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Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

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Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#71

Post by nvrmnd »

halite wrote: post #43
hughes wrote: post #27

This article doesn't mention one of the major reasons for talent leaving Canada: if you work there, you need to stomach a 50% pay cut in average salaries vs the US. This is true pretty much across the board regardless of tech niche on the 2017 Stack Overflow Developer Survey[1]: Machine learning specialist: US 108k, Canada 53k (49%) Embedded applications/devices developer: US 100k, Canada 53k (53%) Systems administra…

Maybe for some areas but for Alberta this is closer to reality: https://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/occupations/computer-program...

Note that salary is also close the same wage (~10% more) as an electrician, accountant, or boilermaker.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#72

Post by endorphone »

soggypopsicle wrote: post #66
endorphone wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I do have a grievance with a much lower pay ceiling across Canada, those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. And I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your take on TN visas is extremely simplified. For instance software developers aren't actually allowed to have a TN visa, and instead you have to say that you're a "system…

I moved from Toronto To SF last year on a TN-Visa and the process was as described above. My salary doubled as well.

You mean it was "TN visas are instant and infinitely renewable", because that is absolutely false.

a) Engineering is covered by TN visas, but you have to have an actual engineering degree. Claim you're a software engineer and they have every right to deny the CS grad.

b) Programming is not covered. This is simple fact of NAFTA. It's a process where applicants are told to be super careful with the wording (sort of like saying you're "going to meetings" when crossing the border for work related things), and at most the actual allowance is for a software analyst that does a small amount of programming.

In the Trump era antagonism towards NAFTA, anyone who buys this notion that it's all automatic is fooling themselves. And once you have a TN visa, that is zero guarantee -- any single border guard can reject it, at any time.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#73

Post by huangc10 »

ronilan wrote: post #2

Favorite quote: Vancouver is found in British Columbia (BC), amongst the Rocky Mountains on Canada’s west coast. Yah. Excellent.

Most people have it mixed up. They're usually referring to the Coast Mountains/Cascade Range which is located directly east of Vancouver (can be seen on a clear day).

The actual Rocky Mountains are much more east at the BC/AB border.

*edit, added Coast Mountains

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#74

Post by caffodian »

TP4Cornholio wrote: post #32
hughes wrote: post #27

This article doesn't mention one of the major reasons for talent leaving Canada: if you work there, you need to stomach a 50% pay cut in average salaries vs the US. This is true pretty much across the board regardless of tech niche on the 2017 Stack Overflow Developer Survey[1]: Machine learning specialist: US 108k, Canada 53k (49%) Embedded applications/devices developer: US 100k, Canada 53k (53%) Systems administra…

I can't believe it's so low. I hope Canadians aren't asked to put in overtime at those wages.

It's even more fun, in BC "high technology companies/professionals" are exempt from a bunch of the usual labour laws around overtime, hours of work, stat holidays, etc.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employ...

Of course, in practice, no sane company is going to abuse this to the extreme. People do get stat holidays, overtime isn't usually used, etc.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#75

Post by branchless »

brunoc wrote: post #62
flyingramen wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For my benefit, would you be willing to share your salary or range (and currency :)?

We hire a lot in Montreal. Mid-size startup. Range is more like CAD 85-140k for generalist frontend and backend developers. In the larger cities, salaries have really gone up in the last few years.

Name the company my man! Then don't mention Montreal again, we don't want everyone coming.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#76

Post by xbeta »

canistr wrote: post #23
kspaans wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to do a proper comparison of costs unless you're young and single. Consider medical costs (usually, but not always covered by your US employer), and family-related costs (school for kids is the biggest I can think of: private schools and private universities being more expensive in the US).

What's sad is that Canada has a very good public school system all the way from Kindergarten to University. Combined with the lower costs (i.e. free K-12 for these good schools unlike Americans sending kids to private schools) and reduced stress on children due to lack of a standardized university entrance exam, Canada SHOULD be a place where people want to have families. That being said, I'm a product of the public…

Same here ! I think we might be from the same school. I grew up my highschool in Scarborough.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#77

Post by minwcnt5 »

throwawaycan420 wrote: post #61
flyingramen wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For my benefit, would you be willing to share your salary or range (and currency :)?

I'm not the grandparent post, but, my salary in Canada was $80K starting in 2000, and is up to $160K now. I've been making more than double the median wage in my city for the last 20 years or so.

$80K CAD is $59K USD, which is not that much different than the original post. $160K CAD = $119K USD is fairly good, but most developers with 17 years experience would take home north of $200K in Silicon Valley (I'm not familiar with other US markets).

All the anecdotes still seem to point to software engineers making more than double in the US. I would love to return to Canada some day, but I'm not likely to do so until the numbers I see people post online start beginning with at least a 2 or 3.

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#79

Post by hughes »

mikestew wrote: post #68
endorphone wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I do have a grievance with a much lower pay ceiling across Canada, those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. And I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your take on TN visas is extremely simplified. For instance software developers aren't actually allowed to have a TN visa, and instead you have to say that you're a "system…

those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. Then put stock in a the words of a guy who has actually looked for employment in Canada, and after the election of Trump is very incentivized to take a positive view on moving to Canada: as far as I can tell from the salaries posted, I'd take about a 50% pay cut, and I wouldn't be able to…

The Club Penguin shutdown is a devastating blow to the Kelowna tech industry!

(seriously, their headquarters are there)

Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center

#80

Post by aka0 »

endorphone wrote: post #72
soggypopsicle wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I moved from Toronto To SF last year on a TN-Visa and the process was as described above. My salary doubled as well.

You mean it was "TN visas are instant and infinitely renewable", because that is absolutely false. a) Engineering is covered by TN visas, but you have to have an actual engineering degree. Claim you're a software engineer and they have every right to deny the CS grad. b) Programming is not covered . This is simple fact of NAFTA. It's a process where applicants are told to be super careful with the wording (sort of li…

>a) Engineering is covered by TN visas, but you have to have an actual engineering degree. Claim you're a software engineer and they have every right to deny the CS grad.

Not true at all. BSc in Computer Science is perfectly fine for Software Engineering jobs.

Look up NAFTA Appendix 1603.D.1

> b) Programming is not covered. This is simple fact of NAFTA. It's a process where applicants are told to be super careful with the wording (sort of like saying you're "going to meetings" when crossing the border for work related things), and at most the actual allowance is for a software analyst that does a small amount of programming.

That's true. But seriously is there anyone hiring "computer programmer" these days?

>>And once you have a TN visa, that is zero guarantee -- any single border guard can reject it, at any time.

True. Remember to carry all your paperwork with you whenever you cross the boarder.

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