# IT job offer in Canada and salary expectation?



## jamious (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi guys, i would appreciate some advice.
A canadian based company wants to make me an offer for a Software Engineer position in Canata, Ottawa, so they are asking about my salary expectations. I come from EU and currently working in South of France.

I hold and MSc and a working epxerience for 1.5-2 years years.
What shall i aim for? What kind of other stuff apart from a salary shall i ask? Can you negotiate on the amount of holidays?

Thanks


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

With 1.5-2 years experience I'd think you'd be considered Junior to Intermediate, so depending on the size of the company maybe $45-60,000.

Check the benefits, are the costs covered by the employer or is there an employee portion, what percentage of scripts, dental, optometrist are covered and what frequency. Benefits are usually a group thing, so you can't negotiate, but it's good to know if it's worth your while.

If you would drive and there is paid parking you could negotiate a parking pass.

As not to create upset in the ranks, holidays at your level are usually pretty set by company policy at 4% or 2 weeks, this grows with length of service.


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## jamious (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi G_Mo, thanks a lot for you input,

In a website i found the following:
"A typical Software Engineer II(2-5yrs exp) working in Ontario -- Ottawa earns a median base salary of $66,824, according to our analysis of data reported by corporate HR departments. Half of the people in this job earn between $61,839 and $73,517. And this is based only on the main salary. " Any other kind of bonus comes extra.

The job position was titles as Senior Soft Engineer. Based on my experience am not a Senior but i guess they chose me as i have used their system for my MSc thesis project so that indicates some particular experience.

Do you reckon that i could ask for 70k as base salary? Or could this intimidate them and make them back off, as it could be too much for a foreigner. I dont really know what kind of visa they can arrange me(or i i have to do it) and whats the cost/hassle for them? Any idea how long the process takes?

Lastly, regarding the cost of life, do u think that 2400 CAD, its enough to cover all monthly costs and make me live well, assuming i live in Ottawa's center, am young and like to enjoy life. I would like to keep the rest of the salary for savings.


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

jamious said:


> Hi G_Mo, thanks a lot for you input,
> 
> In a website i found the following:
> "A typical Software Engineer II(2-5yrs exp) working in Ontario -- Ottawa earns a median base salary of $66,824, according to our analysis of data reported by corporate HR departments. Half of the people in this job earn between $61,839 and $73,517. And this is based only on the main salary. " Any other kind of bonus comes extra.


Company size and sales volume do affect salaries.



> The job position was titles as Senior Soft Engineer. Based on my experience am not a Senior but i guess they chose me as i have used their system for my MSc thesis project so that indicates some particular experience.
> 
> Do you reckon that i could ask for 70k as base salary? Or could this intimidate them and make them back off, as it could be too much for a foreigner. I dont really know what kind of visa they can arrange me(or i i have to do it) and whats the cost/hassle for them? Any idea how long the process takes?


I am a firm believer that a title is just a title. Skills and experience are the ones making the difference. In terms of salary, I would suggest to talk to a HR Salary Specialist or International Head hunter, they could suggest a more realistic approach. However and irresponsibly speaking, I'd ask for $68k - $75k and negotiable. 

Moreover, if you both reach an agreement, then the company needs to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) for which they should carry the cost of it not you, and its processing time could be upwards 10 weeks. If LMO is positive and since you are from a visa exempt country, you can apply for a work permit at any Port of Entry (POE). 



> Lastly, regarding the cost of life, do u think that 2400 CAD, its enough to cover all monthly costs and make me live well, assuming i live in Ottawa's center, am young and like to enjoy life. I would like to keep the rest of the salary for savings.


This is a very unique and particular question. We all have different likes, tastes, goals.

Animo
(Cheers)


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## Heatherdawn (Apr 26, 2012)

jamious said:


> Hi guys, i would appreciate some advice.
> A canadian based company wants to make me an offer for a Software Engineer position in Canata, Ottawa, so they are asking about my salary expectations. I come from EU and currently working in South of France.
> 
> I hold and MSc and a working epxerience for 1.5-2 years years.
> ...


Most Canadian companies have a low to high salary range for initial offers, and yes, it's always good to negotiate extra vacation time and find out about benefits (life insurance, dental coverage, medical and eyeglass prescription coverage etc). You should probably do some research to find out what the current salaries are for that position, and you can also call HRSDC (Human Resources Development Canada - aka the job bank). They will have the stats on salaries for positions and sometimes even specific companies. You can also ask David at negotiatingsalary. He's very good at responding to readers and gives well educated advice. Good Luck!


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