# What Salary Is Needed to Live in Berlin??



## LordTJ (Nov 30, 2015)

So there is a job offer pending for me in Berlin its for a video game like company as a community manager (social media manager). I plan on shipping my car there as well and I wanted to know how much should they pay me. The first lady I spoke with said since they are a small company I may can expect 30k a year max, but I would think i would need more than that. My car is a 2010 coup and I have bachelors degree. Do you think it would be fair to ask for 40-45k or what good salary is there to live in Berlin? My girlfriend may becoming as well. So how much for a single person and how much for two people if one working and one is not?


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

30k euro per year is not a lot, as a single person you'd be taking home about 20k after taxes and deductions for health insurance etc. With that sort of money you could get by with a small, unfashionable apartment - graduate students survive on less - but it wouldn't be luxury. Two living on that income, definitely not luxury. You certainly wouldn't be flying back to the US more than once a year, or doing much travel.

Whether you can ask 40-45k for that job depends on the local market. I doubt you could negotiate a 50 percent increase in what they're offering. Also consider that your odds of obtaining a work permit decrease the lower the job pays - the minimum for a Blue Card is 48k. 

If you're not married, your girlfriend would need her own job and work permit as she wouldn't be entitled to a residence permit just to live with you, though possibly she could enroll in some sort of class and obtain a student visa. 

Bringing your car over is potentially an expensive proposition, as it may require modifications to conform with German law, in addition to a complex registration process. I'm guessing you don't speak German, so navigating that bureaucracy would be a real joy for you. Given that you don't really need a car if you're living in Berlin, and that there are a variety of car-sharing services available when you do, and that gas will cost you $5-6 per gallon, you're better off leaving it behind.


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## LordTJ (Nov 30, 2015)

Nononymous said:


> 30k euro per year is not a lot, as a single person you'd be taking home about 20k after taxes and deductions for health insurance etc. With that sort of money you could get by with a small, unfashionable apartment - graduate students survive on less - but it wouldn't be luxury. Two living on that income, definitely not luxury. You certainly wouldn't be flying back to the US more than once a year, or doing much travel.
> 
> Whether you can ask 40-45k for that job depends on the local market. I doubt you could negotiate a 50 percent increase in what they're offering. Also consider that your odds of obtaining a work permit decrease the lower the job pays - the minimum for a Blue Card is 48k.
> 
> ...


What exactly is the blue card and does every american need one? What are the benefits?


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

LordTJ said:


> What exactly is the blue card and does every american need one? What are the benefits?


Sounds like you need to do some basic research. US citizens require a residence permit to live and work in Germany. Getting one is not automatic. The Blue Card is a bit of an express lane for well-paid professionals in high-demand occupations.

Start with the German embassy site for the US, or try this. 

There are other forums out there (which the rules of this forum, irritatingly, do not allow me to name) where you can search FAQs and whatnot for more information.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You can start here: German Missions in the United States - Employment

Your employer-to-be should be giving you some assistance with the visa side of things. And note that processing of the application once you have submitted it in Germany can take from one to three months. You may want to clarify with the employer just when your employment (and thus salary) will start on arrival.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Bevdeforges said:


> You can start here: German Missions in the United States - Employment
> Your employer-to-be should be giving you some assistance with the visa side of things. And note that processing of the application once you have submitted it in Germany can take from one to three months. You may want to clarify with the employer just when your employment (and thus salary) will start on arrival.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Just to add to that: while as a US citizen you can arrive on the visa waiver and apply for a residence/work permit in country, the visa waiver does not allow you to work.

With the current refugee crisis, appointments (and staff) at the alien department are thin on the ground. Might be better to get a work visa before travelling.

By the way, what's a 2010 coup and why is it so special that you want to spend a fortune shipping it across the pond and then spend more money on modifications before you can actually drive it in Germany?


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

To sum up: 

1. You will have bureaucratic hurdles to clear before you can work in Germany, and potential delays due to the current situation, but it's by no means impossible.

2. A salary of 30 thousand euro is not sufficient to live well if you are planning to bring along an American girlfriend and an American car. You might manage with one or the other, but very difficult with both!


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