Salary Discussion - Aren't we asking the wrong questions?

[raja123]

I have been researching this forum for the past hour for some info on salary packages. Although there are a lot of helpful members telling us what is a good salary and what is not, I think it is not serving the purpose.

For example, one discussion was about whether or not $5000 was a good offer for an IT job. It's difficult to understand because every other job profile will have a great variance in pay package depending on your own qualifications.

I am in India and for my job, there are people earning anywhere between 500K to 1500K per annum in rupees - which is a massive gap, I think. Put it another way, it does not matter what industry the member is; rather what salary they are expecting comparable to their native country.

So, I was wondering if there was a way the admins here would create a way members post their expected salary in their native country terms and people who know enough about both Singapore and the other country could suggest a comparable salary.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Doesn't make any sense at all. What good would knowing that do? You aren't going to be living in your native country and earning here so that's useless. You need to do your own research as to living costs where you are going, the lifestyle you are expecting to live while there and the financial commitment you will still have in the home country while here. That and XE.com are what will see you through.

Also, nobody is going to refrain from commenting in a post, nor are we going to limit responses to any thread.

moderator

[raja123]

Let me explain. Assuming a particular job profile in India fetches salaries between 500K (in small companies for people from smaller universities) to 1500K (in bigger companies for people from elite educational institutions). Let's say the equivalent variation in pay for the same job profile is between SGD 7000 to SGD 12000. If somebody is earning 1500K in India, they should ideally expect 12000 SGD in Singapore. But merely mentioning the job profile could get us confusing pay suggestions between SGD 7000-12000.

And I was not asking for admins to moderate the replies in such a way. Maybe using the forum software to create a field where we can mention this or something.

[Mad Scientist]

Let me explain. Assuming a particular job profile in India fetches salaries between 500K (in small companies for people from smaller universities) to 1500K (in bigger companies for people from elite educational institutions). Let's say the equivalent variation in pay for the same job profile is between SGD 7000 to SGD 12000. If somebody is earning 1500K in India, they should ideally expect 12000 SGD in Singapore. But merely mentioning the job profile could get us confusing pay suggestions between SGD 7000-12000.

And I was not asking for admins to moderate the replies in such a way. Maybe using the forum software to create a field where we can mention this or something.

So , you want us to hand hold you? Funny thing most of your countrymen always ask the same questions every other day. I am wondering why other FTs from other countries don't ?
You have to factor inflation, cost of living, comfortable life and other expenditure here before you can say the salary offered is enough for you. What is good for you may not be good for others. Locals here live with just $1.5 to $2K salary per month and they said it is manageable. FTs sometimes were offered $250K pa and they said it is not enough.
There are rough guidelines on utilities, rents etc but at the end of the day this is your call

[sundaymorningstaple]

Where the OP's masters shows up is not looking at the biggest difference of all. Singapore is a small market with state of the art infrastructure and where everything works without corruption or graft. Therefore you working in India and earning a top tier salary in a country where nobody in their right minds wants to work (you don't seen the rest of the world clamouring to go to India do you?

On the other hand, everybody wants to come to Singapore, so Singapore tends to draw the cream of the crop from around the world, not just India. You might be a big fish in your home country but you are just another fish in Singapore and the companies here have the whole world to choose from. Therefore what you earned at home has little bearing towards what you can command here. Add to that the differences in CoL as I mentioned before and you can see why this would only confuse even more people. Nah, not a good idea at all. Maybe you need to go for a PhD?

[raja123]

If we don't discuss salary and cost of living factors, what else do you expect in an "expat" forum? And the mod seems to be the biggest racist of all. Stay classy chinkies..Yes, the irony.

[JayCee]

Rightly or wrongly, the country you're coming from will be a factor for a lot of companies in terms of how much salary they offer you.

If you're coming from a less-developed country like India or the Philippines, a company will try and pay you less, if you're coming from the states or Australia they will have to offer you more if they want you to relocate.

So just because a guy in India went to an 'elite' university and earns at the higher end of salaries there, it doesn't mean he's going to earn at the higher end of the salary range if he comes to Singapore.

This is not a 100% hard and fast rule, but it's fairly well representative of Singapore in my experience.

[nakatago]

If we don't discuss salary and cost of living factors, what else do you expect in an "expat" forum? And the mod seems to be the biggest racist of all. Stay classy chinkies..Yes, the irony.

You just slurred the Chinese, both Mad Scientist and SMS are not.

You want to discuss salaries? Fine, go ahead but you can't expect anyone not to have a dissenting opinion. Free speech. As much as you are free to start a topic, anyone else is free to have a contrary opinion--within limits.

Back to your original premise, what you want is a very country specific topic. Still, that is already discussed numerous times as MS and SMS already mentioned. They may not be in a single thread but they are there. We have Indian regulars who comment on these things and I think they give pretty good assessments on the wages.

Now, go play nice or the community here will have a field day with you.

[intellectualsmuse]

If we don't discuss salary and cost of living factors, what else do you expect in an "expat" forum? And the mod seems to be the biggest racist of all. Stay classy chinkies..Yes, the irony.

Am assuming you studied Economics in Standard 10(assuming you studied in India). Most State Board curriculae include a lesson on a concept called PPP (Purchasing Power Parity). My suggestion to you would be to buy a Standard 10 Social Studies textbook, go through the concept, then revisit your own question and then hopefully you'll appreciate the reactions you've drawn.

And using racist slurs is definitely not acceptable on an expat forum.

[Strong Eagle]

Stay classy chinkies..Yes, the irony.

Now we know who you are.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Stay classy chinkies..Yes, the irony.

Now we know who you are.

And what he is.