Should I Move to Sydney?

LDeadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 09:36
Last edited 02/10/2017 - 16:34

Hi,

This is my first post and I need some advice.

I am living in Perth and working as a Software Developer.

Current situation:
Married with 2 kids
Permanent Job $130K
Renting: $500/week

I have been offered a job in Sydney
Permanent Job, $170K

Should I accept the job offer considering higher living cost?
If yes, what is the best way to move my household stuff and two cars to Sydney?

Thanks..

UPDATE:

Finally, I have decided to stay in Perth. I have got an offer from my current employer which I couldn't decline.

As a lot of members are asking me about what I do,
I am a Sitecore developer.
No, I wasn't hired by Amazon in Sydney.
My wife is an Migration consultant. She runs her own business "Gate Migration".

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to comment your views.

Poll Options

  • 160
    Stay in Perth
  • 40
    Move to Sydney
  • 37
    Whatever wife says
Financial

Comments

  • chumlee on 26/09/2017 - 09:52
    +97

    Always best to ask strangers on life changing issues.

    I say yes but what does your partner and children think?

    • Nugs on 26/09/2017 - 09:56
      +106

      and I say no, so it's now a deadlock

      • Malarkey on 26/09/2017 - 11:25
        +4

        I vote yes, 2-1 at this stage buddy!

        • [Deactivated] on 26/09/2017 - 14:05
          +3

          I vote no - perhaps a poll would assist with this thread?

        • adante on 27/09/2017 - 15:25
          +55

          @therobdog:

          we need a plebiscite

        • Miss B on 27/09/2017 - 21:05
          +65

          @adante:
          What we really need is a non-binding postal survey.

        • lookatthesizeofthat on 27/09/2017 - 22:36
          +1

          no! lol

        • hammmer on 28/09/2017 - 11:57
          +5

          @Miss B: that cost $122m

        • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2017 - 15:45
          -2

          What we need is a coin, to flip.
          Hell, always worked out pretty well for me…

        • nismo on 29/09/2017 - 10:23
          +2

          @AngryChicken:

          Hell

          worked out well for you?

          Can't say I've heard many people recommending Hell, but whatever floats your goat man

      • wlz2000 on 28/09/2017 - 12:28
        +5

        Hence I up vote both of your comments to make the deadlock more dead.

        • lookatthesizeofthat on 29/09/2017 - 01:50
          +1

          I just upvoted your upvoting to confuse the issue further. If you post another comment I'll downvote it to restore out short lived yet meaningful equilibrium.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2017 - 08:36
          +1

          I've chosen to upvote your upvoting, and everyone above you, but only as i'm a shallow insipid individual who wants to give the impression that we're friends, when really i'm just prepping the scene as i try to resolve how i can make a dollar from each of you.

          Yes, i'm from Sydney.

    • Deadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 14:05
      +1

      Partner is okay with it.. Kids aren't so excited ..

      • chumlee on 26/09/2017 - 17:20
        +10

        Kids probably worried about having to start new friendships

      • erics on 27/09/2017 - 13:20
        +1

        Kids are never happy with it, I wasn't when I had to change schools - how old are they?

      • jasecutler on 27/09/2017 - 14:22
        +6

        Kids will never want to move - the quintessential example being moving schools (leaving their friends), but they understandably never see the bigger picture. Confer with the wife.

      • kasp on 28/09/2017 - 16:07
        +2

        Just beat them until they are ok with it.

      • WorkSydneyCC23 on 28/09/2017 - 22:38

        you havent sold it well.

        Perth is like where in Sydney? not in Metro.

        after living in Sydney after 20 years on a life support machine. I moved up to the Central Coast 5 years ago.

        1.25 hour fast commute and it will be faster. house and cost of living are cheaper. I still work in Sydney.

        My Melbourne friends and their family did the same last year. they were glad they followed my advice.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2017 - 08:44

          …life support machine

          Ha! Well said, and in my experience that's how it is for many people.
          I know folk in well-paying professional roles living in the inner city, but they own next to nothing and everything they make goes to rent, international holidays and smashed avocado.

          Lot of fun sure, but once these folks grow old they'll be cactus.

          I'm rich so i'm fine, thank you.

  • theHMASfriendship on 26/09/2017 - 10:05

    Where in Sydney?

    • Deadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 14:04
      +1

      Office located in Homebush..

      • michelle181 on 27/09/2017 - 11:13
        +48

        Hi OP, I've moved to Homebush in April this year, but I have been a Sydney-sider my whole life.
        I would say Homebush/Strathfield is a great place to live if you are thinking of moving there. It definitely has the feel of suburbia, which I imagine you would want for the kids, and it is close enough to the city if you want some hustle and bustle. Strathfield is 15 minutes on the train to the city so it's actually very close. Probably about 30+ minutes driving depending on the traffic.
        Personally I live literally 2 minutes from Homebush station and 10 from Strathfield (literally!) and even that close, it is a fairly quiet neighbourhood. There are a handful of restaurants from different cultures so that is nice to get some variety.
        In Burwood (neighbouring suburb, less than 5 min drive) there is a Westfield, the usual Coles, target etc plus a maaaaassive park so you and the kids can still get some exercise. There are a few parks around but the one at Burwood is huge. Very nice.
        Personally I'm in a different life stage, renting a small apartment with my partner. We have a 2 bedroom unit for $450 a week in a small block of apartments. In the area there are a ton of apartments for rent. I can't comment on what houses are available, but there are family size apartments also for rent/purchase if you look. As I said, different life stage so I haven't been looking.
        Feel free to PM if you want more advice. I can only speak for the local area, the actual decision to move would be up to you and your family! Best of luck!

        • bocca on 27/09/2017 - 23:01
          +4

          Yah, I agree on this one.

          I live near Homebush and its decent. Good indian food at Homebush, Good Korean food in Strathfield. Excellent schools in the area.

          Rent shment, with the $40k payrise you should be fine.
          $500 per week should get you a 2-3 bed apartment. there are a few houses around for $600-700pw if you look at Ryde and South Strathfield.

          Sydney is also Sydney, so it has good food, nightlife and activities for kids!

          do it!

        • Brianqpr on 28/09/2017 - 09:34
          +8

          @bocca: Each to their own I suppose, I hate Strathfield! And Homebush and surrounds are just a soulless legoland.

        • desmondnnk on 28/09/2017 - 13:45
          +2

          @bocca: what nightlife? LOL

        • serpserpserp on 28/09/2017 - 20:07
          +2

          Having lived right next to Strathfield station for a number of years and working in the city, I can confirm that the train is NOT 15 minutes to the city in peak hour. You might get to newtown in 15 minutes on an express train but then you'll queue up to get into central for about 10-15 from there. So… annoying…

          To be honest, with children I wouldn't want to bring them up around Strathfield, maybe Homebush is a bit nicer. Maybe if you could buy a house near a good school, but that'll set you back about 1.5m these days. Burwood is worse and I dreaded going to the Westfield there, I would rather drive to Parramatta than go in Burwood.

          Seriously. The difference in earning from 130k to 170k isn't going to cut it when comparing living expenses in Perth vs Sydney. I am surprised that you aren't buying a house in Perth and settling in, it is an amazing area of the world to live in!

          Oh yes. Also prepare for air traffic wherever you live. I know so many people that stayed with us from out of town that commented on this whether we were living in Strathfield, inner west, eastern beach suburbs, nothing would please them! You really can't escape it either!

          EDIT: Please note that my personal preference would be to live in Sydney (I live in Melb currently). Having lived in most capital cities in Australia at some point in my life I do have a good perception on the advantages of each. However I need +2mil for a house in a area I'd want to live in, so until I win the lotto, I can't move back! :)

        • WorkSydneyCC23 on 28/09/2017 - 22:39

          @Brianqpr: Strathfield 1 hour by train from Woy Woy lol

        • bocca on 04/10/2017 - 12:06

          @desmondnnk: Sydney overall has better nightlife

        • AlienC on 05/10/2017 - 21:33

          Homebush area has the best hidden out of the way quiet feeds imho. Great markets snd restaurants not much people, really perfect for a quiet simple life. Probably my dream destination when I get some more money to move there.

      • sunnyc on 28/09/2017 - 01:19

        Don't live in homebush but more east of homebush. I used to live in the area but it gets better the more east you go before the CBD. Sadly the same can't be said about the rent costs. expect to pay $700+ for a good house in strathfield to rent. I saw a couple large furnished ones with additional swimming pools. But yeah extra 40k seems like a good offer since Sydney has a lot more stuff than Perth but it's really up to you.

      • Gnosh on 28/09/2017 - 13:52

        I work in Homebush. It's perfect for me as I live in the inner west and my commute is against the traffic. It's perfect for family life too, great for transport, eating and school options.

        Honestly you can't compare Sydney and Perth side by side, it's like apples and oranges. You will lose some great things about Perth (no tolls!) but Sydney is a fantastic city in its own right.

  • JimB on 26/09/2017 - 10:10
    +4

    Does your wife work?

    Do you have much family support in Perth?

  • bitesized on 26/09/2017 - 10:23
    +91

    Hi mate, I've just moved to Perth after 8 years in Sydney. Quick thoughts here.

    Downside:
    * Rent is considerably more in Sydney. For a family of four, a decent sized home would probably be about $700-$900. You may find cheaper but access to shops/transport/school will not be as convenient
    * Apartments would be a decent alternative as well. Sydney has heaps more apartment options compared to Perth
    * Driving around takes considerably longer. In Sydney, a 25 minute drive is considered short. In Perth, 25 mins is forever
    * If you do not live near the beach, access to it is significantly harder than in Perth (particularly for parking). All is solved if you go early
    * People are everywhere. I found the CBD of Perth about 1/10th the density of Sydney (stats are unfounded but that's what it feels like…)

    Upside:
    * Public transport is much more accessible. Bus routes and train routes, although confusing, run frequently and expansively
    * Lots to do, eat and see. Shops and restaurants are plentiful and are open late. Availability of attractions will keep your kids busy for ages (albeit not necessarily affordable)
    * Food options wise, Thai, Italian, Korean, Lebanese and Vietnamese options abound. Most are decent too
    * Being a major city, there are many more direct flights to major cities (Tokyo, Seoul, Hawaii, LA etc.)
    * Great beaches as well. No more sunsets over the ocean, but you get the sunrise!
    * People are everywhere! If you wanted to meet others, there are tons of options
    * It's Sydney. Iconic. Exciting. Metropolitan. Best New Year's fireworks in the world.

    For moving:
    Household items: I recommend you use Sendle. Quick, easy and cheap.
    Cars: Use either Patrick Autocare or CEVA Logistics. They are slightly more expensive ($1.1k - $1.3k per car), but they are the most established. They have some protection available, and their transport networks allows vehicles to arrive with little to no delays.

    I personally used Patrick Autocare and it took 2 weeks from Sydney to Perth Depot. Two friends used CEVA and had the same shipping period. Others who used cheaper options took forever (one up to 6 weeks). The car hire cost for the 3-4 weeks extra ended up being way more costly.

    Feel free to PM if you need more options! Good luck.

    • Ryanek on 26/09/2017 - 10:55
      +32

      No more sunsets over the ocean, but you get the sunrise

      I had never considered this until now :|

    • Deadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 14:08

      I am only stressed about packing/unpacking :(
      Thanks for explaining in detail. Will PM for help.

    • TrevBargn on 28/09/2017 - 09:21

      Here are the stats you were looking for to show Sydney has become very crowded.
      Some interesting graphs:
      https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/09/nsw-liberals-revolt…

    • shaiguy on 28/09/2017 - 10:15
      +3

      This post is quite good. I live in Sydney and have visited Perth a number of times. If it were a A$25k difference post-tax as they other poster has calculated then stay in Perth. Even for A$50k post-tax you should stay. The lifestyle in Perth is great. When I visited family over there, after work you can drive down to Mandurah or somewhere else, catch some blue swimmer crabs, etc. or do something else. Over here, the pace is just chaotic over here and there's no chance you could do something like that given crowds and traffic. If you have a family I would say stay in Perth - it's a much better lifestyle for the rest of the family as well. If you were single, I would say it is worth the experience for a few years but it really depends where you are. In saying that I do know a family from country Victoria who moved to Perth for about a decade and then to Sydney for a few years. They then went back to Perth and complained about the lack of food variety and the crppy Asian food (I had to chuckle because we introduced them to a heap of Asian food during their stay in Sydney when they had been used to your typical black bean beef, sweet and sour pork fare etc.), bad drivers (I think they developed the impatient Sydney driver mentality) etc.

      I have not even mentioned higher costs but it's covered enough and for the couple mentioned above their accommodation was taken care of as the father/husband worked for the defence forces.

    • Dan83 on 29/09/2017 - 22:06

      I didn't think any city could have worse public transport than Sydney!

    • ely on 30/09/2017 - 02:10
      • People are everywhere. I found the CBD of Perth about 1/10th the density of Sydney (stats are unfounded but that's what it feels like…)

      Interesting; I've lived in Perth (Subiaco, Leederville) and now live in the Melbourne CBD (for ~8 years) and I'd put this as a pro not a con - Perth's CDB sucks balls, but Melbourne is great and Sydney is… so so. Perth's CDB is like Melbourne's Docklands, just a weird dead zone outside of business hours - disclaimer: this was about nine years ago, maybe Perth has got its shit together since then.

  • King Bee on 26/09/2017 - 10:24
    +4

    Consider the following: 1) Do you have a good family life in Perth? i.e. Is it easy to take your kids to the park, school, sports, hobbies, restaurants and cafes? 2) Think about the time wasted sitting in traffic to get home and on the way to work 3) Other lifestyle situations. 4) Where are you in your career? Will this move you up, create more oppurtunities? More clients and customers? 5) Do your kids/family want to move? Consider the emotional cost and not just financial costs.

    You seem like a smart person(?) You should be able to make decisions from your own research. Most people would say no on this forum, but there are larger things to consider. Think 5,10 or 20 years from now.

  • JimmyF on 26/09/2017 - 10:25
    +8

    So many questions needed before you can answer this.

    How old are you? The wife and the kids?

    Do you have family in Perth or Sydney?

    Why did you apply for this job?

    You said you have the job already? So you did the interviews and accepted the offer?

    Have you ever been to Sydney before?

    Renting: $500/week

    How much do you think Sydney will be?

    If yes, what is the best way to move my household stuff and two cars to Sydney?

    These lovely things called moving companies. They pack your house up and ship it across the country.

    Cars can be transported/sold locally and new ones purchased in Sydney or just drive them over and save on airfares. Road trip for the family!

    Also don't forget tax increases, as you'll start to lose mega dollars to tax now.

    Current situation:
    Permanent Job $130K

    Tax on $130k is $35.7k = $94.3k

    been offered
    Permanent Job, $170K

    Tax on $170k is $50.5k = $119.5k

    So its only really a $25k takehome payrise!

    • YLD1 on 26/09/2017 - 10:28
      +2

      not to mention cost of living is higher in sydney. So that $25K can easily become an extra $10-$15K just on general expenses.

    • Deadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 14:09
      +1

      Age: 37
      Wife: 32
      Kids: 8,3
      I have been to sydney but in CBD area only.

      • JimmyF on 26/09/2017 - 14:18
        +9

        (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

      • Brianqpr on 28/09/2017 - 09:37
        +3

        Very, very different beyond the CBD area.

      • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2017 - 15:51
        +2

        37 + 32 + 8 + 3 = 80.
        I love to count!

        • serpserpserp on 28/09/2017 - 20:14
          +1

          Seems like you actually love addition.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2017 - 08:23

          Yes, i recognised there wasn't a perfect match, but went with it anyway.
          Sometimes life is like that.

      • bjinco on 30/09/2017 - 05:19

        At your age the best choice is to go to Sydney
        170K -> net income 8,820.83/month
        130K -> net income 6,979.17/month
        Pay rise 1,841.66/month
        Keep the same lifestyle, so you will have more money in your bank account.
        don't forget! the job opportunity in Sydney is higher compared to Perth.

    • WorkSydneyCC23 on 28/09/2017 - 22:42

      do yourself a favor honestly the best lifestyle and financials like rent etc is just 25 minutes north of Hornsby

      do you need CostCo or Ikea? if not, then consider CC if so, Homebush :)

  • YLD1 on 26/09/2017 - 10:27
    +47

    If you're moving for financial reasons
    the extra $40K is not worth it

    if you're moving for experience and looking for the next project or a better company
    it is worth it

    if you're moving for a better life
    I think it's an easier life in Perth. Sydney is full of assholes (yours truly)

    if you're moving for a more exciting life
    Sydney is probably better, depending where you are living. e.g. apartment closer to the city

    tough decision but personally I WOULD move. I think career paths for yourself and family are better in Sydney.
    i.e. wife can find part time work quite easily, when your kids grow up it is easier to get a job in Sydney (Depending on career)

    • JimmyF on 26/09/2017 - 10:52
      +24

      Sydney is probably better, depending where you are living. e.g. apartment closer to the city

      2 kids and wifey in a shoebox apartment….. Doesn't sound like fun to me.

      • DemocracyManifest on 27/09/2017 - 20:21
        +3

        Especially if insulation isn't good and you get annoying neighbours…

    • mr_asstight on 27/09/2017 - 22:22
      +17

      Syd is a massive rat race of a place. It can really grind you down after a while. Housing stress is sky high and everyone is stressed = assholes

      • Brianqpr on 28/09/2017 - 09:38
        +1

        Spot on.

      • WorkSydneyCC23 on 28/09/2017 - 22:44

        my area surprised me the first time I got here. the buses here look after their elderly and young families with kids. if your house is on the bus route and say its 200m just past the next bus stop. guess where the bus driver stops. in front of your house! Sydney does not have that.. amazing

    • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2017 - 15:53
      +6

      Sydney is full of assholes

      I am in a position confirm this.
      I live in Sydney and am one of many assholes.

  • Gronk on 26/09/2017 - 10:49
    +13

    Found myself in a very similar position last year, I was originally open to moving but it ended up not being necessary. 12 months on I'm glad I didn't make the move, I've travelled to Sydney on a number of occasions over the past year and rather quickly came to the conclusion that as much as I can afford it I would hate living in Sydney.

    It may sound excessive, but I'd want more than a 40k pay bump to move to Sydney with 2 kids, you're going to spend more in just about every aspect of your life.

  • JimmyF on 26/09/2017 - 10:51

    :)

  • FiDad on 26/09/2017 - 10:54
    +4

    Also one more thing to take in account is future home ownership. You will have to pay much more for a house in Sydney compared to Perth for a similar house and distance from CBD/Beach. But on the plus side career opportunities in Sydney are much better and you can easily make much more then $170k with contracting roles

  • altomic on 26/09/2017 - 10:56
    +22

    There is an avocado tree in Balmoral.

    • pjetson on 26/09/2017 - 11:04
      +2

      I thought that was just a rumour.

      • airzone on 26/09/2017 - 11:38
        +2

        There was until the council realised the public liability risk of having people slip on a fallen avocado and sue for megabucks, so they cut it down.

    • 87percent on 26/09/2017 - 11:37
      +3

      sold me

  • mooney on 26/09/2017 - 11:47
    +4

    Ignore all the commentary about money. What you have is fine as a start. The aspect that is missed is long term there is way more opportunity in Sydney so even if next couple of years things feel a little tighter, if you are good at what you do, within a very short period of time its likely your career can reach levels that simply weren't available in Perth.

    That was my experience.. getting a foot in the door is the hard part and you've already done that.

    My only hot tip, with that salary and 2 kids don't even attempt to live in the near city centre.

    • Trying2SaveABuck on 26/09/2017 - 15:49
      +1

      I'd agree Sydney probably has more opportunity for career growth in the long term as a general rule for more professions

  • inherentchoice on 26/09/2017 - 11:48
    +4

    Well Perth often has much cheaper flights into Asia, and beyond (e.g. $834 return to Europe). Shorter flights too of course.

    From Perth, Bali is closer than Melbourne.

    As for the best way to move my suggestion would be to sell/chuck/donate as much as possible, then start afresh with a clean slate. Perhaps even just load your car/s with the bare minimum of stuff to keep, purge everything else and drive over. One benefit of doing this is you can avoid having a crazy move-out day and then move-in day. Instead it spreads the work out as you can progressively sell/remove stuff and then buy stuff at the other end. It's very easy to buy furniture and whitegoods… and everything. That's one benefit of capitalism haha.

  • TheBilly on 26/09/2017 - 14:21
    +13

    You wont see much of that pay rise moving to Sydney. So when making the decision, base it purely on life style factors.

  • JetLi on 26/09/2017 - 14:56
    +8

    Uproot your entire family for a $40k payrise which would be mostly offset against tax and additional living costs, not worth the move. Maybe if you were young and single, but with a family, I wouldn't been keen on it.

  • tryagain on 26/09/2017 - 15:01
    +3

    As others have said, move if you want the experience/adventure, but not for the money, most of that will be consumed by the higher cost of living. Family and friends are also a consideration, but not the be all and end all.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 26/09/2017 - 15:44

    No one can truly answer this but you maybe if it was me and i had no reasons to stay in Perth i'd go 40k more salary is a fair jump and im assuming you'd get a re-location bonus??

    I dont know what your wife does for a living but if she can get a job in Sydney and you have no close family keeping you in perth ie brothers/sisters parents i'd do it.

    However im 27 engaged with no kids so it sounds more like an adventure for me but you sound like you're a bit more established and in a different situation

    Also I'm from Melbourne which is meant to be the most livable city but in all honesty the weather is bad, Stamp duty is high and road/public transport are 3rd world.

    • idonotknowwhy on 27/09/2017 - 14:46
      +5

      Also I'm from Melbourne which is meant to be the most livable city but in all honesty the weather is bad, Stamp duty is high and road/public transport are 3rd world.

      Not to mention Metro trains. Arguably the worst public transport network in the developed world.

      • JIMB0 on 27/09/2017 - 21:43
        +2

        I heard they have a better train networks in 3rd world country's than we do in Melbourne.

        • idonotknowwhy on 28/09/2017 - 11:20
          -1

          Yep, mon-main cities in China have better trains than this.
          Every time I catch a metro train, I feel ashamed to be Aussie.

        • serpserpserp on 28/09/2017 - 20:18
          +1

          @idonotknowwhy:

          China isn't 3rd world tho.

    • oldspice on 27/09/2017 - 21:43
      +2

      The roads in Melbourne are miles better than Sydney (grew up in Sydney, went to uni in Melbourne). Didn't know multiple potholes on a single road weren't the standard until I went to Melbourne (that and Sydney's traffic is terrible!).

  • Word on 26/09/2017 - 19:12
    +27

    Make a pro and cons list:

    Pro:
    Higher pay rate.
    Advancement in career.
    Better perks.

    Cons:
    Live in Sydney.

    It's clear the cons outweigh the pros.

  • megadeth on 26/09/2017 - 19:19
    +3

    I'd be expecting a 170k role to come with a relocation package not costing you a dime. I'd love to be in that position. Earning similar to you in a small town. Would love to move back to Sydney…

  • PVA on 26/09/2017 - 19:28
    +18

    The traffic in Sydney would be enough to say No.

    I would stay in Perth.

    • ozlab on 30/09/2017 - 17:45

      I'd imagine Perth would catch up with Sydney traffic sooner or later. Sydney traffic was like Perth too before it's getting crazy. Looking at peak hours, one car for one person. The road system is not scalable. In the future, all cities will require efficient mass transit system, that includes Perth. By the time Perth traffic is getting crazy, Sydney mass transit system is already getting ahead of Perth.

  • OzFrugie on 26/09/2017 - 22:33
    +4

    May I know what kind of software developer are you? One that command 170k salary in Sydney..? I want to change career..

    • Hellfire on 28/09/2017 - 09:16
      +1

      Easy for a corporate dev to earn that kind of money in a senior role.

      • OzFrugie on 28/09/2017 - 21:04
        +1

        You mean senior developer role or senior management?

        From what I can see, not that I am an avid observer though, senior developer role in syd usually commands around 130-150k base. 160k rare if ur lucky. Except in high demand roles like data mining or data science roles which can command 180k-200k easy i think.

        Senior management role in IT for 170k i think is pretty common i think.

        Just my personal observation though not sure if its right or not..

        Im talking about permanent roles here. Of course contract roles different bracket.. Are u talking easy to get 170k for corporate senior dev in contract role or permanent?

        • Hellfire on 28/09/2017 - 23:18
          +2

          Senior developer with 10+ years experience would get around 150k base as you said, which is around 170-180k with super plus bonus. Lead or architect above that. Senior management (CIO -1/-2) would be 250k+.

          Contract is 1000+ a day. Really the sky is the limit depending on supply and demand.

        • OzFrugie on 28/09/2017 - 23:41

          @Hellfire:

          And u know this from..? Are u a senior dev urself in syd? :)

        • Hellfire on 29/09/2017 - 07:02

          @OzFrugie:

          I hire devs, including senior ones, for a large corporate :P

        • AlienC on 05/10/2017 - 21:35

          @Hellfire: hi it's your favourite senior developer Roman wanna go snowing?

  • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2017 - 07:24
    +1

    Yes, cheaper, prettier and better sunrises than Perth. I'm not biased! Much.

  • batfastard on 27/09/2017 - 09:14
    +5

    Was in a creepily similar situation a few years ago.

    Dead end career wise in Perth.

    I managed to score a gig in Canberra.

    Once I had some in - town experience, I managed to slip into contracting. Haven't looked back.

    On top of that, Canberra is great for bringing up kids. Much more so than Sydney.

    YM, obviously, MV.

    • aboabo on 28/09/2017 - 02:20

      But getting to the beach can take forever.

      • DarwinBoy on 28/09/2017 - 07:27
        +2

        But not far to the snow…

        • serpserpserp on 28/09/2017 - 20:20

          You don't even need to go to the snow to experience sub-zero temps for 3-4 months of the year too.

      • batfastard on 30/09/2017 - 07:22

        2 hours to Batemans bay, if beaches are your thing.

        Not THAT big a difference compared to being go a beach from a western suburb.

  • scarface on 27/09/2017 - 11:25
    +3

    I think having Kids grow up in Perth is awesome. Travelled to Sydney and Melbourne heaps, like visiting but wouldn't live there! If I had to move it would be to Melbourne.

    Not sure about career but Perth has a shortage of good developers - maybe change your expectation on what to get paid as a good developer.

    Sydney does have benefits in terms of things to do and see.

  • Seraphin7 on 27/09/2017 - 13:47
    +1

    For a different perspective, what would your choice be if the decision was reversed?

    If you were to assume uplifting family, etc. is a constant in either case, would you move from Sydney to Perth and accept a lower income, but lower living expenses with all the attendant lifestyle pros and cons of the choice?

  • syousef on 27/09/2017 - 14:16
    +19

    Financially: No.
    After tax the difference in what you're earning is probably a little north of $25k. That will get eaten up in no time with cost of living differences between Sydney and Perth.

    Quality of life: Hell no.
    They keep adding housing here without infrastructure. More people. More traffic. More need for public transport, schools, hospitals and everything else. But the state govt is only building a handful of public infrastructure projects badly (whether it's a case of corruption or incompetence, it's not about efficiency, that's for sure!) Oh and getting back to finance they keep re-tolling roads. Going across town can cost you $20 in tolls one way.

    I've lived in Sydney all my life. If I live to be an old man, I expect it'll be a slum by then. This city was awesome when I was a kid. It's been trashed.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2017 - 15:39
      +1

      Financially, at a raw glance, many would agree with you. 40k increase is really a 20k difference. That 20k is probably going to reduce if your super isn't included. Factor in the cost of living and having to keep your family happy, and increased travel expenditure to visit friends and family in Perth, your pocket difference is going to be negligible.

      You will not be familiar with property prices and localities in Sydney, so you will be handicapped for investment opportunities.

      However, $130k to $170k is the only way to the $250k job.

      • syousef on 27/09/2017 - 16:35
        +2

        Not a whole lots of software developers earning $250k in Sydney. Middle managers are easily replaced so that transition can be a bad move too as once your technical skills aren't current it's near impossible to get back in.

        • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2017 - 19:10

          Fair point. I'm not in IT. Speaking in general only.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join