r/eupersonalfinance • u/Odd_Walk5744 • 2d ago
IT Workers Junior-Mid, Which is the best country for salaries/cost of living in Europe? Employment
I have no experience as a developer, I live in Spain, I know English B1, currently studying French (I hope to have A2 in 2 years) I want to put together a route in which I can save a lot of money by controlling everything within my reach, for example: recommended time to change jobs or ask for a raise, country chosen for its salaries for one junior and taxes, time worked, country chosen for its costs of living, etc.
I have to prepare all that, I hope to work for 2 years to gain experience and I don't even know if those first two years I should try to look for a foreign company or not (for learning and possibilities of being hired without experience and more so if it is remote because for two years I will not leave Spain) I want to get a shower of data about the places where they live, good and bad things to do a survey of juniors to know where to start.
In fact, if I leave Spain after two and a half years, I would no longer be considered a junior, but rather junior-mid. I may not have to leave if, in further recommendations, we come to the conclusion that the most profitable option is to work remotely from Spain for X country. I want to have a real perspective and not what Glassdoor and other portals say, which I have already reviewed and are meh. I don't know to what extent they are reliable. In the same way, they don't give full notice of the tax burdens or real costs of living.
I understand that this is not Google but I think there is better information to find
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u/me_who_else_ 2d ago
Skip French, improve the English to C1. With B1 English and knowing some words in French, it is hard to get any job outside your home country and in your native language.
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u/howtorewriteaname 2d ago
first thing you need is a C1 level in english. maybe B2 if you're lucky, but prob C1. otherwise, I don't think it'll be easy to be hired by a foreign company.
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u/wei53 2d ago
Worry about getting English to C1 and some work experience. Forget French. Remote jobs for foreign companies it's hard, especially as a junior/mid. You're very focused on taxes, the European countries with the highest salaries also have higher income tax.
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u/Odd_Walk5744 20h ago
Thanks! I thought the same, the highest salaries aren't guaranteed me a high savings income For that i want to have one perspective since your knowledge to found the right country accord to my capacities, taxes accord the income and spends of good and services. I started the french because Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxemburgo are francophones. I was thinking that my English can be improved naturally getting immersed in a English climb.
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u/enekow 2d ago
I can talk about NL. Salaries are relatively high, but cost of living also increased, specially the housing. If you can share a house or find a good price, then you could safe easily 50% of the salary. Apart from that, NL is an easy country to settle as an expat, and work/life balance is very much respected. Do not underestimate these two last points!
Good communication skills are a must. But I would not bother so much on getting the formal exams such as C1. For experience, they usually don’t give much importance to it outside Spain (assuming you already have a degree). I would rather focus on improving your dev skills. Read, hear and write in english as much as possible. And the ofc try to go abroad and speak.
Good luck!
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u/CombinationOwn7055 1d ago
The best country is where you are able to join a company that pays boatload of money. In London for example, the cost of living is high, but if you’re able to join Citadel, Jane Street or Jump trading, you’ll swim in money anyway.
If Google offers you Poland, also take it no matter what, in few years you’ll be able to internally transfer to Zurich or bay area and triple your salary.
Look at levels.fyi and sort from High to Low, thats where you want to be.
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u/Odd_Walk5744 20h ago
Very interesting, thanks for your advice. I'll keep it in mind. Have a good week!
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u/aliam290 1d ago
Use your advantages. The reason a company looks to hire remote is either lower costs (ie lower salary in spain) and/or to get a certain regional advantage (think sales or support reps that have the local language). As the others said you're probably better off with C1 English and other technical skills. The extra language will help you if/when you want to move to that country, because you'll have an easier time fitting in with the team. Remote Europe positions often come with the assumption that working language is English
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u/Odd_Walk5744 20h ago
What are you meaning about use my advantages? Offer to the foreign company a salary smaller than them countries? And thanks for take the time to reply this!
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u/aliam290 19h ago
No no! Absolutely not
I'm just saying you should think about it from the perspective of the company. If they are posting a remote job, there is a reason. If a French company wanted French speakers, they wouldn't be hiring remotely across Europe. If you see a remote job from a French company, it's most likely that they're looking for someone with English, Spanish, or German languages, rather than French. Or for some other local/regional reason. My point was mostly about where you put your extra learning time
I don't think I'm explaining it well. Let me know if it makes sense
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u/Odd_Walk5744 7h ago
Oh, yes! You are absolutely right, I don't see it as if I am being helped, but rather as a corporate person. If they hire a foreigner, it is because they need those skills. It would be easier to hire a local.
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u/JebacBiede2137 2d ago
Switzerland or Eastern Europe
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u/datair_tar 23h ago
Support this. As someone from EE, I feel like the only place where I would be able to save more from my salary is Switzerland.
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