Work and Salary Expectations

[John.St]

The salaries she quoted look about right. Teachers are trying to get a 3.5k salary nowadays, and that includes a huge raise to recover ongoing inflation from a couple years. To that, add one additional month salary, and paid vacation, and that's as much as they get.

I know for a dead cert, that an Argentino civil engineer with 12 years of experience averages some AR$ 92,000/year in Argentina (which is almost exactly what an ensured unskilled worker gets in my country of origin when unemployed). I never mention the last fact to my friends.

 

[SaraSara]

I know for a dead cert, that an Argentino civil engineer with 12 years of experience averages some AR$ 92,000/year in Argentina (which is almost exactly what an ensured unskilled worker gets in my country of origin when unemployed). I never mention the last fact to my friends.

Now, that's reliable, first-hand information. Would be good if more people took the trouble to actually TALK to the locals before making sweeping generalizations about salaries.

The salaries I mentioned are earned by real people whom I personally know: my street's garbage truck crew, and another garbage collector related to my housekeeper. And the full-time kindergarden teacher taking home twenty-two hundred pesos a month is my own niece.

 

[John.St]

... TALK to the locals before making sweeping generalizations about salaries.

July 2010 a female friend of mine who is a secretary in Obra Social in Mendoza capital was paid AR$ 1,700/month.

 

[Guillo]

There's a high variability with salaries, depending on qualifications, position, company, experience, but the avareage is about 2.5k, and only some precious few top position get over 10k.
Compare that to the cost of "canasta básica" (a mixture of products anyone needs to live minimaly comfortably, like food, cleaning product, basic services, etc) which costs over 4k, I think for a 4 people family.

 

[perry]

There's a high variability with salaries, depending on qualifications, position, company, experience, but the avareage is about 2.5k, and only some precious few top position get over 10k.
Compare that to the cost of "canasta básica" (a mixture of products anyone needs to live minimaly comfortably, like food, cleaning product, basic services, etc) which costs over 4k, I think for a 4 people family.

I agree that wages for many people are low and with the incredible inflation we have in Argentina I wonder how people manage . This problem is not unique to our country as it is a worldwide phenomenon with decreasing wages and rising food costs.

 

[jb5]

So any thoughts about Argentines' attitudes about jobs that give raises primarily based on performance?

Would a job be attractive that gives the opportunity to make much more than your base if you hit well defined targets? These would be professional jobs paying a base of $6,000 and up.

 

[Guillo]

Hey, that was never the point, you were talking about no raises at all!. I'm all for merit based rewards, just don't expect much gratitude from workers bellow inflation rate.

 

[John.St]

I agree that wages for many people are low and with the incredible inflation we have in Argentina I wonder how people manage.

I know people who do it - they live three generations in 4 rooms.

 

[jb5]

What if they're not keeping up with inflation because of lack of performance? Will Argentines be happy with jobs when the salary is solely tied to performance? Gratitude is not what I'm after. I'm wondering if I'll have employees with professional attitudes who will hard to make as much as they can.

 

[Amargo]

This problem is not unique to our country

Cheers Perry, this sentence is great. I really appreciate the fact that you feel part of the country.
Sometimes Argentines are criticised for not tolerating critics - eventhough they themselves are criticising the country all the time. I think the difference is that most expats bashing Argentina don't care about the fate of the country. Some even wish a new economic meltdown, so that they can profit through devaluation, ignoring the hardship suffered by millions.

But you are always thankful and express gratitude for the chance of being allowed to lived here - there are not many countries in the World receiving foreigners with open arms.

Thank you. You are one of us, you can keep whinging :-D