OFFICES FOREIGN SALARIES

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1 I N T E R N AT I O N A L ho has not dreamed of packing their bags and jetting off to a sunnier lifestyle far from the UK s cloudy and, these days, debt-ridden shores? The obvious destination for construction professionals used to be Dubai, but since late 2008, when the boom there turned to dust, would-be expats have begun heading to the wider Middle East. However, if being walled up in a Saudi Arabian compound or whiling away sober weekends in Qatar is not your cup of mint tea, don t give up on the dream of working abroad. There are construction career openings elsewhere in the world. And as this year s international salary guide compiled for Building by Hays Construction & Property shows, some are even offering higher salaries. We look at what s driving the international jobs market and pick three destinations where you ll find construction vacancies. For each we set out the factors that might tempt you, from the projects on offer to the lifestyle. Our swingometer weighs up the lifestyle pluses and the career benefits, the ideal balance being a dead centre reading. W SALARIES Despite some bright spots, there is no sugarcoating the fact that the international jobs market is not what it was. The survey has found that most salaries around the world have gone down. In post-world Cup South Africa, for example, the average salary for a project manager with up to 10 years experience has fallen to 44,000, compared with 55,000 a year ago. The average pay for QSs with the same level of experience has plummeted from 60,000 last year to 44,000 this. Salaries have taken a particularly hard battering in Ireland, which has been in recession for two years and has THERE ARE JOBS IN THE TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EAST SECTORS CIVILS, OIL AND GAS WHEREAS OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENTS, SUCH AS SHOPPING MALLS, ARE MUCH QUIETER TRACY WRIGHT, HAYS 13.5% unemployment; here construction is going through a severe downturn. The average salary of an architect with up to 10 years experience is down from 51,000 a year ago to 36,200 today, and for the average QS at the same level the fall has been even more dramatic, from 61,000 to 34,750. In the UAE the picture is similarly gloomy. During the Dubai boom, wages looked as though they would eventually rise to footballer levels; the latest figures do show that the typical UAE project manager s salary has risen to 85,500 from 80,000, but no average could be given for many other roles because Hays had not placed enough people in them. The reasons for the change in the UAE market are well known. Tracy Wright, head of the Middle East and North Africa buildings team at international recruitment specialist Digby Morris, says: Project after project is being shelved or scrapped, so it s a simple question of supply outstripping demand. Clients, understandably, are taking advantage of the situation and offering lower salaries. It s probably also true that salaries FOREIGN OFFICES As the UAE continues to struggle, where else should the discerning English-speaking professional head for? Roxane McMeeken dips into Hays Construction & Property s salary guide and puts some new destinations on the map

2 international / salaries / 35 were inflated over there, so that s being corrected. She acknowledges that Dubai is suffering most, adding: Abu Dhabi is not charging ahead as people thought it would. There are big projects, such as Saadiyat Island, which is a cultural development featuring Jean Nouvel s 1bn dirham ( 181.5m) Louvre museum, and they do have money to invest, but they are being cautious and holding back for the moment. Charlie Paris, Hays senior manager for the UAE, says the few employers who are hiring in the UAE are not interested in having to settle anyone in, pay relocation costs or sort out visas. It also appears the emirates are no longer a suitable place for those looking to take a first step towards working overseas. Our clients are requesting candidates who are degree educated and have a minimum of two years Gulf experience, he says. Elsewhere in the Middle East, although property investors have not been hit as hard as in Dubai, they remain cautious, which means there are fewer job opportunities. Governments are continuing to invest in transport and energy infrastructure, however, which are viewed as essential. Wright says: There are still jobs in the traditional Middle East sectors civils, oil and gas whereas building opportunities for more speculative developments, such as shopping malls and resorts, are much quieter. So if the Middle East has become a less promising option, where in the world can you get a good job in construction? There is a lot of talk about Brazil and the rest of South America, but you can t work in those regions without speaking Spanish or Portuguese. So we ve selected three destinations where you can do business in English, listed in order of their level of appeal, including the key facts you should know before you go and our assessment of lifestyle and career benefits The Tian Tan Buddha presides over the altar of heaven on Lantau island in Hong Kong

3 36 / international / salaries 1 HONG KONG Key facts This isn t a tax-free destination but income tax is only 10% on all but the highest salaries. Living costs are high. You could pay 500 a month to rent a basic one-bedroom flat or three times that to rent a house. Salaries are high, too. Hays has found that the average project manager with up to 10 years experience earns 58,000. Public transport is cheap, assuming you have your Octopus Card. Construction projects move quickly. The HK$4.9bn ( 400m), 850m long New Cruise Terminal had a design and construction period of just 30 months. Hong Kong is the most positive place on the planet right now for people in construction, says David Knowles, managing director of PRS Executive Search. As in the Middle East, the opportunities tend to be on the infrastructure side. There is a raft of large projects building roads, rail and tunnel, he says. But Knowles believes the building side is picking up too, including non-civil spin-offs such as stations. Daniel Wood, a senior engineer at Aecom, moved to Hong Kong with Faber Maunsell two years ago (before Aecom bought it). He says: I ve just extended my stay here by another year because I like it so much. There s a lot of work on high rises out here, although some is regional. I began working out here on a 62-storey, two-tower residential development in the Philippines. That project went on hold owing to the global financial crisis but it s now back on, which is part of my reason for staying. In the meantime I ve worked on the mass transit railway in Hong Kong the first time I d worked on tunnelling. He went on to Foster + Partners New Cruise Terminal. It was great to work on an icon, he says. Wood, 33, believes it s easier for younger people to get experience on higher profile projects in Hong Kong. We re almost too busy we re recruiting now, in fact but I d much rather be in a market that s buzzing. As for lifestyle, Wood says: It s greener than you might think here, the urban parts are surrounded by mountains, the food is fantastic and the nightlife s great too. If we take a look at our jobometer reading, it seems that Hong Kong has a perfect blend of lifestyle and reward 2 AUSTRALIA Unlike the rest of the world, they didn t get hit by the recession Downunder, says David Knowles, managing director of PRS Executive Search. Largely because the mineral mining industry is thriving. Australia s mining sector also recently survived the threat of a substantial tax rise from ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd, who recently stood down, primarily as a result of it. It helps that the Australian mining industry s main customer is China, which buys about two-thirds of the iron ore, nickel, aluminium, uranium and other minerals the country produces. As a result mining-related construction opportunities abound road and rail building to transport the minerals, construction of port facilities for exporting them, and Key facts Australia is not a temporary destination. David Knowles, managing director of PRS Executive Search, says: Employers don t want you to come out and then leave. They expect you to emigrate. According to Hays research, 51% of employers have said business activity has picked up in the past 12 months. Australia has escaped the worst of the global downturn, yet like the rest of the world most career opportunities are in the infrastructure sector. Salaries have gone up in the past 12 months, but don t expect them to shoot up in future. Hays has found that fewer than 2% of employers plan to raise pay by 10% or more in the coming year. Living costs are broadly similar to the UK but the weather is better. building tunnels, mine shafts and winding gear for mines. On the whole, salaries in Australia are rising. The average pay for an architect with up to 10 years experience has risen from 34,400 to 37,000, project managers at the same level have seen their pay go up from 68,000 to 85,800 and civil engineers are almost 10,000 better off: their salaries have risen from 45,000 to 54,000. Diane Townson, Hays manager for Australia, has even better news. Architecture and engineering consultancies are benefiting from stimulus packages, and engineers, senior structural engineers, senior structural drafters and senior civil design engineers are highly sought after, she says. Water and environmental projects have created a spike in recruitment at entry level, she adds, and town planners and civil engineers are in demand in the public sector. The catch is that if you move, you re likely to move for a long time. Australia s charms are well documented but it s far from friends and family back in the UK. On the other hand, as our swingometer rating shows, it could be the best career move you ll make BUILDING MAGAZINE

4 international / salaries / 37 3 RUSSIA This may sound an unusual choice it s the toughest job market of our three picks and salaries are low but living costs are lower too. David Whitehouse, managing director of the CIS region at Aecom, has been in Russia since He says: There was a hefty downturn in Russia in 2008/09 but now it s potentially a major construction and infrastructure market. We re being asked to do due diligence on a lot of manufacturing-related investments that are being rejuvenated, and for commercial developers starting to look at sites again. Aecom is also pursuing PPP opportunities, he adds, and there are openings in alternative energy such as wind, geotheormal and hydro power. This is translating into job vacancies. Whitehouse says: We have five or six positions to fill immediately but we re hiring across the board: civil and structural engineers, cost managers and project managers: the full gamut. So what is it like to live and work here? Whitehouse says working life is faster paced than other countries. One day you have plans, the next you re called in for two or three meetings. But you also have to be patient: doing business is fast but individual issues such as signing a contract or getting paid can take longer. As for the lifestyle, Whitehouse much prefers Russia to other destinations, especially the Middle East. I ve turned down opportunities in the Middle East and I think the personal life in Russia is far more attractive. It s closer to Europe culturally, you have four seasons and you don t have to live in an air-conditioned environment for nine months of the year, he says. It s easier to mix with the local population and do things like drink a glass of wine, too. It isn t an easy life though. Whitehouse says: Every day is a challenge, but I like that. In the UK you pretty much know what you re getting and who wants that? Key facts Salaries are low. Hays says that the average project manger with up to 10 years experience earns just 16,000, while a QS at the same level gets 8,500. But living costs are ultra low. Petrol is about 40p a litre and a fare on the Moscow underground is about 40p. A month s rent for a two-bedroom apartment in a good area would be $2,500-$3,000 ( 1,395-1,680). The jobs market is picking up in both construction and infrastructure as the country comes out of the downturn. PPP-based projects are developing in Russia, creating opportunities for anyone with experience of how that works. Sydney: this is the view from the well-known harbour bridge BUILDING MAGAZINE

5 38 / international / salaries HAYS 2010 INTERNATIONAL SALARY GUIDE Figures are in sterling, based on a conversion rate correct on 25 May 2010 PROJECT MANAGER, 5-10 YEARS EXPERIENCE QS, 5-10 YEARS EXPERIENCE ARCHITECT, 5-10 YEARS EXPERIENCE Australia 85,800 45, ,500 57,200 40,000-85,800 37,200 Belgium 55,600 51,300-59,900 40,200 38,500-44,500 59,900 Brazil 103,900 89, ,800 44,500 26,000-52,000 29,700 Canada 71,500 71,500-84,500 n/a n/a 52,000 Czech Republic 30,000 20,000-40,000 22,000 16,000-28,000 21,400 France 51,300 51,300-59,900 47,000 36,800 Hong Kong 58,200 42,300-74,000 38,800 31,700-68,700 44,100 India 6,500 5,800-20,400 5,800 4,400-17,500 7,300 Ireland 44,900 34,800 32,500-40,600 36,400 Italy 51,300 38,500 34,200-42,800 34,200 New Zealand 46,400 39,500-60,400 41,800 32,500-55,700 34,900 Poland 38,600 37,600-45,100 25,000 20,000-30,100 25,000 Portugal 71,900 38,500-77,000 47,000 38,500-47,000 44,500 Russia 16,000 13,300-18,700 8,500 7,500-9,300 16,000 Singapore 41,100 35,200-47,000 35,200 32,300-47,000 34,700 South Africa 44,100 44,100-52,900 44,100 44,100-52,900 n/a Spain 55,600 51,300-55,600 35,900 35,900-44,500 28,200 UAE 85,400 47, ,400 85,400 47,700-89,900 78,700 UK 40,000 30,000-42,000 36,500 29,000-42,000 31,400 Methodology The Hays International Salary Guide 2010, in association with Building, is based on salaries of candidates placed by Hays within the past 12 months. Hays recently entered Brazil, India and Russia, which have been included for the first time. The survey is compiled by Hays staff and the figures are typical annual salaries for permanent positions and are guide figures only due to possible discrepancies in terminology and local variations. They also do not take into account local government tax regimes, hours of work and currency of payment.

6 international / salaries / 39 CIVIL ENGINEER, 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE 31,500-51,500 54,400 31,500-74,400 42,900 25,800-80,100 55,600-64,200 47,000 42,800 38,500-47,000 18,600-33,400 37,100 26,000-40,900 27,800 22,300-55,300 48,800-55,300 35,800 32,500-39,000 35,800 32,500-39,000 11,700-18,400 18,000 11,700-18,300 16,000 12,000-20,000 34,200-39,300 36,800 34,200-39,300 34,200 30,000-38,500 37,000-55,600 33,500 26,400-38,800 31,700 26,400-38,800 7,300-21,800 2,900 2,900-8,700 2,900 2,900-8,700 34,200-44,500 32,500 29,900-35,900 34,200 27,400-38,500 29,900-38,500 35,100 30,000-38,500 35,900 30,000-38,500 28,100-41,800 41,800 28,000-48,800 37,200 27,900-46,400 20,000-37,600 17,700 15,000-20,000 20,000 20,000-25,000 38,500-49,600 24,000 25,700-47,900 25,700 21,400-30,000 10,700-16,000 6,400 5,300-7,200 6,400 5,300-6,900 29,400-41,100 28,400 23,500-35,200 28,900 23,500-35,200 30,800 30,800-39,600 35,200 35,200-44,100 28,200-30,800 38,500 38,500-42,800 38,500 38,500-42,800 71,900-85,400 28,000-35,000 35,000 30,000-40,000 30,600 26,000-34,000 Which markets will grow the fastest in the next three years? See P58 for some surprising results BUILDING MAGAZINE