Starting salary for a graduate EE? 6

[mmenarry]

A friend is potentially going for a job in New Hampshire, recent graduate in Electronic Engineering. Graduated in the UK.

What would be a reasonable expectation of starting salary, in a pretty small company? He has no idea of living costs, etc. in the 'states.

Many thanks!

M.

 

[COEngineeer]

How does he work in the US? The company is sponsoring his working visa? If they do, you really cant argue how much you are making because there arent that many companies that will sponsor non citizen. It other words, your friend needs the job more than the company needs him.

 

[mmenarry]

It's company sponsored.

M.

 

[COEngineeer]

well, if he is desprately need the job to be in the US then just expect average salary. Look it up on the internet, there are a lot of website that will give you average income for certain type of engineer.

 

[mmenarry]

Salary.com reckons 45-60K for a recent graduate. Seems a bit high?

M.

 

[COEngineeer]

Subtract $5000 to that. The company is going to spend 5000 on his working permit. Its all about how much he really wants to move to the US. A lot of people in the world would love to move to the US and get experience. A lot of them are willing to work for a lot less than average (30K-ish). I think 40K is a good number to expect. Go to zillow.com if you want to see he house market there. It is a good comparison to living expense.

 

[mmenarry]

Thanks, COE!

M.

 

[HVACctrl]

I think the US gov
t should do something to stop non-citizens from working for 30K just to be in the US- ie, impose a tariff, so to speak. At least I wish they would.

Ed

http://www.engineerboards.com

 

[COEngineeer]

well, they do have regulation on this. They must post the job to public before they give it to non-citizen. So usually the job is usually very specific and need a highly trained proffessional that is hard to find in the US. But for some reason there's alway a loop to go around this. Like for example this post, it is an entry level job so I bet they can find someone local easy.

The good thing about having a foreigner, they tend to stay in the company longer. Because if they quit, they pretty much have to leave the country (or find another sponsor that is hard to find). So you dont have to worry about a new engineer learn a lot in a year and leave the company and you have to retrain a new engineer again. I think thats why sometimes companies dont mind paying 5000 for paper work.

 

[COEngineeer]

I aim higher than $40000 though (45 K maybe), hopefully they will offer him that or lower it a little.

 

[johnsmith2]

I really don't think the company in US can't find any similar background of people in States. What they find is people willing to work at lower pay. I know some non-citizens with H-1B earn only 25-30K for the entry-level engineer.

This is another kind of out-sourcing!!!

Can we speak up!!!!

 

[GregLocock]

You've just got to love the land of free enterprise.

Oh well, one day you'll realise the good bits of what you had, and why you lost them.





Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[ScottyUK]

Last few posters ('cept Greg): do you feel the same about US engineers working abroad too? Maybe you think the US government should close your airports and docks, withdraw the passports of all your citizens, and bring all your occupying forces home from across the globe? That would fit in nicely with your closed border mentality.

Perhaps you should take a look at what you have written and realise that US engineers go abroad to work just like citizens of other nations do. It is a pity you can't see the hypocracy in your words.

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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[Pud]

Greg/Scotty,

Well said!!

Talk about parochial!

Whats the motto? 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.......blah blah blah...' Oh, unless you happen to be an Engineer, when in which case you can p*** off!!

Cheers

Harry

 

[HVACctrl]

Great, I guess this is a "screwthe US" thread now, huh? Can you give me one good reason why we, as enginers, shouldn't pull away from foreigners trying to take our jobs at half what we get? Its only natural to want to secure your living when foreigners are taking the bread off of your table. Wouldn't you feel the same way? Does any of this address the OP in the first place? Why not start a political thread about why US engineers are being outsourced rather than expound your anti-American views on this thread just because the window of opportunity cracked slightly open?

I think the tired and the huddled masses are actually from a time in our past. Eventually, if not already, the tired and the huddled may need to make due wherever they are.

To me, if an "engineer" from another country wants to do US work for $30K, that's akin to waging war on my profession and it should not be tolerated. What am I supposed to do, drop my prices to met his/hers? That a bunch of mularky! I say they need to hit the road. Should I feel otherwise? More imprtantly, would you if you were in this situation? Would you admit it? Do you admit it?

Ed

http://www.engineerboards.com

 

[mmenarry]

Well, I wasn't expecting *that* response, but I can understand feelings on the issue (I'm from ireland myself, population 4 million, and with a large influx of "foreign" i.e. EU ascension countries workers in the last few years)

If it helps any, my friend is being offered a job in his family's firm, so the company "out-sourcing" is actually probably contributing to the economy in the US already, rather than taking away from it ;o)

With regard to "outsourcing", there is already considerable outsourcing with american firms, many of them here in Ireland. I think that "out-sourcing" is not going to be a major problem with engineering/architectural trades, where a presence is needed "on-site" - firms seem to prefer to re-locate entire manufacturing facilites (e.g. Intel). Any industry that requires large numbers of graduates (pharma, skilled manufacturing, etc.) will relocate to where the workers are cheapest.

One thing I do really sympathise with is the american system of double taxation - now that is a real barrier to americans working abroad.

M.

 

[GregLocock]

I just saw the South Park episode where the goo-backs from the future come back in time and compete for jobs with the South Park inhabitants. Oh well, at least some people get it.

"Can you give me one good reason why we, as enginers, shouldn't pull away from foreigners trying to take our jobs at half what we get?"

Um, if they do a job that is as good, then by what right do you expect to get paid twice as much? How will the company hiring you stay in business if its worldwide competitors are able to hire good engineers at half the price? It won't.

Of course, if you want to live in a country where the state sets the acceptable pay rate for a given occupation, you may find the USSR would have suited you better.

We're not anti USA, in fact both Scotty and myself have written pro-USA (but antiwhining) sentiments in this thread.

Surely you should be trying to explain why your employer should pay twice as much for the same job?

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[ScottyUK]

HVACctrl,

Actually it was yourself who steered the thread in the direction it is currently going:

I think the US govt should do something to stop non-citizens from working for 30K just to be in the US- ie, impose a tariff, so to speak. At least I wish they would.

Ed

I'm absolutely amazed that you can't see that the situation where US engineers work in other countries is no different to the situation where engineers from other countries work in the US. US engineers frequently work at our plant and are no more skilled than the indigenous engineers. They just happen to work for a company that is US-based. If you were in my position you would no doubt be complaining about American engineers coming over taking British jobs. I enjoy working with those guys, I learn from them, they learn from me, we have a laugh now and then.

If you really can't accept that US citizens are no different to those of many other nations when it comes to skills and ability, maybe you need to take a look at how world economics work. The US can either compete with the rest of the world on a reasonably level playing field, or it can lock itself away behind closed doors. Those really are the two options, like it or not.

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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[COEngineeer]

You think we should impose something? Those poor people only make $1.50/day in Indonesia making $150 nike shoes. Do they take away jobs from honest americans? It is fair then if some foreign engineers get work in the US LEGALLY.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Getting an H1B visa as a new grad is not going to be trivial by any means. I was amazed at the complexity when I applied for mine and appalled at some of the job responsibilities my lawyer wanted me to fabricate and/or embellish as part of the application.

To respond to all the "outsourcing" comments... Most of the money I earned when in America went straight into the hands of American retailers. I wasn't burning it or sending it home, just living in the fast lane for a bit, while stoking the American economy.