Salary level

[WillyOne]

A good friend has received an offer to work in Utica as analytical chemist also Olive oil specialist. She should move from Spain to there but the offer is 1400€ per month and doesn't include medical insurance, nor residence benefits.
She is single but her fiance is finishing his studies as Sanitary technical assistant.
Is it enough to live there?

[krickos]

Hi

Seems like a very low salary to me, sure the numbers been translated right? Personally, I might start thinking about it if it was like +5000Euros a month with benefits.

[tlahren]

Yes. That is a very low salary even for a technician. In USD that would be about $22,000 per year. Here in the US analytical chemists usually start at around $50,000/year. I'm not exactly sure where Utica is or what the cost of living is there but I assume it's in Europe and the cost of living must be fairly similar to Spain etc. I would not accept the position. I agree with Krickos. 5000Euro with benefits would be a good offer.

[WillyOne]

It seemed the same to me. The back problem is that she is now jobless and the slaves spanish market is really dark.
Thanks anyway

[krickos]

Still, your freind is doing the right thing, looking for oppertunities, had it been like in Bratislava/Slovakia which gives her EU benefits you can live on considerbly less than 5000Euros a month and gain valuble experiance.

[WillyOne]

Excuse me, Utica is in New York State and as correction the offer is 1600€.

[tlahren]

That's still horribly low. Especially for the USA. My first job as an analytical chemist paid about $40,000/year right out of grad school. What type of background does your friend have? Education/experience etc. If she is or can come to the US legally and obtain a job then there are plenty of jobs elsewhere in the US for chemists. Plenty of people solicit here on the forum for employees as well. She may benefit by posting her contact info and a brief description of her experience here in the chromforum.

$25,000 is pretty low for anywhere in the USA. However, if it is just her and her fiance they will probably be able to survive on that. Utica seems like a small enough community where cost of living probably isn't so high. If she can get an apartment for less than $800/month she may survive. But I would still apply elsewhere in the USA.

Hope this info helps a little.

[WillyOne]

That's the problem, she has not the green card and this job is the opportunity to obtain it. I suppose that once working in USA you can change to another job...
She has a degree in Chemistry and near four years experience in an Administration Laboratory analyzing foods but only quality parameters (mean no MS experience).
Her strongest point is as Olive oil tasting pannel organizer (you know the olive oil is tasted as wines to qualify it) and that was the reason she was asked for that appliance. The company is Portuguese one and their last offer was 30000$ before taxes...
Ans she is afraid to go so far.
I'm pushing her. I think it could be an opportunity but I would be sure that it's the best for her

[tlahren]

If they are paying to sponsor her green card then the $30,000 might be enough to live a modest starter life in the US. Right now the economy is rough but it's starting to improve. My family of 4 (at the time) managed to live on my grad student salary of only $19,000/year for a couple years. It is possible. And you are right about having more opportunities once she's here. I think she will have some employment dedication to her green card sponsor for some time. I'm not exactly sure how all that works but be sure she knows all that information before coming here.

[WillyOne]

Thanks a lot. I'm sending her your opinion.

[tlahren]

Here is some info on the City. Cost of living index must be pretty low as the Median income is around $31,000/year in that city. http://www.city-data.com/city/Utica-New-York.html

It will probably work out for her at $30,000. Health benefits would be nice addition though. Hopefully she's young and healthy.

Good luck to her.

[GasMan]

As an expat working in the USA, I can give some experience in moving from Europe to the US. It is not easy at the moment.

The company that she is going to work for would first have to show to the US authorities that there is nobody in the US who could fill the position that she is applying for. Once they have the goahead, she would have to apply for a visa to enter the US in order to work. These visas are usually valid for two to three years. Once the time is up, you have to repeat the process. You can appply for your Green Card when you are working here, but this is now a drawn out process. I have been back in the US for 3 years, and still do not have a Green Card. I had previously worked in the US starting in 1995, and I had received my Green Card after 2 years. A colleague has been working here for 6 years, and still does not have his Green Card. I also get the impression that there is now a salary level of >$100,000 required for a Green Card.

I do not wish to to put her off in applying, but just warn here that it will be a 'rocky' path.

Gasman

[tlahren]

I have a friend who just received a job in PA at Wildlife Int. She had a student visa before but they are sponsoring her for the H1 visa. She will be allowed to work there until she has fulfilled whatever requirements there are for a Green Card. I know the visa has to be renewed after some time period but I think you can have it for up to 6 years. She had been talking with some lawyers about the visa process and they were helping her quite a bit. I haven't heard of a >$100,000 salary requirement but then she doesn't have a Green Card yet either.

I know there are different ways to obtain the H1B visa. One can be to prove that you are a specialized candidate and that the employer would have a near impossible time finding someone else of your particular skill level. It sounds that this is what the employer is offering your friend as she has some particular specialty training in Olive Oil quality check. Here is a web page with some info about the visa process. http://www.h1base.com/ But as GasMan said, it's not easy and it's time consuming. This website also offers paid services for finding you a Green Card job or a H1B visa job etc.

It seems that if there is an employer who really wants someone to work for them and stay in the US then they are the ones who usually make the visas happen. They usually pay for it all and will do what they can to keep the employee here and happy.

[WillyOne]

I just have known that the company has increased their offer to 40000€ and that they can consider the medical insurance.
I feel that you will have a new neighbor, called Maria
Apologize if this post seems a "reality"
Again thanks to all

[tlahren]

That's a good offer. She will live quite nice on that. See if they will throw in the medical insurance. That would sweeten the deal.

Tell her Congrats and Good Luck!