Can YOU "Land" A Good Dominican?

[Exxtol]

That's middle class in the US

example: my friend makes more than 100K pesos / month. He is a big manager in Corassan and teaches in a university at night. AZB

AZB,

According to my calculations, if we are to assume the peso is at $33 RD for every american dollar (give or take), then your friend makes over 3,030.00 US a month--in a year that is over $36,000 US. That salary is indicative of the middle class here in the states.......and i would beg to argue that kind of money in the DR is well above the dominican "middle class". Certainly not the elites, but not a salary of the middle-class people i know either. At the least I would consider your friend to be wealthy by Dominican standards.


Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a decent amount of money in the US--certainly not great, but if someone was making that type of money here they would be considered "middle-class".

 

[shadInToronto]

Definitely not middle class in NA

AZB,

According to my calculations, if we are to assume the peso is at $33 RD for every american dollar (give or take), then your friend makes over 3,030.00 US a month--in a year that is over $36,000 US. That salary is indicative of the middle class here in the states.......and i would beg to argue that kind of money in the DR is well above the dominican "middle class". Certainly not the elites, but not a salary of the middle-class people i know either. At the least I would consider your friend to be wealthy by Dominican standards.


Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a decent amount of money in the US--certainly not great, but if someone was making that type of money here they would be considered "middle-class".

$36k ... after taxes & other payroll deductions is ~$25k annually. Middle class in NA is ~$55 - $70k annually ... $3k / month in the DR is not wealthy :glasses:

 

[Exxtol]

$36k ... after taxes & other payroll deductions is ~$25k annually. Middle class in NA is ~$55 - $70k annually ... $3k / month in the DR is not wealthy :glasses:

What does NA stand for?

 

[AnnaC]

What does NA stand for?

North America I assume which certainly covers a lot of ground

 

[Larry]

AZB,

According to my calculations, if we are to assume the peso is at $33 RD for every american dollar (give or take), then your friend makes over 3,030.00 US a month--in a year that is over $36,000 US.


Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a decent amount of money in the US--certainly not great, but if someone was making that type of money here they would be considered "middle-class".

36,000 dollars per year in the United States is not even approaching a middle class salary. Here, in the DR, it is a lot of money.

Larry

 

[Exxtol]

50K-70K middle class in US??? Ridiculous.........

$36k ... after taxes & other payroll deductions is ~$25k annually. Middle class in NA is ~$55 - $70k annually ... $3k / month in the DR is not wealthy :glasses:

If NA stands for "North America" then obviously there would be a lot of variation. A million dollar home in Los Angeles, CA could easily be 2 to 3,000 square feet smaller than a home in Paris, Texas. 50-70K annually in Los Angeles/NYC is like making 100K in Lawrenceville, GA.

I still beg to argue--an individual making 36,000 a year IS middle-class in the states. I am not talking about combined household incomes here. If you're telling me that you must make 50K-70K to be considered middle-class in the US, then that's absolutely ridiculous. Considering that I am a recent college graduate (undergrad) you would be hard pressed to find anyone w/o a masters degree or beyond making the kind of money you have described (save for the business field, IT, law enforcement, and fire-fighting).

Additionally, I think we have to distinguish here between the Dominican middle-class and the US middle-class. In the US there are several middle-class tiers.........that ranges from the lower middle class (probably about where I am at as a recent college grad making a salary in the low 30's) to the upper middle class (which would include my father who is a physician that makes well over 400,000 US a year).

 

[Exxtol]

Clarification anyone

Is there anyone on here with an economics background that could shed light on this issue? I'm just curious.

We are all using personal bias to establish what the middle-class is in RD and the US, rather than looking at cold hard facts or statistics.

 

[miguel]

I am beginning to see AZB's light!.

My friends middle class in santiago will laugh at your 10K definition of middle class. No wonder you know so little about this country. hahahaha, you make me laugh. You really think you have become an expert on DR1, don't you? I think you will be intimidated in santiago by the folks here. I am sure of that. We live 2 different lives here.
have a nice weekend.
AZB

The more I read when you talk about the "middle", "high" and "elite" classes, the more I pay attention. Before I thought you were talking out of your axx when defining "the classes" but now, for some reason, you are making sense to me. I don't know if it's because by "hanging" with me, you are getting smarter, ahahahaha!.

Last night, I called my Dominican lawyer, who happens to be a friend also, and after we spoke about business, I asked him if he considered himself "high class". This is what he replied (or something like this):

"I have been practicing for only 4 years, I do own my home, I have a somewhat nice car, I live in a very nice neighborhood, my family is well taken care of, I have a few pesos in the bank but I am middle class. I don't have the means to buy a boat or a little plane without taking a few loans and spending every single cent I have in the bank. When I am capable of doing such things without asking for a loan and still have a lot of money in the bank, then I will be in the "elite" or "high" class. Just give me a few years".

Btw, even thought he considers himself middle class, I am sure the guy makes makes much more than 40,000-50,000 pesos a month. I don't know the exact amount but he is a very good lawyer with a lot of clients.

 

[Larry]

In the US there are several middle-class tiers.........that ranges from the lower middle class (probably about where I am at as a recent college grad making a salary in the low 30's) to the upper middle class (which would include my father who is a physician that makes well over 400,000 US a year).

I disagree with you.

I do agree that there are several tiers of middle class in the USA but your arguement that a $36,000 salary is in one middle class tier and a $400,000 salary is in another is a little ridiculous. $400,000 is 11 times $36,000. $36,000 is not a middle class salary in the United States. It is simply not enough money to maintain a middle class lifestyle. I am talking about 1 single person making this amount of money and living alone. That person is NOT living a middle class lifestyle on that salary. Not a lower middle class lifestyle, not any kind of middle class lifestyle.

Larry

 

[Exxtol]

I disagree with you.

I do agree that there are several tiers of middle class in the USA but your arguement that a $36,000 salary is in one middle class tier and a $400,000 salary is in another is a little ridiculous. $400,000 is 11 times $36,000. $36,000 is not a middle class salary in the United States. It is simply not enough money to maintain a middle class lifestyle. I am talking about 1 single person making this amount of money and living alone. That person is NOT living a middle class lifestyle on that salary. Not a lower middle class lifestyle, not any kind of middle class lifestyle.

Larry

So then what is a middle-class lifestyle? I think that is what needs to be established. Your definition of a middle-class lifestyle could be completely different from mine. Hence why we should be looking at facts, definitions and statistics and not our "IMO's".

 

[Larry]

So then what is a middle-class lifestyle? I think that is what needs to be established. Your definition of a middle-class lifestyle could be completely different from mine. Hence why we should be looking at facts, definitions and statistics and not our "IMO's".

Yes, I agree. I also think that a middle class salary in New Mexico would be considerably lower than one in New York. However, since more people can relate to New York than New Mexico, I think we should use New York as a benchmark for an American middle class salary.

IMO, you have to be making at least $60,000 as a single person to slip into the lower middle class bracket. A married couple with children, I would think probably $100,000 combined would do it. This is for a couple who is young and still carries a heavy mortgage and has tuition bills, etc., Not an older established couple who has a small or no mortgage and few bills.

On the other hand, the $400,000 you said your father makes annually would put him into the upper class bracket anywhere in the United States in my opinion.

OK, enough on this topic because I think we have gone off on a tangent here.

And, no, I do not have statistics to back up my opinions. Nor do I care enough about the topic to try to dig any up.

Larry

 

[Ricardo900]

The Breakdown!

Lower Middle-Class: $18,000 - $34,000
Middle Middle-Class: $35,000 - $56,000
Upper Middle-Class: $57,000 - $100,000

 

[Alyonka]

Is it only about income? What about profession, education, social status, etc? You can make a lot of money without even finishing high school. It is not that education and profession mean that much, but it is one of the things people consider to figure out a person and either socialize with them or not.

 

[AZB]

I make well in the range of middle class income in DR, meaning I make wayyyyy over 10k pesos / month as Mr. expert bienamor had defined. let me tell you, its not easy to maintian a middle class lifestyle unless you spend some cash and I have lots of expenses. I have to watch my pesos and be carefull in my spending. In a weekend, I usually leave with 4k plus pesos in my pocket and on monday I have almost nothing left from the 4k plus pesos. the gasoline and the drinks and food takes everything away from you. I consider myself a middle class in Dr because its really not all that cheap to live here anymore.
So when I hear about 10k pesos / month being middle class, I have to laugh.
I think you maybe considered a middle class in sudan if you make 10k / month there.
AZB

 

[Chirimoya]

Is it only about income? What about profession, education, social status, etc? You can make a lot of money without even finishing high school. It is not that education and profession mean that much, but it is one of the things people consider to figure out a person and either socialize with them or not.

That's the point. There are jobs here that in other countries = middle class because of the educational level and status in the community that are associated with them, but here they do not pay you enough to sustain anything near a middle class lifestyle.

Teachers in the public sector earn less than 10k; bank clerks don't earn that much more.

"Banca" employees don't qualify on either count, though.:ermm:

 

[bienamor]

Correct

That's the point. There are jobs here that in other countries = middle class because of the educational level and status in the community that are associated with them, but here they do not pay you enough to sustain anything near a middle class lifestyle.

Teachers in the public sector earn less than 10k; bank clerks don't earn that much more.

"Banca" employees don't qualify on either count, though.:ermm:

Think I used the banca employee as example of those making less than the minimum wage. along with bartenders

examples do the math and these are real wages. These are middle class in the DR,
verizon accounting 40k 1212 us
Verizon Help desk 100rd per hour,x40x4=16000/33=484us
Verizon call center 80rd per hour,x40x4=12800/33=387us
Verizon Java programmer 24k-40krd month 727-1212us

Think about it folks what are we always warning people about when they as what wages are here. My daughter in the USA is a nurse, makes 18 an hour, what does a nurse here around 10k here, I know of Accounting people at Verizon in the us that make ok 60-70k here 1212,rd.

Why use NYC as the base thats one of the highest priced places in the US excluding Hawaii, I like the idea of using NM, or even Colorado, Nice 3br house on 1/2 acre, next to a pond, 150k. what would it cost in NYC/LA? no idea don't care.
Middle class in the usa agree with ricardo's figures.
You have an equal range here in the DR, from lower middle range to upper limit, The expert in Santiago seems hung up on the Upper limit, I just said that 10k is the lower end, and goes up extreme from there. but a 100k a month qualifies and middle class in most of the US excluding the Coasts.

 

[AZB]

10K is not the lower end middle class. 10k/month is the poor class. why are you so hung up on the lower end of anything?
AZB

 

[AnnaC]

I wonder how much a young female doctor makes a month.

 

[chuckuindy]

Ask CC

I wonder how much a young female doctor makes a month.

The person who could answer most of these $ questions is CC.

Chuckuindy

 

[Robert]

I know woman that are earning US$5,000 + per month and others just under US$1,000. The better end job market is all about who you know and your "walk away" ability.

A good recommendation can land you a better salary than your actual experience. It tells more about you, than your actual track record. Remember, this is a very "clicky" country.

You will hardly ever see a quoted salary in a job ad here, it's often always highly negotiable.

The high end private sector job market is very closed. You will never see an ad and it's not uncommon for the same people to bounce about between these jobs. It is very rare that a non-Dominican will break into this market. Yes it happens, but not often.

Some real life examples of single female friends:

Dept head (Tourism industry), 150+ staff - US$5,500 monthly.
Product manager (Cosmetics), 4+ staff - US$900 monthly plus expenses.
Dept manager (Resort) - US$1,100 plus food and accommodation.
Business owner (2 stores) - RD$100,000 plus monthly.

I would not hesitate at employing any of these woman. In fact, one I have and one I'm trying to They are all incredibly hard working, ambitious and in no way fit the "mold" that most posters have here about Dominican woman.

The problem is that most foreigners here move in such low socio economic circles, that they will never come in to contact with these woman. As a foreigner, when you do break into those circles you become very protective, because your lifestyle and reputation can very easily be effected. Yes, I know that sounds pretty classicist or elitist, but unfortunately it's part of living in the DR. A few on this board that live here know exactly what I'm talking about. AZB, Scandall, Chiri, Larry etc.

Welcome to the DR, more different that you could ever imagine....