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by bacongobbler 2970 days ago
US salaries are much higher, the tech industry is booming in the states, and it's very simple to apply for a visa or start a consulting company to work remotely from home.

If you're a student graduating out of a Canadian college/university and are looking for ways to advance your career (while making a lot more money on the side), what's not to love about moving or working remote?
2 comments
flamtap 2970 days ago
I did exactly this, and have been working remotely for a Californian company as of two months ago. All I had to do was open a sole proprietorship (a trivial errand) and a USD bank account (technically optional), and report in via email on my first day.

As a self-employed contractor, my costs are lower (working from home), I get myriad tax breaks, and my salary is not even comparable to what I could expect locally, even with having to pay for my own health and dental. I can't see myself ever going back to working locally. Hell, I have been thinking about moving into the mountains recently, just for the scenery.

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xyzzy_plugh 2970 days ago
I'd love to learn more about your setup. Do you know of any resources for those looking to do the same?
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csomar 2969 days ago
Are you US based? Are you sure you are paying your taxes correctly? Creating an LLC is simple but handling the accounting is the complicated bit.
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mitjak 2970 days ago
I'm curious what percentage of that salary goes to pay for housing. I don't think a higher salary makes sense if the other expenses are proportionally higher.
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ryanobjc 2970 days ago
So here's the thing, yes your percentage might be higher. But what's left over is in absolute terms huge. For example, if you have an extra $3000 a month after paying for housing, that's pretty powerful even if you are paying 40% for housing. Sure in a different place you might be at 30% but your post-pay is like $1000. So net wise you're 3x better even with a "worse" rent percentage.
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majormajor 2970 days ago
If I'm spending 3.5K on rent but pocketing another 4K every month after taxes - plus getting bonuses - I'm a bit less upset about the cost of living.

I'm not spending 4K a month on food!

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