What do you think of my salary? ?

Question

I can read Thai ka.

I am 23 years old. I have Master's and Bachelor's Degree from the United States. I worked part-time as a graduate assistant to chair for 2 years. I worked part-time at food services industries for 4 years. I was an intern at the Thai Embassy in DC.

I got a job offered with an NGO for 30,000 baht. They will send me to some trainings with will cost them 10,000 bath in 5 days--not included hotel and plane ticket. What do you think of my current salary? Should I be happy with the job offered?

I went to 2 other interviews last Thursday. I asked for 30,000-60,000 baht for HR Manager position and 40,000-50,000 baht for Training Officer positon.

As you can see I get more and more greedy --Well, I don't know how much I should be making per month for my age, education, and experience :)

Thank you for your advice.

Answer 1

It sounds to me as if you have done your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees back-to-back without attaining any professional work experience in between. The work experience you mentioned does not weigh in very heavily in the minds of employers, so for right now you’re still entry-level. 30,000 Baht/month is a very good salary for an entry-level employee. This salary will not afford you with a luxurious lifestyle, but it can offer you a comfortable one.

First jobs are pretty important. You can think of them as an extension of your education. Accepting a first job with a company that may pay less, yet is known for teaching and training college graduates to become talented young professionals is a wiser decision than taking a job that pays slightly more but offers no training or advancement.

Answer 2

Hi Joy-

I suppose you know that I have an opinion on everything, so I'll give you my thoughts.

First, money isn't everything.  When I worked in Bangkok, I made more than I am making now outside of Bangkok.  However, the increased quality of life, increased time with my family, and the escape from the big city life makes it well worth it for me.

I would say, go ahead and give it a go with this company that you were hired by.  Your salary is GOOD for a Thai person in Thailand, regardless of what anyone tells you.  You are still young and your salary will go up.

There is a very unfortunate certainty in the work environment in Thailand - age discrimination.  When a woman reaches 30, she becomes a liability in the work force.  

I mention this only because my advice to a 23 year old would not be the same as it would be to a 28 year old.

First:  You are young and 30K per month is good for your age.

Second: Since you have already been offered more money elsewhere, you know you are marketable.

Take the job, and do your best, and if you are not happy with the work envronment, if you do not have any job satisfaction, or if you find the work environment difficult to be in, then you know you can test the waters again, and land a job with much better pay.

For what it is worth- I think you would really enjoy working in Human Resources.  It seems tailor-made for your interests.

Good luck!

Answer 3

My understanding is this is short term assignment with a church.  In your case I think it would be helpful to get your foot in the door and give you some breathing room while looking for another position.  Churches generally expect employees to be dedicated hardworking and poor.  So unless your dedicated I'd keep looking.  But for a first position/4 month assignment the money is fine

As for Greedy I would not say your greedy for wanting pay equal to the value you have.  It took a lot of time to get those degrees.  As for money, you think Linsay Lohan should be earning all that money for making those crappy movies?

Answer 4

Like some other people said, money is not the only factor in the equation of happiness. With a monthly salary of 30,000 baht in Thailand, you will have more than enough to live nicely and enjoy this amazing country. Of course, you won't be able to afford the latest Audi and a condo in a high-end neighbourhood, but who wants -and needs- that anyways? I suppose that if you are in Thailand instead of somewhere in the US, it is for a reason other than money.

Answer 5

Hmmm... Even if you ask for your intended 60000 baht, I still feel it's very low for your qualification, experience and expertise. You'll still be underpaid so maybe you may want to consider staying put in US and earn USD. Seriously speaking, 60000 baht really sounds very little. Whenever I go to BKK for holiday, I'll exchange much more than this amount. Hope you don't mind my honest opinion.

Answer 6

I think 30 to 35,000 baht a month is reasonable for a person of your age and work experience.  You need to start at the bottom of the ladder of success and work your way up to the top.

Answer 7

For an NGO, you really can't expect more than that. They have a tight budget and try to use as much money as possible for their mission. If you want more money, you would have to look elsewhere.  

Answer 8

Having degrees is nice, I have them too. But to earn the higher salaries you desire you need to have work experience (this is particularly true for management positions). I think perhaps your expectations are a little unrealistic at this point.

Answer 9

I'd work for Baht 30,000+ per month in BKK as that can give you a nice life; especially if you stay with your family. US$45k (per annum) in the US cannot give you as good lifestyle as Baht 30,000+ per month in BKK. Baht 30,000+ is a lot more salary than most Thai people, even much older than 23, but you have much higher education than most Thai people so that seems reasonable. Are their some recruitment agencies in BKK that can tell you correct salary for your education/job that you apply for? Maybe you can benchmark your earning potential by looking at the job classified ads section in the Bangkok Post/Nation.

Answer 10

Hope

$45,000 in DC is not even enough to live on and you know that. For a person with a BS and MS in Washington, DC, you should have been around $100K for HR Manager position.

Check the cost of living index for DC and you have the answers.

I would say as long as you are getting interviews in the 30,000 to 60,000 range you are doing extremely well in this current economy.

However, if start going to lots of interviews with no job offers, something is really wrong.

Answer 11

I knew you would love Thailand Hope. Congratulations.

Answer 12

I'll give you 90,000 baths if you work for me.

Answer 13

I think your salary sucks. I have a bachelors degree from the US and I speak/write Thai. I don't have a masters degree. I would flat out decline any job offer of 30K. Of course, we differ in that I have 4 years of international business work experience and training behind me with a an awesome track record of success. If you walked into my office, I'd probably offer you 15K, but if you could prove to me that you are worth 60K within 3 months, I'll gladly pay it. People with no work experience are risky hires. On the other side of the same token, if you turned out to be worth less than 15K, I'd fire you without so much as an ounce hesitation.

  

Answer 14

my sister in law was making 45000 american money right out of college  only had a bachelors degree

Answer 15

Do you know how many 23 year olds in Thailand make $45k ? None.

Answer 16

money isn,t everything dear.

u should work with the ngo.coz u should also give something back to the society.n u r not giving it from your own pocket.just u r helping the society by adjusting your expenditures.

also r u hope named marinegirl or marine girl named hope.

Answer 17

Ever try a position for the US Embassy in Thailand?

I think you have the education and experience to ask for what you're asking for.