Been offered a job and are seriously considering it
Oct 12th 2003, 9:28 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3
Been offered a job and are seriously considering it
Hi,
I have been offered a job in Vancouver and the company will handle the relocation details for me. I dont usually discuss salaries openly but since this would be such a big move I really need to know if the amount wsould provide for a decent (not extravegant) life. I am being offered $75,000.
I am married to a Priest and currently we get a house with her job so we have a pretty good life over here. Moving to Vancouver would mean my wife temporarily giving up working for the Church so we lose the benefit of the house and as she wants to work for the Church in Vancouver she is unlikely to be paid for quite some time - would $75,000 cover both of us?
Oh, yeah - we have a two year old Basset Hound that would want to come with us too...
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Byron.
I have been offered a job in Vancouver and the company will handle the relocation details for me. I dont usually discuss salaries openly but since this would be such a big move I really need to know if the amount wsould provide for a decent (not extravegant) life. I am being offered $75,000.
I am married to a Priest and currently we get a house with her job so we have a pretty good life over here. Moving to Vancouver would mean my wife temporarily giving up working for the Church so we lose the benefit of the house and as she wants to work for the Church in Vancouver she is unlikely to be paid for quite some time - would $75,000 cover both of us?
Oh, yeah - we have a two year old Basset Hound that would want to come with us too...
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Byron.
Oct 12th 2003, 1:47 pm
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 846
It depends what lifestyle you want. I would be overjoyed to have a job that paid that much. I live just outside Toronto with my wife and our combined salary is under $40K and we manage ok but we have no extravagances like we have no car and we rent and can't afford to buy a house yet etc. However we have cable and internet and all that stuff and can afford groceries every week without makign any sacrafices to things we like and enoguh money to go out to dinner etc. So $75 would be roughly double our household income so you should easily be able to afford a house and car and things on top of that.
Depending where you intend to live in Vancouver because it can be very expensive houseing wise right in teh city as far as I know, much like Toronto. However I'd guess you could, with a suitable downpayment, get a nice sized house. They rough way they usually do it here is to take your monthly income and divide it by 3 and that is roughly how much you can afford in payments. So I get that at just over $2000/month for $75K which means you could buy a house up to say $300K which is a nice sized house.
Depending where you intend to live in Vancouver because it can be very expensive houseing wise right in teh city as far as I know, much like Toronto. However I'd guess you could, with a suitable downpayment, get a nice sized house. They rough way they usually do it here is to take your monthly income and divide it by 3 and that is roughly how much you can afford in payments. So I get that at just over $2000/month for $75K which means you could buy a house up to say $300K which is a nice sized house.
Oct 12th 2003, 4:07 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 558
$75 is a good salary, I would be happy with that. It would be even better if your wife were to get a job, I guess as a preist? Then you would have two incomes and could live quite comfortably on that.
Int.
Int.
Oct 12th 2003, 7:47 pm
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: UK-Switz-US-Canada-Ireland
Posts: 625
Maybe your wife could set up a home business - entreprenurial abilities are well encouraged in Canada. Or she could become involved in the local church on a voluntary basis and then possibly land a job later on so you'd be back to 2 incomes. Meanwhile the main income should be ample to keep you both secure, especially if they're helping with relocation as that's one of the most expensive parts of emigration. Sounds a good deal and presumably if the house is provided as part of your wife's work in the UK then its not a property you'd have to sell so that's one other thing less to worry about. For instance your average Brit would need to a. find a job b. find a buyer for their house and c. pay for their own relocation expenses. You've got none of these 3 problems, so I'd say go for it! 
Oct 12th 2003, 10:55 pm
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3
Wow - thanks for the help so far people. Difficult choices ahead but so far all of your responses have been positive.
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
Oct 27th 2003, 4:51 am
#6
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 21
Hi,
Nice to hear that you've secured a job there. For me, it's always nice to have a job waiting once landed. =p
But I worry about other issues. In my country, the tax is not that much so getting $38k works well for me. But maybe in Canada, after tax, it'll be about $46k left. And I don't know if you need to pay for health insurance or other expenses.
But in many English countries I've heard of the high taxes. Besides being taxed about 38% your salary, there's also other provincial and GST tax. In vancouver that's 15%.
Also I'll worry about daily necessary expenses such as electric bills, internet, telephone, water & utilities, etc.
The cost of food and stuffs.
It'll be a nice if someonce here can provide a short analysis on this based on $50k, $75k and $100k salary range.
Nice to hear that you've secured a job there. For me, it's always nice to have a job waiting once landed. =p
But I worry about other issues. In my country, the tax is not that much so getting $38k works well for me. But maybe in Canada, after tax, it'll be about $46k left. And I don't know if you need to pay for health insurance or other expenses.
But in many English countries I've heard of the high taxes. Besides being taxed about 38% your salary, there's also other provincial and GST tax. In vancouver that's 15%.
Also I'll worry about daily necessary expenses such as electric bills, internet, telephone, water & utilities, etc.
The cost of food and stuffs.
It'll be a nice if someonce here can provide a short analysis on this based on $50k, $75k and $100k salary range.
Oct 27th 2003, 8:47 pm
#7
Loving it here!
Joined: May 2003
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 1,198
Originally posted by ByronAJ
Wow - thanks for the help so far people. Difficult choices ahead but so far all of your responses have been positive.
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
Wow - thanks for the help so far people. Difficult choices ahead but so far all of your responses have been positive.
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
Byron, if you rent you will get appliances included - likewise when you buy it will include "white goods".
TVs etc are inexpensive. I do know of folk that brought their videos over so they could watch their PAL tapes
Oct 28th 2003, 5:37 pm
#8
ModerĪ±tor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Been offered a job and are seriously considering it
I was in a similar situation 6 years ago and came to Eastern Ontario from the UK. Salary then was ~50k.
I have no regrets about my decision, however I would offer a couple of observations.
Try and find out what the going rate for your trade is in Canada. Is 75k about right in that location? My 50k was good compared to my UK salary, but was probably slightly less than average for an Engineer here at that time. I have no complaints though, I am much better off in terms of lifestyle than I would be in the UK, and I am now earning a "fairer" salary. I also appreciate that many of the people coming to Canada make do on a much lower income than I am fortunate to get.
One factor to consider is that holiday entitlement in N America is very low by UK standards. 10 (yes Ten) days is standard until several years of service, and seems to be non negotiable in my experience. This can put a big crimp in plans to explore this magnificent country, or even visit friends and family back in the UK. This is a frustration that I put up with, but I am lucky that I was single when I came and did not have to take a partners feelings into account. If you have a close family you see often this could be a deal breaker.
Is the company taking care of permanent residency, or just arranging for temporary work permits (Employment authorisation), Will they arrange employment authorisation for your wife as well as yourself? I came on a work permit and applied for residency when I decided I liked the place, but this limits credit options (see note below). If your wife is not the "stay at home" type, she will need paperwork to get a job, although she should be OK to volunteer. There are several experts in this forum who can offer accurate advice on this front. I am not one of them!
Work permit only will limit oportunity to get mortgage etc. On the subject of credit, UK credit rating and history is of no use over here, I had to start from scratch, with "Store cards" etc to build up history. This was a minor frustration, as with higher earnigs relative to UK you will probably not need credit for TV etc. I am presuming that they are offering a lump sum for relocation expenses, this is what got me set up in my first apartment here. I had to put a big security deposit down to get a new car lease.
Although I'm not in BC I think 75k should be enough to live comfortably(depends how much the dog eats!), but if you buy property in central Vancouver rather than rent it could be more of a financial strain. In the suburbs should of course be more reasonable, although as with Toronto, close to the city (1 to 1.5 hrs commute) is still expensive realtive to rural property. Dont forget to factor in "property taxes" when you figure out your budget. This can add several 100 dollars to monthly expenses if you buy, although this is generally built into rental rates.
Remember that if you are a resident with good credit the banks will hapily lend you way more than you can afford to pay back. If the job collapses (companies have been known to lay of people, it happened to me 3 years after they brought me out here) a large mortgage payment will not leave much of your Employment insurance payment left at the end of the month, and getting a job here seems very much a case of "not what you know, but who you know". I would recommend saving at least 10, or if possible up to 20% of your take home pay for an emergency fund.
After all that is said and done I would say that if you are young(ish), with few ties to the UK, "Go for it" If you hate it, can't get used to the winter or whatever, you can always go back, rather than stay in the UK, and in 30 years time wonder "what if?"
Just remember that while you are out of the UK, housing costs etc continue to rise at a much faster rate than in Canada. I know that I could now not afford to go back to the UK now, even if I wanted, as getting on the housing ladder would be way too expensive. My house here would not even be the cost of a downpayment in the UK now!
Good Luck!
Iain
QUOTE]Originally posted by ByronAJ
Hi,
I have been offered a job in Vancouver and the company will handle the relocation details for me. I dont usually discuss salaries openly but since this would be such a big move I really need to know if the amount wsould provide for a decent (not extravegant) life. I am being offered $75,000.
I am married to a Priest and currently we get a house with her job so we have a pretty good life over here. Moving to Vancouver would mean my wife temporarily giving up working for the Church so we lose the benefit of the house and as she wants to work for the Church in Vancouver she is unlikely to be paid for quite some time - would $75,000 cover both of us?
Oh, yeah - we have a two year old Basset Hound that would want to come with us too...
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Byron. [/QUOTE]
I have no regrets about my decision, however I would offer a couple of observations.
Try and find out what the going rate for your trade is in Canada. Is 75k about right in that location? My 50k was good compared to my UK salary, but was probably slightly less than average for an Engineer here at that time. I have no complaints though, I am much better off in terms of lifestyle than I would be in the UK, and I am now earning a "fairer" salary. I also appreciate that many of the people coming to Canada make do on a much lower income than I am fortunate to get.
One factor to consider is that holiday entitlement in N America is very low by UK standards. 10 (yes Ten) days is standard until several years of service, and seems to be non negotiable in my experience. This can put a big crimp in plans to explore this magnificent country, or even visit friends and family back in the UK. This is a frustration that I put up with, but I am lucky that I was single when I came and did not have to take a partners feelings into account. If you have a close family you see often this could be a deal breaker.
Is the company taking care of permanent residency, or just arranging for temporary work permits (Employment authorisation), Will they arrange employment authorisation for your wife as well as yourself? I came on a work permit and applied for residency when I decided I liked the place, but this limits credit options (see note below). If your wife is not the "stay at home" type, she will need paperwork to get a job, although she should be OK to volunteer. There are several experts in this forum who can offer accurate advice on this front. I am not one of them!
Work permit only will limit oportunity to get mortgage etc. On the subject of credit, UK credit rating and history is of no use over here, I had to start from scratch, with "Store cards" etc to build up history. This was a minor frustration, as with higher earnigs relative to UK you will probably not need credit for TV etc. I am presuming that they are offering a lump sum for relocation expenses, this is what got me set up in my first apartment here. I had to put a big security deposit down to get a new car lease.
Although I'm not in BC I think 75k should be enough to live comfortably(depends how much the dog eats!), but if you buy property in central Vancouver rather than rent it could be more of a financial strain. In the suburbs should of course be more reasonable, although as with Toronto, close to the city (1 to 1.5 hrs commute) is still expensive realtive to rural property. Dont forget to factor in "property taxes" when you figure out your budget. This can add several 100 dollars to monthly expenses if you buy, although this is generally built into rental rates.
Remember that if you are a resident with good credit the banks will hapily lend you way more than you can afford to pay back. If the job collapses (companies have been known to lay of people, it happened to me 3 years after they brought me out here) a large mortgage payment will not leave much of your Employment insurance payment left at the end of the month, and getting a job here seems very much a case of "not what you know, but who you know". I would recommend saving at least 10, or if possible up to 20% of your take home pay for an emergency fund.
After all that is said and done I would say that if you are young(ish), with few ties to the UK, "Go for it" If you hate it, can't get used to the winter or whatever, you can always go back, rather than stay in the UK, and in 30 years time wonder "what if?"
Just remember that while you are out of the UK, housing costs etc continue to rise at a much faster rate than in Canada. I know that I could now not afford to go back to the UK now, even if I wanted, as getting on the housing ladder would be way too expensive. My house here would not even be the cost of a downpayment in the UK now!
Good Luck!
Iain
QUOTE]Originally posted by ByronAJ
Hi,
I have been offered a job in Vancouver and the company will handle the relocation details for me. I dont usually discuss salaries openly but since this would be such a big move I really need to know if the amount wsould provide for a decent (not extravegant) life. I am being offered $75,000.
I am married to a Priest and currently we get a house with her job so we have a pretty good life over here. Moving to Vancouver would mean my wife temporarily giving up working for the Church so we lose the benefit of the house and as she wants to work for the Church in Vancouver she is unlikely to be paid for quite some time - would $75,000 cover both of us?
Oh, yeah - we have a two year old Basset Hound that would want to come with us too...
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Byron. [/QUOTE]
Oct 28th 2003, 6:30 pm
#9
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 481
$75k is a very decent salary I think and you should be able to live on that fairly comfortably. Seeing as how you could come over with all your relocation expenses paid, I would definitely give it a go. If it doesn't work out you can always go back, but at least you will have tried it and never be wondering.
Just make sure you get all your rabies jabs and microchips and everything and you should be able to travel with your dog on the PETS passport scheme should you wish to return to the UK.
Just make sure you get all your rabies jabs and microchips and everything and you should be able to travel with your dog on the PETS passport scheme should you wish to return to the UK.
Oct 28th 2003, 6:32 pm
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 481
Originally posted by ByronAJ
Wow - thanks for the help so far people. Difficult choices ahead but so far all of your responses have been positive.
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
Wow - thanks for the help so far people. Difficult choices ahead but so far all of your responses have been positive.
What about things such as electrical appliances. Since we will be leaving the UK I am guessing that we will have to purchase new TV's, fridge/freezers, washing machines, microwaves, cooker etc..
What are prices like for these kinds of things in Vancouver?
If you do decide to come try and keep hold of a lot of your stuff in the UK at least until you are sure. A lot of rental places come with 5 appliances (Oven, Fridge Freezer, Washer, Dryer etc) so you should be able to get away with buying these to start.
Oct 28th 2003, 7:19 pm
#11
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
married to a Priest?
does the pope know?
does the pope know?
