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Yeah Glassdoor format makes sense though where you can filter by title and location. Just a random thread on a forum not so much. Perhaps OP doesn't know about it and other websites with salary info.
For some reason, this thread reminds me of those real estate shows...
Meet Tammy and Greg. Tammy is a social justice worker who also works at Pottery Barn and Greg is a glassblower. Their budget for a vacation home is between 550 and 600k.
You pay only $400 a month in rent? I assume that is renting a room in a shared house or apartment.
Sure, you can maintain that lifestyle once you start earning more, but you won't.
The vast majority of people will want an apartment of their own, where they don't have to fight with roommates over who drank the orange juice and can bring home a date without causing comment.
You will want a reliable car, rather than a rustbucket with muffler problems.
You are going to go out to a bar with friends, or catch a show at a club. Sooner or later you are going to decide that subscribing to Netflix is a good idea.
Gizmo lives in one of the most expensive areas of the country, it isn't unreasonable to spend that kind of cash.
You assume wrong. I am currently living in subsidized housing and my rent covers a single room with a kitchenette and a shared bathroom, living among people who bring in bedbugs to all the units (my room has been sprayed four times in 4 years now) and management who has the right to tell you what you can and can't have in your rooms and do inspections every year - and God help you if you don't pass inspection. Plus, you should see the paperwork.
And my car is a rustbucket but not with a muffler problem - I wish. It would be so much easier and cheaper to fix. It has a sensor problem and in a couple of weeks it's going in and having a sensor replaced for the third time. Hope it's a charm.
I don't go to bars or clubs, the last movie I went to was King King in 2008, I think I put about 4000 miles on my car annually, I don't have a TV, and I watch shows and movies I download on my computer.
I do drive my library nuts though, ordering umpteen books every week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980
Uhhh, did you forget about taxes and deductions first? I take home less than $4000/mo after taxes, benefits, union dues, CalPERS (public employee retirement), etc. THEN deduct my rent of $2100/mo, leaving me with around $1800 to live on - meaning I spend more like 60% of my net salary on housing alone. And when you add up utilities, car payment, insurance, gas, food, and everything else, I'm lucky to break even.
Regardless, I'm just saying for ME it's a stretch to live on what I make. And if your rent is only $400/mo, of course you could thrive on my salary. You wouldn't likely be making $80K as a librarian where you live, though, so it's a moot point.
Well, let me put it this way, my total monthly income is currently less than that $1800 you have. I get $1300 a month now and I still have to pay the rent, the car insurance, gas, food, and everything else. Fortunately, I don't have to pay utilities (except for my computer and phone) and my car is 12 years old and all paid for.
But when I was making $12/hr, I figured with what I brought home monthly I was paying maybe 25% of my income in taxes and what not, so my net then was about $1296 a month (I worked 36 hours a week) and I still paid $450 in rent, my car payment at the time, car insurance, utilities, food, and since I was working, I was also paying gas, upkeep, a monthly rate at a garage to park my car, and ferry fees to get to work, not to mention things like clothes, etc.
At any rate, it's moot on what percentage of your income you spend on rent. It's what's left over that counts. I'd rather have an income of $100,000 a year and spend 75% of it on rent, because that would still give me more money than, say, an income of $20,000 a year and no housing costs. Yet look at the difference between 0 and 75%.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980
Thanks, and yep! I think they not only forgot to calculate gross vs net salary, but also don't understand how expensive it is here... I actually have a "good deal" at $2100 for a 1br duplex, but with no roommate to share expenses, I cover that + most utilities (landlord covers water and garbage) myself. As you said, most of us eventually need our own space - and at 41 years old, I'd rather have a tight budget than a roommate.
Also, it's not just rent that costs more here; food, gas, insurance rates, registration, etc, are higher than national averages. As for the car, I got sick of putting money into repairing my last two (older) cars, and finally got a 2 year-old Jetta with warranty @ $270/mo. Not bad considering what some folks pay, but my iffy credit score made payments (interest) a bit higher. So basically it's the best I could do, while still having something reliable and warranty-covered. Anyway, totally off topic but explains how a "good salary" can go fast!
P.S. We're officially THE most expensive region in the nation now... surpassed even NYC and Boston, I'm not proud to say.
I'm well aware of how expensive it is to live in California. I spent 26 years living in and around San Jose.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408
Not exactly, income tax is significant here in California! Don't forget about health care costs, retirement savings, car expenses (Gas is about $3/gal right now. I have seen it as high as $4.50).
As I just said, I'm well aware of how much it costs to live in California. I was there when gas hit a high of 69¢/gallon. LOL I've seen it at over $4/gallon here and currently if you go to the Arco station, you can get it at about $2.60/gal. I had to drop my health insurance in the 80s because I couldn't afford it any longer and I would still not have any health insurance if I didn't have first Obamacare and then Medicare.
I never had a problem with high state taxes in California simply because I never made that much money. I always got back at least $25 in state income tax. My rent there was $450/month until the landlord decided to raise it to $800/month in one fell swoop. As to retirement savings, what's that? When you're paying half or almost half your income to rent for most of your working life, there's darned little savings. And what I had got wiped out three times, each time I tried to do something to get ahead and had to fall back on another job and start over or when my rent went sky high or when I moved.
So if you have money to save for retirement and money to pay for a health plan, here's to you, because those are things I was never able to do.
For some reason, this thread reminds me of those real estate shows...
Meet Tammy and Greg. Tammy is a social justice worker who also works at Pottery Barn and Greg is a glassblower. Their budget for a vacation home is between 550 and 600k.
Lol!
Me, I'm a door to door gynecologist. Live in a van down by the river. Pay aint much, but I get raises all the time.
You assume wrong. I am currently living in subsidized housing and my rent covers a single room with a kitchenette and a shared bathroom, living among people who bring in bedbugs to all the units (my room has been sprayed four times in 4 years now) and management who has the right to tell you what you can and can't have in your rooms and do inspections every year - and God help you if you don't pass inspection. Plus, you should see the paperwork.
And my car is a rustbucket but not with a muffler problem - I wish. It would be so much easier and cheaper to fix. It has a sensor problem and in a couple of weeks it's going in and having a sensor replaced for the third time. Hope it's a charm.
I don't go to bars or clubs, the last movie I went to was King King in 2008, I think I put about 4000 miles on my car annually, I don't have a TV, and I watch shows and movies I download on my computer.
I do drive my library nuts though, ordering umpteen books every week.
Funny you mention that, since as I said, I'm a LIBRARIAN!
So don't hate on us for making a "decent" living, when we're the ones providing FREE services to people who cannot (or don't want to) afford things like computers/internet, books, movies, language instruction, kids' programs, etc. Without us, you'd have to find a way to pay for those things yourself - right? I'm not saying this to be rude, just reminding you that you're taking advantage of the services we provide, while simultaneously implying we earn more than we deserve. For the record, I'm thrilled that we can help people like you, but please don't make us feel guilty for earning a living while doing it. I can't work for free, you know.
And also not saying this in a rude or judgemental manner, but WHY are you struggling so much? What is your educational background, and what line of work are/were you in? I worked my butt off to earn two degrees (BA and Master's), so I wouldn't have to struggle... and then I find myself barely able to cover the basics, while private-sector tech workers are living large with fewer degrees and less experience. So it's a fair gripe, especially since I'm only comparing myself to other professionals in the Bay Area. Of course I'm better off than a minimum wage worker, and of course my salary is higher than even professionals in cheaper areas. But that isn't my point.
Furthermore, can you acknowledge that your estimate of my wages were WAY off? You did assume I was taking home like $7000/mo, when I only actually take home about half of that. So you might be aware of our high COL, but apparently forgot we still have to pay taxes and other deductions before getting those paychecks. If I really did have $5000 left after rent, I would be living VERY comfortably and not complaining one bit!
Not to sound snarky, but if a person has next to no social life, never travels, barely goes out to eat, wears clothes until they are raggedy, hardly buys gifts, has hobbies that barely cost any money, then yes some people can save most of their average salaries in high COL areas.
I'm a frugal person but some people are way out of touch with how NORMAL people live.
I'm a public librarian in the Bay Area, and earn right around $80K - which sounds good, until you realize our average rents (on a ONE bedroom) are over $2000/mo.
Ah, but your good earnings now will likely be excellent as you climb the ladder.
I am a strong supporter of libraries and I fight all cutbacks.
Not bad for a teacher, even here! I've been a librarian for almost 11 years now, which kinda blows my mind (as it seems like just yesterday). Finished the MLIS in December 2006, at the age of 30 - and actually considered teaching after the BA, but realized I was better suited for librarianship. It's literally in my blood, as I'm the third generation of our family to enter the profession.
Yes, and I have never complained.
A teacher with a MA here would be making about $71,500 in the eleventh year.
I'm married and my husband makes about 135k a year. I make 50k. Life definitely improved after I meant my husband lol.
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