(edit title) IT salary in Stockholm Plus relocation Options

[double]

Hi guys,
Sorry for another post on the subject (I see there are many around).

I got a job offer at a big IT company in Stockholm. I am a senior developer with 10 years of experience.
They are offering me 50,000 sek. I know salaries are relatively low in Sweden compared to other countries.
Is this good, is it worth pushing up their offer?

One more question.
For the job I will have to relocate to Sweden. The company doesn't have a relocation program, but since I know it's hard to find places to rent in Stockholm, is it common for companies to assist? Should I demand that too?

Thank You.

[Elf_Moon]

I don't know if I am right on this, but I'd have thought 40-45K a month is what you would be expecting. 50k seems really good- I mean considering your level of experience.

I'm not an expert though, this is just my opinion based on my observations of the job market. Plus you've not really said what kind of development you will be doing and you did not say whether or not you will be working within consultancy for instance *nod*

Maybe take a look at similar roles and see what you find? Factor in your experience as well.

Regarding relocation- in the UK, companies typically help you find accommodation if you are moving say from one large city to another, that is clear across the country. Maybe talk to them and see what they say? After all they will have the better idea of how things work.

[Bender B Rodriquez]

IT salaries ranges all the way from 20k up to 100k depending on your particular expertise.

One way to look at it is that if they are offering you 50k you can probably push for more, if you haven't already done so. After all, it seems they want you to move to Sweden and take the job.

Although relocation packages are not very common, it is definitely a thing to push for. The Stockholm housing market is notoriously difficult, and if they could hire a rental agent it would save you a lot of hassle. Many rental agents only accept companies as customers to be able to circumvent the rent control. Bear in mind, that any paid housing will be taxed as a benefit.

[HannahSwain]

Agreed, 50k sounds about right to me, based on experience in the Swedish IT industry.

Seconded - they may not, but any help you can get with relocation would be invaluable. Don't underestimate the horror of finding a place to live unless you're willing to buy instead of rent.

[John.Smith]

Without knowing the exact particulars of what experience and programming you do I would say that 50k is ballpark correct. I would push for more (maybe 5000) and see what comes of it. All they can do is say no and best case is you may get a compromise somewhere in the middle.

Housing is famously hard to get in Stockholm city. Any assistance they can give you would be a huge benefit to you.

[hatim]

50k would definitely be in the higher end of IT, you must be part of management (or in a very niche field like network security)

May I know what your field is (just curious as I also work in IT)

[Shibumi]

They do not need to have a relocation program themselves, they can hire relocation services to get you a place to live and help with the paperwork to get a personnummer, etc. To be able to get a good, legitimate rental apartment, you need to access corporate rental listings. This may require that your company signs the rental agreement instead of you and either way, the agency fee if you sign for an apartment in the corporate rental listings at Bostad Direkt is about 12 000 SEK!

I would make it a prerequisite to moving to Sweden that they get you the relocation help, are willing to sign the rental contract if required and will cover the agency fee. DO NOT underestimate how hard it will be to find a place to live. And be aware that throwing money at the apartment problem will help (i.e. the higher your rental budget, the more choices you'll have), but it will not solve the problem like it would in other countries.

Good luck!

[dstergiou]

If this is correct (Developer Salary) then i would say you are good with 50k

[double]

Thank you all for you replies. They are a big help.

If 50k is considered good pay then I will try to push for more (as suggested ) but know that I am in the right zone. To those who asked, the company deals with online media and the position is senior developer.

I was wondering about housing outside of Stockholm. Is it a good idea to search for places outside the city and commute daily? Are there more options? How long does it take to get to the middle of Stockholm, and how?