tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post3881469934827119000..comments2024-03-29T09:05:29.819-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: My problems with the EUCheMS survey of European chemists and chemical engineersChemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-2584080675057200752015-07-21T03:01:17.027-04:002015-07-21T03:01:17.027-04:00This survey likely reports the typical salaries of...This survey likely reports the typical salaries of chemists with a few years experience rather well, despite the statistical problems already pointed out. In order to make a decision about where to work and live, I would want to know the following as well:<br /><br />1. What do I have to pay with my salary and how does the salary compare with the cost of living? (Unlike the situation within the U.S.-American states, each European country has a very different legal system that regulates such things as retirement funding, healthcare funding, parental leave, childcare, etc. Depending on the country, these costs are paid by the employee, employer, or state.)<br /><br />2. How do chemists’ salaries develop with experience, and how does this development compare with that of other professions (e.g., business degree holders)? In some countries, a low starting salary as a lab chemist can be compensated with good career development perspectives and thus good options for moving into middle or upper management, whereas in other countries, moving away from the lab is more difficult.<br />Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-43032439309012423772015-07-19T23:06:27.905-04:002015-07-19T23:06:27.905-04:00Italy is in a lot of trouble. It's GDP has not...Italy is in a lot of trouble. It's GDP has not really changed much from 15 years ago, demographics are terrible with ratio of dependents to workers approaching 1, and secular stagnation is killing future economic potential so salaries for chemists cannot be expected to rise in the future. By extension, the whole EU is in trouble and it doesn't have a fiscal union like Japan, which is going through something very similar.uncle samnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-20800314644955527642015-07-19T20:59:47.119-04:002015-07-19T20:59:47.119-04:00I was earning more as a "fortgeschrittener Mi...I was earning more as a "fortgeschrittener Mitarbeiter" (with doctorate) in Switzerland than as a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry in the south of the UK. And nevertheless, the quality of life was better in CH than the UK. Very different places....Generic Chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17368825556427261716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-67713537123389676032015-07-19T05:59:22.179-04:002015-07-19T05:59:22.179-04:00UK, large corporation in the South. Experienced Ph...UK, large corporation in the South. Experienced PhD chemists (not managers) earn ca. 35k GBP (50k euro), which is, by the way, the upper limit of post-doc salary in UK.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-14530402373127913772015-07-18T00:25:37.166-04:002015-07-18T00:25:37.166-04:00Mixed feelings about CH:
1. the cost of living dep...Mixed feelings about CH:<br />1. the cost of living depends on where you are living. Example: Basel is not expensive, while Zürich and Geneva are.<br />2. Zürich and Geneva are still probably cheaper than Si Valley.<br />3. The Swiss practice formal, codified age discrimination against foreigners, especially from non-EU countries. If you're older than 40, then they won't let you work there. Exception: you are a VIP professor, in which case the cantonal employer may buy you in.<br />4. The salaries quoted in the survey depend on whether you have a job, period. I know highly talented, yet unemployed industrial chemists there. This may have to do with the CHF exchange rate.Generic Chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17368825556427261716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-79697105597099627862015-07-17T15:27:47.997-04:002015-07-17T15:27:47.997-04:00The survey = mass anecdotal evidence.The survey = mass anecdotal evidence.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-91780656006298118812015-07-17T13:04:24.155-04:002015-07-17T13:04:24.155-04:00Anecdotal evidence indicates that for new PhDs 25,...Anecdotal evidence indicates that for new PhDs 25,000-30,000 USD is the norm, and experienced PhDs (around 5-6 years) earn between 50-70,000 USD - these are figures for US-educated Chinese who have returned to China to work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-18071734455265434762015-07-17T07:52:11.900-04:002015-07-17T07:52:11.900-04:00The Swiss numbers may be pretty close to reality (...The Swiss numbers may be pretty close to reality (as the median of experienced chemists, not starting salaries). The cost of living issues are real though, just a few examples: daycare for a single child: 22,000 EUR/yr, 25,000 EUR/yr in rent for an ok-ish flat of 80 m2, buying the same place will set you back a clean million. Food, restaurants etc. double of what you pay in neighboring countries. With Swiss salaries, it is fine, and traveling or buying a car is relatively cheap (compared to salary and other costs), but it is scary what kind of a turnover we have as a family of four. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-70466258407671043042015-07-17T06:53:57.537-04:002015-07-17T06:53:57.537-04:00The lesson from Table 10? Locate your chemical or ...The lesson from Table 10? Locate your chemical or pharmaceutical company in Romania.qvxbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-10256068954087261762015-07-17T04:32:21.484-04:002015-07-17T04:32:21.484-04:00Given the (relatively) high number of Italian resp...Given the (relatively) high number of Italian responders, it seems fair to conclude that: a) Italy is a borderline poor country b) having a PhD is (as I could draw from my job search) useless.<br /><br />(I'm Italian, unfortunately)<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-33521281559762420172015-07-17T03:58:33.454-04:002015-07-17T03:58:33.454-04:00I'm from Italy and I did not know there was th...I'm from Italy and I did not know there was this kind of survey going on. So I cannot tell if it was online or by another mean. I can confirm the figure is right for Italy, being the mean salary in the range depicted. And Switzerland... well, we all know salaries are incredibly high there, and it's not just a matter of the cost of living (UK is not that much cheaper, I guess).Paolonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-38855191985568891652015-07-17T02:21:26.576-04:002015-07-17T02:21:26.576-04:00On the other hand, one should be aware that the co...On the other hand, one should be aware that the cost of living is significantly higher in Switzerland than in neighboring countries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-78420948927036751732015-07-16T22:31:54.420-04:002015-07-16T22:31:54.420-04:00Re: Ph.D. chemists in Portugal and Italy. How does...Re: Ph.D. chemists in Portugal and Italy. How does 36,000 - 38,000 euros compare to the earnings of Ph.D. chemists in China (Shanghai area?).SJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-26483695147208333582015-07-16T17:43:27.705-04:002015-07-16T17:43:27.705-04:00Clearly the Swiss responses in Table 10 reflect th...Clearly the Swiss responses in Table 10 reflect the inclusion of alchemists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-1127327487573564922015-07-16T17:12:20.360-04:002015-07-16T17:12:20.360-04:00Seems to be a reasonable survey for people who wor...Seems to be a reasonable survey for people who work in UK or Italy, are 30-40 years old and like online surveys. For the remaining 97.340% of members of EuCheMS/participating societies these are just pages to turn. Fast.SJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-56870323638736646652015-07-16T15:35:37.484-04:002015-07-16T15:35:37.484-04:00There's a reference in the acknowledgements to...There's a reference in the acknowledgements to 'web-based data collection,' and early in the report to 'text fields' suggesting that data was gathered via online survey.<br /><br />On the responses removed from consideration, there is some language about "irregular answers" but what that means is anyone's guess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com