U.S. employment wages

[Loco179 0]

My in-laws and I have talked aboot this at length. The boss lives in Winnipeg MB. Her brother and I have talked about this for hours while drinking lots of Labatts. I live in Indianapolis so a bit of difference of size in the cities. This might not be a fair compairison. I break alot of things down because we looked at me moving North. We had hard facts to compare.

I make about a normal salary for my area and its around 60k for my full time job. The same job in Winnipeg is around 40k at the moment.

- Worth of Property is much less so its cheaper.

- Cost of Food is actually is more than Indy. Meaning milk there is 5.60 and here its 2.99.

- Sales tax is much more in the Peg than in Indy.

- Generally Goods are more than expensive.

- Housing in Indy is much more. Outside of Indy prices for property is cheaper.

My vacation at the moment is a month off with a month off sick. I am looking in 2009 at 2 months of vacation off. I am a firefighter/paramedic btw.

Canadians taxes are much higher. We compared everything including my health care cost for her and the kids. Even with that my percentage is lower than theirs by like 10%. But that is not with my tax credits for marriage and the kids. So it should be even more. Her brother and I figured it up honestly and fairly. Cost for food is much less.

Now the big thing is the section of the country you live in. Now someone who lives in BC and say NY might come up with something different. I am just throwing out what we came out with.

[sly_wolf 199]

Yes, some research is key on the move decision (Canada versus US). My biggest concern was the health care and housing. Luckily that should all work out fine in our case.

One thing I have noticed is Canada seems to have better consumer and labour protection laws. So less likely to get screwed over.

Sly

[trailmix 77]

Canadians taxes are much higher. We compared everything including my health care cost for her and the kids. Even with that my percentage is lower than theirs by like 10%. But that is not with my tax credits for marriage and the kids. So it should be even more. Her brother and I figured it up honestly and fairly. Cost for food is much less.

Interesting! Did you figure in the Canadian tax credits, when comparing, for your dependants?

Plus, those extra taxes pay for everyone to have health care, so it's money well spent

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Canadians taxes are much higher. We compared everything including my health care cost for her and the kids. Even with that my percentage is lower than theirs by like 10%. But that is not with my tax credits for marriage and the kids. So it should be even more. Her brother and I figured it up honestly and fairly. Cost for food is much less.

Interesting! Did you figure in the Canadian tax credits, when comparing, for your dependants?

Plus, those extra taxes pay for everyone to have health care, so it's money well spent

Amen trailmix! I have also found that income was better in Edmonton than it is in Seattle. Not quite pleased about it Food is indeed cheaper; but housing is insanely expensive here.

[Flames9_RN 358]

The location is a huge factor. Average pay of a paramedic in Alberta is around $70,000

[Loco179 0]

Ya location location location. VA average for a firefighter is freaking high. I know guys making 90k for my rank.

It was cheaper. My insurance from work is everything covered style so its awesome. No waits for anything because they love my insurance.

[emt103c 10]

Yeah, and even the location in VA makes a huge difference! My area, the ALS FF's start at like 43,000 in the academy and immediately get a huge raise after their academy! BUT in a smaller area they make MUCH less, even within the same state. (and the insurance costs next to nothing!)

Edited August 16, 2008 by emt103c

[thetreble 19]

One thing I have noticed is Canada seems to have better consumer and labour protection laws. So less likely to get screwed over.

Sly

So true. I got so screwed over before when I worked for a small private company here in the US. They told me at hire that after 90 days I would be offered health care and 401K. By the time I quit after working there for 9 months, I hadn't been offered a thing.

[Reba 2]

I haven't found taxes to be any less here in North Carolina than in Ontario, and here in NC I have fewer government services available to me for my money.

At my current rate of pay here in North Carolina, (which sucks btw) my income tax rate is actually more than someone in Ontario making the same amount of money. And here in NC, I have to pay for my own health insurance + health services. Not so in Canada. And that's a HUGE expense, when both my husband and I have chronic illnesses and need to see doctors regularly. Lately we've been having to decide whether to pay doctor bills, or put full tank of gas in the car. As it happened, I paid the doctor bill with my credit card, and will wait til next month to decide how to pay that

In the richest country in the world, they really should be able to have universal healthcare. Where the hell is all my tax money going to anyway? Inquiring minds wanna know.

[thetreble 19]

In the richest country in the world, they really should be able to have universal healthcare. Where the hell is all my tax money going to anyway? Inquiring minds wanna know.

It would be nice to see some actual numbers at both a federal and state level. I know state tax in NJ is a joke since we are currently looking at a bigger deficit than ever before because of disgusting amounts of corruption at the state level. Yet, everything continues to go up in price so...it just makes me frustrated.

People in the US seem to be scared of the universal health care idea because it is an unknown. However, most of the world's wealthy and western countries utilize it.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I'm with Reba on this one - in Georgia taxes work out to be about the same as in Ontario where I lived, plus we have to pay property tax every year on the car. We do get to get the mortgage as an exemption on income tax but between State and Federal sales tax there are no savings there PLUS food HERE is more expensive and there are less options to choose from than back home. I was recently there 2 weeks ago and bought some groceries for my Dad - what I paid $30 Canadian for would have cost me around $40 here. Milk here is in the $5 gal range. Gas here has increased exponentially from when I moved here 4 years ago - then I got gas at $1.79 a gallon. The week before I went home we paid $4.09 a gallon (it has since dropped back below $4). In Canada before I moved here I paid .89 cents a liter. Gas in Canada when we visited was just under $2 a liter - a much bigger increase in gas in the US than in Canada even though it is more expensive in Canada. There are a lot of hidden costs to living here - many of them in the medical expenses - we pay substantial payments each paycheque to our health insurance and then still pay $20 to $40 for each doctor visit; $35 for each chiropractor visit; $75 per emergency room visit and because my insulin is not their preferred choice (no, there is no generic and the one they want me to use I tried and doesn't work well for me) my insulin copays are $50 each for 2 different types of insulin and 100 test strips - more than the insulin itself cost back in Canada and 50% of the costs of the test strips back in Canada. I have not found living in the US cheaper than living in Canada when you look at actual expenditures.

[SpiritAlight 1]

I haven't found taxes to be any less here in North Carolina than in Ontario, and here in NC I have fewer government services available to me for my money.

At my current rate of pay here in North Carolina, (which sucks btw) my income tax rate is actually more than someone in Ontario making the same amount of money. And here in NC, I have to pay for my own health insurance + health services. Not so in Canada. And that's a HUGE expense, when both my husband and I have chronic illnesses and need to see doctors regularly. Lately we've been having to decide whether to pay doctor bills, or put full tank of gas in the car. As it happened, I paid the doctor bill with my credit card, and will wait til next month to decide how to pay that

In the richest country in the world, they really should be able to have universal healthcare. Where the hell is all my tax money going to anyway? Inquiring minds wanna know.

Yesssss...

Here is a google search.

Have fun reading:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=w...G=Google+Search

I have my own theories, that are all mine, too.

(Hee, hee....for Monty Python fans.)

[melusine 5]

I target about 50k, we'll see what it will be

[Emancipation 2]

Now the big thing is the section of the country you live in. Now someone who lives in BC and say NY might come up with something different. I am just throwing out what we came out with.

I'd agree with that.. In CT I know I pay just as much in taxes as I did back in PEI and get VERY little back for it. PLUS we pay $500+/yr in property txs on our vehicle.. GROSS.

We have both decided to NEVER purchase property in this State, nor do we wish to make this part of the country our permanent home.. FAR FAR FAR to expensive, and the quality of life is not as good (face paced, individualistic, & the traffic is horrific).

[thetreble 19]

We have both decided to NEVER purchase property in this State, nor do we wish to make this part of the country our permanent home.. FAR FAR FAR to expensive, and the quality of life is not as good (face paced, individualistic, & the traffic is horrific).

Ah the tri-state area is a nightmare, isn't it? Unless you live in NYC, I don't think it is worth it at alllll. There are current talks in my town, which is right beside Newark, NJ (very dangerous city), that my town is turning right into Newark's direction. This means...

+poverty

+crime

+property tax

Great combo!