Job offer in SF....yes? no? hell no? (San Francisco, Oakland: apartment, renters)

[tonym9428]

Got a statistician offer at a small startup in the San Francisco area (san ramon) and wanted your thoughts on cost of living and other factors. For those who moved there from the midwest, was it worth it. I'm 30 and am single with no debt or financial responsibilities. Salary is $90,000

[jade408]

That's a little low for here, not way off. Finding an apartment won't be super easy. It depends on the lifestyle you desire. Since the job is in San Ramon, you'll most likely need a car. That is the middle of suburbia. 90k will not make you feel rich. You'll need to budget about $2500 for a one bedroom place near there. Taxes will be a lot higher than in most places.

If it is a good career move and there is room for advancement go for it. You'll want to get paid more of course, but there is a ceiling for non-engineer / non-sales roles at the individual contributor level. You aren't there yet, but you aren't too far away either.

To be real don't expect the following at that salary level:
1. owning a home
2. supporting a family
3. having tons of disposable income

Also don't get annoyed if new engineer grads make more than you (many will).

[Majami]

Originally Posted by jade408

That's a little low for here, not way off.

Often times companies make offers to people outside the area so they can fleece them on their opening salary. Locals would know better what's a "good" salary. I'd say for his position, it's at least 110-130k.

Now, you have several options:

1)Re-negotiate your salary. Pull up median salaries for your position in the Bay Area and embarrass them why you're getting paid so little.

2)Take the position, no questions asked, after a year flood the market with your CV and take a big pay increase.

In your shoes, I'd opt for position 2), no reason you can't feel the ground suggesting an increase. If they push back, take it and search for a new job in a year. Then you're a local and you can find the lucrative positions more easily.

[DoggieMatic]

I was in a similar situation as you, & moved from the Midwest to the SF Bay area in 2003. I loved much of what the SF Bay & CA had to offer, but after 7 years, I noticed I was no longer taking advantage of the beaches, mountains, etc. & mostly doing recreational things I could do anywhere. That meant the cost of living was no longer worth it, and I started getting more frustrated at the people who lived there because they were parasites feeding off-social assistance, while I was busting my ass to pay my bills, so I fled the state 5 years ago & am very happy elsewhere now.


You being single & relatively young, I'd say to go for it, but be sure to have a contingency plan (& $$$) in-case the start-up goes bust and you're stuck out there jobless. It'll be a good 'life experience' for you. Be ready for some of your current friends & associates to be rather pessimistic about the whole moving across the country thing, mostly out of jealousy that they can't do it because they're anchored down by family, and/or are simply too afraid to dare make such a big move.

Comfort, safety & security are all relative terms. You'll have to decide whether it's worth paying a lot of $$ to live in a nice home in a relatively tranquil community, vs. saving some ## (but still paying several times what a similar place in the midwest would cost) for an OK place in a not so pleasant community.

Auto insurance will also likely be a lot higher, but depending on where you live in the SF Bay area, you may not need to run a furnace or air conditioner often. Understand that the SF Bay area has a lot of micro-climates. If you're in SF, San Bruno or Pacifica, it may be 60 degrees & overcast, but only 5 or 10 miles away in San Mateo or Fremont, it could be 78 and sunny. The farther inland you get, the hotter it can be in the Summer. But even if you don't find yourself running a heater or AC often, your utility bills from good ol' PG&E maybe be just as high as your winter heating bills in the midwest. Either way, it sucks to pay all the utility bills solo...

California has a huge variety of natural beauty -- Pacific Coastline to Death Valley to Lake Tahoe & everything in-between so hopefully you'll be able to see it. The population density and general political-correctness may take some getting used to. Take advantage of the being there by doing as many three-day weekend road-trips as you can afford to, but also spend time & effort cultivating a 'Plan B' & 'Plan C' in-case the job doesn't work out, or the SF Bay area doesn't work out for you.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

San Ramon is a nice safe area. The weather is warmer there than nearer the water, but still nice. Very low humidity. 90K is a decent salary, but not top salary. If you're up for an adventure and some better weather, why not? It won't ever be too hot or too cold, normally. Hardly any bugs. And not too far from the main SF Bay Area cities with lots to do.

[tonym9428]

I'm a minimalist so I tend to live much simpler than most others. That means no furniture minus one plastic table and chair, and I don't eat out much or spend much on ubiquitous commodities.

What do people suggest in terms of a vehicle? I have a car and am thinking it would be smart to just sell it prior to moving there. Then I can use a mixture of light rail, uber, and etc.

Also, I'm not hurting for a job at this moment. So if I decline this offer and wait it out for a month or two, I should have similar offers for $80K to $90K in LA, Chicago, or Pittsburgh.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by tonym9428

I'm a minimalist so I tend to live much simpler than most others. That means no furniture minus one plastic table and chair, and I don't eat out much or spend much on ubiquitous commodities.

What do people suggest in terms of a vehicle? I have a car and am thinking it would be smart to just sell it prior to moving there. Then I can use a mixture of light rail, uber, and etc.

Also, I'm not hurting for a job at this moment. So if I decline this offer and wait it out for a month or two, I should have similar offers for $80K to $90K in LA, Chicago, or Pittsburgh.

Do NOT sell your car if you plan to work in San Ramon. There is little in the way of public transit there, just infrequent bus service. You probably want a car in 90% of the Bay Area imo.

[mr aztec]

I'd pick LA and Chicago over San Ramon if I were young and single.

[KatieDent]

My husband works for a start-up in SF and there are soooo many jobs he says you can get a job anywhere no problem if your current one goes bust. They don't have enough man power. I was born in SF and grew up in the East Bay. I work with home buyers and renters everyday and you can rent in San Ramon for 1800 depending on what you are looking for. I am connected to the Realtor community there and would be happy to assist you find a place when you are ready. Or get info on other areas too. Dublin, which borders San Ramon will be less than San Ramon. Pleasanton is great too plus it's right on the BART train line to SF. Let me know if I can be of service.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by sav858

Do NOT sell your car if you plan to work in San Ramon. There is little in the way of public transit there, just infrequent bus service. You probably want a car in 90% of the Bay Area imo.

I will echo this sentiment! San Ramon is a far out suburb. I don't know what metro area you live in, but San Ramon is 35 miles from SF. It is not dense at all. Everyone has a car, everyone drives, and there is no transit to speak of. It is not far from BART, but in that area particularly BART functions as commuter rail with park and ride. Uber / Lyft would not be plentiful. And uber ride to anywhere fun will be expensive.

You'll want your own car, even if you take transit on the weekend. The job centers of San Ramon aren't well connected to transit.

If you want a more fun existence for a young person, you can live in Oakland or maybe Walnut Creek. WC would be about a 20-25 minute commute via car (it close, but there is a lot of traffic, off-peak it is about a 10 minute drive). Oakland would be more like 30 minutes in the reverse commute direction (Oakland is 2x further but there won't be that much traffic, it is about 20-25 miles and is consistent about any time of day for travel time).