Games Companies: Junior - $35k - $45k (< 5 years experience) Mid Level - $45k - 65k (3 - 8 years experience) Senior - $65k - $85k (5+ years experience)
(skill is also a factor, which is why the experience brackets aren't equal)
At a web dev company doing Javascript / PHP / Asp work it's about $10k - $15k on top of that for each level.
Working at an enterprise doing what most would class as boring work it's probably another $10k again over working at a web dev company.
There are a few high paying ($80k+) jobs for ruby devs that I've seen around too and freelancing pays pretty well but then you have to find the work.
Taking any permanent job as a developer in Australia is almost always a bad move financially. You should be looking at contracting.
If you are prepared to work in enterprise software then rates are around $70-$90/hour for mid to high level developers (rates go higher for architect positions too). Contracts typically are 6 months, and almost always are renewed.
(These are Adelaide Java rates - East Coast rates are typically $5-10/hour higher, and I've heard Perth rates are higher still)
Wow, this thread is misinformed. There's plenty of world class "A" grade talent in Sydney. Some of those people leave, some of those people stay. You just have to know where to look.
Funnily enough, not everyone wants to move to the US, because if you're not a founder of a tech company, there's very little reason to leave Sydney for SF.
Of course I don't know much about the Australian startup scene. That's why I asked the question. It's on the other side of the Earth from the US. So the question remains unanswered. If there's plenty of startups in Australia that have no intention of leaving, why can't they hire US/Canadian devs if there isn't enough homegrown talent to go around? I for one would consider living and working in Oz.
Every time I see people on HN bitching about "low" wages and "high" costs in the valley, I laugh bitterly. American programmers really have no idea how good they have it.
