clements1690

My fiance is a Senior Archtiectural CAD technician with a HNC qualification, we are already aware of the fact that only a very small percentage of job openings are advertised anywhere so we are unable to get even the smallest hint of what wages he could expect to earn when we make the jump to Spain. With a 2 year old son in tow we want to be 100% sure that we can do this comfortably.

He would expect at least £30k here in the North of England does anyone have any idea of roughly the wage bracket he could get.

Many thanks

Gaynor and Steven

Hillybilly

Have a look at http://empleo.trovit.es/ofertas-empl...ad-arquitectos
14000-18000€ p.a. for Architectural Autocad technicians. If he could become licensed as a Technical Architect a greater salary would be possible.

clements1690

In the UK his HNC qualification means he is a fully qualified Architectural CAD Technician but not sure if that counts for anything in Spain, do you mean if he was to get qualified as a full Architect?

I hope this is not the case as those wages seem extremely low, we expected a decrease but not by over half

He is planning on sending CV's to companies but obviously we would need a rough figure in mind on what to expect or to ask for.

Many thanks

jdr

He would also need excellent Spanish language skills for a job like that.

clements1690

We have come across quite a few job offers in English which appear to be large English firms in Marbella and a few in Gibralter but still no hint at salary, I think the best thing to do is just ask a few companies directly and work out the average.

We also need to know what the HNC qualification counts for in Spain. We are planning on this taking up to a year and plan on cramming as much spanish lessons in as possible but we wont't be anywhere near fluent until we are around it everyday.

Hillybilly

There are 2 tiers of Architects in Spain: arquitectos tecnicos and arquitectos superiores. Salaries for arquitectos tecnicos are approx 24k to 35k€. Salaries for arquitectos superiores start at about 30k€.
There is a Colegio de Aparejadores y Arquitectos Tecnicos in every province (COAAT) so your best bet may be to contact the one nearest to you to enquire about homologisation of the qualification.

Hillybilly

I think his "job title" here might be delineante proyectista
Some more vacancies with salaries here
http://empleo.trovit.es/index.php/co...20proyectista/

TheLostPhotographer

If he can retain UK clients and work online you'll both live very rich and happily

If he can't retain UK business, you're both in for a very rough ride. You don't mention if either of you can speak Spanish. Auto CAD skills are not really worth what they were in the UK Four years ago. Those skills are worth **** all here if you can't speak the lingo!

clements1690

Even though Steven is brilliant at his job he does have difficulty in learning languages I am the one with the flair for languages speaking some french and german aswel but all he can do is practice, that is why I am starting to believe a placement in Gibraltar and driving through from Spain would be better for now until we know more about the language, we do have a small limited company here that he does want to try and keep going by using an employee here to do all the groundwork but as the current credit situation here is not good not a lot of people are extending there home or building new houses!

I am not shy of working and will do anything to get a bit of extra money in and we will be saving up £5000 to keep in the just in case pot!

We aren't planning on going until May next year but we need to know if this is possible by August, otherwise I can get on with University and get the business management degree I've wanted!

03630

If you want my honest opinion?
Anything is possible if you really want it BUT:

By coming to Spain you will be competing with national's who know the system and the language. The Spanish property market is also in the doldrums. Without knowing your employee it is hard to say, but as a rule the salaried don't have as much interest in the business as the owner. Finally, are you sure this is what you want, or would the degree be better?

clements1690

I'm 21 so I have a lot of years to get the degree, I'd just rather not waste another year of sitting around in the UK, I'd rather be in Spain at least learning something! Because of the state of the market at the minute and the fact that the business is so quiet it is going to be an ideal opportunity that we can get away. The fact you say the Spanish market is also dwindling is a bit worrying though.

Our employee is not salaried he has a full time job with another firm, he is just employed to do all the time consuming stuff and works on commission, he would be getting 40% of the profit from the jobs that we get so its in his best interest to pull his finger out! He would be doing the basic ground work and the initial drawings and Steven would be doing the technical work which can be all done through emails and photographs and maybe one visit. Whilst in Spain we would not expect any business except Stevens job and the small uk jobs, this is because the whole planning and building regulations procedure would be so massively different and also the tax issue from having a full time job and running small jobs is ridiculous! I am led to believe that he could get a job in Spain pay spanish tax on his job then pay the UK tax on the jobs he gets here, if anyone knows this is incorrect please let me know.

We don't have a mortgage so the massive tie isn't there. We are looking at minimum 2 years maximum 5 years in Spain, living and working, learning the language and getting away from the UK's attitude of wanting the latest TV or the latest car, we want to spend time as a family enjoying the simple pleasures. We know the money won't be the same but we don't care, we aren't going for the money we are going for the learning experience. My grandfather lived in Mallorca when he was alive and the people there were amazing with kids, they treat them like kings and queens thats what I want!

We like to do everything with our son, go for meals, go out to family pub's and in the UK its difficult, kids are seen as a nuisance and that annoys me. When the market picks up again in a few years we can come back and start again with it, I can get my degree, Steven can establish his business again, the little one can finish Primary school then we can decide then what to do permanently!

03630

I believe that once you become resident in Spain you pay Spanish tax on your world wide income. There will be someone better qualified than me to advise.

Traditionally, the expat had skills that were in demand by his host country and was assisted with housing, visas etc. Or a country was short of people and encouraged immigration. Or you worked for a multi national. None of these apply. By virtue of our mutual membership of the EU , citizens have the right to live and work in the community. That doesn't mean that they necessarily can, though. The numbers of Brits (particularly those who don't speak Spanish) who actually work in the SPANISH community is small. Most supply services to other Brits or some teach English.

That said, determination is everything. Choose to live in a town/city in an apartment where there are few other foreigners and who knows. Your partner might just have that USP that some Spanish company is seeking.

Obviously it is your decision in the end, I just wouldn't want you thinking it will be easy, particularly as the Western world enters recession. I am by nature a risk taker but I weigh the risk. If I were you I would tuck that degree away first.

clements1690

What would you think about working in Gibraltar and living in Spain at first to test the water so to speak? There are many jobs advertised there which don't require Spanish but obviously as we would be living there we would learn it a whole lot quicker and so be able to move more into spain?

We are also risk takers, it was only last year we moved from our quiet little country village where our families are to the big lights of Leeds 90 minutes in the car away, now we have itchy feet again! I also think if we wait till after my degree has finished then our family would have expanded lol.

03630

Sorry, you have now exhausted my area of knowledge. Commonsense would say, get the job in Gib first then look for a place to rent. There are plenty, but do remember that the Spanish would rent a nice 3 bed flat in an average town for 400 Euros.

clements1690

Thankyou, you have been very helpful