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Comment by spraak | Hacker News Reader

I dunno. I work for a company based in the UK, which seems to have much lower pay than the US. I am paid the same as other senior developers at the company, yet my salary by comparison to US standards is quite low ($70k and no benefits since I'm technically a contractor). Otherwise the company is really amazing, so I'm torn.

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If you are actually in the UK, you have some amazing benefits that US-based folks don't get in the form of healthcare. I know, yes, technically, you're paying for it in taxes, but it's there for you all the time, regardless of your employment status or ability to pay for an insurance policy.

In addition to more vacation days, maternity leave, etc

Contractors don't get those. In theory they get paid higher as compensation for not getting them, in practice they generally get the same money with less benefits.

Sorry it wasn't clear, I'm actually in the US.

> If you are actually in the UK, you have some amazing benefits that US-based folks don't get in the form of healthcare.

So? That's pretty irrelevant since any good developer job in the US comes with excellent health coverage.

The healthcare that comes with any good developer job is the same healthcare that management thinks is good enough for their employees. It is rarely the case that it is good by objective standards.

And when you lose your job... you lose access to that "excellent health coverage".

Health insurance being so culturally tied to "employment" is ... very problematic.

You don't have to preach that to me (I agree), but it does mean that you shouldn't really consider universal healthcare to be an additional benefit when comparing UK & US developers. The US developer also has healthcare not factored into their salary.

Do you work in London or Cambridge? If so, that's a pretty low salary for a senior developer. In my experience that's mid level range, you're looking at more 70+k ($90k) for senior. That's excluding finance of course, where salaries are astronomical.

This. For highly talented developer it is definitely possible to make 6 digit salary in London at least, not sure about Cambridge.

Sorry, I'm actually in the US. I'm surprised to hear that that's a low salary for the UK, as well.

London only, not to confuse with the UK.

Good luck finding a senior developer for £70k over there.

Expecting countries to match salaries an ocean apart is...unwise. Countries have very different economic situations.

I understand that, but it still hurts.

Stop comparing your salary to the US and start comparing it to India. You can be certain that's what your employer is comparing it to. And as soon as they can get the the same quality of work out of India you'll get the boot.

And how soon do you think that'll be?

Long after it matters to me.

London is its own bubble. The part of the UK I'm in, £35k is the going rate for a senior software developer.

I'm really sorry. :\ That is absurd.

You should be able to find remote work that pays £50k+ relatively easily. Although the whole Brexit thing may make that harder. :\

To me, £70k was more a geographic / economic area issue. Under $50k/£50k you just have to get out.

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