entry level salaries

[dreier112]

Hi everybody,

I am just about to finish my Master's in New Zealand and would like to get a job in Canada. My nationality is German so that I would need sponsorship from a company in order to work in Canada.

I searched the Internet quite a bit but was not able to find anything about actual entry level salaries. Monster.ca and workopolis don't help very much either. The NOC list and labour market information is, unfortunately, completely based on taxable income, which does not reflect the ratio between basic salaries and boni. So, that's not very helpful, too.

Is there anyone out there who could possibly give me a hint on where to look for information on entry level salary structures in different industries.

Positions that I am looking for are Junior positions in Product Management, Key Account Management, Business or Strategy Consulting, and Auditing. Although my field is telecommunication, my education was mainly to produce a generalist rather than a specialist. Thus, I can work in virtually every industry.

Oh, before I forget, my actual resume, elsewhere on this forum, can be found here: http://www.jobforum.ca/showthread.php?t=1005

Thanks a lot for your trouble!!!
Cheers,
Eric

[Tsveta]

Hi Eric, I hope this salary calculator (http://www.jobagencies.ca/index.asp?p=13)can help you determine what will be the salary for a particular position.

[Ascended]

obviously it's going to depend on the economy and where in the country you get a job, but you should be able to get a fairly decent starting salary

[dreier112]

Thanks a lot guys.

I have checked some career sites and I most of them gove totally different pictures of what would be a possible starting salary.

Entry level was probably not quite the right word, as I do have some at least partly relevant job experience.

Most job-sites tell me that people in my desired profession earn something between $45,000 and $82,000, which is, if ask me, f.... pathetic as it does not give me any hint at all. That is basically the as if I would say New Zealand is west of Canada.

Anyway, I though of telling them that a base salary of $60,000 would be what I want.

This would be first sort of in the middle of the given range, and, secondly, it would also be the same amount of money that I would get in Europe, where living costs are evidently lower.

Oh, I had almost forgotten: My desired location would be either Toronto or Vancouver.
However, Calgary would be interesting as well but I was told that living expenses in Calgary are higher than in either Toronto or Vancouver and that, at the same time, the wages are lower. Is that right?

What do you think? Would $60,000 be ok? Or is it too high or even too low?

Thanks again!

Eric

[Paul]

Hi,

For an entry level position $60 000 is a little too much but go for it. A word of suggestion- most of the recruiters will try to lowball you, so be careful! As soon as they understand you are a new immigrant they will try to press for the money to get a bigger commission. So you have to be very confident when you talk money with them.
It depends of the company as well. Some companies like Ernst & Young keep very low salaries because they are big and established name. People would work for a couple of years on a low pay and a very stressful job just to get them in their resume. So basically there are 2 scenarios - you get a job in a big company working for peanuts or wait a little longer and get the salary you want. I don’t want to discourage you just to prepare you how to deal with recruiters. :rolleyes:

[contractor]

I think the previous poster has a point!

As far as I know, Toronto has more jobs to offer comparing to Vancouver. The rents are higher in Toronto but the real estate in Vancouver is more expensive. In Calgary the rents have skyrocketed in the last couple of years, I don't know about the wages but I guess they are comparable. In Alberta the taxes are lower comparing to Ontario and BC.

[dreier112]

Hi guys, thank you for your support.
I have changed the base salary to $50,000 to $55,000.
First of all, I do not really care about salary during the first time as my primary goal is to get me into the country. Thus, I know, I will have to the price for this. However, as I will most probably need to change my job after some time anyway in order to get a more decent salary and responsibility in my job. It's not a big deal if the first job is not that lucrative. Personally, it's lucrative enough as it allows me to immigrate into Canada.

I am very thankful for any advice any of you could give me.
So, everything that you think might help me is very appreciated.

Best,
Eric

[Tsveta]

Almost never your first job is your dream job but when you get here and gain experience you can start looking for something more rewarding.
Have you decided in which city you are going to settle?

[dreier112]

Actually, no, I have not yet decided where to go, because this is up to the job I can get over there. I'm going to that city, where I get work. As you said, you can always look for another job when you're there. That means to me that I can also always look for another city once I am in Canada.

However, my favourite location is either Toronto because of the business opportunities or Vancouver because of their lifestyle (and because I am used to their kind of weather:D ).

[Tsveta]

Vancouver has milder climate comparing to Toronto but it's raining a lot. Right now they are buried in snow and Toronto enjoys spring like temperatures...