Salaries around the world

[Yumyummyyum]

I remember some years ago a Canadian friend who of DH said he was shocked that UK salaries were so low. Recently I was speaking to someone who knows the salaries of some high earning professionals in the US & Canada who are in similar jobs to DH and I and found out that they earn 2-3 times what we do here. I always find it hard to find salary info online as most jobs don’t advertise and I find glass door quite unreliable at least for jobs I have held. So I’m curious if anyone knows more about this whether the UK is really far behind North America in terms of salaries?

In France you get an automatic deduction of 10% when your tax is calculated, or you deduct real costs if higher
Holiday pay is very complicated, basically for a month off the holiday pay is calculated at 10% of annual salary although there may be 'conventions' according to your occupation.
NI is at least 20% for employees, and employers have paid as much as 100%. A workman on minimum wage is charged out at 400€/day to cover it.
There are no free prescriptions for health conditions as in the UK such as diabetes, hypothyroidism etc. There is a list of qualifying conditions (affections de longue durée) and only treatment for the condition is free.
Maternity pay, sick pay and redundancy pay are a lot less than the UK. You need a doctor's note for the first day of sickness, and it includes restrictions as to when you can go out and what activities you can do. Someone's just had to repay 9000€ because they were doing an activity that wasn't permitted.
Healthcare costs about 80€/month for insurance and you need at least 300% cover. A crown costs nearly 600€ but the tarif is 170€. It's virtually impossible to get cover for glasses up to the full cost.
There is no child benefit for the first child.

Dental and glasses aren't free in the UK unless you're in receipt of very specific benefits

Husband and I had an opportunity to move to America through his work and my work also had a office based in the city.

His pay would have nearly doubled the UK - but when we looked into everything. Health, school/university fees , the tax structure etc that alone wiped out the increase near enough! My company wouldnt put my salary up to match I was expected to work for the UK equivalent. So that dream went out the window.

We both regret not just giving it a go for a couple of years just to see.

In terms of dental in Ireland I know if you have enough contributions you get 1 or 2 appointments per year free. I had a check up and x rays taken last week 100% free. I pay €23 (pre-tax) dental insurance a month for my family of 4 and I have 2 cleans and 2 checks a year 100% covered with that amongst other things. Private isn’t always extortionate

My cousin works in the USA: She earns about a third more but:

1. She only gets 10 paid days of holiday a year.
2. No paid maternity leave. She was expected to be back at work after 3 weeks 😮
3. Her health insurance is loads
4. There is almost no social care in the USA she drives past basically a shanty town on her way to work filled with people with mental and physical health problems.
5. Her eldest has already had to practice what to do in a shooting and he is 5.

They are moving back to England next year!

Currently in the US for my husbands job. The salaries are astronomical compared to the UK. My job in the UK paid £40k I interviewed and was offered the same roll here for $150k. That included health care and an amazing retirement package (defined benefit pension, 401k etc). Two working professionals can easily pull in $250-400k per year. Taxes are lower, utilities bills are way lower, houses are bigger and cheaper and honestly wealth insulates you a lot in the US. We live in a gated community it’s very safe and we have fantastic schools.

The cons however are the inequality, gun culture, the food is all processed crap, having to drive everywhere and the risk of losing your job as there is less employment protections than the UK.

I was always adamant I was going to return home after a couple years of saving. I hated it here but now house prices have gone crazy, Brexit and just the general decline of the UK had made us seriously reconsider. It’s so sad we were better than the US IYKWIM but we’re getting just as bad as them just with lower salaries and smaller more expensive houses.

Good precis ( based on family experience of working and doing tax returns etc both side of the channel..)

TBH if you start to factor in things like the differing housing/rental markets, energy costs etc between countries (not just France /UK) I'm not sure you can draw many conclusions by simply comparing salaries between say country A or country B, but I guess it's of general interest.

@BruisedPear I think you’re spot on. I really don’t love the US and I’m aware of those cons that you have listed but it also sucks to work hard and have so little to show for it. We both have good incomes but live in a small cramped terrace in London.
Maybe Canada might be better?

Exactly in the UK the salaries are too low and now house prices, rents, utility bills are all so high even professionals are feeling the squeeze. I wanted to come home but I would experience serious decline in the standard of living I have now especially as I’m originally from London to.

We looked at Canada as well but house prices are crazy at the moment there. We have family in Vancouver and a similar house to the one we currently have was a couple million dollars! But if prices were cheaper I would be there in a shot.