Moving to San Francisco from New Jersey on a $38,000 salary (Oakland: student loan, job openings)

[fashionguy]

You can definitely get by with that salary. To put it in perspective, this is approximately the same salary most post-doctoral researchers are paid in university labs. Those people are mostly doing fine and so will you unless you spend a lot. You will need a roommate but that's it.

Originally Posted by theAndrew

So, here I am internet, the night before I have to tell my possible, future employer if I'm going to accept a job from them in San Francisco -- and, I still haven't made a decision. Honestly, it's not an easy decision, though.

My story: I graduated a year ago from college here in New Jersey and have since been on the hunt for a job. And now that it's finally here, I can't seem to bite the bullet. I'm 23 years-old, not married, in no kinds of debt, and no kids. Sounds perfect, right? I guess, but I'm really concerned about the pay and getting by 3,000 miles away from "home."

My salary would be $38,000 with benefits. Not bad for an entry level position -- plus, I'd be doing what I want to do (work wise.) But, in reality, $38,000 is only $26,600 after taxes. I figured 30% of $38,000 is $26,600. Am I right in terms of taxes being taken out?

That's where my real concern lays. At the end of the day, will I be able to survive downtown in San Francisco with that amount of pay? I would like to live in a small studio apartment, by myself. Are there small studio apartments downtown around $1,000 a month?

Thanks, guys! Oh yeah, did I mention I need to tell them by tomorrow night?

[iTsLiKeAnEgG]

I don't think $1000.00 will be possible for rent even for a studio in any decent area of the city. I feel as I am extremely lucking paying the rent I do as even studios along the Peninsula were going for $1200+ when I was looking. My friends who recently moved out of a nice studio apartment on Polk/O’Farrell were paying close to $2000.00 for a small space although they had a gym and pool. The surrounding area was a bit seedy (right across from the O’Farrell Theater) but the building itself was great. They also didn’t drive as it didn’t make sense living anywhere near downtown unless you’re willing to put aside a substantial amount of your monthly income towards parking.

[Larry Siegel]

You will absolutely have to have roommates. There are no $1000 studios unless you move out of the city or to a truly awful area of SF (of which there are few). However, this is a starting salary, not a terminal one, and you are not trying to support a family. Go for it!

[wanderlustforever89]

I have a similar situation to the girl that got the job offer in the SF bay area. I have received an offer in the Redwood City, CA area for a job that is a dream field for me as well. Its the best offer I have received since I've been out of college as far as pay and hours. The pay is $17/hr with opportunities to earn more and an average of 50 or 60 hours a week. I am still trying to figure out how expensive the bay area is to live. I've seen rooms to share that are as low as $500-600. Unlike the girl who started this thread I have a huge amount of debt from college that is $700 per month. I could use some encouragement or advice from locals.

[04kL4nD]

Don't do it.

[mrazyattic]

I can't believe that this is even a question.

Three words: Don't even attempt

[tikkasf]

wanderlustforever89;
Going by what you posted, it is just not feasible. There will be other job offers for you.

[ssmaster]

Bad idea

[scirocco]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

LOL. No it's not. That would be something like $17 an hour, and the minimum wage in SF is something like $9.50 an hour.

OP, don't listen to any clueless old people here who say crap like you have to make $100,000 a year just to survive in SF and otherwise you'll be living in a crack den and everything will be horrible. Plenty of people in SF get by on less than $40,000 a year. When you're younger it's easier to do because you are more willing to live with roommates and not have the perfect apartment. Again the nice parts of Oakland are about 30-40% less than anywhere in SF so if you really want a studio instead of living with roommates, look into Oakland.

Any time someone here asks about living in the Bay Area on a small salary, you get a lot of clueless older people who probably don't live in SF and who read too much into SF stereotypes they hear about on TV.

That would be correct. But lets face it, not everybody in SF is working in tech or some other 6 figure job. Forget the advice of Googlers et al in their somewhat limited world view and real life experience. Yes, they maybe masters of college courses but are sorely lacking in true street smarts. For most of them, earning power will dictate their very existence.

The poster who stated the minimum wage in SF is $38,000 is surely not well informed. There was talk of raising the minimum wage to a living wage of $13 , which works out to be around $26k per year. Not alot if you are married with kids. In fact darn near impossible. That is if of course you are lucky to be single, are frugal with your resources and possess a strong work ethic to keep some money coming in .

I happily got by on $12 per hour after college. Only after tasting the riches of tech, did i realize fully well that with the good salary come some real sacrifices in living. Long hours, long nights working on projects, limited free time and work demands bring the magic salary figures down to earth really fast.

How lucky I feel to have life experience at both levels of working poor and now emerging middle class in this city. Not many are afforded both viewpoints in a city gone decidedly capital frenzied over the last couple of decades.

[04kL4nD]

^That post is like 5 years old...