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Would you move across the country to double your salary?

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I hear DC aint so safe in some parts. And its crazy hot, but thats all of the east coast minus new england.
 
Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: if a geek can make $60K in D.C., he can most likely make that much in the Bay Area.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
As far as cost of living is concerned, according to this site, the cost of living in DC is about 2.5% lower than the cost of living in Davis, CA. They're pretty comparable.

Ameesh mentioned college. He's right, I'm studying computer science, but I don't have my degree yet. That is holding me back in terms of salary regardless of what state I live in. If I were to move to the east coast, I'd want to transfer my credits and finish up school over there.

As far as my girlfriend, she'd come with me if I moved.

How cold is DC in the winter?
Click to expand...

how much more school do you have to finish?
 
They panic in DC if they get a quarter inch of snow.
I recall some news reports this past winter were they got maybe 2-3 inches a couple of times. Everyone on the east coast was hit with a couple of bad storms last year of either snow or rain/floods.

Wow! DrPizza, such a DEAL!!!
The crap house next to me with not much land at all went for $360,000.
It only has a galley kitchen and the entire house is laid out WRONG.
It looks OK with it's vinyl siding on the outside. But inside, the rooms are awkwardly laid out. I'm in Massachusetts.
 
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
I'd move for a job, but not to DC. The cost of living is way too high
Click to expand...

Yep, My first job offer was 60+K in D.C.

No Way would I take it then (1998).
 
Commute to DC from Northern VA and buy an air conditioner.

I say go.

If they offer you the job, see if they'll pay for your move, provide a low interest loan to get you settled, give you advise on where to live and living expenses, give you a guarantee of # months or X years guaranteed salary if you move. That way, if they let you go, they still have to pay you. Also see how quickly your salary can go above $60K with incentives and reviews.

Don't discuss salary numbers until after they've offered you the job.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
As far as cost of living is concerned, according to this site, the cost of living in DC is about 2.5% lower than the cost of living in Davis, CA. They're pretty comparable.

Ameesh mentioned college. He's right, I'm studying computer science, but I don't have my degree yet. That is holding me back in terms of salary regardless of what state I live in. If I were to move to the east coast, I'd want to transfer my credits and finish up school over there.

As far as my girlfriend, she'd come with me if I moved.

How cold is DC in the winter?
Click to expand...

It can get quite frigid, close to 0, but not usually. I would advise finishing your degree first... you aren't going to be able to advance without a degree.

If you have any questions about the area, PM me. I've lived and worked here my entire life.
 
If you can move to a Maryland suburb and still be within driving distance... sure.

EDIT>> If you haven't gotten your degree yet... why not finish and see what that can earn you then ? I think it'll be the same range + family / friends are already there. No need to rush here if it's not paradise and meets every dream you've ever had..
 
Depends on your social situation, especially whether or not you have an S/O. Personally I voted yes, since I'm not seeing anyone seriously right now. I also love cold weather (not that it won't get hot there in the summertime) and snow, though DC doesn't get much of the latter. That's in your situation of course, in mine across the country would mean moving to the west coast, but I'd probably say yes to that as well 😉
 
I would do it, as I have nothing really attaching me to this area (family, but we're not really all that close). And doubling my salary would put me well into six figures, so... But on the other hand, I believe the company I am with has the real potential to go somewhere, so we'll see.
 
eh. depends on what type of standard of living you're used to.

60K in Washington DC won't get you as much as, say, 60K in the middle of Montana, but you can live pretty decently on it.

I live pretty well on 35K in the NYC area, which has a much higher cost of living than Washington DC (IMO), but I'm also not thinking about buying a house or raising kids any time in the near or distant future.
 
personally, i don't like Northern California, and would take any offer to move out of here. The fact that you're getting a pay raise is just iceing on the cake 🙂

take your opportunity now or forever be confined to this urine soaked hellhole they call Northern California. But then again, maybe I'm biased because I live in Berkeley.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
eh. depends on what type of standard of living you're used to.

60K in Washington DC won't get you as much as, say, 60K in the middle of Montana, but you can live pretty decently on it.

I live pretty well on 35K in the NYC area, which has a much higher cost of living than Washington DC (IMO), but I'm also not thinking about buying a house or raising kids any time in the near or distant future.
Click to expand...

For real? I had a buddy in college who went on to Law school, moved to NYC and was making 60k a year. The dude lived in a single room "studio" apartment and seemed to be living on the verge of poverty.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
Originally posted by: loki8481
eh. depends on what type of standard of living you're used to.

60K in Washington DC won't get you as much as, say, 60K in the middle of Montana, but you can live pretty decently on it.

I live pretty well on 35K in the NYC area, which has a much higher cost of living than Washington DC (IMO), but I'm also not thinking about buying a house or raising kids any time in the near or distant future.
Click to expand...

For real? I had a buddy in college who went on to Law school, moved to NYC and was making 60k a year. The dude lived in a single room "studio" apartment and seemed to be living on the verge of poverty.
Click to expand...

I'm smart enough to not actually live in the city 😉 I have a roommate and live in Jersey City.

rent on our 2-bedroom apartment is $575/each, not even a third of my paycheck. we could have afforded a bigger place (we were seriously considering a 2-floor, 3-bedroom apartment with shared attic space in a 2 family house), but I'd rather use the money to piss away on alcohol and electronics 😉

still kinda regret not getting the 3 bedroom apartment, but only because our neighbor would have been an opera singer from Tennessee. that would have been the coolest thing evar 😀
 
An employee of mine moved to DC to take an MIS position with the government.
He went from living in a flop house in Boston to a home of his own, a babe magnet of a sports car and more money than he could spend.
He was laid off after 2-4 years and back to Boston.

You can buy a house with land in northern VA for not much money.
There wont be much around you without a 45min to an hour drive.
Decent places are farther away.
The outer edge of DC and northern VA can be expensive depending on where you look.

Make the jump but don't burn your bridges.
If it doesn't work out, something else could turn up in DC/VA or back in Caly.

Send your resume to other places including the DC area.
You can arraomge am omtervoew with them if the first place flies you out for an interview.

Hedge your gamble as much as you can and them make the best choice and make a move.
Make sure your girl friend knows if it could fall through or may not work out.
 
Originally posted by: ParatoOptimal
An employee of mine moved to DC to take an MIS position with the government.
He went from living in a flop house in Boston to a home of his own, a babe magnet of a sports car and more money than he could spend.
He was laid off after 2-4 years and back to Boston.

You can buy a house with land in northern VA for not much money.
There wont be much around you without a 45min to an hour drive.
Decent places are farther away.
The outer edge of DC and northern VA can be expensive depending on where you look.
Click to expand...

actually, ALL real estate in the DC metro area is very expensive and prices are still rising
 
If you live all your life in Cal, I definately would.
You're still young, no kids, no worries.
Go for the experience, more stories to tell when you're older.

Thats exactly what I'm doing but not for monetary reason.
Lived in Orlando all my life, I need to know whats its life in other parts of the country.
I can always move back here. Same with you.
 
For 60k, probably not. Id just keep trying to find a better paying job within a 60 mile radius of where you live as opposed to moving that far away from everything you know.
 
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