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Salary Enough?


dlmonnink

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Hi All

I'm new to the forums. I might have an opportunity to work for a large insurance company on the Sunshine Coast.

I was wondering if $130 000 is enough to live off? I see after taxes etc it should be $6500 - $7000 per month. I know this is a how long is a piece of string question but at least people coming from SA have an idea of what the cost adjustment is like when moving. I would also need to support my GF, 3 cats and 2 dogs off this.

Would this be comfortable to live off?

Thanks!

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As far as my research shows that is a very good salary. Of course it does depend on your life style, but for only 2 adults it should be comfortable plus some.

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Yep, that's pretty comfortable - especially outside of a big city.

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Thanks for the replies, really appreciate it. Obviously it's quite a big life change so I want to make sure everything is inline :)

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Great salary if no kids,a good salary if u have kids, especially for that area.

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Thats more than enough to live very well on. I started out in that zone with 2 kids and NO savings.

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Thanks for the replies. I suppose it can be quite deceptive when you see that $2000-$2500 will be going to rent each month.

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Rent will be a big chunk of your income if u want to stay in a posh suburb..that being said, your dollar stretches when it comes To food etc

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I was wondering if $130 000 is enough to live off? I see after taxes etc it should be $6500 - $7000 per month.

Is this total package? Just asking as I have seen that some employers advertise large salaries but then it includes everything like 9.5% super, leave, etc.

Either way its still good - the national average is apparently $70k

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Is this total package? Just asking as I have seen that some employers advertise large salaries but then it includes everything like 9.5% super, leave, etc.

Either way its still good - the national average is apparently $70k

Yes this is total package although I believe they may put super on top of that.

If anyone could highlight their monthly expenses, especially the not so obvious ones that are more or less mandatory that would be great!

* Rent

* Car Insurance

* Petrol

* Health Insurance

* ...

Thanks

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If total package it will include super of 9.5%.

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Hi All

I'm new to the forums. I might have an opportunity to work for a large insurance company on the Sunshine Coast.

I was wondering if $130 000 is enough to live off? I see after taxes etc it should be $6500 - $7000 per month. I know this is a how long is a piece of string question but at least people coming from SA have an idea of what the cost adjustment is like when moving. I would also need to support my GF, 3 cats and 2 dogs off this.

Would this be comfortable to live off?

Thanks!

If the $130,000 includes the 9.5% super (which it probably does) then this site says your pay should be $7,033/month or if super is on top of the $130,000 then your salary would be $7,609/month.

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Yes this is total package although I believe they may put super on top of that.

If anyone could highlight their monthly expenses, especially the not so obvious ones that are more or less mandatory that would be great!

* Rent

* Car Insurance

* Petrol

* Health Insurance

* ...

Thanks

Hmmmm...... movie tickets, holiday (interstate & overseas), entertainment, boat trips, wine, beer, dining out, boutique clothes......getting the idea what to do with those $$$$ :-)

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Hmmmm...... movie tickets, holiday (interstate & overseas), entertainment, boat trips, wine, beer, dining out, boutique clothes......getting the idea what to do with those $$$$ :-)

Haha thanks sounds great :)

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Very good for the area. You cannot beat the lifestyle!!!Take it and count yourself lucky...

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Congratulation, Yes 130 000 can get you enough Especially up the Sunshine Coast. You will be able to purchase a home with 20% deposit depending what industry you in? I have a lot of great connections as I work in the CBD as a wealth Manager. Enjoy the fishing and good luck!

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Your biggest problem might be sustaining a career there over the long term.

How so?

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Not much work around on sunshine coast in that bracket, so try and keep your good job, or you will be commuting to brissie to earn that money.

trev

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Good all,

I just wanted to say thank you to all the people in this thread,as I have learnt so much and all the sites referred to are extremely usual.

So Thank You to all for sharing. :closedeyes::ilikeit:


Good day all

I just found this online , thought it might be helpful to others:

http://www.australia-migration.com/page/Migration_Costs/92

Migration Costs Costs of migration to Australia
The costs of migration can vary a lot and there are many factors to consider.
  • From person to person and from family to family - there are always individual circumstances and factors that can play a role in the overall costs.
  • Each migrant has his or her own standards and requirements. One migrant takes up residency in Sydney, the other in Adelaide - all of these factors greatly influence the cost of migration.
  • Visa costs also vary a lot, and depends on the specific visa class - costs can be from AU$ 200 to as much as AU$ 70 000 (for a parent contributory visa).
  • In most cases, the total visa costs (including all government fees as well as professional fees) are +- AU$ 5000 - 7000 for a family unit.

When looking at migration costs, there are four major costs to consider:-

  1. The migration application costs
  2. The physical move to Australia (air fares, entries to validate the visa, shipping costs of household goods etc)
  3. Cost of settling in Australia (rent, buying cars etc)
  4. Other discretionary and misc costs
ASA can and will assist you in managing all of these costs, and in your planning and budgeting for the move to Australia.

Migration application charges and costs:-

  • Each application has its own set of unique circumstances and conditions.
  • As such, a specific rate and costing will be provided to you in your assessment.
  • Our fees are fixed and firm for 30 days as of date of finalising your assessment.
  • The costs quoted include all members of the family unit eligible for inclusion in that application e.g. spouse and dependent children.
Visa application charges

It is our policy to provide a fixed (total) rate for each application. The application charge or total cost estimate provided to you, includes:

  • All fees payable to DIAC
  • All ASA professional fees in relation to the application
  • Free personal consultations in Australia, or in your home country when we visit your country on our regular client trips
  • All courier costs from ASA to DIAC in relation to your application
  • All members of the family unit that can be included in the application
  • All email, phone and personal consultations with you in relation to your visa application from date of appointment to the day your visa is decided.
  • All communication between ASA and DIAC in relation to the specific application.
  • Charges payable to the relevant occupations assessment authorities in relation to your occupations assessment (if applicable).
  • Access to your clients area on this website
  • Free general advice and guides
  • Free welcome pack when you arrive in Australia

These costs are excluded from the cost estimate provided to you:-

  • Cost of obtaining medicals and x-rays for the applicants
  • Cost of sending documents / application files to ASA
  • Cost of obtaining police clearance certificates
  • Cost of making payment e.g. credit card or bank fees
  • Any increase in application charges by DIAC
  • Costs of IELTS tests
  • Costs of making certified copies and copies of application documents (that you make)
  • Telephone call costs to ASA
  • Any review or further application not included in the original cost estimate
  • GST if paid in Australia will be auto added to your final invoice
  • And any other cost not specifically included in the cost estimate.

How to budget for your application and the move to Australia

The application:-

  • Add to the total estimated cost for the application as provided by ASA the following:
  • Medical and x-ray examinations +- AU$ 100 - 200 per person (International average)
  • Police clearances +- AU$ 10 per person (International average)
  • Cost of copies and certification of copies +- AU$ 30 (International average)
  • Cost of sending documents and application files to Australia (ASA) +- AU$ 90 (International average)
  • Bank charges and fees +- 1-3% of total estimated cost if paid by credit card, and approximately AU$ 20 - 75 if paid by cheque or bank transfer
  • IELTS tests (if required) +- AU$ 350 per person (International average)
  • Other miscellaneous costs +- AU$ 50 (International average)
  • Average TOTAL COSTS for skills migration : A$ 5000 - 7500; Business skills migration : A$ 7500 - 13000.

Airfares and other costs

  • Keep in mind that you will be required to validate your visa (make an initial entry when the visa has been approved). This may imply that you will have to visit Australia twice i.e. Once to validate the visa, and once to actually take up residence.
  • The initial entry for validation will normally be required within 6 to 8 months after your visa has been granted. You can remain in Australia when you make your first entry, or you can depart Australia and take up residency at a later stage. You should ensure that you keep to the conditions (if any) on your visa should you not take up residency immediately.
  • There are no landing or other costs payable when you make any entry into Australia

Household items: (if you choose to ship these to Australia)

  • The content of a typical three to four bedroom house will fit into a 20 foot container (normally). The costs of packing, shipping and clearing the container in Australia vary considerably from country to country (of origin). You should budget at least AU$ 4 to 7 000 for this.

Initial period in Australia (first 12 months)

  • When you first take up residency, there may be a few establishment costs e.g. costs relating to accommodation (rent, security bond, upfront rent payments etc), as well as for cars (deposits or outright purchase) and then for various household expenses e.g. (TV, fridge, bed etc etc)
  • Our advice is that you should budget around AU$ 15 – 25 000 for your initial 3 months to subsidise yourself and your income in Australia.(for a typical family of 4)
  • If you expect to earn $ 4000 per month (net) after taxes, or if you work out a budget for yourself (accommodation, food, utilities, transport etc), you should budget using the following guideline:
    • First 3 months = 3 x $4000 = $12 000
    • Next 3 months = 3 x 50% of expected monthly costs = $3 000
    • Next 6 months = 6 x 25% of expected monthly costs = $6 000
    • Total = AU$ 21 000

Your total budget will thus be:-

  1. Visa application fees
  2. Costs relating to your application (estimate of $ 800 – 1000)
  3. Airfares
  4. Shipping your household goods to Australia (if applicable)
  5. Initial expenses in the first year based on your budget or expected earnings

Obviously this will vary considerably from family to family, and if you are a single migrant or have family here, the cost estimate could be substantially lower.

As rough guideline the minimum you should budget and have available is:-

This includes ALL costs (1) to (5)

Single migrant : AU$ 12 – 18 000

Couple : AU$ 20 – 30 000

Family of 3 or 4 : AU$ 30 – 40 000

Family of 5+ : AU$ 50 000+

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Just FYI - there's a great salary calculator at www.paycalculator.com.au . I've used it over the years to evaluate job offers.

$130,000 is a great salary, whether it's a package (including super) or not. You'll be fine :)

It also depends on how you live. If you use public transport, rent a smallish place (or further out), you'll have lots of spare cash. If you want to live in the posh areas and own fancy cars, you'll probably feel like things are a bit tight.

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I have an opportunity in Sydney for an inter company transfer and wonder if we would be able to survive, detail below;

We currently live in Pretoria and enjoy a stable middle class lifestyle with almost no debt, we have a daughter and my wife's earning almost the same as I do

It seems the offer is going to be around AU$85K p/a with possible living away from home allowance. I'm an ITC network security specialist. (Cisco CCNP-Security)

For at least 6 months I would be the only one working, company will cover my 457 visa costs but the rest would probably be for my own account.

We are prepared to take a few steps back to make this work not expecting a wealthy lifestyle, but from what I researched so far AU$85K is not much...

This is almost the last step of the roller coaster ride up to now so I do not want to mess it up requesting too much but I do want to sit in Sydney not being able to afford a life.

Edited by HKing
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I'm not going to sugar- coat it - $85k in Sydney as the sole income will not be easy. It is liveable, and you will not go hungry or homeless, many, many people do just fine on that - but compared to a typical middle class SA lifestyle, it will not go very far.

Personally I think the salary is a little on the low side compared to what others in similar roles would earn in Melbourne and Sydney, but employers just love to take advantage of the lower rates foreigners will accept.

It's still a foot in the door and a pathway to a much better salary once you get that experience! I would try to negotiate a wage review after set period of time.

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