Is our salary going to be enough?

ucbmckee, for what its worth, I am an engineer, with a master's degree, working in the medical device sector, and if I converted my UK salary into dollars, I make about 3/5 of what I made in the US (and I am at the top end of my salary bracket for someone with my position here).  I definitely took a huge pay cut and things are expensive way up here in Northern Scotland.  However, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything though and I certainly didn't come here for the money!!! 

Wow, small world!  I work in Medical Devices as well, but, I am on the Regulatory side.  I make decent money here, but, I could easily make more (I really like my co-workers so I don't look).  I did better in the US.  I am in one of those fields that there is a distinct shortage. Especially in Britain.  Many US workers are being headhunted, but, they turn down the offers because the pay they are offered is a large cut after the conversion.  I came from an area in the states where the cost of living is high, so, it is comparable here.  However, I am NOT in London.  In my field, in London, they pay on average £90K.  I am sure the more people enter the field, the more that figure will fall.

Wow, small world!  I work in Medical Devices as well, but, I am on the Regulatory side. 

Hehe, we could have a conversation, I work in Quality!

I'm so glad you asked. =) I've been wanting to ask a similar question for awhile, but I worried it might sound a bit posh or insensitive. Although I grew up very poor, jobs in the tech sector are relatively generous. I'll be making around £65k, with my wife throwing in another £20-25k. I know this is enough to live on, but everything sounds so ridiculously expensive over there (especially if, like us, you also want to live in West London) and I haven't been sure if "enough to live on" would equate to "eating ramen for dinner" or "being able to eat out a few times a month and possibly holidaying abroad occasionally", god forbid have a family.

Yeah, I certainly hoped not to sound insensitive by tossing up a number, but without some cold hard numbers I didn't think I would possibly get answers I was looking for. From reading   some other posts on this thread, it sounds like we're in the same boat as others--we're also in the tech sector, and also taking a bit of a decrease of what we could earn in the US. We just really want to work internationally and have the chance to live in Europe.
Thanks for chiming in. Apologies if my OP was tacky or rude!

Apologies if my OP was tacky or rude!

Not rude at all! How are you supposed to know without asking?  You have no idea what its like on the other side of the world, only way is to ask and to live it yourself! 
Best of luck to you on your move 

This was a great post!  I was actually wondering the same thing...except if 40k (pounds) would be a liveable salary for a single person in Cambridge.  From what everyone posted, it seems I would be fine.  Although I plan to do a lot of traveling so that could take a big piece of my income.  Does anyone know the comparison of the cost of living between London and Cambridge?  Is it similar?
Thanks

Cambridge is roughly the saem, though rental prices may be ever so slightly less.  You'll be fine.


Vicky

Thanks Vicky!  I have a call with the UK firm next week to discuss my offer so hopefully I can negotiate for a bit more.  But it is good to know I can live off what they are offering me now. 

Stefanie, I live in Cambridge (as of a few weeks) and think you'll be fine with 40. Are you with the uni? If so, a college affiliation can make a big difference in terms of saving you money. But if not....from my experience rents are quite a bit cheaper than London, especially once you move beyond rented rooms and one-bedroom flats, and especially if you're happy living a bit out of the centre but not in the direction of the train station. You can probably get by with spending nothing on daily transport, and Stansted is very handy for trips to the continent. There's also quite a bit of free stuff to do thanks to the uni.

Some of the restaurants/shops in the very centre are pricey, but if you look around a bit you can find more reasonable things. PM if have any questions.

Stefanie, I live in Cambridge (as of a few weeks) and think you'll be fine with 40.

Yeah, you'll definitely be fine with £40,000 (I can only dream of earning that much money ) - my parents raised three kids and put two of us through university on less than £40,000 a year. I've never lived in or near Cambridge, so I don't know much about the cost of living there, but there are single people all across the UK surviving on about half of the salary you've been offered, so I don't think you'll have anything to worry about .

Cambridge costs are high, anyone making half that would be living in a house with shared room here.  But at 40,000 you should be fine, depending on how much you spend of course.

Thanks everyone for all of the info!  Unfortunately I won't be part of the Uni, but it still looks like I will be ok.  Also, I plan on living in the center but I will be looking to have a roommate so that will save me some money.  I was just concerned with my salary because it is a bit lower than here in the states.  Plus I will be renting my house here and I am just nervous if I go with out a renter for a few months that I will have to cover my mortgage in the US and then my rent in the UK which could make things a bit tight.  Hopefully that won't be the case though.   

Would 45,000 per year gross would be enough for a family of 2 in Birmingham?

My husband and I (that qualifies us as a family of 2) live in Birmingham, and make less than that.  We rent a 3-bedroom house, but could probably afford a mortgage.  We have one car, but probably could afford a second if I wanted to drive.  We have some debt, but not a lot, and we do ok.  We've been to the US twice this year, and manage to get away for long weekends in the Uk a few times a year.  We don't go out a lot, so don't spend a lot that way.

So, with our kind of lifestyle, you'd have no problem with the amount you're talking about...