Why are salaries so low in the UK?

[tokie]

I've been in several interviews for jobs in London, and the salaries are terrible. The average starting salary in my highly-educated industry is 30-35k. The translates to around $50k a year. Staying in North America for a similar job would pay $70-75k. Even for the same companies and same job, just different branch locations.

For the UK, add in higher taxes, a higher cost of living, and less social mobility and I am amazed that anybody would live there. Why is there not some mass exodus for greener pastures?

 

[nickbits]

Not everyone puts money first?

And I'm not sure you can lump all of north america together. If I worked in Canada versus the US my salary would be half of what it is now. I am a software developer.

 

[Zeze]

I have a related question I've also been wondering:

Does making 70K pounds in UK SPEND like 140K USD IN UK?

***I'm NOT talking about exchange rate, but actual buying power within the country***

We know pounds are near double to USD, but is making, living, and spending 70K pounds translates to making 140K in US?

 

[tokie]

Not everyone puts money first?

Canada is a more tolerant country that the UK, and has a better physical environment if you place importance on that. If you want the "big city" experience, plenty of places in North America will give you that.

I'm just struggling to come up with ANY reason why someone would prefer the UK (other than family).

 

[Monster_Munch]

30-35k sounds low for London. What kind of job are you talking about?

 

[bignateyk]

Canada is a more tolerant country that the UK, and has a better physical environment if you place importance on that. If you want the "big city" experience, plenty of places in North America will give you that.

I'm just struggling to come up with ANY reason why someone would prefer the UK (other than family).

Don't forget that the food sucks, there's no guns, and it is a giant nanny state.

 

[ElFenix]

I have a related question I've also been wondering:

Does making 70K pounds in UK SPEND like 140K USD IN UK?

***I'm NOT talking about exchange rate, but actual buying power within the country***

We know pounds are near double to USD, but is making, living, and spending 70K pounds translates to making 140K in US?

no. it's more like 70k in the US because everything costs twice as much there.

 

[Zeze]

no. it's more like 70k in the US because everything costs twice as much there.

Really? Exactly double? 70K pounds really just spends like 70K USD in US? Not even 90 or 100K?

 

[ShawnD1]

Don't forget that the food sucks, there's no guns, and it is a giant nanny state.

And you'll get stabbed by chavs.

If I lived in London I would definitely carry bear mace. Chavs travel in packs, just like retards, but bear mace had a wide spray and a long range and I would pwn some chav ass.

Really? Exactly double? 70K pounds really just spends like 70K USD in US? Not even 90 or 100K?

Yes. Look at how much a car costs in the US then look how much the same car costs in the UK. One that I know exists in both countries in the Honda Fit (US) and Honda Jazz (UK)

 

[zoiks]

Yea. I also noticed that the wages were really low in the UK when I went to visit my sister in London. Plus they have really high taxes (17% or thereabouts for sales/vat) and get nickelled and dimed by the UK government on pretty much everything.
With hardly any roads to drive on (being chock full of cars), an overpopulation problem in the city and depressing weather, why'd anyone want to live there?

 

[SunnyD]

Really? Exactly double? 70K pounds really just spends like 70K USD in US? Not even 90 or 100K?

No, not exactly double. More like 3:1. Your 70k pounds is going to get taxed to hell and back, so you'll end up with even less.

 

[Texashiker]

Why is there not some mass exodus for greener pastures?

The American revolution comes to mind.

 

[JS80]

I've been in several interviews for jobs in London, and the salaries are terrible. The average starting salary in my highly-educated industry is 30-35k. The translates to around $50k a year. Staying in North America for a similar job would pay $70-75k. Even for the same companies and same job, just different branch locations.

For the UK, add in higher taxes, a higher cost of living, and less social mobility and I am amazed that anybody would live there. Why is there not some mass exodus for greener pastures?

It's called socialism.

 

[ShawnD1]

With hardly any roads to drive on (being chock full of cars), an overpopulation problem in the city and depressing weather, why'd anyone want to live there?

Because they're trapped. They're stuck on an island, it's too far to swim, and even if they did make it they wouldn't be allowed to work in the rest of EU. The city proper sucks balls so you want to live outside the city, but gasoline is $8/gallon so you can't afford to leave the city. While in the city, you get robbed by chavs and the police are completely powerless to help because the chavs have knives but the police do not have guns.

So basically they get away with slave wages because London citizens are prisoners and they can't escape.

 

[KB]

This is why all of their time and money is spent on getting drunk and watching footie. There isn't much else they can afford to do.

 

[Lonyo]

Yea. I also noticed that the wages were really low in the UK when I went to visit my sister in London. Plus they have really high taxes (17% or thereabouts for sales/vat) and get nickelled and dimed by the UK government on pretty much everything.
With hardly any roads to drive on (being chock full of cars), an overpopulation problem in the city and depressing weather, why'd anyone want to live there?

Agreed.
I'm English and I wouldn't ever want to live in London. Not sure why anyone from outside the country would want to come in and live there, unless they were from a really bad country.
Other parts of the UK maybe, but not London.

 

[Monster_Munch]

There's more to life than money I guess.

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/GB

 

[HAL9000]

30-35k sounds low for London. What kind of job are you talking about?

This. Very This.

Canada is a more tolerant country that the UK, and has a better physical environment if you place importance on that. If you want the "big city" experience, plenty of places in North America will give you that.

I'm just struggling to come up with ANY reason why someone would prefer the UK (other than family).

The best reasons to live in the UK are healthcare, history, London (which is one of the most amazing cities I've ever visited) no guns, Education, Depending on where you go it can be very picturesque, and if you aren't living in London then houses and what-not can be very cheap.

 

[HAL9000]

Agreed.
I'm English and I wouldn't ever want to live in London. Not sure why anyone from outside the country would want to come in and live there, unless they were from a really bad country.
Other parts of the UK maybe, but not London.

I'm moving to London, I spend as much of my time as I can up there, I love it, I'm going up tomorrow in fact! It's amazing.

 

[CycloWizard]

Really? Exactly double? 70K pounds really just spends like 70K USD in US? Not even 90 or 100K?

It's a bit more complicated than that... A lot of things were about the same dollar amount in UK and US, but other things (food, most notably for me) were about 1 GBP for 1 USD worth of goods. The nominal exchange rate is about 1.6 GBP:1 USD right now, but I think I calculated that my spending was about 1.3x what I would have spent in the US on similar goods. Of course, that was a year ago and I was being paid in Euro and converting that to pounds, then eventually back to dollars, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

 

[HAL9000]

There's more to life than money I guess.

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/GB

That's cool. Although it lists higher unemployment as a benefit...?

 

[Texashiker]

There's more to life than money I guess.

When dealing with Americans, keep in mind there is nothing more important then money.

Family time, personal time, enjoying life,,,,,,, all falls to the wayside when compared to making money and keeping up with the neighbors.

 

[bignateyk]

There's more to life than money I guess.

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/GB

Socialist propaganda

 

[Cogman]

London is a terrible place to live. High taxes, Very expensive everything, and a just plan crappy place to live. It might be fun to visit for 1-2 days, after that, I wouldn't want to touch it with a ten foot poll.

I could see wanting to live in other parts of england (The midlands are quite nice.) It does have its ups, international foodstuffs is one thing that we don't really get in america that you get in england. Public transport is nice. And if I was going broke, england's welfare system is much better then the one here in the US.

That being said, I don't think I would ever want to live there again. The people are trapped on an island and many of them don't even know the difference. The government brainwashing is so thick and heavy, it is almost enough to make anyone go nuts.

Curse at a bus driver? We have CCTV cameras and DNA swabs to find you!!! (even though we have no idea who you are or what your dna looks like). Use a TV without a license? We'll find you!

 

[HAL9000]

When dealing with Americans, keep in mind there is nothing more important then money.

Family time, personal time, enjoying life,,,,,,, all falls to the wayside when compared to making money and keeping up with the neighbors.

And having the ability to kill your neighbours if you can't get on with them! Don't forget that.