i did a search and didn't seem to find anything so i hope i didn't miss a conversation on this topic.... but anyway....i am a web designer from canada and have about 4 years of experience..... i have been talking with a few web companies in spain...however i have no idea what to expect in terms of salary.... whats the cost of living there? i want to live comfortably and i realise things are cheaper there.... but i don't know what is reasonable.... anyone have any info on what a web designer in Barcelona or Madrid makes? know of any resources for finding this stuff out?

any help would be great!

thanks!

pix

How many years of experience do you have? I would guess with good experience you could get 2-3 million. You won't make US money but the cost of living is lower. Actually I make out better here overall than in the US as far as lifestyle and expenses. Check out www.infojobs.es and they list salaries sometimes.

i have about 4 years of expericence and have done work for some pretty big named clients.... Nike... Nintendo... Atlantic Records....

how did you make out as far as interviewing for a job? were you in spain already? or were you negociating from the US?

The interviewing is pretty much the same, I have been on a couple. I think if you can spend a couple months here looking you will find something without much difficulty. Note that Madrid is more active with internet companies than Barcelona.

The cost of living is lower, for sure, but 2 or 3 million a year is not terribly much money in Madrid or Barcelona, especially if you want to have a flat on your own and want to have a comfortable life. For Spanish salaries, Madrid and Barcelona do not belong to the cheap cities. After the deduction of taxes and social security such an amount will allow you to make a living, but you won't have much money left.
I would have thought that people with experience in the internet business can make more? This sum is definitely just a fraction of what you can get in other European countries.

Foreigners can usally push their way into higher salaries. However Spain is not as wealthy as France or the UK and has lower incomes in general.

I agree than 2-3 million is not much if you are not a student any longer, but I also think that 4 years of solid experience in reference customers are paid much higher these days. There is a kind of shortage of skilled e-business people.

Language knowledge will be a must. Currently the trend is combining in teams the technical knowledge, the creativity and communication skills of the artists and the business reengineering of the consultans. My advice will be going through american companies also established in Spain (proxicom, siebel, you name it)

thanks for the advice guys... kind of all the things i've been thinking...

right now i am torn between what to do about finding a job.... on one had it'll be easier to get if i'm there.... but on the other i have to apply for my visa in canada.... i can't afford to make the trip twice....

has anyone done this before? given up a good job.... to try you luck at it? or is it better to try and find work while still in canada...

You may want to check this thread: http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000007.html
If I were you, I would not give up a good job for an entirely uncertain situation, but try and look while continuing to work in Canada until you have found out something good-unless you want to be in Spain at all price. But if a comfortable life and a smart career choice is important for you, too, I would check out the situation further before I would go.

thanks connie... thats kind of what i have been thinking.... trying to get a job before i go... but it's proving to be difficult... one company wont even consider me unless i come to spain for an interview.... has anyone had any experience finding a job while not in spain?

i read that threat a while ago... thanks though.

I just returned from a Madrid and Barcelona, and I spoke with some friends in Barna on this very subject. They have a pal who is a web designer, and they claim that he makes 250,000 pesetas a month. At current exchange rates, that's less than 1500 USD! I'm a programmer, not a designer, but I can extrapolate from there, and that's just not enough for me right now.

The cost of living is considerably lower in Spain than here in the states (and I assume in Canada), but there wouldn't be much left over. Maybe if I was 23, not 33. Better to stay here where I can make enough to jet off for a few weeks in Spain when I feel like it!

i'm 22... so right now i just want the experience.... just need to support myself... so not too concerned about the money... more about the job... but i'm finding it hard to make contacts from canada.

does this friend of a friend know of any places looking for an experienced designer??? *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

Try in these two,
www.jazztel.es www.kristina.com

Specially the last one is asking for help in several areas.

Send me the resume please. As for salaries, one can't really correllate between the States and Spain. Expenses are different and it's better just to forget about what people are paid in America (it's so expensive there!)

You are right, salaries are not directly comparable. I still think it is important for people to know that on an average Spanish salary, cities like Madrid and Barcelona are not precisely cheap either. If you have a well paying job in the US which is not particularly sought for in Spain, you might not be able to afford the same standard of living in terms of housing etc. if you decide to go to Spain.
Many younger people still live with their families or share a flat because they cannot afford to rent a flat on their own.

My resume can be found a http://www.fightlikeagirl.net/cv

Pixel,

Connie is right. Add to that the fact that a much larger percentage of your income will go to taxes, and you'll find that the cost of living can be misleading. From what I gather, close to 50% goes out in taxes.

Anyone have info on the tax structure?

Wolf

Taxes are arranged on a scale, with higher incomes bearing a higher percentage (IRPF). It's not 50%, I pay about 30%.

Pixel_grrl

I saw this post when I was job searching, and thought you might want to check it out.
http://www.overseasjobs.com/do/details/36405

Good Luck!

Thanks so much!

Hi Pixel Girl,

If you're 22, then don't worry about it....what have you got to lose? With experience like that, you should have no problem finding a job in that sector.

I say who cares if you get paid 20 per cent less....you only live once! As much as I love Canada, no place can come close to a city like Madrid

It can be summed up like this: Stay in North America and get stressed out with the ridiculously long work hours and ludicrous 8 to 9 work ethic, or go to Madrid and party and get piss bloody drunk.

Better yet, work your way over to Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, or any of the islands for added fun.

Cheers

Vincent

thanks vincent. i'm actually not too concerned about salary, i just wanted a rough estimate. i'm more concerened about actually finding a job, which is prooving to be a lot harder than i thought.

I have found a webpage with a salary calculator that compares cost of living in different cities; you type in what you currently earn in which city and it tells you what you would have to make in another city for the same lifestyle. I am not sure whether it is totally accurate and I have not found out on which data they exactly rely, but anyway, here is the link: http://www2.homefair.com/calc/intsalcalc.html
Take it with a grain of salt- I cannot imagine, for example, that they have considered costs for going out and entertainment, which are very important points -and these are undoubtedly much lower in Spain.

[ 04-20-2001: Message edited by: connie ]

[ 04-20-2001: Message edited by: connie ]

thanks connie... i've actually been there already... the problem is determining whether what that site says is actually realistic. i would like to know what a decent living is over there. what a realistic web designer's salary in spain actually is.