Software Engineer Salary Expectations
Hi All,
I'm currently looking to change jobs in the near future - currently in Canada. I've been interviewing for jobs with salaries in the range of 150,000 to 250,000 USD in both Canada and the US depending on the region. I do want to look into moving to Qatar though as I did live there in the past as a kid so I wanted to ask a couple of questions.
- Does being a Canadian citizen and graduating from one of the top engineering school actually make a big difference in salary?
- Similar to the above, does working at a big fortune 500 company affect salary?
- Based on some research I've done, my expectation is about 65,000 QAR per month along with housing allowance, transportation allowance, and multiple exit permits per year. Is this realistic?
- How is the tech scene in Qatar? I've seen few listings for lower level positions, but not many for higher level ones, is there a specific place people look for jobs there other than LinkedIn?
Thank you in advance for your responses!
Thank you for the response. While I do appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions, I think you've got some preconceived notions about some things.
Being Canadian does not mean someone is white. Canadian isn't one shape or colour. I myself am of Arab origins. I don't mean any offence with this, but just want to clarify that.
I'm not sure what you think it's like in Canada, but we're not really in a 'shell'. Competition here for the job level I'm at and aiming for is extreme, especially in the software engineering field.
Which leads me to my last point, while I do think that people from third world countries do work hard and can present competition, there's a reason that top software companies in Silicon Valley hire more graduates from my University than any other in the world, and that is quality of code and design. What I'm trying to say here is that it isn't very mature to assume everyone who comes from the west has "their nose up" and whatnot, we lead the tech field because we do put our heads down and produce quality code.
Again, this isn't to offend or anything, but to clarify that some of the remarks you made sound a little aggressive, as well as to explain that my expectations are not any higher than what my next position would pay in Canada or the US.
Here are the answers to your queries:
1. Yes, it does. Its not about from where you have received your qualifications. The Western passport carries its own value. In the Middle East the general belief is: The White Man is the Right Man (even if he is a dud!). The Arabs believe in this blindly.
2.Yes, it surely does. Big, well-established companies pay well, are organized and are less into hanky-panky business when it comes to payment of salaries and End of Service benefits.
3. I guess, your "expectations" are on the high side. Remember, when you leave your "shell" in Canada and try for a job in the Middle East, you will be facing competition from people from third world countries who may be equally well-qualified or better and ready to work on lower terms with their heads down and not with their nose up. But then, you can try your luck out.
4. Jobs that pay lower salaries are easier to locate and get. The higher salaried ones are usually in short supply. You can register yourself at some job sites and they will keep you updated with recent vacancies relating to your field of work. "Indeed" is one of such job site. You could also keep looking at the local news dailies. A popular one is Gulf Times,