what would you classify as a "good" salary in the US?

[Waiting in Vancouver 6]

I would think it really depends on your skills, abilities, knowledge and location on how much you are going to make in the US ...

[Arazia 0]

I agree with what some of the others have said... how much you make really does depend a lot on your skill set, the demands in your area, your education, and other factors like that.

The highest you can expect if you don't have a degree or some tech/trade knowledge is $12-15/hr. If you have a degree but are looking for a job outside of that degree area, you'll have about the same luck. (Example: I have a friend who has a History degree, and wanted to get a job in computers/tech support and was generally making $12-17/hr over the course of a couple of years.)

A lot also depends on your age and experience. If you're younger, you'll probably have a better shot at most entry-level jobs. When I started strait from college, I got a $19/hr job which gets me along quite fine here in the U.S. Midwest. I have enough to pay for rent, food, transportation, and put some away in savings. If you're older or have less experience, it may be more difficult to find a good paying job.

I would be careful about scam job offers. Especially if you get any offers from places mentioning 'marketing'. I got more than one during my time looking for jobs. Research the places that give you offers or interviews before you go.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Hi everyone,

I got my GC through in the post last week, and am now looking at getting a job ASAP.

I'm curious as to what other VJ members think is a good salary?

$10 per hour? (probably not!)

$10-15 per hour

$15-20

or +$20 per hour?

what would you except and what would you consider is so low you wouldn't be able to live on it and pay the rent aswell?

Where you are (Bay Area of CA), you need $50+/hour if you're single AND want to pay rent on an "independent" dwelling (apartment or home).

I won't even bother calculating it for single income covering two or more people.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

I'd say $20+. $50+ if you can help it. $100+ is better.

In NYC, anything less than $50,000 p.a. is not an option, $50,000-80,000 is ok,

$80,000-100,000 is good, $100,000+ is very good. If you have kids, multiply

by 1.5 for each kid.

Your mileage may vary.

So if I have 5 kids I have to multiply by 1.5 exponentially? OMG no wonder I am broke....

OK, don't do it exponentially. Use the formula:

Salary = Base Salary * (1 + 0.5 * N)

where N is the number of kids.

Huh?

Don't you mean add (.5) for each kid, not multiply?

Base salary = 1+ (.5 xN)

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I'd say $20+. $50+ if you can help it. $100+ is better.

In NYC, anything less than $50,000 p.a. is not an option, $50,000-80,000 is ok,

$80,000-100,000 is good, $100,000+ is very good. If you have kids, multiply

by 1.5 for each kid.

Your mileage may vary.

So if I have 5 kids I have to multiply by 1.5 exponentially? OMG no wonder I am broke....

OK, don't do it exponentially. Use the formula:

Salary = Base Salary * (1 + 0.5 * N)

where N is the number of kids.

Huh?

Don't you mean add (.5) for each kid, not multiply?

Base salary = 1+ (.5 xN)

Actually, mermaid, the formula Mark posted was on-the-nail.

Your mistake was to change the first multiply to an "=".

[Aussielad 37]

here in Puerto Rico its prett cheap to live, ...bu tthen again the maximum people get here in $5.15 per hour lol

[luv2teach77 41]

I'm currently making $20 per hour which I consider to be a reasonable rate based on my experience and how new I am to the US job market. While I know that I am towards the bottom end of the salary scale amongst my co-workers I am sure that in the future my earnings potential will increase with each new employment opportunity. I expect that my salary will increase slightly in the new year as part of the annual pay review.

The other thing that I take into account is stuff like that fact that work now pay for my cellphone, provide me with a laptop etc.. All of that stuff could be coming out of my own pocket so the cellphone alone is worth $100 or $200 a month by the time you pay the line rental, call charges and the unlimited data package etc...

I was actually expecting a lower salary (probably mid 20's) when I first arrived in the US because that was what computer operator positions were paying in St. Louis. I was lucky to get a job in a slightly different field which pays considerably more.

Mark

[Donna A 4]

im in ohio and own a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath house for almost a 1,000/month. u see u will get more for less if ur not in cali or new york.

im making it on 30/hr.

[Donal78 0]

As people have pointed out it depends on where you live and work.

Edited October 30, 2006 by Donal78