Reasonable salary for a fresh grad?

[Razor88]

Hey guys.

I'm a recent Computer Science(UCT) grad and I've been interviewing. Whats a decent starting salary for a java dev look like? Does anyone know anybody in a similar position? Don't want to get shafted.

 

[jman]

If you're looking in Cape Town - which is generally lower than Gauteng, then I'd say around R12k for someone with no experience

 

[Sysem]

If you're looking in Cape Town - which is generally lower than Gauteng, then I'd say around R12k for someone with no experience

Really? 2 years ago, fresh out of UCT I was on 15k pm. If OP has a post grad, that could push him up (I had a colleague straight out of honours on 25k...)

 

[cguy]

It really depends on two things: how good you are, and whether or not you can find a position that needs someone at your skill level. I would expect roughly between 15k and 25k (20th percentile vs. 80th percentile), from what I've been hearing. A bit more if you have an honours degree.

 

[Willie Trombone]

You're asking people to take a chance on you - no experience remember...
Your first salary is not as important as the experience you will get from the job. Make sure you keep detailed portfolio of the kind of work you are involved in for the next move if the company who hires you doesn't take you where you want to be going. 3 years experience plus degree? Different ballgame altogether. Make a good name for yourself - so that whoever hires you gets the backstory about how awesome you are as a person from your current employer when they ask for a reference.

 

[Gnome]

My company pays a fresh out of university person R25k pm and a joining bonus of around R100k. At least that is what they paid quite a few years back. (probably more now)
I started working in 2010 and even back then I started on 20k pm (different company)

Companies that are hiring the best will pay more because they reject 100s for every 1 person they make an offer to.
IIRC last I heard my company's statistics was something crazy like 300 people interviewed for every successful hire.

They are pretty picky, but there are companies that are even more picky.
Generally if they are that picky, you can push them pretty hard on salary.

In fact push hard on it anyway.
IMO a mature adult shouldn't be afraid to ask for as much as they can get.
If they want to reject someone because they dared to ask for more during the offer stage, you don't want to work there.
They can simply say, no, this is our best offer.

My 2c.

 

[SauRoNZA]

It really depends on two things: how good you are, and whether or not you can find a position that needs someone at your skill level. I would expect roughly between 15k and 25k (20th percentile vs. 80th percentile), from what I've been hearing. A bit more if you have an honours degree.

And whether or not a company gives a damn about your degree.

Many don't.

 

[CamiKaze]

Get into a grad programme and you can start off on 25k.

 

[HavocXphere]

My company pays a fresh out of university person R25k pm and a joining bonus of around R100k.

wow - thats nice.

 

[cguy]

And whether or not a company gives a damn about your degree.

Many don't.

Sure, good point. Although if you do an honours degree and then apply for a job that doesn't have a decent bias towards degree level material, you're probably doing something wrong.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Sure, good point. Although if you do an honours degree and then apply for a job that doesn't have a decent bias towards degree level material, you're probably doing something wrong.

Probably.

But I've just seen it so many times where people don't get jobs and then won't take a good offer because "I have a degree and deserve more".

Actually you don't deserve anything if you don't have options and that's probably why nobody else wanted you.

 

[CamiKaze]

Sure, good point. Although if you do an honours degree and then apply for a job that doesn't have a decent bias towards degree level material, you're probably doing something wrong.

Also, does a company offer more if you completed your honours part time while working for them?

 

[smb3]

My company pays a fresh out of university person R25k pm and a joining bonus of around R100k. At least that is what they paid quite a few years back. (probably more now)
I started working in 2010 and even back then I started on 20k pm (different company)

Companies that are hiring the best will pay more because they reject 100s for every 1 person they make an offer to.
IIRC last I heard my company's statistics was something crazy like 300 people interviewed for every successful hire.

They are pretty picky, but there are companies that are even more picky.
Generally if they are that picky, you can push them pretty hard on salary.

In fact push hard on it anyway.
IMO a mature adult shouldn't be afraid to ask for as much as they can get.
If they want to reject someone because they dared to ask for more during the offer stage, you don't want to work there.
They can simply say, no, this is our best offer.

My 2c.

What company is this

My opinion is that if you make an offer and the employer doesn't negotiate down, then you missed out

 

[TehStranger]

Some of the salaries on the higher end of the spectrum here are typically for recruiting top talent, and more often than not are corporate (or large dev houses that do a ****house of work for corporate).

As much as everyone likes to think they're the cream of the crop this is not the case. And just because a company was desperate for talent in a specific field at one point, doesn't mean you'll see those salaries across the board.

So measure your expectation, and b hopefully you can (and deserve to) land with your arse in the butter.

 

[Gnome]

What company is this

A big one

Some of the salaries on the higher end of the spectrum here are typically for recruiting top talent, and more often than not are corporate (or large dev houses that do a ****house of work for corporate).

As much as everyone likes to think they're the cream of the crop this is not the case. And just because a company was desperate for talent in a specific field at one point, doesn't mean you'll see those salaries across the board.

So measure your expectation, and b hopefully you can (and deserve to) land with your arse in the butter.

You work in Gauteng I assume

Cape Town has two categories of companies that are hiring hard. Tech startups in the City Bowl and surrounds. And the large tech companies like Takealot.com, Oracle, Amazon.com, etc.

Since I moved here many years back, hiring in Cape Town has become, much, much harder.

Desperate is really not the right word to use. The company needs to hire more hands and they need to pay an attractive package to hire those hands.
Because there are so many companies here growing so quickly, IMO it has become super competitive.

Just because you are willing to pay more doesn't mean you are desperate or that you drop your standards.
It simply means your business is expanding and you need more people, but so does everyone else. That pushes up the cost.

For most of the companies in Cpt, I would say the cost of hiring people is still not so high that they would rather stop expanding.

If you draw the "line" and refuse to pay it, it hopefully is because it doesn't make economic sense for your company.
Not because you feel insulted or "desperate", the cost is determined by the market.

 

[Arthur]

My opinion is that if you make an offer and the employer doesn't negotiate down, then you missed out

Hehe. I know mean that only half-seriously.

On the other hand, not getting what you say you want and still taking the job means you're telling them you'll settle for less than you think you're worth, and that sets a bad precedent. Also, it might just as easily be interpreted as indicating you have an unrealistic assessment of your own capabilities and worth, and that's not a good way to start.

Rather set your figure and be prepared to walk away if you don't get it. Never get negotiated down.

On the few occasions where I've encountered that approach I've declined to even make an offer, saying simply "Sorry. You're asking more than we can afford right now for that position. Good luck in your search. Hope you find what you're looking for. Cheers." I wouldn't put the candidate through the indignity of being negotiated down.

 

[Thor]

My company pays a fresh out of university person R25k pm and a joining bonus of around R100k.

fck me, such a thing exists?

 

[BSoD]

fck me, such a thing exists?

I too have heard of this myth. I have been shopping around for the past few years and have never seen one advertised. Not even at Amazon.

 

[Thor]

I too have heard of this myth. I have been shopping around for the past few years and have never seen one advertised. Not even at Amazon.

It's right up there with unicorns and a DA ruling party

 

[cguy]

fck me, such a thing exists?

Signing bonuses are pretty standard around the world these days. It doesn't surprise me that it's starting to catch on in SA.