Input on relocating to Tucson (Phoenix: appointed, sales, rent)

[gearedtowardssalad]

Hello. I'm a 26 y/o guy looking to move to Tucson. I already know the city is right for me and am completely in love with Tucson, but I'm rather skeptical as to if I could find a decent paying job - I'm an auto claims rep here in Minneapolis. I plan on moving with a large amount of savings and would hope to live near 4th avenue between downtown and the University. I currently make $34k per year and get by fine living in one of the priciest neighborhoods in town. Really I'm curious as to what the job market is like and what I could expect for a wage in a customer service/call center/similar position in Tucson, if these jobs are even plentiful or not. Or if you think I should stay put. I can't stand Phoenix so I wouldn't consider it. Thanks!

[beTucsonan]

I can't really speak to the call center/customer service market here in town except to say that there seems to be a lot of hiring in that area. The hourly wages I see advertised are not going to get you anywhere near $34k/year, but they are advertising for entry-level slots and with your experience I'm sure those aren't the jobs you would be applying for anyhow. To start, check out: Convergys, Geico, AFNI and Intuit.

If you've already decided Tucson is the place you want to live, great! We can use as many motivated, young people as we can get here, so please come on down. You can live here on the cheap if you like, or you can spend as much as you like and live like a king. It's funny, but over the years as my income has gone up and up I've noticed that my 'quality of life' hasn't changed much - it's all about being in the place you want to be with the people you want to be with!

Best of luck, whatever decision you make!

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by gearedtowardssalad

Hello. I'm a 26 y/o guy looking to move to Tucson. I already know the city is right for me and am completely in love with Tucson, but I'm rather skeptical as to if I could find a decent paying job - I'm an auto claims rep here in Minneapolis. I plan on moving with a large amount of savings and would hope to live near 4th avenue between downtown and the University. I currently make $34k per year and get by fine living in one of the priciest neighborhoods in town. Really I'm curious as to what the job market is like and what I could expect for a wage in a customer service/call center/similar position in Tucson, if these jobs are even plentiful or not. Or if you think I should stay put. I can't stand Phoenix so I wouldn't consider it. Thanks!

About 18 years ago, Geared . . . I relocated to Tucson and must admit, I was a little disappointed at the starting pay being offered compared to California.

However, I did accept one of those entry level jobs and was amazed at how much easier it was to manage my finances since the overall cost of living is much less brutal here. Also, due to my previous experience as well as above average work ethics, within less than a year I was making considerable more and the increases continued for a number of years thereafter.

My recommendation . . . GO FOR IT.

Welcome to Tucson and Good Luck.

[gearedtowardssalad]

Thank you both for your input! I think it's time.

[Jukesgrrl]

Geico advertises on the radio here that they are hiring sales and claims representatives.
GEICO Careers | Jobs In Tucson, AZ ~ Sales, Customer Service and Claims Careers In Tucson, Arizona

Afni is another company that hires at several locations in Tucson.
Customer Service Representative | Afni Careers

You're the right age for working at these companies. I've never known anyone over 30 who got hired at either place. I've heard the starting salary is only about $12 an hour, but since you have experience you might be able to get in a higher placement. I've also heard that a willingness to work odd hours and being bi-lingual can also get you a leg up in those companies. All word of mouth, though. I've never worked in either place.

The casinos seem to post most of their open positions on Indeed.com. Their starting salary for their management-type positions is higher than the call centers. Maybe your experience could be transferred to some of their jobs like marketing representative or business analyst depending on what kind of degree you have.

[Ztonyg]

Originally Posted by gearedtowardssalad

Hello. I'm a 26 y/o guy looking to move to Tucson. I already know the city is right for me and am completely in love with Tucson, but I'm rather skeptical as to if I could find a decent paying job - I'm an auto claims rep here in Minneapolis. I plan on moving with a large amount of savings and would hope to live near 4th avenue between downtown and the University. I currently make $34k per year and get by fine living in one of the priciest neighborhoods in town. Really I'm curious as to what the job market is like and what I could expect for a wage in a customer service/call center/similar position in Tucson, if these jobs are even plentiful or not. Or if you think I should stay put. I can't stand Phoenix so I wouldn't consider it. Thanks!

I don't believe you'll have a problem. Starting wages for many of the call center type positions in Tucson (and there are numerous) are in the $28k - $30k / year range. One company that I used to work for, and I know a lot of others that still work there, and seems to have decent upward mobility is GEICO. I'd check out their job postings.

[cherrylimeade]

Rent and state taxes will be lower than Mpls, so you probably won't need to match your current income to get an equivalent standard of living. We moved from MN to the Phoenix metro but we like Tucson too, just felt there was a bigger IT job market for us in Phoenix.

[gearedtowardssalad]

Ok, so my move was delayed due to a personal event, but I am going to make the transition in June. Any new advice in the 1.5 years from my initial post? Thank you again.

[shpitz]

Here's a decent cost-of-living calculator that can give you some idea:

Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney

Using it shows $35k in MN is equivalent to $30k in Tucson.

[Salpointe59]

Lots and lots of wreacks here so you should be able o find a job. I train at the Horse and Hunt club during the summer and I guarantee things are less expensive in Tucson,. We don't have a Roasted Pear but we do hav a Casa Molina. You will be fine.