
Job offer at amazon canada - iamnothere2
Hi there,<p>I&#x27;ve just git an offer to vancouver, canada. it is 125k CAD base + 17k CAD signing bonus 1 yr, plus 15k CAD second year + 118 stocks + relocation. This is for LVL5 (SDE 2). How good is the offer? Is it affordable to live in Vancouver with two children for that money (renting)?<p>I am from Europe, planning to relocate later to the us. Thanks
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tyrelb
My opinions (living here):

That salary, after tax, will be roughly $90k/year, and the bonuses will be
$8k, $7k, after taxes (assuming top-rate on these bonuses).

Rent for a 2-bed (decent, central, downtown) apartment will run you at around
$2500 to $3500 / mo (30-40k/yr). Living costs otherwise are reasonable
relative to your income. You probably don't need to get a vehicle straight-
away, and there are some car sharing services out there (to visit far places,
like Whistler, etc.).

Negotiate extended employee benefits (health / dental) paid 100% by the
company (excluding long-term disability) AND negotiate the payment of Medical
Services Plan (gov't fee - appx. $150 / mo for family) - which I think you
have to pay if you're a resident.

So on the surface, yes... I think you'd be "comfortable", but you're not going
to feel rich.

Curious what other HN's think...

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iamnothere2
Thank you very much! I think 100% health/dental is included, will check. Will
negotiate payment of Medical Services Plan.

How about renting 3-bed Apt/House in suburbs 40-50 minutes to commute? As far
as I understand it is Richmond or Burnaby.

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tyrelb
Commuting can be tough - depending on where Amazon is... if it's downtown,
close to the skytrain / Canada Line, then you'll want to live in close to one
of those lines. Trains are much easier (faster) to get in vs. driving. They
use the same pass system like in London (tap in/out). Driving downtown from
Richmond, even Burnaby for that matter is a lot of driving. Parking downtown
can be $8-15/day.

In terms of house - not sure. But Burnaby is the kind of place where you could
probably still rent a house with a backyard (good for kids). Craigslist is a
good start for finding houses for rent, too, otherwise ask potential co-
workers for some advice on finding a place. It's quite competitive in the
rental market, so give yourself a month or two to find a place. Ask your
employer to bridge you a month or two with a furnished rental suite. That's
what I did when I first moved to Vancouver...then you aren't worried about
making a commitment before living here.

Best of luck!

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redstripe
In burnaby $1500 will get you a 2 bedroom. For $2500 you can rent the main
floor of a house.

[http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/search/apa?bedrooms=3](http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/search/apa?bedrooms=3)

$125k is a great salary for Vancouver. It probably puts you in the 95%
percentile provincially. Developer salaries seem to be comparable to most
other white collar jobs however, so you may take a big hit if you ever leave
Amazon.

[http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-
som/l01/cst01/f...](http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-
som/l01/cst01/famil105k-eng.htm)

