Brisbane Salary

[dme]

Hi, 

 

I am wondering if I should accept a Brisbane job offer at 90k (incl super)? It's just me, and it's a job offer made while I am still living in SA. Will that be enough to get by as a single person? If nothing else, should I look to accept it and look for a better position whilst living and working in Aus? 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[FingersCrossed]

Hi @dme - Yeah I would accept that. what industry is that job in? From my research, 90K is a good salary for a single person with no dependents.

[Enigma]

Hi what trade?

[dme]

Analyst/Programmer

[Enigma]

Depending on experience this is in line with standard salaries for that position.

[WayneAndMel]

I would accept it as well.

 

Yes, there are higher salaries but if it's just you and no kids then you immediately cut out a lot of expenses otherwise.

 

Your effective tax rate on your total salary would work out to be just under 25% for that salary range if you're resident. You should then end up with just over $5000 per month after superannuation.

 

If you rent a fully furnished (i.e. more expensive) two bed, one bathroom unit in the middle of the CBD and a short walk away from the botanical gardens it'll come to $430 per week excluding electricity as with this example . That'd likely be your biggest single line expense and if your work is in the CBD you'll save on petrol and tolls.

 

So you'd have $3280+ net of rent.

 

Your vehicle would cost about 20% to 30% less for the equivalent car in SA but you may have to buy outright upfront with no credit record - at least then there would be no financing costs per month. Petrol itself would likely be under $80 per week ($320 per month),

 

For about $250/month you could get a good cellphone contract and broadband internet with Optus or Telstra - even cable tv if you choose the right package (I'd recommend going with one provider as you get discounts on other services as an existing customer). Food, I'd say real worst case would be $100/week and that would be where you can be fussy - with another $200 per month you can probably even eat out once a week at a nice restaurant (We're a family of 4 with loads of nappies at around $200/week) .

 

Insurance, I'd say likely in the region of $150 per month (life, car and household).

 

So after travel expenses, food, communication and insurances you still have just under $2000/month. Your medical aid expense might depend - ours is +-$370 so yours should be lower than that.

 

Lastly electricity should be under $200 for you if you like to burn the lights but I remain to be corrected.

 

Hope that gives you an idea on living costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by WayneAndMel
Spelling and two other expense items

[ChrisH]

On 24/02/2017 at 9:11 PM, Enigma said:

Depending on experience

 

What is your experience like @dme

[dme]

Thank you for this comprehensive answer. Really helps in my decision making!

 

On 25/02/2017 at 1:19 AM, WayneAndMel said:

I would accept it as well.

 

Yes, there are higher salaries but if it's just you and no kids then you immediately cut out a lot of expenses otherwise.

 

Your effective tax rate on your total salary would work out to be just under 25% for that salary range if you're resident. You should then end up with just over $5000 per month after superannuation.

 

If you rent a fully furnished (i.e. more expensive) two bed, one bathroom unit in the middle of the CBD and a short walk away from the botanical gardens it'll come to $430 per week excluding electricity as with this example . That'd likely be your biggest single line expense and if your work is in the CBD you'll save on petrol and tolls.

 

So you'd have $3280+ net of rent.

 

Your vehicle would cost about 20% to 30% less for the equivalent car in SA but you may have to buy outright upfront with no credit record - at least then there would be no financing costs per month. Petrol itself would likely be under $80 per week ($320 per month),

 

For about $250/month you could get a good cellphone contract and broadband internet with Optus or Telstra - even cable tv if you choose the right package (I'd recommend going with one provider as you get discounts on other services as an existing customer). Food, I'd say real worst case would be $100/week and that would be where you can be fussy - with another $200 per month you can probably even eat out once a week at a nice restaurant (We're a family of 4 with loads of nappies at around $200/week) .

 

Insurance, I'd say likely in the region of $150 per month (life, car and household).

 

So after travel expenses, food, communication and insurances you still have just under $2000/month. Your medical aid expense might depend - ours is +-$370 so yours should be lower than that.

 

Lastly electricity should be under $200 for you if you like to burn the lights but I remain to be corrected.

 

Hope that gives you an idea on living costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Enigma]

6 hours ago, ChrisH said:

 

What is your experience like @dme

 

@dme @ChrisH

 

Just out of interest (and this can vary from industry to industry as well as location), 5 years experience to 20 years range between $77k to $91k with $84k median annually.  There are of course outliers but that is the general range. 

[monsta]

90k sounds resonable. You can download a free Hayes Salary survey for Australia just to double check. 

 

Or fill in http://www.peoplelikeu.com.au/ as if you are living in Brisbane on 90k. Then fill it in again as if you are in the next pay bracket. If the number of "people like u" increases when you say you are are on a higher salary, then you know you are earning too little for your lifestyle/suburb. But the opposite is also true... if you fill it in again saying you are in a lower pay bracket and all of a sudden there are way more "people like u" then you have probably picked the wrong suburb to live in 

 

You can also see on people like u if peeps with your salary and suburb spend a lot on going out, clothes, etc... or do they spend their cash on the bare essentials?

[bushlovers]

My first salary in Brisbane was significantly less than that 2 years ago when we arrived.  We are a family of 3, and my wife didn't work.  We lived well on that.  Not extravagantly, i.e. no restaurant meals, only fish and chips at the beach, but mostly just picnics etc.  Also bought a new 4x4 ute on that salary, so braai on the beach etc.

 

Arriving with a job is WAY better than searching for one here.  Since then my Salary has effectively doubled.  Get over, get some experience, build a few contacts and soon you will have a better offer if this one isn't the best.

[dlmonnink]

I haven't lived in Brisbane but some of those prices seem quite high. I stay in Melbourne though.

 

My samsung S5 with 3gb data is $60, my GF has an S7 with 7gb of data for $70 and my uncapped broadband internet is $75.

Electricity for 3 people is costing us about $130 a month in summer and $200 in winter. Got a small car that my GF uses for work. Get a full tank on $50 and dont even use that in a week (this is obviously dependent on how far you travel). Got $150 a week for food, groceries and toiletries for 2 which has gone up to $225 with my brother joining and that gets us similar to living off R600-R700 in Jhb.

[dme]

Thanks a lot for the responses. Looks like I will probably take it as they sweetened the offer a bit more :). Brisbane here I come! 

[monsta]

Good idea. At the end of the day companies want someone who has done exactly what they do. 

 

For example, I took a test on a particular technology... scored in top 25% of professionals who took the test. But I was turned down for a job! They took someone whose "experience more closely matched what they do". 

 

So, yeah come out here do a local job, then a few years later, apply for simmilar roles and you might have a story like bushlovers