pay scales will vary (was: RE: The Indian Menace?!?)

[SIANNON -at- VISUS -dot- JNJ -dot- com]

I originally intended to avoid this thread, but I have been rather 
surprised by some of the opinions expressed (and I'm not an easy person to 
surprise).

We discuss the concept of regional pricing variations every year on this 
list, whenever someone new asks what the standard going rate for a tech 
writer is. It is usually established, in these discussions, that even 
*within a single country*, the pay scales not only _may_, but _will_ vary, 
depending on the economic profile and occupational opportunities of the 
area.

This is unavoidable. It is extremely unlikely that I would be able to make 
as much working in this city (Jacksonville, FL) as I could doing the same 
scope of work in places like Seattle or the NC Research Triangle, New York, 
or even Miami. I've seen some local companies scoff in disbelief at the 
idea of paying an extensively experienced senior tech writer with over 20 
years' experience $35/hr. for contract work. The economic profile here 
won't sustain it at this time. Maybe in five years it will improve.  
However, that will only be because the economic profile in this area will 
have changed.

The same principle holds true in the international job market.  The 
economic profiles among multiple countries will vary even more dramatically 
than those within a single country. The comparative pay scale for 
corresponding jobs in a country with a depressed economy will not improve 
until that country's comparative standing in the world economy improves. 
Telling a tech writer in such a country not to take a job with a 
competitively higher rate than other available jobs because it was offered 
by someone in a country with a stronger economy effectively asks them to 
refuse something that will bring more money into their local economy, and 
possibly help improve their local economic profile. I believe such a 
suggestion is both impractical and rude (i.e., "your family's health and 
well-being don't matter, because they get in the way of my preferred career 
options").

I'm open to commentary from those who are more familiar with the subject of 
economics, but it is my personal opinion that the pay scale an employee 
accepts for a job has a minimal impact on anything other than the local 
economy.  It is the behavior of the _employers_ that will make the 
difference, and that is a matter of their own business practice.

Some businesses will only pay attention to the bottom line. Those 
businesses will move their operations wherever they deem them to be more 
cheaply run, whether that be India or Mississippi. Some businesses will 
weigh the other factors, and choose sustainable business practices that 
seek to improve their local economy, preserve environmental integrity and 
their internal resources. Those businesses will not go as far afield to 
look for a "deal" on their employee costs.

Someone accepting a job offer isn't "robbing" someone else of a job.  The 
employer already decided to look elsewhere. If you want to fix the problem, 
find a way to convince the employers that it would be better for their 
goals to pursue local talent instead of going elsewhere.

Again, this is my opinion.
Shauna




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