Job offer at amazon canada

[iamnothere2]

Hi there,

I'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)?

I am from Europe, planning to relocate later to the us. Thanks

[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...

[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.

[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!

[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

$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...