Eva(30)

At TU Delft I studied Applied Mathematics with a specialization in machine learning. After my PhD I worked as a postdoc — the AUD equivalent of EUR 45,000 per year, while my classmates in the US and Australia earned double. Dutch academia is great for research but terrible for salaries. I chose Australia for the balance between both.

Data scientist is on the MLTSSL and with my PhD, age under 30 and PTE score of 86 I had 100 points for the Subclass 189 visa — well above the threshold of 65. The invitation via SkillSelect came within three months. Six months later I had my PR grant. The entire process cost AUD 4,115 in visa fees plus AUD 1,500 for medical and police clearances.

Melbourne is Australia's AI center. The universities (Melbourne, Monash, RMIT) have strong AI departments, and companies like Canva, Atlassian and REA Group have R&D centers there. I work at a healthtech company in South Melbourne using AI for medical image analysis. It's cutting-edge work with direct impact on patient care.

My salary as a senior data scientist: AUD 155,000 per year, plus AUD 10,000 learning budget and stock options. In the Netherlands I earned EUR 52,000 as a postdoc. The difference is absurd. And with superannuation of 11.5% on top, I'm building a pension my Dutch colleagues only reach after twenty years of ABP contributions.

Melbourne is culturally the richest city in Australia. Laneways full of street art, a coffee scene better than Amsterdam, live music every night and a food culture offering everything from Vietnamese pho to Italian pasta. I live in Fitzroy — Melbourne's equivalent of the Jordaan — in a one-bedroom apartment for AUD 450 per week. Expensive, but I also have a ten-minute bike ride to the office.

For other data scientists and AI researchers: Australia is an underrated destination. Salaries are competitive with the US but work-life balance is better. You don't work until midnight. Friday afternoon is "drinks on the rooftop." And the visa system for STEM professionals is relatively smooth — if you have the points, you can have PR within a year.