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Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

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Re: Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

#61

Post by b__d »

It doesn't make any sense to compare salaries solely by numbers and without comparing the buying power related to the salary in the given country. Escpascially (!) not in the EU, since it's so diverse. This is most basic economic understanding. It just does not work out, no matter what you take in account to "justify" the the higher or the lower salary.

I live in Austria (big corp) and make 1x € a year.

My brother lives in Swizerland (big corp too) and he makes 3x € a year. It's a usualy saying here, that you make around 3 times the money in Switzerland compared to Austria, independently of what you work.

BUT:

In proportion to buying power and minus cost of living he has just about 1,5x € more money to blow (or to safe). Not 3x

AND,

he also says quality of life is 10x better in Austria: Do you live to work or work to live?

Spoiler: He's moving back to Austria in 1-2 years.

Re: Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

#63

Post by superplussed »

jasonkester wrote: post #54

€100K is not really setting the bar all that high. It's a shame to see so many replies here that consider it to be impossible. Personally, since living in Europe, I've done it two ways. I worked remotely for an American company for several years, at my butt-in-seat Bay Area rate. And I've bootstrapped my own SaaS product business (letting it grow in the background while working for that US company). Another option wo…

"Welp, €100K is not setting the bar that high folks. I can prove that by demonstrating two different examples where I didn't pull a salary of €100K from a European company."

Re: Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

#64

Post by jasonkester »

superplussed wrote: post #63
jasonkester wrote: post #54

€100K is not really setting the bar all that high. It's a shame to see so many replies here that consider it to be impossible. Personally, since living in Europe, I've done it two ways. I worked remotely for an American company for several years, at my butt-in-seat Bay Area rate. And I've bootstrapped my own SaaS product business (letting it grow in the background while working for that US company). Another option wo…

"Welp, €100K is not setting the bar that high folks. I can prove that by demonstrating two different examples where I didn't pull a salary of €100K from a European company."

This is an attitude that I see a lot when developers talk about salary, and it is baffling. It's as though you are so determined to win your point that you would prefer to spend an entire lifetime making a less than market rate out of spite, rather than accept that the market pays as well as it does.

It only takes one example to prove that something is possible. What you do once you know something is possible is up to you.

Re: Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

#67

Post by helen842000 »

€100k is around £88k and I know of plenty of people in roles in the UK that pay this much, both in and out of the tech industry. The examples that spring to mind are not even in London but the Midlands and the North. Every hospital, University, Engineering Company and bank has many of these positions.

* Mid-level management in banking

* Leadership and CEO roles in colleges

* Financial Controllers and Directors

* Pharmaceutical Sales Managers

* Surgical Consultants

* Cyber Security Consultants

* Senior Pen Testers

I would be interested to see comparable salaries for these types of roles across the rest of Europe.

Re: Ask HN: Those in Europe making €100K+ annually, what is your job like?

#68

Post by vanderreeah »

jasonkester wrote: post #64
superplussed wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Welp, €100K is not setting the bar that high folks. I can prove that by demonstrating two different examples where I didn't pull a salary of €100K from a European company."

This is an attitude that I see a lot when developers talk about salary, and it is baffling. It's as though you are so determined to win your point that you would prefer to spend an entire lifetime making a less than market rate out of spite, rather than accept that the market pays as well as it does. It only takes one example to prove that something is possible. What you do once you know something is possible is up t…

I like your blog posts and you're certainly an inspiring example, but really it's odd that you can't see that, given the large number of people not in your position (as evidenced by the replies here and elsewhere in similar threads on HN), logic dictates that "one example" only proves that you are either lucky, talented, clever, or whatever (I'm not trying to analyse the reasons for your success or detract from it). But it's got nothing to do with a determination to win a point: it's just statistics, and they show that your personal experience, while interesting, has zero bearing on or significance for the experience of most people.
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