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My Salary Progression in Tech

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Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#391

Post by salaryFoo »

fyfy18 wrote: post #373
salaryFoo wrote: post #136

About three years after graduating I stumbled into some extra freelance work a school friend passed on to me. Then got lucky again by finding myself in a well-paid (for UK) devops niche. - 2009: £1,000/yr Mostly depressed, unemployed and unmotivated. Some income from teaching English and arbitraging signup bonuses on gambling websites. Lived close to rent-free by subletting rooms in the apartment I was living in. (Sp…

Any tips for pushing up contracting rates? I've been on pretty much the same since I started 4 years ago, which isn't a bad rate, but from these numbers it seems like I should be asking for more. Most of the work I've found had been from recruiters on LinkedIn. Do you just say "I want £800/day, what do you have?".

* I work with pretty niche enterprise devops software. My Linkedin profile is 100% oriented to selling my skills with that software (Note that there is a real risk that this software will be out-of-fashion in five years)

* I give a proper reply to everyone who contacts me on LinkedIn, even if the work they are offering is totally unrelated to what I can/want to do. The frequent spam is a small price to pay in return for being in everyone's database.

* I'm very upfront with my day-rate and get rejected by most of the recruiters/companies that get in touch with me because it's too high. This is fine and intentional because there is enough demand to get that rate anyway (so far).

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#392

Post by krn »

black-tea wrote: post #364
iSpiderman wrote: post #353

> It's always been my intention to retire early, > I'm interested in making huge money and retiring early, > I don't begrudge people with their crazy salaries but I do get frustrated that I can't find success myself. I am shocked and surprised at the same time (knowing that I only selected quotes of a few commentators). Shocked to see the same mindset as many managing consultants and investment bankers I have met and…

For me it's about security and freedom, not "keeping up with the Joneses". I earn a good salary for the UK, even if it might look small compared to the US salaries. But I've been very careful not to inflate my lifestyle too much. I don't have an expensive car. I don't go on expensive holidays. I save approximately 40% of my take home pay. I feel I need to do this because I won't necessarily be employable long past 50…

> But I've been very careful not to inflate my lifestyle too much. I don't have an expensive car. I don't go on expensive holidays.

That's what I noticed during my undergraduate years in the UK after growing up in continental Europe: "lifestyle" for most people in the UK from the young age is associated with spending money on material things and holidays, not pursuing life-long hobbies and interests.

In much of continental Europe people seem to be enjoying their lives a way more, despite often earning 2-3x lower salaries while doing similar jobs.

In my own country, even a person making 15k / year might have a second home in the countryside, where he spends every summer weekend with his friends and family.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#393

Post by klohto »

alexgmcm wrote: post #386
strikelaserclaw wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn dude, what type of learning did you do from 32-42.

Yeah, also what company gives that many raises!? Normally it seems it's 2-3% and if you want more you jump ship...

Having been to 3 corporations, all of them offer a raise of 7% - 10% every year. I'm not sure if I'm lucky but I thought this is a norm.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#394

Post by gigatexal »

techie128 wrote: post #390
gigatexal wrote: post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really need to get these skills up to snuff and get my butt back to the US. These salaries are ridiculous.

Not salary. It's total comp. Most of it is stock growth.

Makes sense actually. Still the tax paid on the sale of stock (held for a year or more I think) is taxed under the Bush era cap gains values of only 15% IIRC so that's pretty good.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#395

Post by restalis »

iSpiderman wrote: post #353

> It's always been my intention to retire early, > I'm interested in making huge money and retiring early, > I don't begrudge people with their crazy salaries but I do get frustrated that I can't find success myself. I am shocked and surprised at the same time (knowing that I only selected quotes of a few commentators). Shocked to see the same mindset as many managing consultants and investment bankers I have met and…

That's one way to look at it. Another is that one uses the early retirement as a driving goal that ultimately helps one grow. Yes, you may afford to retire and live mediocre if you want, but would you now, with your newly realized potential that the journey towards your previous goals helped you discover? For many that choose to continue, I guess it's that old saying "it is better to wear out than to rust out", the difference between those who work affording to retire comfortably in any moment and those who don't is the kind of work they do. That is the real prize worth pursuing. As regarding to publicly declared goal, it's just a good enough explanation to feed the inquisitive spirits. And it's more comfortable for them hearing that you have to work in order to make it (towards a different level than they do, but still, a shared experience there) instead of bragging that you don't have to crawl any more.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#396

Post by alexpetralia »

restalis wrote: post #395
iSpiderman wrote: post #353

> It's always been my intention to retire early, > I'm interested in making huge money and retiring early, > I don't begrudge people with their crazy salaries but I do get frustrated that I can't find success myself. I am shocked and surprised at the same time (knowing that I only selected quotes of a few commentators). Shocked to see the same mindset as many managing consultants and investment bankers I have met and…

That's one way to look at it. Another is that one uses the early retirement as a driving goal that ultimately helps one grow. Yes, you may afford to retire and live mediocre if you want, but would you now, with your newly realized potential that the journey towards your previous goals helped you discover? For many that choose to continue, I guess it's that old saying "it is better to wear out than to rust out", the d…

You can grow, but you'll experience growing pains your whole life. Maybe that is a fair tradeoff.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#397

Post by isostatic »

tvphan wrote: post #45

I am Asian but was born and raised in Australia. I have a Bachelor of Science and I work as a web developer, e.g. Spring, ASP.NET, React, WordPress, Drupal, etc. 2013 - 23yo - $45K - First job - Magento developer building eCommerce websites for clients. 2014 - 24yo - $54K 2015 - 25yo - $70K - Second job - Magento / Shopify / WordPress developer, building eCommerce websites for clients. 2016 - 26yo - $75K 2017 - 27yo…

> 2018 - 28yo - $85K

I assume these are AUD. You don't say where in Aus you're based, but it's not terrible at that age, you're still some way off peak, it's slightly above average.

Based on https://www.livingin-australia.com/salaries-australia/

  Average Full Time Ordinary Time Earnings Q2 2018
  State Average Annual Wage
  Tasmania $71,718
  South Australia $75,369
  Queensland $80,304
  Victoria $80,610
  New South Wales $83,517
  Northern Territory $86,762
  Western Australia $90,496
  Capital Territory $94,224

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#398

Post by expertentipp »

hk__2 wrote: post #16
vichu wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By "whites" here, I assume you mean "white-collar workers". Usually, in vernacular, "whites" is taken as a slightly derogatory metonym for "white people", so I was initially slightly taken aback by your comment. Sorry if I was being obtuse, but I have never heard the term "whites" used in this fashion.

The blog post talks about white people.

That was my impression as well.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#399

Post by clarry »

iSpiderman wrote: post #353

> It's always been my intention to retire early, > I'm interested in making huge money and retiring early, > I don't begrudge people with their crazy salaries but I do get frustrated that I can't find success myself. I am shocked and surprised at the same time (knowing that I only selected quotes of a few commentators). Shocked to see the same mindset as many managing consultants and investment bankers I have met and…

> Find something you love doing and do it for the 'work' itself

People keep repeating that advice, but finding something you love doing just for the work might be an endless chase, not unlike the chase after success and money.

Some of us actually feel that it is easier to chase money than it is to find work you really love.

Re: My Salary Progression in Tech

#400

Post by alexgmcm »

klohto wrote: post #393
alexgmcm wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, also what company gives that many raises!? Normally it seems it's 2-3% and if you want more you jump ship...

Having been to 3 corporations, all of them offer a raise of 7% - 10% every year. I'm not sure if I'm lucky but I thought this is a norm.

I'm in Europe and inflation is like 1% here so maybe that is why it's always been really low?

But a 10% raise is def. not a norm here - I've only gotten that when I was promoted and when I had a market correction raise (i.e. not the usual annual raise).

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