# Moving to Darmstadt?



## ulrikbuchholtz

Hi!

My husband, an EU citizen, has received an attractive job offer in Darmstadt. I would be the classic American trailing spouse.  We have lived in Switzerland previously, so I have basic High German from the Goethe Institute (A1 level). 

As a mathematician at the university, his salary is set at 42K euro. We understand Darmstadt has a lower cost of living than Philadelphia, where we're coming from.

Can we make it in Darmstadt on this salary? I will need to take at least a year of German I think before I can work (B2 level) practically - as an EU spouse I have work privileges immediately - but I'm thinking I'll need to refresh my German and get up to speed.

Any insight or advice would be great!  

Thanks,

Rebecca, the mathematician's wife.


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## Nononymous

A mathematician can't figure out your cost of living?

(That was a joke. I know some mathematicians.)

Doesn't strike me as being a whole lot of money, but you'd survive. Whether you'd enjoy it really depends on how you define comfortable - it's probably more than you lived on as grad students.


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## Tellus

Hi,
wondering about the salary...but in Germany mathematicians at Universities often are public officials of state.
look what your husband should earn if he will be professor or assistant professor
http://www.hochschulverband.de/cms1...d/pdf/besoldungstabellen/grundgehaelter_w.pdf


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## *Sunshine*

42k sounds like TV-L E13. Will he be a PhD student? Postdoc?


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## Tellus

*Sunshine* said:


> 42k sounds like TV-L E13. Will he be a PhD student? Postdoc?


No Professor should go hungry in Germany


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