Permie salaries - In IT why would you ever accept them?

[MyUserName]

I'm far from London and on a permie salary well North of 40k as a lowly software engineer

[BolshieBastard]

Seems to me, outside of London, a very senior developer with many many years of experience in the latest in demand skills commands about £40K tops.

For this they would expect a graduate educated, professionally qualified world leading guru who lives and breathes IT with all the fasionable buzzwords on their CV, willing to work long hours and every weekend for a slice of pizza.

I know painters and decorators who can't even read or write who earn more than that. I know heating engineers who fit boilers who earn double that.

Why would anyone with in IT consider these types of salaries? I know the Bobs have destroyed the pay in IT, but who takes these salaries seriously?

A number of people who go contracting are attracted by the higher pay compared to permie. But, they dont give a second thought to the time they may be between contracts thinking its always someone else who cant secure the next role. And when they are earning the wedge, they live up to the money and dont put aside sufficient for those in between times.

Then you get the types attracted to contracting because they hear you are 'your own boss' and think they can come and go as they please at the client site, play the big I am etc and kick off when they get pulled.

Some people dont like having to work away from home that contracting often needs especially outside of London and the home Counties. Instead, they find they arent a 30 minute drive from home, they're at the other end of the country and simply dont like.

Faced with that, people have to find permie work and they employers call the piper's tune.

Get beyond 45 and just try and get a job. Doesn't happen.

In almost any walk of life!

[DimPrawn]

He doesn't half talk a lot of crap.

Painter / Decorator - 70-150 depending on where you are
Chippy - 100 - 175 depending on where you are
Electrician 175 - 300 depending on where you are
Plumber 175- 300 depending on where you are
Bricklayer 150 - 250 depending on where you are

The problem with Dim and (formally Sas) is that they think when they get a quote to put up a new shed or fit out the bathroom, that 500 quid a day is how much they should be paying.

Mugs

Yeah if you want someone completely useless who can start in 12 months time.

[SueEllen]

Yeah if you want someone completely useless who can start in 12 months time.

Actually that's the real amount they earn.

[jamesbrown]

The head of software development would struggle to get £70K. Would be outsourced to a Bob for $10 an hour.

I think what would surprise people is how much non-IT is paying. For example a bricklayer gets £500 a day now.

Nice collection of random numbers.

[PerfectStorm]

A lot of folks (me included) worked their way up- from the £10K (no dividends!) up through 12, 15, 20, 25, 28, 30 etc. - from THAT perspective, it's easy to see why people get to 40 and think "well, I've got by on less!"

Also there's the fear of striking out on your own and not knowing if you'll still have a job by Christmas. If you haven't got a safety net of money then "go contracting!" is easier said than done. It took some serious safety net for me to give it a go, and I'm glad I did.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Plus most people on 40K aren't actually very good (not that the 40k indicates so - but you get to that ceiling just by hanging around for n number of years), so contracting might not offer much more.

[stek]

I was on 60k perm in Leeds c2010 and that was a bit less net that I draw as the optimum now as a contractor. As perm I got hols, pension (tho that looked tulipe) and not much else.

As a contractor I get the same like I said, hols = bench time, pension = warchest, I know which I prefer......

Perm only lasted a year, fell out with boss but he was a twat....

[oracleslave]

Permie jobs in consultancies seem to pay the best. The problem is you tend to get shipped everywhere from Redcar to Bournemouth and beyond on a weekly basis.

[scooterscot]

Goodness you guys need to find a new career in real engineering.

An income of less than <80k net and it's beans on toast time.