Work, pay, live: how much do you earn as an anesthesiologist? And how much is left at the end of the month? We asked as part of our series.
"You don't talk about money" - this is especially true in Austria. Most of us keep our own salaries a secret. We are confronted with our finances every day. Where has the 100 in the wallet gone? How am I supposed to pay for the car to be repaired? How do other people manage to put something aside? And how much do the colleagues who sit with me in the office actually earn? Last but not least, this unnecessary secrecy with regard to income contributes to the fact that women still do not earn as much as their male colleagues. We say: No more, people talk about money! That is why in this series we ask women with a wide variety of professions: What does your world cost? How much do you earn? What is left at the end of the month? In the 18th part of the series, we asked an anesthesia nurse with a small child for an interview.
Io Laetitia Meadows lives in Innsbruck and, after graduating from high school, completed her training as a qualified nurse with special training in anesthesia and intensive care. Your son is two and a half years old. After two years of parental leave, Io Laetitia started with 33.3 percent employment, i.e. 13.5 hours per week, which she works from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. due to the opening times of the daycare center.
What is happening in your job
In anesthesia care, I look after the patient together with the doctor before, during and after the operation. Sometimes I'm in the recovery room, which we also look after. We have been trained in all specialist areas, which means that I am sometimes in gynecology in the operating room one day, in the children's operating room the next day and in the heart operating room the day after that. It's a great job because it's versatile and very exciting.
How much do you earn monthly
I earn 1113 euros gross, that's 933 euros net.
How much are your fixed expenses?
We live with our in-laws in the house, so thank God we don't need much for living. The fixed costs for living, insurance, cars and cell phones are around 500 euros. Then there are groceries, excursions, activities with the little ones - and the crèche costs around 270 euros per month for three days a week including food. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - but I get half of it subsidized by the state of Tyrol because we have so little income.
Do you have a private pension plan?
No.
Do you save money, if so how much, how do you invest it?
Unfortunately, there is practically nothing left to save at the moment, but I still have my home loan savings company. I'm paying in 20 euros a month here - better than nothing.
How much is left at the end of the month?
Nothing.
Are you happy with your salary?
In this tax bracket with 33.3 percent employment, I think the earnings are okay. In general, I think one should earn more in nursing. As a full-time employee including four night shifts and one weekend shift, I earned 2100 euros after 10 years of service in my job. Unfortunately, that's little when you consider how much responsibility you have and when you look at the working hours. Per night shift you get a total of approx. 39 euros gross and two additional hours of compensation. For each hour on Sundays and public holidays, an additional 3.70 euros gross. Unfortunately, you don't get rich with it.
Do you know what your colleagues earn?
Yes, we have a nursing wage scheme in-house that you can look at.
What do you like to spend money on?
For family activities and good food.
What would you like more money for?
I would like to travel more.
Do you talk to your friends about money?
Clear. We all have no secrets and talk about it very openly!
Is there any other income?
My partner is still studying. He is currently doing his Masters in Chemistry. Whenever possible, he works as a tutor or by the hour at events. However, since he almost always has to be present (e.g. in a laboratory internship), there is not much time for this. Everything he earns goes into the household budget. When things get tight, our parents help out. It's very reassuring. We both have very generous and reliable parents.
What is your greatest luxury?
Honestly? That I go to work "only" 33 percent. This gives me a lot of time for my son, which is the most important thing to me while he is still little.
Can you afford the things that you would like to have or do you often have to go without something?
There's not that much luxury in there at the moment. But I have everything I need and I rarely have the feeling that I have to do without something.
Would you rather earn more or work less and have less?
Working only 33 percent was a conscious decision. I think time is more valuable than a lot of money. And when my boyfriend has finished his studies, he'll also earn something. Until then, we can do it with little money.
And how important is work to you in general? How important is it in your life?
I really enjoy the hours at work because I really like the job and our team. In this respect, the work is very important to me. Even if life is primarily about our son.
