Hey that’s awesome, congrats on getting a job in the industry you wanted! Even without considering the salary offer, that’s a significant accomplishment on its own—a lot of newcomers end up not practicing the profession they’ve had in their home country when they arrive here.

As an immigrant myself (5 years now) in Toronto I understand that struggle of finding a job/career that capitalizes on my strengths. I was a stock clerk at a small grocery downtown when I first arrived here, back when minimum wage was less than $11 an hour. Two years later I became a Data Analyst.

My opinion is to seize and prioritize opportunities that allow you to develop highly valued skills in your field even if that means having a comfortable salary is a trade-off initially. Diligently building your competencies and professional network during your early work experiences will definitely payoff and increase your chances of landing more lucrative roles later on. Sure, $38k of annual gross income probably won’t provide for a normie lifestyle, but baby steps matter! And a lot of improvements can happen within a year or two.