If a butcher can earn $40,000, think twice before leaving city

Happiness is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. But it also requires opportunities!

Hong Kong ranks 88th in the 2025 World Happiness Report, comparing poorly with the UK's 23rd on the same chart.

Yet, this does not hold any grain of truth for Ray, a 90s-born graduate whose story from a bartending gig in the UK to putting on a butcher's apron at the Aberdeen wet market was recently carried by Sing Tao Probe, a section under Sing Tao Daily, this newspaper's sister publication.

Ray's tale is a lesson for anyone from fresh grads to seasoned professionals, as his experience underscores the power of humility and adaptability, which know no age or job limits.

Ray had worked as a bartender here before moving to the United Kingdom where he continued bar-tending. But he decided to return to Hong Kong after struggling to cope with high living costs and the feeling of being discriminated at work.

Back in Hong Kong, he struggled with the physical demands of the job and social prejudice toward butchers. But he became skilled through hard work and within a year, his earnings doubled to HK$40,000 a month.

Ray, who prefers to be called a "professional meat splitter," opened his own butcher's stall two months ago and started promoting himself on social media. After work, he would craft cocktails for joy.

Ray believes his return to Hong Kong was the result of a self-discovery process. He did not let pride stop him, and was willing to start small and get his hands dirty before moving on to something bigger. His story suggests Hong Kong, though falling in happiness, might just be a gold mine for some.

A monthly salary of HK$40,000 is considered as quite good for people in their early 30s or younger. In fact, it is the average wage for local secondary school teachers and university lecturers.

Hong Kong is known for high wages compared to many places, alongside high rents and low taxes.

For instance, local universities offer much attractive package to some scholars compared to Ivy league universities. Professors at one of the city's top universities earn around HK$128,000 a month or HK$1.54 million a year, which is better than many of their counterparts around the world.

Experienced museum curators may earn HK$60,000 to HK$100,000 monthly, that translates to US$7,700 to US$12,800, higher than their globally renowned counterparts. Their counterparts at the MET and V&A museums make US$50,000 to US$150,000 annually, or US$4,200 to US$12,500 monthly.

What's more, local museums offer a platform to be head-hunted by those in the Middle East, which, on average, pay more than ours.

Hong Kong is known for its lower taxes and occasional housing benefits for senior roles, which means more bang for your buck. If Ray had opened his butcher's stall in the UK and not Hong Kong, he would have likely taken home less after paying all the bills.

The city's demand for skilled workers - even in unexpected fields like meat-cutting - gives it an edge.

People in other nations may consider themselves happier. But Hong Kong offers stability in its own way: no blizzards that confront the Canadians, no federal funding cuts threatening Harvard, and taxes that are kinder to the wallet.

Ray made a choice that works best for him.