Rents in Florida seem amazingly cheap. Do salaries keep up at all? (Tampa: 2015, rent)

[clu77er]

People here need to remember engineers are NOT the average, or even close to the average. For every engineer in Brevard there are 10 cashiers, dog groomers, or barbers. Engineers are basically all in the top 5% of earners. I fully believe the average person here in Brevard is making $28k, not even counting all the unemployed and retirees that make up a significant portion of the population. We're have one of the oldest populations in the country here in Brevard.

When the boomers start to die off, this town is in for a huge contraction unless aerospace funding gets a huge unexpected bump in the next decade.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by clu77er

People here need to remember engineers are NOT the average, or even close to the average. For every engineer in Brevard there are 10 cashiers, dog groomers, or barbers. Engineers are basically all in the top 5% of earners. I fully believe the average person here in Brevard is making $28k, not even counting all the unemployed and retirees that make up a significant portion of the population. We're have one of the oldest populations in the country here in Brevard.

When the boomers start to die off, this town is in for a huge contraction unless aerospace funding gets a huge unexpected bump in the next decade.

The above applies in a lot of the state even here, most of the investment is coming from foreign sources, wealthy retirees moving here from the Northeast paying cash for their homes, buying new cars and keeping healthcare, golf courses, shopping and restaurants busy. There is not a big influx of high skilled work or companies relocating here offering people like myself opportunity also which creates a very market which is not competitive in terms of salaries, employers do not feel the need to pay more because there is no place else to go. Service jobs are big in Broward too.

[chopchop0]

It's a nationwide phenomenon, nothing special about Brevard. Brevard probably doing better because of its aerospace and defense connections compared to the rest of FL

Low-wage jobs explosion - Aug. 31, 2012

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

It's a nationwide phenomenon, nothing special about Brevard. Brevard probably doing better because of its aerospace and defense connections compared to the rest of FL

Low-wage jobs explosion - Aug. 31, 2012

Like I said, being an Engineer the offer I got in Melbourne at Embraer was a joke. If that's all Engineering jobs pay in Melbourne, I won't be looking into moving there anytime soon. I'm sure the cost of living is lower there than here, I did not even look into how much lower my car insurance would be if I moved there, it's insane here. Rents are high and gas is equally expensive. Problem is most of the Engineering jobs in Melbourne are based on Gov. work, that does not last too long and layoffs are common.

[jghorton]

"Average salaries" in Florida or even Brevard County mean very little. Having worked for Harris in Melbourne for 26-years, I can tell you that the salary levels for skilled jobs are comparable to other places. (They have to be in order to attract quality, skilled people). Of course, there are a lot more low/dead-end jobs that pay less and drive the "average salary" down.

On average, the COL in Boston is about 30-percent higher than Central Florida. On top of that, there is no state income tax in Florida.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by jghorton

"Average salaries" in Florida or even Brevard County mean very little. Having worked for Harris in Melbourne for 26-years, I can tell you that the salary levels for skilled jobs are comparable to other places. (They have to be in order to attract quality, skilled people). Of course, there are a lot more low/dead-end jobs that pay less and drive the "average salary" down.

On average, the COL in Boston is about 30-percent higher than Central Florida. On top of that, there is no state income tax in Florida.

Ditto for many higher paying health related jobs compared to ca or up north. It's a huge bonus in favor if FL

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by jghorton

"Average salaries" in Florida or even Brevard County mean very little. Having worked for Harris in Melbourne for 26-years, I can tell you that the salary levels for skilled jobs are comparable to other places. (They have to be in order to attract quality, skilled people). Of course, there are a lot more low/dead-end jobs that pay less and drive the "average salary" down.

On average, the COL in Boston is about 30-percent higher than Central Florida. On top of that, there is no state income tax in Florida.

I would wager that 30% is a very conservative estimate. It's probably a bigger difference than that.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by jghorton

"Average salaries" in Florida or even Brevard County mean very little. Having worked for Harris in Melbourne for 26-years, I can tell you that the salary levels for skilled jobs are comparable to other places. (They have to be in order to attract quality, skilled people). Of course, there are a lot more low/dead-end jobs that pay less and drive the "average salary" down.

On average, the COL in Boston is about 30-percent higher than Central Florida. On top of that, there is no state income tax in Florida.

26 years at Harris, amazing stability which a lot of people do not have, consider yourself extremely lucky. I have been laid off 2 times in the past 6 years from jobs that lasted upwards of 5 years tops, not based on my skill level or job performance, but from restructuring, contracts that ended and etc. Recently one of my co-workers from a previous job got cut on a recent layoff, he worked for the company 13 years and he cannot find a job here because nobody wants to pay him what he is worth, he is in his mid 50's, 30+ years of experience. What he is realizing is age discrimination, companies can hire a new graduate for a lot less and many have the attitude that this is acceptable practice.

From my experience in South Florida and elsewhere in Florida and from what I hear from my co-workers at my current job, salaries are low and not even comparable elsewhere and even with the no income tax statement, car insurance here compared to other locations wipes out a lot as does the high cost of living, rent, home prices and etc.

Embrear in Melbourne obviously does not meet your statement of remaining competitive to attract talent, because the offer they made is less than I can get here or elsewhere. I know a lot of companies here, small companies that list the same jobs over and over, they cannot hire anyone because they do not want to pay or they are not great places to work.

If you can make $100K in Boston and move to Melbourne and get the same identical salary, sure it's an obvious advantage, but I highly doubt that is the case on average for Engineers.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by high_plains_drifter

26 years at Harris, amazing stability which a lot of people do not have, consider yourself extremely lucky. I have been laid off 2 times in the past 6 years from jobs that lasted upwards of 5 years tops, not based on my skill level or job performance, but from restructuring, contracts that ended and etc. Recently one of my co-workers from a previous job got cut on a recent layoff, he worked for the company 13 years and he cannot find a job here because nobody wants to pay him what he is worth, he is in his mid 50's, 30+ years of experience. What he is realizing is age discrimination, companies can hire a new graduate for a lot less and many have the attitude that this is acceptable practice.

From my experience in South Florida and elsewhere in Florida and from what I hear from my co-workers at my current job, salaries are low and not even comparable elsewhere and even with the no income tax statement, car insurance here compared to other locations wipes out a lot as does the high cost of living, rent, home prices and etc.

Embrear in Melbourne obviously does not meet your statement of remaining competitive to attract talent, because the offer they made is less than I can get here or elsewhere. I know a lot of companies here, small companies that list the same jobs over and over, they cannot hire anyone because they do not want to pay or they are not great places to work.

If you can make $100K in Boston and move to Melbourne and get the same identical salary, sure it's an obvious advantage, but I highly doubt that is the case on average for Engineers.

Exactly.

Just an example, RNs in FL are paid a lot less than other states, same thing with teachers.

While home prices are lower in FL, car insurance, groceries, homeowner's insurance are pricey.

You can just say "there is no state income tax" for so long, they make up for it in other ways.

I never saw so many people working two jobs as in FL. They have their "real" job, and than a part time job.

Couple of examples, a prison guard working at Target as a security guard part time.

An office manager working part time as a server three nights a week.

They're not doing it for fun. They're doing it because their low salaries aren't cutting it.

Problem with FL is the cost has gone way up, while salaries remain low.

I was talking to someone in hospital administration, she told me she is making in FL what she made in the 1980s in CA. Doing the same job.

FL works best for retired people who can come from up north, and buy a house with cash and have money left over from the sale or their home up north.

[kokonutty]

Originally Posted by high_plains_drifter

26 years at Harris, amazing stability which a lot of people do not have, consider yourself extremely lucky. I have been laid off 2 times in the past 6 years from jobs that lasted upwards of 5 years tops, not based on my skill level or job performance, but from restructuring, contracts that ended and etc. Recently one of my co-workers from a previous job got cut on a recent layoff, he worked for the company 13 years and he cannot find a job here because nobody wants to pay him what he is worth, he is in his mid 50's, 30+ years of experience. What he is realizing is age discrimination, companies can hire a new graduate for a lot less and many have the attitude that this is acceptable practice.

From my experience in South Florida and elsewhere in Florida and from what I hear from my co-workers at my current job, salaries are low and not even comparable elsewhere and even with the no income tax statement, car insurance here compared to other locations wipes out a lot as does the high cost of living, rent, home prices and etc.

Embrear in Melbourne obviously does not meet your statement of remaining competitive to attract talent, because the offer they made is less than I can get here or elsewhere. I know a lot of companies here, small companies that list the same jobs over and over, they cannot hire anyone because they do not want to pay or they are not great places to work.

If you can make $100K in Boston and move to Melbourne and get the same identical salary, sure it's an obvious advantage, but I highly doubt that is the case on average for Engineers.

Actually, this is not age discrimination. The market is telling him what his job is worth today. It is an acceptable practice to hire people at the going rate regardless of what they may have earned in the past.
If he chooses not to work at that rate it is his decision.