How much would someone have to pay you to move to the Liberal mecca?

[tmckay2]

boy i dunno. i had a buddy go to school there and another that lives there now. its crazy expensive. i have friends even in sacramento that i graduated with, and its a significantly cheaper area, and they make 140k a year, i make 112k doing the same job and i actually end up having more than they do. by the time you figure taxes and cost of living it might not be as much as you think. average for my profession around here is 55 an hour, in california everyone starts at 65 an hour for the same job and it doesn't go as far.

that being said its a nice place in its own right. youd probably enjoy it for the most part, i just wouldn't view it as a huge financial opportunity until you work out all the details.

[MrPrena]

IF I base my salary at $75 -$120k/yr

2.5x in Los Angeles
3.5x in San Francisco
4x < in NYC or Hawaii

I will be still miserable, because everyone makes that kinda $ there.
Traffic is real problem.
Low speed limit.
Parking problem.

However, it is much easier to find a decent job/career in Bigger cities than here for sure...

[Teufelhund]

Good advice. Thanks, fellas.

Wow, that's a lot of tax. If the wife stayed here and kept working, it would push us into the next tax bracket, plus maintaining both households. It looks like a 1br apt in Fremont would run about $2k-2.5k, which is almost twice my mortgage in Aurora. I don't really have any debt, and own both my cars, so the extra could be applied wherever I want (maybe a down payment on some land in WY). It may not be worth it in the long run, if the expenses are too high. Looks like I have a lot of math to do.

[MrPrena]

Hell I've practically worked in the real Mecca for less.

Well, all depends on which sector. I've heard Biotechs don't pay as much as network/internet/semi-conductors.
I was surprised how much Post Docs, MD, and MD, PhDs make there. I've Rather go work at South Dakota.

BTDT, doing it AGAIN with the wife. I would take the job with the following in mind-

The average apt rent is more than a mortgage here. My wifes uncle is paying $4000 a month for rent for a 3br ground floor apartment. I dont know what her cousin is paying for her campus apartment, but I bet its not anywhere near cheap. You might be better off looking for a housemate/roommate deal. If you can make the rent/commute thing work out it might be OK.

Realize that almost 50% of your earnings are going to go for taxes. There are ways around it but its tough. If paying half your wages in taxes still leaves you ahead, then sure, it might be OK.

It is very difficult to be a shooter in Ca, even in San Fran.

All this said I have friends that live out there and they like it and get by.

JacksonArms is probably only place near there.

Good advice. Thanks, fellas.

Wow, that's a lot of tax. If the wife stayed here and kept working, it would push us into the next tax bracket, plus maintaining both households. It looks like a 1br apt in Fremont would run about $2k-2.5k, which is almost twice my mortgage in Aurora. I don't really have any debt, and own both my cars, so the extra could be applied wherever I want (maybe a down payment on some land in WY). It may not be worth it in the long run, if the expenses are too high. Looks like I have a lot of math to do.

Yeah, If you go 250k* and over, it would be worse.
* if Ma"O" made it 250k limit.

[newracer]

I had the opportunity to work/move to San Fran a little over 10 years ago. Would have been move than you stated plus free housing, I didn't go. Mostly because I didn't want to raise my kids there. Like everyone has stated everything cost a lot more there, food, fuel, insurance, housing, everything. Plus there are a lot of people there, very crowded.

There is however a lot of cool stuff there too. Hell having In-N-Out is almost worth it.

[ruthabagah]

My 2 cents: Did the same thing 5 years ago. 200K with a rent in SF and a mortgage in Co will not leave you with much $$ at the end of the month..... BART is expensive and driving is prohibitive if you don't have a small car.

In term of guns: I kept all of my 45' (less than 10 rounds), did not carry for a year, and went shooting in San Rafael at Bullseye every week end.

[Fromk]

Only if that studio apartment where close enough to that job that I wouldn't have to commute. If I had to get on public transit for more than 30 minutes or in my car for any distance I wouldn't be able to take it for whole year. I think I would be able to put up with the city under that condition.

[mb504]

No kids. Just the wife and the dogs. Are taxes much higher in CA?

I think income tax is 13%

[Ronin13]

I've looked into something similar- doing security contract work overseas for a couple years (just an idea)... One group was offering $225/yr starting, it was 3 months on, one month off for however long you or the contract lasted. Not San Fran, but Kabul, which is probably a different kind of bad. I've only driven through Kabul, and that was in an MRAP, these guys do it in uparmored Suburbans and Excursions. And since they pay for your food/housing that's not an expense. So Teufelhund, it depends on if you want to actually live there for a while... I'd say if you go for it you can store your non-CA legal guns and move the family out there, meanwhile, rent your house out here would be a pretty nice option. Or avoid CA like the black death. Lot to think about, best to sleep on it and discuss with the missus.

[brianakell]

Only 1 year contract, and you have no kids here, sure. But after a year, Id be ready to get out.
Rent somewhere cheaper and commute in.
BART is a good idea.
Get out of city a little, and Ill bet you can find an apartment under 1k if you look.
Call it an extended paid vacation to another part of the world.