Salary ranges in 2009 : An Indian Highway Engineer with 5 Years UK Experience

smart_legend · Sep 5th, 2009, 14:43

Dear All,

Nice to see this website helping out those who are considering relocating to India. I am considering moving to delhi in near future and in this process I have got an offer from an MNC which is based in South Delhi. My Q is how much salary u shud expect for an engineer. I have been offered 65K as an initial estimate. Can u guys tell me if 65K per month (includes everything) is enough to live in Delhi. I am married and my wife is pregnant at the moment. We dont want a bigger apartment but will be expecting to live in South Delhi close to my place of work. Can I get one bedroom flat in tht area and for how much.

Ur co-operation would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

LilBoy BigTown · Sep 5th, 2009, 14:47

Everyone is different, but the really short answer is NO. It's not enough, not with a baby on the way. Rentals in South Delhi alone would eat up most of your earnings. Search for similar threads using the SearchIndiaMike.com box and you will get a lot more information.

This topic has been discussed several times in great detail on IM.

nayan · Sep 5th, 2009, 14:48

65K in which currency?Annual? monthly?
USD? GBP?

LilBoy BigTown · Sep 5th, 2009, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by nayan

65K in which currency?Annual? monthly?
USD? GBP?

It says monthly, must be INR.

namaste_cat · Sep 5th, 2009, 21:21

Quote:

Can u guys tell me if 65K per month (includes everything) is enough to live in Delhi. I am married and my wife is pregnant at the moment.

I don't understand what this part means -- "65K per month (includes everything)".

If this means you're responsible for housing, then 65K INR is a pretty tight budget for S. Delhi (particularly in regards to housing) for a family.

If it means everything is paid for as in house, car, driver, utilities etc. then it could be a decent salary.

KateW · Sep 6th, 2009, 01:09

A new rule has come in called Employees Provident fund. It has an employers and employees component. I know it's causing grief amongst the ex pats as it can be between 12 and 25% of salary.
Check it out before you sign up

dillichaat · Sep 10th, 2009, 11:13

Short answer: if you want anything resembling western comfort as far as lodging is concerned, then at the very least 40K of your income will go to that in South-Delhi. For that price don't expect anything fancy.

You need to be absolutely clear with your employer about what's included in the salary. Many expat executives I know have simply drawn up contracts specifying the NET amount, after any taxes, provident fund contributions etc they want to get at the end of each month.

Don't think that India (and especially Delhi) is a dirt cheap place to live. It is, provided you can live like a local (food, lodging...) and pay local rates but if you're a foreigner those two conditions will never be met.

I don't know what type of engineer you are, but 65 K / month seems awfully low to me, I know a couple of Indian engineers (civil engineering) and they make more than double with only limited experience.

My advice (but I freely admit being a supplicant of mammon/laxmi): Unless you want to do it strictly for the experience and adventure, don't become an expat if you don't get an expat deal (meaning salary of 300K/month and up + lodging, health insurance, transport). Don't forget that usually you return to base one day. Even if you'd manage to save half of those 65K INR per month, where will that leave you when you return to the UK in a couple of years?

Nick-H · Sep 10th, 2009, 15:19

Quote:

Unless you want to do it strictly for the experience and adventure, don't become an expat if you don't get an expat deal

Excellent advise! Those who are being "sent" by their companies to work abroad should expect excellent compensation for leaving house and home. Those who are competing in an international job market, of their own accord, have less leverage in that respect, but if the company wants your individual skills sufficiently to employ a foreigner, the rewards should still be considerable.

Another thing to factor into your expenses is visiting home once or twice a year. You will probably find that at least one trip is necessary for your mental and emotional well-being, even if it isn't dictated by family or other responsibilities. No small amount, those air fares.

delhiwala · Sep 10th, 2009, 15:38

65 K in South Delhi is awfully low !!!

nayan · Sep 10th, 2009, 15:39

The OP has not been back on this site since he posted the thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dillichaat

I don't know what type of engineer you are, but 65 K / month seems awfully low to me, I know a couple of Indian engineers (civil engineering) and they make more than double with only limited experience.

I am not an expert on civil engineering jobs - but I can say this much - only a few civil engineers - and that means with years of experience and very specialized skills earn anything approching the amount Dillichaat is suggesting. But there may be exceptions

(unless they are consultants or have there own businesses)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Excellent advise! Those who are being "sent" by their companies to work abroad should expect excellent compensation for leaving house and home. Those who are competing in an international job market, of their own accord, have less leverage in that respect, but if the company wants your individual skills sufficiently to employ a foreigner, the rewards should still be considerable.

I think the OP is "choosing" this job and not being sent by his company. the salary level - 65K all inclusive - suggests that the MNC is not looking for an expat, just someone with the required skills. This salary looks like what they would have to pay for a moderately experienced Indian civil engineer. expecting a 65K offer to be increased to anything resembling an 'Expat' package is not realistic.

Groovemeister · Sep 10th, 2009, 15:40

It's definitely good advice to get a break up of your salary if you haven't already.

I was transferring within the same company and comparing salaries like for like was still very difficult.

Generally they will give you a total cost to company figure. This will include the Provident Fund contribution that they make, plus the one that you are expected to make. In order to get you the best tax deal possible, they also may well include a housing allowance, reimbursements and so on. The total quote they give you can potentially be quite different to the actual amount you take home.

grizzlyofalaska · Sep 10th, 2009, 15:42

Hello all,

I work in the recruitment industry and have recently lost my job. I am from London(of Indian origin). I have had a very successful career in recruitment and now that I have some time in my hand I would like to give something back to the society. India is a spiritual home to me and I am keen to live in Delhi for a few months and help others with whatever skills I have. With that in mind I came up with the idea of working with some NGOs that help less priviledged kids(atleast college level educated) to get better jobs. I can help them with their interview skills, job search and overall career management.

I would like to know if any of you guys know of such NGOs. Also, I would like to hear from anyone who is in HR or recrutiment industry in India about my idea? Do you think it will really benefit others?

I am doing this as my own karma yoga i am expecting no financial gains in return.

Thanks
Grizzly

dillichaat · Sep 10th, 2009, 17:39

Quote:

But there may be exceptions (unless they are consultants or have there own businesses)

One of them has his own consultancy company, true. The other guy has 5 years experience but he works in a highly specialized field.

Quote:

This salary looks like what they would have to pay for a moderately experienced Indian civil engineer. expecting a 65K offer to be increased to anything resembling an 'Expat' package is not realistic.

All due respect but considering strictly the financial aspects, that would be a lousy deal for a european engineer. It's not just a question of whether you make a decent local salary, if you're here for a limited time the main consideration is what you'll be able to take back home and what purchasing power that will represent there. I agree with you though, for 65K they should hire a local engineer if that's the going rate.

It's just that I seriously doubt that a european engineer with a wife and a baby on the way would be able to live comfortably here on that amount. I know I couldn't and were I to try, my wife 'd be on the next plane back, I wouldn't blame her for it either

smart_legend · Sep 11th, 2009, 14:51

Quote:

It is, provided you can live like a local (food, lodging...) and pay local rates but if you're a foreigner those two conditions will never be met.

I don't know what type of engineer you are, but 65 K / month seems awfully low to me, I know a couple of Indian engineers (civil engineering) and they make more than double with only limited experience.

Guys....thnaks for your reply..really appreciated. Now I know how much should I expect.

smart_legend · Sep 11th, 2009, 14:56

nayan...i m back and reading all comments on my post. I wud like to tell u something about my background. I m an Indian but have been living in the UK for past 5 years. So having spent my time there now I want to relocate back to india. The offer which I quoted was based on initial discussion. Now I know how much i shud expect frm them.
cheers!

Sep 5th, 2009, 14:43	#1
smart_legend Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Glasgow Posts: 4	Salary ranges in 2009 : An Indian Highway Engineer with 5 Years UK Experience Dear All, Nice to see this website helping out those who are considering relocating to India. I am considering moving to delhi in near future and in this process I have got an offer from an MNC which is based in South Delhi. My Q is how much salary u shud expect for an engineer. I have been offered 65K as an initial estimate. Can u guys tell me if 65K per month (includes everything) is enough to live in Delhi. I am married and my wife is pregnant at the moment. We dont want a bigger apartment but will be expecting to live in South Delhi close to my place of work. Can I get one bedroom flat in tht area and for how much. Ur co-operation would be much appreciated. Cheers!

Sep 10th, 2009, 15:38	#9
delhiwala IM what IM Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Indeyah ! Posts: 4,817	65 K in South Delhi is awfully low !!! __________________ Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

Sep 10th, 2009, 15:42	#12
grizzlyofalaska Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: lONDON Posts: 175	NGOs in Delhi Hello all, I work in the recruitment industry and have recently lost my job. I am from London(of Indian origin). I have had a very successful career in recruitment and now that I have some time in my hand I would like to give something back to the society. India is a spiritual home to me and I am keen to live in Delhi for a few months and help others with whatever skills I have. With that in mind I came up with the idea of working with some NGOs that help less priviledged kids(atleast college level educated) to get better jobs. I can help them with their interview skills, job search and overall career management. I would like to know if any of you guys know of such NGOs. Also, I would like to hear from anyone who is in HR or recrutiment industry in India about my idea? Do you think it will really benefit others? I am doing this as my own karma yoga i am expecting no financial gains in return. Thanks Grizzly

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Sep 5th, 2009, 14:47	#2
LilBoy BigTown Visionary Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sydney Posts: 636	Everyone is different, but the really short answer is NO. It's not enough, not with a baby on the way. Rentals in South Delhi alone would eat up most of your earnings. Search for similar threads using the SearchIndiaMike.com box and you will get a lot more information. This topic has been discussed several times in great detail on IM.

Sep 5th, 2009, 14:48	#3
nayan Forum Leader Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hyderabad/tokyo Posts: 1,930	65K in which currency?Annual? monthly? USD? GBP?

Sep 6th, 2009, 01:09	#6
KateW Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 146	A new rule has come in called Employees Provident fund. It has an employers and employees component. I know it's causing grief amongst the ex pats as it can be between 12 and 25% of salary. Check it out before you sign up

Sep 10th, 2009, 11:13	#7
dillichaat Professional cynic Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: जोर बाग़,New Delhi Posts: 431	Short answer: if you want anything resembling western comfort as far as lodging is concerned, then at the very least 40K of your income will go to that in South-Delhi. For that price don't expect anything fancy. You need to be absolutely clear with your employer about what's included in the salary. Many expat executives I know have simply drawn up contracts specifying the NET amount, after any taxes, provident fund contributions etc they want to get at the end of each month. Don't think that India (and especially Delhi) is a dirt cheap place to live. It is, provided you can live like a local (food, lodging...) and pay local rates but if you're a foreigner those two conditions will never be met. I don't know what type of engineer you are, but 65 K / month seems awfully low to me, I know a couple of Indian engineers (civil engineering) and they make more than double with only limited experience. My advice (but I freely admit being a supplicant of mammon/laxmi): Unless you want to do it strictly for the experience and adventure, don't become an expat if you don't get an expat deal (meaning salary of 300K/month and up + lodging, health insurance, transport). Don't forget that usually you return to base one day. Even if you'd manage to save half of those 65K INR per month, where will that leave you when you return to the UK in a couple of years?

Sep 10th, 2009, 15:40	#11
Groovemeister Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 47	It's definitely good advice to get a break up of your salary if you haven't already. I was transferring within the same company and comparing salaries like for like was still very difficult. Generally they will give you a total cost to company figure. This will include the Provident Fund contribution that they make, plus the one that you are expected to make. In order to get you the best tax deal possible, they also may well include a housing allowance, reimbursements and so on. The total quote they give you can potentially be quite different to the actual amount you take home.

Sep 11th, 2009, 14:56	#15
smart_legend Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Glasgow Posts: 4	nayan...i m back and reading all comments on my post. I wud like to tell u something about my background. I m an Indian but have been living in the UK for past 5 years. So having spent my time there now I want to relocate back to india. The offer which I quoted was based on initial discussion. Now I know how much i shud expect frm them. cheers!