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Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

swissdevjobs.ch

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Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#301

Post by ThePadawan »

mistrial9 wrote: post #102

my brilliant colleague went to Zurich for a year to work with finance people on math problems. He said that it was not the culture to mix socially, he liked to ride his road bike in the good weather, and basically, he worked the entire year without making any friends or being social. Then he left. It was expensive for him at the time (no details) even as a well-paid young math programmer, so it was not a big financia…

Can confirm - the local media will reprint the same articles every few months on how expats are moving away because the Swiss are too standoffish.

And that includes Germans. I don't want to lean too heavily on the cliches, but if you come across cold even compared to Germans, surely that's a sign.

Source: German expat, living in Switzerland since 2008.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#302

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

Nursie wrote: post #295
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn, I live in Graz and work in the embedded field and never get any contracting offers in my inbox. Would you mind sharing some, maybe in private?

I've put my email address in my profile info, temporarily. Ping me and I'll happily forward you a few of the more recent ones.

Pinged successful. Thanks! :)

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#303

Post by ThePadawan »

netsharc wrote: post #210
goatinaboat wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The housing If you have a shower or run a bath or do laundry in your apartment outside of the designated hours, your neighbours will complain to the landlord and you may be evicted. The Swiss are very, very fond of rules, and even fonder of enforcing them.

Source? Exaggerate much?

I would say it's slight exaggeration, having lived in Switzerland for over ten years.

I would put it on the same level as "my home owner's association fined me for only watering my lawn twice a week instead of three times a week".

Not impossible to believe, but also far from normal.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#304

Post by dbancajas »

SlowRobotAhead wrote: post #260
pkaye wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of those people do make a pretty good salary in California though. For example in Oakland, the Fire Department Captain makes $472k/year. https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2018/oakland/

How many positions for Oakland Dept Fire Captain are there? I’m in the market.

Even regular police officers on that page earn 350K! damn am in the wrong industry.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#305

Post by HorkHunter »

timerol wrote: post #237
HorkHunter wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Vienna and its pretty normal here to rent for 40-50% of your salary. otherwise you'd move to the far outskirts of the city.

I often hear about how Vienna is a public housing paradise. (ie, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vienna-affordable-housing-par... , https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr_edge_featd_articl... ) Is it the market-rate units that cost 40-50% of your salary?

Yes public housing is great In Austria in general, you'd just need to fulfill some requirements to be eligible for it, one of which you need to be a resident of the city for 7+ years.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#306

Post by 0xffff2 »

armandososa wrote: post #280
0xffff2 wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>One thing I have found about working remotely is that its pretty easy to work 35 hours a week and produce the same output as a full time, in office employee. Less distractions and in-office chitchat, and more working time. In practice this means that you can wake up at 7:30, make a coffee, be online at 8am, and then be free by 3pm This is highly individual. My company lets me work remote whenever and as much as I wa…

I've been working remotely for twelve years now and I think that today I wouldn't be able to write a single line of code in a crowded space with other people.

Me neither, which is why I refuse to work for a company with that kind of work environment. So far, my personal experience is office>cubicle>home. If I ever do find myself unfortunate enough to be forced to take an open office job, I expect it will rank below working from home.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#308

Post by pkaye »

dbancajas wrote: post #304
SlowRobotAhead wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many positions for Oakland Dept Fire Captain are there? I’m in the market.

Even regular police officers on that page earn 350K! damn am in the wrong industry.

Police jobs have some risks but there are a few engineering jobs there which are not too bad. And the guaranteed pension is the icing on top.

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#309

Post by Rebelgecko »

ticmasta wrote: post #267
reascenda wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO of Credit Suisse is a black man from the Ivory Coast. Not to say that racism doesn't exist in Switzerland but equally you don't see policemen shooting unarmed black people in their houses either.

That's likely attributed more to gun culture than a lack of racism

What is Swiss gun culture like? I know they have one of the highest ownership rates in the world. I was on vacation there a few months ago and was surprised to learn that the government lets you keep your service weapon at the completion of the mandatory military service. Does mandating military service for men make a big impact on gun culture there?

Re: Switzerland vs Silicon Valley for Software Developers

#310

Post by IdontRememberIt »

ElDji wrote: post #268
IdontRememberIt wrote: post #194

Switzerland is a complex system: instead of 1 high rate tax, you pay many low taxes. So cheating is not worth it individually (too risky/complex for a small saving). But the sum is crazy. Exemple of taxes/mandatory ccharges a developper will pay: network tax, photocopy tax, radio tax, VAT, AHV/IV, garbage elimination tax, city tax, state tax, federal tax, healthcare (in some countries it is included in your "federal/…

> Usually, I work 6 month per year for taxes. Having worked as freelance in switzerland, that sound weird and make me thing : "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"

Each situation is different and depends on an infinity of parameters (for exemple do not forget that a married couple pays more taxes than two individuals).

Income city+state+federal (30%), VAT (7,6%), AHV (11%) + all the rest I have lost count of.

For exemple, I pay 2,7% for PCI (Family allowance tax).

I have a very good revenue by Swiss standard. Everything from work, nothing from capital gain.

- I work in Romandie where personal tax a waaaay higher than in Swiss Germany and I am not in the best city...

- I do not count 2nd pilier as it is a "capitalisation" system and not "redistribution" (AHV). But are also mandatory insurances. Also, the revenue you will get at retirement is shrinking (due to life expectancy and negative rates) and is forecasted to even decrease in the future.

- Do not forget that Federal tax is not linear...

PS: Fun fact. Almost all successful French tennis players have lived in Switzerland a few years because they could negociate their taxes. Roger Federer or Wawrinka who have done a lot for a positive image of Switzerland had to pay full rate...

PS2: Company tax system is under total renovation now (because of pressure from Europe). I can imaging that personal tax will follow in the coming decades.

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