On: How to screw up your life by getting promoted

[primitur]

Where in Europe is EU3000/mo. the norm? I've got 25 years of experience as a developer, and I'm finding it hard to get 2/3rds of that ..

[GuiA → primitur]

Where do you live in Europe? In western Europe (France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, etc.), 30-35k+ is a common starting salary for an engineer with a MSc.

[primitur → GuiA]

I'm in Austria, a C/C++ developer (Java, Android variant too, but I'd rather not work in it) with systems programming experience, and now 4 years of mobile work. The salaries around these parts are close to the GP scale, but not quite there ..

[radicalbyte → primitur]

Before or after tax? In The Netherlands a good developer can earn between 3000 and 6000 per month before tax.

Tax is high, mainly thanks to the massive subsidies given to house owners - mortgage interest payments are subtracted from pre-tax wage before the tax is calculated. As you can guess, it's normal here for people to max their loans and go for interest-only repayments..

[raverbashing → radicalbyte]

"it's normal here for people to max their loans and go for interest-only repayments.."

And then end up with an unpayable principal?

That's how governments create housing bubbles.

[onetwothreefour → raverbashing]

The principal never increases.

You're basically just renting the house from the bank. And this is common (not good, but common) in every country where interest is tax deductible, because you can multiply your 'renting' power by your top marginal tax rate.

[troels → primitur]

As a developer? Most of northern Europe would have salaries way past that, assuming your skills are in demand.

[michaelt → primitur]

If you'd be willing to work near London in the UK and use Java, drop me an e-mail - address is in my profile.

[primitur → michaelt]

Nice offer, I'll pass it on to some of the British Java guys I know. ;)