economy in gillette (Casper, Rock Springs: real estate, housing, rent)

[kathy58]

I have an opportunity to go to work in the Gillette area and I was wondering about what the average wage is. And about the cost of living. Will I be able to find a descent place to stay at an affordable rate. thanks for any information

[Wildman]

I moved here for an opportunity in my career field out of college. Of course, I grew up close by and I know the area really well. Gillette economy is booming....but Gillette is the third most expensive place to live at Cost of Living Index of 107. Housing extremely tight right now. Make sure you are ready to spend the money for house because old homes are between 150- 200 and new homes are between 190- 260 with little frill. The city of Gillette is the primate city with a population at 26,000 and the county is around 36,000. Diffently a blue collar town that is big into sports, so depending on where you are coming from, it may take some time to get use to.

wildman

P.S. $15-20/ hr is probably the norm for majority of the jobs. mines are making over $20 per hr. with opportunity for overtime.

[Hawkeyetrapper01]

I also am moving my family (Wife, 3yr old, and dog)to Gillette on OCT 16, 2006. I have had a few phone interviews with oil and gas companies, and it sounds like the economy is taking off. We are planning to live in an RV until the spring while I save money from work. We are from Michigan and now have the highest unemployment rate in the country. It is so difficult to find a job here it is ridiculas. So, one month and we are on our way. I wanted to tell you that the Wyoming job bank has many good paying jobs, mostly 12-16/hr. I have also been looking up the Gillette Newspaper over the internet, and they have a couple good postings too. Good luck!!!

[MHT]

Originally Posted by kathy58

I have an opportunity to go to work in the Gillette area and I was wondering about what the average wage is. And about the cost of living. Will I be able to find a descent place to stay at an affordable rate. thanks for any information

There are lots of jobs in Gillette and the wages are good. However, the housing is a problem. It's very hard to find any - let alone at an affordable rate. Some companies there have housing available so that would be something to check out with your potential employer.

[Celestek]

Wyoming, especially in cities built around energy, tends to be a bit volatile. It is true that anyone who wants to work here, can get a job. Of course wages are not currently keeping up with the housing costs. We have seen a tremendous increase in real estate. I live in Casper which is SouthWest of Gillette, but is another booming energy town at the moment. I moved back to Wyoming in May, and had to live in my father's house for a couple of months before I could find a vacant apartment. Of course I am a very sought after tenant as I have very high credit and a high income (over $50,000). I was first on the list, but there were about 30 people trying to get into the apartment I live in now. This situation is occuring in Rock Springs, Casper and Gillette. Real Estate prices in Casper dropped over 50% right around the time that OPEC was founded. Unfortunately my education in economics is not in labor, so I do not know what the rest of the country looks like. Here though, they are putting anybody who passes a drug test out into the fields until they fail the next one. ANd yes they are paying upwards of $15/hour to complete unskilled idiots who have no clue. I think even McDonalds in Casper is paying $7.50/hour due to labor shortages.