There isn’t an engineering office in Spain. Just a small one for a very specific product acquired by Google.
Truth be told if Google started a proper office in Spain they’d be able to find plenty of good candidates at the reduced 50% salary. Google is still paying way above local market rate.
In my case the reason why I wouldn’t stay is the psychological factor of seeing my salary cut in half and feeling the need to optimize what I earn. I already have a friend here working remotely for what I saw described here on HN once as a second tier American tech company and with less experience he’s making more than I will make once I move. I have researched what other companies pay and I could definitely get my German salary back.
I’m not saying I deserve those salaries or that Google is not being fair. But just as a multi-billion dollar company is optimizing their bottom line with the salaries they pay, I’m also obliged to do the same.
> Let’s say you can both afford to save 30% of your salary and you go on to invest it in, say, the S&P500. Then after your career you’ll go and retire in Spain. Guess who’ll afford a better lifestyle? That’s right, the US citizen. Location based pay simply exploits employees of weaker economic regions. It’s common in our world but that doesn’t make it right.
I’m working at Google and moving back to Spain where I’m from where I will see my salary reduced by 50%. I love my team and my work but this is precisely the reason that will make me quit in favor of an American company that doesn’t adjust salary to region.
Plenty of non-FAANG American companies that would pay what I was being paid while based in Germany.
Truth be told if Google started a proper office in Spain they’d be able to find plenty of good candidates at the reduced 50% salary. Google is still paying way above local market rate.
In my case the reason why I wouldn’t stay is the psychological factor of seeing my salary cut in half and feeling the need to optimize what I earn. I already have a friend here working remotely for what I saw described here on HN once as a second tier American tech company and with less experience he’s making more than I will make once I move. I have researched what other companies pay and I could definitely get my German salary back.
I’m not saying I deserve those salaries or that Google is not being fair. But just as a multi-billion dollar company is optimizing their bottom line with the salaries they pay, I’m also obliged to do the same.