Salary Worth the Move?

[Westbound and Down]

I agree with other posters saying don't take the big pay cut. While it is useful to compare COL, and to conclude it is lower in Denver, you either need to find a higher paying job in Denver, or stay put in CA, at least for a while.

Don't give up that hard earned salary you have now. The Denver job market may be telling you that you aren't worth that pay to them, but you need to hold out for a better deal, or just say no.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by N610DL

Absolutely not. 112K in L.A. is like 130-140Kish in Denver. I moved here from L.A. last year (at the salary range you're offered) and I'm considering going back at that salary since I prefer the lifestyle out there better than here.

The only MAJOR positive thing about taking a cut like that is the fact that income tax is about half as much in CO than CA. COL is cheaper than CA and most of the East Coast but it's rising fast.



I can safely name out the things in L.A. that are more expensive than DEN: gas, bars, restaurants, rent/housing costs. Groceries and food is about the same and everything else I would say is *slightly* less. What you don't pay for in earthquake insurance in CA you'll gladly pay for hail damage in CO. I recently went on roommates.com and there are offers to split a 2 bedroom apartment on the Westside near the beach for a little over 1K. People pay close to 2K for their own 1 BR apartment in LoDo which is beyond pathetic.

I was shocked to even go on weichert.com and see 2-3 BR ranch homes in the South Bay of L.A. for 400-500K. The fact that people make cash offers out here for a bungalow around the same range of price is just sad.

I am confused. I think 112K in Denver is more like 130 to 140K in LA. You have it the other way. If you move from Denver to LA you have to make more to live a comparable lifestyle. If you make 130K here you can live quite comfortably.

[N610DL]

He said he's going from six figures in CA to 70K in Denver, if I'm reading that correctly. So 70K in Denver is around 90K in L.A. - well below that 112K he currently has now.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by N610DL

He said he's going from six figures in CA to 70K in Denver, if I'm reading that correctly. So 70K in Denver is around 90K in L.A. - well below that 112K he currently has now.

You read that right and I agree but a few posts above you said 112K in LA is like 130 or 140K in Denver. I think it is the other way around. I grew up in San Diego and when I moved out here I was making the exact same salary as I was when I left. It went a lot further here. Now the OP is going from 112K to 70K which is a big hit on salary. I think if his offer here was more like 90 to 100k it would be comparable. Even though the COL has gotten high here it is still a lot lower than Southern California. If it was me I wouldn't move out here for that big of a drop in salary unless I was making $200k or more in LA. I hope that makes sense.

[N610DL]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

You read that right and I agree but a few posts above you said 112K in LA is like 130 or 140K in Denver. I think is the other way around. I grew up in San Diego and when I moved out here I was making the exact same salary as I was when I left. It went a lot further here. Now the OP is going from 112K to 70K which is a big hit on salary. I think if his offer here was more like 90 to 100k it would be comparable. Even though the COL has gotten high here it is still a lot lower than Southern California. If it was me I wouldnt move out here for that big of a drop in salary unless I was making $200k or more in LA. I hope that makes sense.

Yeah that's basically what I meant. It's not enough to cover the decrease, and it's barely enough to purchase a house.