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Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

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Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#31

Post by deanCommie »

smnrchrds wrote: post #15
jessriedel wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Software engineer salaries are significantly lower than in the US. > The median Canadian “Software Engineer” salary is CA$72,000. The median US salary is US$91,000.... The cost of living in Vancouver is about 4.8% higher than Austin. While the median Software Engineer salary in Austin is 40% higher than Vancouver when accounting for the exchange rate. https://medium.com/@sprice/more-canadian-software-engineers-...

As an aside, I passionately hate that graph. It implies that Canadian tech salaries are abnormally low. I wish it was either showing just the US, or included more countries than just US and Canada. Had they included London, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc. in the graph, it would have showed that Canadian salaries are in line with and towards the higher end of world salaries except US, and that US salaries are a huge o…

This needs to be more visible.

I'm a Canadian working for a US FAANMG company, and I've been based out of both their Canadian and European offices.

I make way more in Vancouver than my peers in ANY European office (which include Zurich, London, Berlin)

And those places are more expensive than Vancouver (not counting buying real estate which is not relevant to me as a renter)

But of course I'm keenly aware that I'd make 30% more in Seattle, and 50% more in Silicon Valley.

Does it bother me? Not really. I've been to those places and I would take the lifestyle quality of both Vancouver and Canada over any part of the US. Plus these days, I don't see a way of living in the US, and not feeling complicit in all the evils of the country. Not without radical participation in trying to destroy the system from within.

And despite what people say about the similarity in work culture, it's more reasonable in Canada from sick leave to vacation, to day-to-day expectations of work-life balance.

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#32

Post by fulafel »

lucidone wrote: post #2

The cheap labour pool as a consequence of the weak Canadian dollar certainly helps, alongside having identical time zones and nearly identical culture to the United States. Lots of Canadian consultancies butter their bread with USD.

How would currency factor into the situation?

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#33

Post by fredophile »

blazespin wrote: post #13

The best thing that could ever happen to Canada would get rid of that god awful TN-Visa. TN - Talent Nuke. Completely sucks us dry of people moving to the US.

I moved to the US from Canada on a TN. I would've liked to stay where I was but the local job market wasn't great at the time. At the time I viewed it as temporary. Now I have no plans to go back. I'm making twice the base salary and I'm in an area with a significantly lower cost of living.

The TN wasn't responsible for my leaving and it isn't the reason I'm staying away.

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#34

Post by wolco »

starky wrote: post #29
smnrchrds wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an aside, I passionately hate that graph. It implies that Canadian tech salaries are abnormally low. I wish it was either showing just the US, or included more countries than just US and Canada. Had they included London, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc. in the graph, it would have showed that Canadian salaries are in line with and towards the higher end of world salaries except US, and that US salaries are a huge o…

Sure you could add other cities, but the result of the graph is the same for Canadians. We are getting absolutely hosed on salary considering that nearly everything (minus housing) in Canada is pegged to the US dollar. It makes it really hard to attract talent when someone looking for a job could move 4 hours south and make 50-100% more money to have more purchasing power. Other countries being similar to our level d…

Add in the 50% taxes it really makes things very expensive.

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#35

Post by GhostVII »

jonathankoren wrote: post #26
wenc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pool of technical talent is also pretty great. If you're in a non-primary market in the U.S. (non NYC/SF/Boston), my experience has been that you can hire comparable or better talent in Canadian cities for less the local U.S. median salary, especially in talent-starved markets within the U.S. It's an open secret that many Americans are somehow unaware of.

Also with easier immigration, Canada’s talent pool will only get better. Already the US is losing people to Canada due to overly restrictive immigration laws. I’ve even heard immigration offices offering to help with Canadian immigration on the radio in the SF Bay https://www.csmonitor.com/EqualEd/2019/0304/Go-north-young-g... https://movnorth.com/

I think Canada is losing far more people to the US than the other way around, at least at the higher end of the market. Canadian salaries just aren't competitive at that level.

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#36

Post by permatech »

deanCommie wrote: post #31
smnrchrds wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an aside, I passionately hate that graph. It implies that Canadian tech salaries are abnormally low. I wish it was either showing just the US, or included more countries than just US and Canada. Had they included London, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc. in the graph, it would have showed that Canadian salaries are in line with and towards the higher end of world salaries except US, and that US salaries are a huge o…

This needs to be more visible. I'm a Canadian working for a US FAANMG company, and I've been based out of both their Canadian and European offices. I make way more in Vancouver than my peers in ANY European office (which include Zurich, London, Berlin) And those places are more expensive than Vancouver (not counting buying real estate which is not relevant to me as a renter) But of course I'm keenly aware that I'd ma…

> I don't see a way of living in the US, and not feeling complicit in all the evils of the country

Hyperbole much? Do you lose sleep over tar sands?

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#37

Post by wbl »

GhostVII wrote: post #35
jonathankoren wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also with easier immigration, Canada’s talent pool will only get better. Already the US is losing people to Canada due to overly restrictive immigration laws. I’ve even heard immigration offices offering to help with Canadian immigration on the radio in the SF Bay https://www.csmonitor.com/EqualEd/2019/0304/Go-north-young-g... https://movnorth.com/

I think Canada is losing far more people to the US than the other way around, at least at the higher end of the market. Canadian salaries just aren't competitive at that level.

Why not?

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#39

Post by [deleted] »

GhostVII wrote: post #35
jonathankoren wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also with easier immigration, Canada’s talent pool will only get better. Already the US is losing people to Canada due to overly restrictive immigration laws. I’ve even heard immigration offices offering to help with Canadian immigration on the radio in the SF Bay https://www.csmonitor.com/EqualEd/2019/0304/Go-north-young-g... https://movnorth.com/

I think Canada is losing far more people to the US than the other way around, at least at the higher end of the market. Canadian salaries just aren't competitive at that level.

[deleted]

Re: Google's expansion plans show why Canada's tech boom is here to stay

#40

Post by wbl »

deanCommie wrote: post #31
smnrchrds wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an aside, I passionately hate that graph. It implies that Canadian tech salaries are abnormally low. I wish it was either showing just the US, or included more countries than just US and Canada. Had they included London, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc. in the graph, it would have showed that Canadian salaries are in line with and towards the higher end of world salaries except US, and that US salaries are a huge o…

This needs to be more visible. I'm a Canadian working for a US FAANMG company, and I've been based out of both their Canadian and European offices. I make way more in Vancouver than my peers in ANY European office (which include Zurich, London, Berlin) And those places are more expensive than Vancouver (not counting buying real estate which is not relevant to me as a renter) But of course I'm keenly aware that I'd ma…

Is your employer spending the same in all these places? If not it should bother you.
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