Is it possible to live in Seattle and work in the Public Sector?

[cis_love]

i just started a very similar paying job (non profit). i'll be taking home about $2500/month. this is super tight but for one person, it is probably doable, esp if you have no car costs and find reasonable housing. perhaps get a roommate or rent a room in a house? try to find a place where water is covered in the rent. water prices are waaay higher than in CA. but electricity is low!

[Ruth4Truth]

What kind of a place do you want to live in? You may find affordable mother-in-law apartments on the edge of the U District, north of NE 50th, over toward the freeway. Also look in the Northgate area, Victory Heights (on the east side of 15th Av. NE), and Pinehurst (north of Victory Heights). Those are all a single bus ride away from the UW.

That's probably starting pay at your job, OP, so after the first year, if not the first 6 months, you'll get a raise, and that will build annually until you're at the top of your pay range. And while working at the UW, you can take 5 credits free per quarter, so you can work on another degree to get a higher or more diverse qualification. Congrats on the job!

And yes, without a car you'll be making enough to live on fairly frugally. Consider living in a shared household to start with, and using that opportunity to check out affordable neighborhoods.

[Gardyloo]

It's also worth noting that the Husky Stadium light rail station - basically across the street from the UW Medical Center - will be open next year, affording an easy commute from downtown and the ID, Capitol Hill, even the Rainier Valley and the airport area, some of which have lower housing costs. University of Washington Station | Sound Transit