Help...I need some quick advice..... (Houston, Center: daycare, how much, home)

[sroper33]

Hello Houston:

I am a native Californian who currenty lives in New York. Really thinking about moving to Houston because I just dont like NY, and California is just as expensive as NY so why go back there?

The question that I have is how hard is it to find a job making at least $50K? I currently work as an executive assistant in an investment bank (college grad). Industry doesnt really matter to me so that's not a problem. Generally in the Houston area how much does an experienced Executive Assistant make? I've heard the stories "if you move to the south you'll be making $10 per hour!", so I just wanted to get a gauge for what I would be getting myself into.

I have three small children (8.5.3), so I would need to pay rent, daycare, and get a car, plus all of the other bills that come a long with being a "grown up"! So, $50K would have to be it, may be willing to go a little lower but not sure yet! Any feed back would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[rubynicholson77056]

I don't know about 50k but you should be able to get close with a college degree. I was working as an executive assistant before I decided to stay home with the kids but most of the law firms and fortune 500 companies are paying pretty well. I suggest you going to careerbuilder and doing a search under admin/clerical in Houston, TX. Some of the employers post the salary range. Try to find a company that offers onsite daycare. Also the cost of living here is way lower than NY or CA.

[bostoner]

Try salary.com and a cost of living calculator.

CNN COL calculator:
Salary in New York (Manhattan) NY:
$50,000
Comparable salary in Houston TX:
$20,641.34

If you move from New York (Manhattan) NY to Houston TX...

Groceries will cost: 41.261% less
Housing will cost: 81.177% less
Utilities will cost: 36.103% less
Transportation will cost: 21.283% less
Healthcare will cost: 21.701% less

Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed COL calculator:
Cost of Living Comparison:
New York, New York - Houston, Texas
Change cities

Houston is 48% cheaper than New York.

Housing is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference.

Housing is 68% cheaper in Houston.

A salary of $50,000 in New York, New York could decrease to $26,063 in Houston, Texas
New York U.S. Avg. Houston
Cost of Living Indexes New York Houston
Overall 165 86
Food 142 94
Housing 203 65
Utilities 165 95
Transportation 120 104
Health 182 105
Miscellaneous 136 96
100=national average

» Compare these cities in over 100 categories

[predatorprey]

even though Houston is Cheaper, 26k doesn't go far especially with 3 kids.

You won't make 10/hr those people who say that are ignorant of the area.

[rubynicholson77056]

University of Houston and Rice University have some Executive Assistant positions with salaries starting at about $32k.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

even though Houston is Cheaper, 26k doesn't go far especially with 3 kids.

You won't make 10/hr those people who say that are ignorant of the area.

No kidding. $10/hr is what shift managers at Jack In The Box make. At least that's what they're advertising right now in my neighborhood. Don't compare Houston to Mississippi.

$32k for an admin at a school sounds about right. I'd expect $36k+ in a private company + overtime as needed. DOE.

[Texas Mack]

Yeah, for a family of four, $26,000 is extremely tight even in Texas. IIRC, the average Houstonian makes somewhere around $38K to $40K (or perhaps that's the median income). Either way, you get the idea.

[Redrover]

In order to make $50K you will probably have to be willing to work in one of the three major business centers: downtown, The Galleria and Greenway Plaza. That is not carved in stone but it is the general trend. I make just shy of that (48,800) and my title is not that of an Executive Assistant but that is what I was before my current situation. You may be able to find something on the west side of Houston in the Energy Corridor (where many of the O & G companies are located) or possibly even in the Med Center. As the others have told you, your salary will take you a lot further in Houston than where you would be coming from but even so, you would want to maximize your starting salary if at all possible. As a rule, the larger the company in terms of assets, the larger the salary (again, not carved in stone). If I were you, I would make a list of some of the largest companies in the city and do some research on who they are, what they do, and who are the people to know. In many cases, the companies will have some sort of on-line application process but if you can get some actual names of people who make hiring decisions and contact info for them, you may just get lucky and get a response. Don't know if you're a college graduate, but that is likely what they will be looking for. If you are, you might see if any alums are employed by any of your target companies. You might also see if you belong to any other groups or organizations that may have other members in those targets as well. Just some suggestions...

[sroper33]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

even though Houston is Cheaper, 26k doesn't go far especially with 3 kids.

You won't make 10/hr those people who say that are ignorant of the area.

I agree. I still would have to pay for daycare/car. Thanks for your advice

[sroper33]

Originally Posted by Redrover

In order to make $50K you will probably have to be willing to work in one of the three major business centers: downtown, The Galleria and Greenway Plaza. That is not carved in stone but it is the general trend. I make just shy of that (48,800) and my title is not that of an Executive Assistant but that is what I was before my current situation. You may be able to find something on the west side of Houston in the Energy Corridor (where many of the O & G companies are located) or possibly even in the Med Center. As the others have told you, your salary will take you a lot further in Houston than where you would be coming from but even so, you would want to maximize your starting salary if at all possible. As a rule, the larger the company in terms of assets, the larger the salary (again, not carved in stone). If I were you, I would make a list of some of the largest companies in the city and do some research on who they are, what they do, and who are the people to know. In many cases, the companies will have some sort of on-line application process but if you can get some actual names of people who make hiring decisions and contact info for them, you may just get lucky and get a response. Don't know if you're a college graduate, but that is likely what they will be looking for. If you are, you might see if any alums are employed by any of your target companies. You might also see if you belong to any other groups or organizations that may have other members in those targets as well. Just some suggestions...

This is VERY helpful. Thank you