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GAF, how much do you make?
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Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Renegade Yeti
Neo Member
After reading this thread as a mechanical engineer in the uk I should really move to the states, the disparity between a graduate engineer here and in America is shocking
Those cost of living calculators are kind of bullshit for people with high salaries. They only make sense if you are spending 100% of your money on necessities and not saving anything, because the cost of living multiplier only applies to the money you spend, not on what you save.
The other thing to consider is that the biggest differentiator is usually housing, however if you are paying a mortgage, you are accruing equity. Paying twice as much in Manhattan is not equivalent, because when all is said and done, you will end up with an asset that is worth twice as much.
uncelestial
Member
$210k, 37, Technical Writing.
transience
Member
$85k, 35, health care IT
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
You need to remember taxes vary wildly between regions, countries, states etc. Think income tax, superannuation requirements and capital gains tax when you sell your assets etc. Australia for example has high taxes for such things.
Another factor to consider is student loans, many who newly have high salaries also have large student loans to repay.
£26k, although I sacrificed some of that to buy a bike and shares in the company, so its actually slightly lower (although hopefully the shares pay off!)
Thats as a Java programmer in North West England.
Can't complain to be honest, especially considering how lazy I've been for most of my life.
edit: I'm 27, but only started doing programming 3 years ago
Thats as a Java programmer in North West England.
Can't complain to be honest, especially considering how lazy I've been for most of my life.
edit: I'm 27, but only started doing programming 3 years ago
Haha, no harm man, I like itI just had to mate, cool job, I hope it stays cool.
PipefishUK
Banned
I didn't think GAF was representative of the general population - but I really didn't think the average would be so low in the US.
You still get a private email address (or several) with your broadband/ISP account over here. No one uses them though, everyone just uses hotmail/outlook and gmail. The only thing I've ever used mine for is signing up for GAF.
everyone else is fussing over the big ones, I want to poke at yours a bit more.
assuming 9 hours a day 5 days a week that is 40 hours of normal pay and 5 hours of overtime. assume time and a half 47.5 hours a week. or puts your job at merely 7.69 an hour.
I'm not sure where you work but that seems really low as if we do the upper end of what you said 12 hours a day 6 days a week. that is 40 hours of normal pay 32 hours of over time or effectively 88 hours a week or you would be making 4.15 an hour.
thus, I am curious where you live, what you do and what not
Late reply.
Oops, I'm a idiot, I forgot to do the overtime 1.5x. It's probably closer to 21k then. It is min. wage.
SuoGrey
Member
31 at 18k a year working security.
Couldn't be happier, I sit at a desk for 6 hours surfing the net, playing vita, or watching tv.
I've read enough death bed stories to know one of the biggest regrets many people have Is that they spent so much of their lives working.
Don't be frustrated if you don't make super bucks. Learn to manage what you do have and fucking love it. Life really is what you make of it. / inspirational music.
Couldn't be happier, I sit at a desk for 6 hours surfing the net, playing vita, or watching tv.
I've read enough death bed stories to know one of the biggest regrets many people have Is that they spent so much of their lives working.
Don't be frustrated if you don't make super bucks. Learn to manage what you do have and fucking love it. Life really is what you make of it. / inspirational music.
HarryKS
Member
RedNumberFive
Banned
You deserve the salary dude. I spend about 10% of my job doing technical writing, and it is not easy.
Interficium
Banned
33/Art Director/Around 90k depending on bonuses.
$2k (0
, 45, retired (@37) Software Engineer (DOS (x86, C, C++), Windows 3 through NT/XP (C++, C#, SQL), Web (ISAPI, .Net etc).
Downsized to U.S. in fall of 07 and after U.S.'s financial meltdown, when interest rates plunged from 5% to 1%, bought v. modest fully refurbished home in 08, and supplement $2k interest income, with savings, for lavish $5k / year lifestyle.
How can one live reasonably comfortably on $5k? Well first, have to deduct $1k property tax and $.5k for water / refuse = $3.5k. Comcast Budget Digital Cable (at least get On-Demand and HBO) + Basic Broadband (presently no cap and 1080p streaming) reduces this to $2.6k and with elecricity, down to around $2k. That goes on consumables, with a budget of around $38 / week. Have no car (Arnie would be impressed with my calf muscles, from walking 4.5 miles / week in Shenandoah Valley), no insurance and clothes budget is virtually $0.
I prepare all my meals (never eat out), from scratch, including whole wheat (yeast free) bread (actually quite good, toasted) and margarita pizza (use naan as base). My cooking skills have their limits, so do regularly buy Sharwoods Jalfrezi sauce, when on special for $2 at Kroger (pucker with Stonefire Tandori Naan, on clearance for $1.5, which can freeze). Also occasionally, Bertolli Portobello Mushroom Tomato Sauce (recommend) for $2.15 at Walmart, which I use with browned chicken breast chunks and Uncle Bens rice. For week's worth of semi-healthy snacks, bake batch of cookies (oatmeal craisin or crunchy peanut butter), brownies or banana bread.
At height of my career, I was earning around $75k+ (at today's exchange rate) and I made a killing (3.3 times purchase price!) when I sold my U.K. apartment, which I spent several months completely refurbishing. I don't miss my past life, however, I won't be complaining when interest rates finally edge their way back up.
, 45, retired (@37) Software Engineer (DOS (x86, C, C++), Windows 3 through NT/XP (C++, C#, SQL), Web (ISAPI, .Net etc).Downsized to U.S. in fall of 07 and after U.S.'s financial meltdown, when interest rates plunged from 5% to 1%, bought v. modest fully refurbished home in 08, and supplement $2k interest income, with savings, for lavish $5k / year lifestyle.
How can one live reasonably comfortably on $5k? Well first, have to deduct $1k property tax and $.5k for water / refuse = $3.5k. Comcast Budget Digital Cable (at least get On-Demand and HBO) + Basic Broadband (presently no cap and 1080p streaming) reduces this to $2.6k and with elecricity, down to around $2k. That goes on consumables, with a budget of around $38 / week. Have no car (Arnie would be impressed with my calf muscles, from walking 4.5 miles / week in Shenandoah Valley), no insurance and clothes budget is virtually $0.
I prepare all my meals (never eat out), from scratch, including whole wheat (yeast free) bread (actually quite good, toasted) and margarita pizza (use naan as base). My cooking skills have their limits, so do regularly buy Sharwoods Jalfrezi sauce, when on special for $2 at Kroger (pucker with Stonefire Tandori Naan, on clearance for $1.5, which can freeze). Also occasionally, Bertolli Portobello Mushroom Tomato Sauce (recommend) for $2.15 at Walmart, which I use with browned chicken breast chunks and Uncle Bens rice. For week's worth of semi-healthy snacks, bake batch of cookies (oatmeal craisin or crunchy peanut butter), brownies or banana bread.
At height of my career, I was earning around $75k+ (at today's exchange rate) and I made a killing (3.3 times purchase price!) when I sold my U.K. apartment, which I spent several months completely refurbishing. I don't miss my past life, however, I won't be complaining when interest rates finally edge their way back up
.uncelestial
Member
I'm senior-level and the lead tech writer on my team. It's really hard work -- you have to be an adept writer, coder, and at my level, a UX and SEO expert. But it's a great gig if you can get it. Engineers have pagers for when things go down and spend hours trying to figure out obscure bugs. I get paid like a senior-level engineer, but have no such pressure. I have a lot to slog through but the closest thing I have to brain-bending debugging is wracking my brain to explain something in English. Oh, and reading hundreds of pages of very dense technical design docs and/or source code. That can be not fun.
It's San Francisco, so I'm not as rich as you might think. My GF is an RN who also makes six digits, though, so we are doing alright.
Daniel B·;184373717 said:$2k (0
Downsized to U.S. in fall of 07 and after U.S.'s financial meltdown, when interest rates plunged from 5% to 1%, bought v. modest fully refurbished home in 08, and supplement $2k interest income, with savings, for lavish $5k / year lifestyle.
How can one live reasonably comfortably on $5k? Well first, have to deduct $1k property tax and $.5k for water / refuse = $3.5k. Comcast Budget Digital Cable (at least get On-Demand and HBO) + Basic Broadband (presently no cap and 1080p streaming) reduces this to $2.6k and with elecricity, down to around $2k. That goes on consumables, with a budget of around $38 / week. Have no car (Arnie would be impressed with my calf muscles, from walking 4.5 miles / week in Shenandoah Valley), no insurance and clothes budget is virtually $0.
I prepare all my meals (never eat out), from scratch, including whole wheat (yeast free) bread (actually quite good, toasted) and margarita pizza (use naan as base). My cooking skills have their limits, so do regularly buy Sharwoods Jalfrezi sauce, when on special for $2 at Kroger (pucker with Stonefire Tandori Naan, on clearance for $1.5, which can freeze). Also occasionally, Bertolli Portobello Mushroom Tomato Sauce (recommend) for $2.15 at Walmart, which I use with browned chicken breast chunks and Uncle Bens rice. For week's worth of semi-healthy snacks, bake batch of cookies (oatmeal craisin or crunchy peanut butter), brownies or banana bread.
At height of my career, I was earning around $75k+ (at today's exchange rate) and I made a killing (3.3 times purchase price!) when I sold my U.K. apartment, which I spent several months completely refurbishing. I don't miss my past life, however, I won't be complaining when interest rates finally edge their way back up
I can admire the non-Consumerism, but "no insurance" seems like a red flag. What happens if your house burns down or you become seriously ill?
HarryKS
Member
Do you do QA and publishing as well?
EdwardTeach
Member
If he has a UK passport he will probably just fly back here if something serious crops up.!
I did have home insurance, up until 2011, as I managed to fly my "virtually new house" proposition, given that the house was rebuilt from a shell and had brand new wiring, plumbing, roof and interior etc, so I was able to secure a not too exorbitant rate (around $350). Not that long after canceling my insurance (premium had crept up to almost $450), we had the Virginia earthquake, which caused little damage in my area, but my house still shook, and I was going "Oh shit!", thinking about my insurance... I'm not overly worried about fire, given the new wiring and circuit breaker and I don't smoke. When interest rates pick up significantly, I will perhaps have another look.
On health insurance, the plan on the Obamacare marketplace was going to cost almost my entire existing budget ($5k), with a 10% deductible, so that was out of the question. But, I'm well into the "prevention is better than cure" mantra, so as well as all the power walking I do (for groceries and weekly disc golf), I am eating reasonably healthily too, with little processed junk (no soda at home (just weekly at cinema), commercial snacks etc), and a fair amount of veges: Boston lettuce in my lunch sandwich (also mix in 2 tbsp of organic crushed flax seed into my home made bread), and invariably steamed broccoli (organic, when good quality) for my evening meals.
Pro Tip: lightly steam broccoli (once steam is being produced, I turn my electric hob down to 2.5 / 9, from 5), until point when you can just prick floretes with a fork (yields crunchy texture), to preserve maximum nutrients, color and possibly added flavor (takes some practice, but you can judge how successful you've been, by color of steamer water and reduced smell; not green at all - nailed it!). WARNING: due to increased crunchiness of broccoli, you have to take extra care when cutting broccoli on your plate, because if you're not careful, you can end up launching your dinner onto surrounding area (I speak from experience)
.My monthly wages vary from month to month depending on the number of clients I'm working for that month and the type of work I'm doing for them. On average, though, I make between £1250-£1500 each month providing the client pays or if they choose to pay in full or in installments.
uncelestial
Member
QA is done through peer review, so yes -- but for other writers' stuff. We have tools for publishing ourselves (on-demand), so we have to design our own publication regime to support releases, etc. I also am working on migrating that system to GitHub so we can open source our documentation w/the community. This is at Google, btw.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Was making 130K as a QA Engineer, but my team was recently laid off. It was probably 160-80 after factoring in bonuses, stock and health insurance. I was way overpaid, so I'm expecting my next job to be 1/4 to 1/2 that. Combined household income during that time was over 200K.
Lovely Salsa
Banned
Now can anyone in here calculate the median of all the posts?
It feels like its at like 80k usd
It feels like its at like 80k usd
ive seen a lot more >80's in this thread than <80s
More than I should be making given the business I'm in and the experience I got. Nothing too spectacular compared to some here, but for someone in my line of work (journalism) I make way too much for someone with just a bachelor degree and hardly any experience. I graduated earlier this year and the amount I'm getting right now is higher than most journalists will ever make.
To be fair, this required me to leave my friends and family behind in my home country.
To be fair, this required me to leave my friends and family behind in my home country.
Daniel B·;184427882 said:
I think many would argue that indicates the $5K/year lifestyle is really not sustainable.
Exercise and healthy eating may help prevent heart disease or type 2 diabetes, but does little for a lot of serious illnesses or injuries. There are plenty of vegans and athletes who get cancer and there's not much anyone can do to avoid the possibility of tripping, falling awkwardly, and breaking a bone or tearing a ligament.
You never really answered what your plan was if something significant did happen to your house or your health. Is it bankruptcy and homelessness?
casablanca
Member
26, 50kEuros/Year + variable bonuses , Network admin.
Paris.
Paris.
thestopsign
Member
You guys must be selectively reading. I can make a run through.
$20-25k / year including tips, pizza delivery. I'm 29. I only work 25-30 hours a week though. Having a life and a super flexible schedule is priceless. My fiancee makes roughly the same as a National Sales Support Agent for the local call center. She is 30.
So far we are doing pretty decently in a lower cost of living area. Able to afford to get married and saving for the nicer things in life like retirement, new furniture, lavish getaways, and maybe a house.
I'm one of those went to 4 year college but fell through the cracks and never recovered folks. If I ever get the student loans paid off things will be super comfortable.
I used to make $40k/year but had less due to cost of living. Honestly I'm a bit torn about it. I do miss seeing bigger pay checks but I don't miss the work hours...
Just goes to show money isn't everything..
So far we are doing pretty decently in a lower cost of living area. Able to afford to get married and saving for the nicer things in life like retirement, new furniture, lavish getaways, and maybe a house.
I'm one of those went to 4 year college but fell through the cracks and never recovered folks. If I ever get the student loans paid off things will be super comfortable.
I used to make $40k/year but had less due to cost of living. Honestly I'm a bit torn about it. I do miss seeing bigger pay checks but I don't miss the work hours...
Just goes to show money isn't everything..
thestopsign
Member
I just did a quick check of the first two pages after realizing it would take way too much time for me to do this right now. This is out of 66 GAFers.
Average w/ students included was $58,883.26
Average w/o students included was $61,262.74
There were a few heavy outliers in the data with one guy making $331,000. He alone increases the average almost 5k. I might comeback and do a deeper look into this at some point. I also excluded anyone who didn't give me a yearly figure. I did convert foreign currency though.
Average w/ students included was $58,883.26
Average w/o students included was $61,262.74
There were a few heavy outliers in the data with one guy making $331,000. He alone increases the average almost 5k. I might comeback and do a deeper look into this at some point. I also excluded anyone who didn't give me a yearly figure. I did convert foreign currency though.
davidbloop
Member
Just over 40k AUD... so that equates to about 28k USD
working 40 hours a week.
working 40 hours a week.
Putyouinmyoven
Member
As a student, $000000000.
Nah I do work a bit when I'm able to, probably around £80 / month average.
Nah I do work a bit when I'm able to, probably around £80 / month average.
Boy Wander
Member
125k sterling. Plus 12% in pension. Plus around 10-20% bonus. Tech project manager in banking sector.
sechsterangriff
Member
I'm an SAP technical consultant and I'm only only making about 16k (after taxes) a year... I really should move to another country.
HarryKS
Member
Ah ok. Now it makes sense.
UK, 24, completed an Apprenticeship and stayed on with the company where I completed it as an Engineering Technician, base wage is $38K (£25K) and overtime adds another $15k (£10K) annually.
Both manufacturing and the oil & gas industry are facing difficulties, things aren't looking like they'll hold out for too much longer. Should've saved up more money while i had the chance for peace of mind.
Both manufacturing and the oil & gas industry are facing difficulties, things aren't looking like they'll hold out for too much longer. Should've saved up more money while i had the chance for peace of mind.
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