bigger, therefore heavier, therefore it takes more of a toll, my OH does not want to be doing this until retirement, it's too hard. He would consider going somewhere where there are not too many trucks and UPS vans though:rofl:
By the look of the offer letter it appears that it is a salary for a set amount of hours, no mention of piece work.
The whole piece work thing is very interesting though my husband has never heard of that before - he reckons if the garage he worked at now worked on that system then they wouldnt be earning much at all at the moment!!
The job is for a large transportation Co so it does look like it will be a lot of buses etc.
As mentioned in another post we are looking at this as an in really, if we can live on it OK to start and I can eventually earn too and then go from there.

BTW when do kids start school over there?

christmasoompa Jul 12th 2011 10:49 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490344)
Thats what we are thinking - if we can live on this one wage then if I can also start earning
Do just check that you will be able to work - not all visas will allow you to.

:)

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 10:52 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by christmasoompa (Post 9490373)
Do just check that you will be able to work - not all visas will allow you to.

:)
Thats another reason why I want to be sure we could live just in case

rico29 Jul 12th 2011 11:28 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Hi there.

I have just returned from visiting my brother in-law in Okotoks. He said that $60k is ok to start on but to be comfortable $80k is the ceiling to aim for.

He Currently rents a 3 bed house in Okotoks which is $1200. They get paid every 2 weeks so one pay check goes towards the rent. The tax is 5% in Alberta.

If you have any questions about Okotoks then feel free to PM me.

ann m Jul 12th 2011 12:31 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by rico29 (Post 9490425)
The tax is 5% in Alberta.
Sales tax on stuff you buy at the shops is 5%.
Income tax is not ;) (just to be clear :) )

Piff Poff Jul 12th 2011 2:01 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490354)
By the look of the offer letter it appears that it is a salary for a set amount of hours, no mention of piece work.
The whole piece work thing is very interesting though my husband has never heard of that before - he reckons if the garage he worked at now worked on that system then they wouldnt be earning much at all at the moment!!
The job is for a large transportation Co so it does look like it will be a lot of buses etc.
As mentioned in another post we are looking at this as an in really, if we can live on it OK to start and I can eventually earn too and then go from there.

BTW when do kids start school over there?
Is your OH going to be a Heavy duty mechanic then? If so I would say that hourly rate would be on the bottom end of the spectrum. As far as I understand it, regular mechanics and expect to earn $26-$32 per hour, diesel mech's $28-$36 and HD mech's should be at least diesel tech rates. I would check online job adverts to see what other companies are paying for HD mechanics. Has he done his red seal exams yet?

As for the Piece work thing, it does get stressful when the shop is quiet or OH just gets no time jobs day after day, but it usually evens out over the year.

I was issued a WP as my OH is a mechanic and it came under the right category.

Aviator Jul 12th 2011 2:34 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Here is an income tax calculator for Alberta. http://www.finance.alberta.ca/calc-script/tax_calc.html

Rule of thumb has it that about 50% of what we earn goes in tax one way or another.

When you get here get a tax professional to file your tax return (by the end of April each year for the year before). This way you should not miss out on any deductions. Personally, I would avoid 'tax preparers' and use an accountant.

The prices you see in the stores, for the most part, add 5% for sales tax to the price you see. Food is not taxed at POS (yet!).

Almost Canadian Jul 12th 2011 2:52 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by The Aviator (Post 9490716)
Here is an income tax calculator for Alberta. http://www.finance.alberta.ca/calc-script/tax_calc.html

Rule of thumb has it that about 50% of what we earn goes in tax one way or another.

When you get here get a tax professional to file your tax return (by the end of April each year for the year before). This way you should not miss out on any deductions. Personally, I would avoid 'tax preparers' and use an accountant.

The prices you see in the stores, for the most part, add 5% for sales tax to the price you see. Food is not taxed at POS (yet!).
You mean that restaurants are charging me GST when they shouldn't be?:p

jericho Jul 12th 2011 3:01 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
We've just moved from Edmonton after three years. We're a family of 4 (two kids, 4 & 5), dont smoke, dont really drink, and like to eat out once or twice a week. We had one car, and a regular 3 bed house.
We struggled month to month on my salary (approx $70k).

If it's just going to be you working, with a salary of $55k in Calgary, I would say things would be very tight for you.

As an FYI, my brother came to visit us last year and was offered up to $40 an hour by Nissan and Land Rover as a mechanic/auto tech. He chose to stay in the UK though.

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 3:36 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by jericho (Post 9490781)
We've just moved from Edmonton after three years. We're a family of 4 (two kids, 4 & 5), dont smoke, dont really drink, and like to eat out once or twice a week. We had one car, and a regular 3 bed house.
We struggled month to month on my salary (approx $70k).

If it's just going to be you working, with a salary of $55k in Calgary, I would say things would be very tight for you.

As an FYI, my brother came to visit us last year and was offered up to $40 an hour by Nissan and Land Rover as a mechanic/auto tech. He chose to stay in the UK though.
My husband is a car mechanic has worked for a peugeot/citroen dealership for 20 odd years with a brief stint at a company making airplane tugs in between.
How did you brother get the offer did he just apply or was it through someone you know?
We are literally just dipping our toe in the water and my OH got this offer pretty quick so we are wondering wether to take it but dont want to miss an opportunity in case another doesnt come up.

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 3:36 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by rico29 (Post 9490425)
Hi there.

I have just returned from visiting my brother in-law in Okotoks. He said that $60k is ok to start on but to be comfortable $80k is the ceiling to aim for.

He Currently rents a 3 bed house in Okotoks which is $1200. They get paid every 2 weeks so one pay check goes towards the rent. The tax is 5% in Alberta.

If you have any questions about Okotoks then feel free to PM me.
You may regret that!!!

jericho Jul 12th 2011 4:29 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490871)
My husband is a car mechanic has worked for a peugeot/citroen dealership for 20 odd years with a brief stint at a company making airplane tugs in between.
How did you brother get the offer did he just apply or was it through someone you know?
We are literally just dipping our toe in the water and my OH got this offer pretty quick so we are wondering wether to take it but dont want to miss an opportunity in case another doesnt come up.
We simply drove him around the area with his CV and he just walked in to different dealerships. He got about 6 offers in total, and receive different advice about the red seal process, but he was very much in demand. He's only got about 5 years experience also.

Almost Canadian Jul 12th 2011 4:49 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490874)
You may regret that!!!
Would it not be better to speak to those on this forum that live in Okotoks rather than one that visited?:confused:

Kris_Rocks Jul 12th 2011 6:33 pm
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 9491028)
Would it not be better to speak to those on this forum that live in Okotoks rather than one that visited?:confused:
:blink:
Of course but as much info as you can get helps.
Also, they have close family that live there so any help given would not be purely based on a one time visitors opinion would it.

Piff Poff Jul 13th 2011 12:37 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490871)
My husband is a car mechanic has worked for a peugeot/citroen dealership for 20 odd years with a brief stint at a company making airplane tugs in between.
How did you brother get the offer did he just apply or was it through someone you know?
We are literally just dipping our toe in the water and my OH got this offer pretty quick so we are wondering wether to take it but dont want to miss an opportunity in case another doesnt come up.
Does he really want to work on busses/coaches then? Has he done the Red Seal/equivelency exam? Has he got a LMO approval?

paularn Jul 13th 2011 12:41 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Originally Posted by Kris_Rocks (Post 9490354)
BTW when do kids start school over there?
School year in Canada is generally September to June - starting/ending dates will probably vary by province.

nikkistothard Jul 13th 2011 1:02 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
I live in Okotoks and my husband is currently on a similar rate to this. We have two young kids. It is safe to say that we do have to be careful about what we are spending but it can be done. The only thing I would say is you need to make sure you bring over a decent amount of money to put away as a safety net as this doesnt really allow for any big emergencies cropping up! If you wanted to have a chat about the costs of things here etc drop me a message

ann m Jul 13th 2011 1:31 am
Re: Is $28 an hour a decent wage for Calgary?
 
Take your email address off a forum .... please :unsure:


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