Vancouver is a hot market for developers.

Diverse and stimulating opportunities in start-ups, small businesses, major corporations, and public agencies create an attractive environment for developers.

Thanks to this competitive market, developers working in Vancouver can benefit from all-around good salaries, benefits, and perks.

As your interviews with a prospective employer progress to the hiring stage, it’s smart to be aware of the latest trends in compensation package for Vancouver developers. Knowing the industry norms in salaries, benefits, bonuses, and perks can give you important information when evaluating that dream job offer.

Staying current equips you with ideas and suggestions if there is anything to negotiate. For instance, if the offered salary is below your expectations, can the employer offer additional benefits or perks important to you – such as bonus pay, more vacation time or flexible work schedule?

Understand these core parts of your compensation package when finalizing a job offer:

Salary & Bonuses

One of the best resources for the latest information about salaries for specific developer jobs is your recruiter. Every day, your recruiter is tracking the posted pay ranges and final hiring amounts for numerous jobs. He or she has unique insights about what your professional assets are worth in the current job market, so be sure to contact them as you start your job search.

According to Glassdoor.ca, an online resource that aggregates reviews and salaries at companies by current and former employees, the average salary in Vancouver for software developers is around $71,000 while Canada’s national average is $80,000.

The online salary, compensation, and benefits information company, PayScale.com reports the median salary for a software developer to be $64,000 with a range up to $84,000.

PayScale also shows that the average bonus for software developers is $9,000. Bonuses are percentages of your salary tied to achieving goals within a specific time period such as annually or quarterly, and can significantly increase your annual salary.

Keep in mind that the information provided on Glassdoor, PayScale, and other similar companies is dependent on user input, so the data may be unique to a specific region. Again, your recruiter can provide insights about salaries in your location.

Benefits

A compensation package includes more than just salary and bonuses. Find out if your prospective employer offers any of the following benefits commonly offered to developers:

• Vacation and paid time off
• Extended Health insurance: If partial, how much do you pay? how comprehensive? Does it cover family? Dental and vision coverage are typically part of the extended health insurance
• Provincial medical services
• Long-term disability coverage
• Life insurance (often one year of salary)
• Professional Development (See our related article about why professional development is important to both employees and employers)

Perks 

While not included in your formal compensation package, special perks offered by an employer can close the deal on a job offer. Consider how your compensation package with company-sponsored perks such as:

• Opportunity for telecommuting

• Healthy physical work environment like natural light, standing desks, and community work tables
• Flexible workday schedule
• Bringing dogs into the office

• Staff happiness such as ping pong tables, holiday parties, catered lunches, free snacks and beverages, and office yoga

Finally, Vancouver itself – with its focus on the outdoors, proximity to Seattle and Whistler, modern urban environment, welcoming communities for newcomers, active lifestyles – may not be a formal part of your compensation package, but being able to enjoy all that Vancity offers is definitely a perk for anyone working in the city.

What else have you been offered in compensation packages? What suggestions do you have about creative and new benefits and perks? Let us know!