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Is 37K good enough for salary in HK?

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  1. #31

    37K is just for your first job here. Stay for a while, and then move on to the next job and earn 50K, and so on. So, yes, come on over!


  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by jmbf:
    It's sometimes worth to negotiate but you have to have some idea of where you stand. Do you bring something unique to the role? Are there others under serious consideration as well? How badly does the company want you?

    From what you have posted it sounds like the position is a local one. So I wouldn't hold much hope for any meaningful relocation allowances. If they could bump up the salary to 40-45K of course you would be able to save more / live a slightly better lifestyle BUT you'd have to weigh that against the risk of your employer choosing someone else willing to settle for a lower salary.

    How badly do you want this role?
    Hi jmbf,

    Thats what I am afraid of - if I’ll try to negotiate the salary and they’ll decide to find someone else. My role is pretty in demand right now (will PM you what exact role).


    Given that my prospective employer is a bank, I am really ecstatic joining their company. They are rebuilding their digital team, and there would be lots of work travel and mentorship, and the team that I am supposed to join and explore seems to be great people. So I am truly excited.


    I’m young, and would love to share my years of experiences working as a freelance for digital agencies, startups, and SMEs, and as much as possible I would like to make an impact with this company that I am joining in given I have a different perspective regarding work - that is why I chose to work for a bank this time.


    I am not familiar as well with the work culture there in HK, so to try to negotiate would be really a big risk.

  3. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by bargfeldstegen:
    37K is just for your first job here. Stay for a while, and then move on to the next job and earn 50K, and so on. So, yes, come on over!
    Thanks, bargfeldstegen. I am actually ecstatic joining that company. But when I knew that they won't cover my airfare + my accommodation for the first 14 days there while looking for a permanent place to rent, and friends mentioning my basic salary is quite below average given my years of experience, I am quite unsure. Plus everything is expensive! So I am trying to ask for some help from fellow geoexpat community members on how to save more, average places to stay, etc.

  4. #34
    Original Post Deleted

    Can I join the WeChat group? I'm still learning Cantonese and Mandarin though!

  5. #35

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624

    37K:

    - 10K rent Max
    - 3K food and stuff
    - 2k Utilities (gas, air con, water, internet)
    - 200 Mobile Phone
    - 1K MPF
    - 1.5k Tax
    - 500 transport if live close office, else 1k
    - 2k activities (going out, clothes etc)
    - 1k medical
    - 4/5k trips (not sure how much for you to go home once a year and 1 or two trips in asia)
    - 1k For emergency
    =27.7K
    Add 3 K for stuff that I may have forgotten or undervaluded and you are at 31K more or less

    You save 6k/M

    Say, 5K to be conservative.

    Are you happy with 5K monthly saving?

    If yes and if you value the job, come.

    yoshioka09 likes this.

  6. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    37K:

    - 10K rent Max
    - 3K food and stuff
    - 2k Utilities (gas, air con, water, internet)
    - 200 Mobile Phone
    - 1K MPF
    - 1.5k Tax
    - 500 transport if live close office, else 1k
    - 2k activities (going out, clothes etc)
    - 1k medical
    - 4/5k trips (not sure how much for you to go home once a year and 1 or two trips in asia)
    - 1k For emergency
    =27.7K
    Add 3 K for stuff that I may have forgotten or undervaluded and you are at 31K more or less

    You save 6k/M

    Say, 5K to be conservative.

    Are you happy with 5K monthly saving?


    If yes and if you value the job, come.

    Hey Mat,

    Thanks for this detailed answer. I am copying everything to my end. The problem is I am supposed to send at least 6.5K overseas to my family. I then need to be more frugal and save nothing? Sad. Your thoughts on talking to my prospective employer to negotiate the salary to at least 40-45K? Quite risky, but what should I say to make it successful? (Note that I have 7 years of work experience, female, mid 20s if it's important to note.

  7. #37

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624
    Quote Originally Posted by yoshioka09:
    Hey Mat,

    Thanks for this detailed answer. I am copying everything to my end. The problem is I am supposed to send at least 6.5K overseas to my family. I then need to be more frugal and save nothing? Sad. Your thoughts on talking to my prospective employer to negotiate the salary to at least 40-45K? Quite risky, but what should I say to make it successful? (Note that I have 7 years of work experience, female, mid 20s if it's important to note.
    You can easily spend less on medical (1k I stated) and on housing (you can get stuff for 8/9k)

    Leaves you zero savings but you can send 6k back home. You can also spend less on transport and eating in and out. Those are estimate that can vary lots (if you drink wine, etc etc or not).

    it was a bit above 10 years ago and I came with 35K a month. My rent was 6.8 in a brand new flat in the NT. I was saying a lot at the time. Rents are now higher and the rest also but If you are willing to commute and don't spend much on entertainment it's doable.

    PLus as some have said it's your first salary. It's up to you to work your way up. after sthg like 3-4 years mine had double.

    If they offer you 37K I don't see much arm in asking 40.

    45 might be pushing it a bit. BUT only you know that so please take this with a huge pinch of salt.

  8. #38

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    357
    The 4/5k trips and 1k emergency can be your saving. $37K / month is quite ok.
    Mat likes this.

  9. #39

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11,884
    Quote Originally Posted by yoshioka09:
    Thanks, bargfeldstegen. I am actually ecstatic joining that company. But when I knew that they won't cover my airfare + my accommodation for the first 14 days there while looking for a permanent place to rent, and friends mentioning my basic salary is quite below average given my years of experience, I am quite unsure. Plus everything is expensive! So I am trying to ask for some help from fellow geoexpat community members on how to save more, average places to stay, etc.
    You are not in a good negotiating position, unless you have some truly amazingly hard to find IT skill. Also, you're from the <snip> and employers know that a lot of people from there would like to get foreign work visas and experience.

    I have no idea where you get the idea of this flights + 14 days paid accommodation from, there is no hard and fast rule about this, and for lower level, non-internal-transfer positions, I would not expect either.

    Basically, just worry about getting to HK, starting your job, finding your feet and not pissing off the recruiter or the company. Once you've found your feet, you can get some experience under your belt (local experience will count for more) and then look for other opportunities. Don't get all worked up and blow your chances for things that will only matter in the short term.

    Feel free to PM me the job spec, I've got some experience in IT hiring (non-dev side though) so might be able to comment on salary. I would not base salary just on years of experience, it's based on the company, the role, and to be blunt, what country you're coming from (which is where your current location puts you at a disadvantage).
    Last edited by shri; 13-06-2017 at 10:28 AM. Reason: requested
    yoshioka09 likes this.

  10. #40

    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    239

    I'd say a good salary to start with, the main expense is housing, I would stay on the island and use the crawly tram to save travel costs. Also, eat cheap in local shops. I still recall the second month I lived here paid housing deposit, agent fees, and school deposit I was dry. Thank my bank for the cheap food I got, All in for $65 three meals. You can do well with 37k, come over and like others have said you can try for a raise in your next role.