Salary needed to move from DC metro to ATL (Atlanta: coupons, foreclosure)

[No2Monsanto]

45k a year in Atlanta? With a kid? Ummmm, that's gonna be tight after taxes. Atlanta is my home, and I will be moving back this year; I currently am in the 51K-52k range, and I'm single with no kids. Although I will be doing an internal transfer with my current company, my hours will be cut to make that salary around 45k-47k, and I'm in a panic. I can't imagine living on that with a kid. Heck, having a kid now would be tight. Just be thinking real long and hard about moving to Atlanta on that money. Not that it can't be done, but do you want to be comfortable for real? Be able to take vacations, go out for dinner, shop, etc.? Just sayin'.....

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by Tryska

Alpharetta is still part of the metro. And Actually has pretty good schools too.

I'm guessing you could get a 2 bedroom apartment within your pricerange there. And people raise multiple kids on 45K and still somehow manage to survive as well.


I don't know that I would take the 20K salarycut, but if it's not getting you much more in DC then does it matter?

I think it does. $45k isn't a lot anywhere. Plus the op is in suburban DC, not DC proper.

It really depends on how you want to live. If the op lives, works, and plays in Northern Virginia they're not missing much doing the same thing in Alpharetta. I have a thing for cities, so these are my personal preferences.

[Larry X]

I always say money doesn't mean nothing if you're not happy with your location. Quality of Life isn't all about money, it's about being happy. So come on down and work your way up, $45k is better than most who move down here.

[noah]

I get the sense most here don't know how expensive D.C. is. I was approached about a job that would have required the opposite move (From Atlanta to DC) and the online calculators showed it was over 40% more expensive in D.C. and even with a 20-25% increase in salary it is really hard to justify what essentially may feel like a pay cut unless you are going somewhere you really really want to be. If you can squeeze out a few more thousand than the $45k you are essentially getting a pay raise if you believe the COL calculators.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by noah

I get the sense most here don't know how expensive D.C. is. I was approached about a job that would have required the opposite move (From Atlanta to DC) and the online calculators showed it was over 40% more expensive in D.C. and even with a 20-25% increase in salary it is really hard to justify what essentially may feel like a pay cut unless you are going somewhere you really really want to be. If you can squeeze out a few more thousand than the $45k you are essentially getting a pay raise if you believe the COL calculators.

But if she's getting more and higher pay raises in D.C., then it doesn't make any sense.

Good luck. I just feel like moving down here based on the circumstances she laid out, she will regret down the road when she could have been making 80k-90k in D.C....with 45k, I'm very sure they won't living in a good school district unless she chooses to rent because Alpharetta and Johns Creek are not cheap and are higher than the average in the Atlanta metro area.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

I wouldn't even waste your time lol. They don't know any better.They never lived there and they are on the outside looking in. We have lived there so we know what the real reality is lol. It looks good on paper but in reality it's totally different. They don't know that most people our age have to have several roommates to survive. They don't know that the average person still has a roommate until they are 30+ unless they get married and combine both incomes.

Excuse you, "They don't know any better"? Boy stop, while you are ahead. I've spent more time in the major black cities across the nation than you likely have, period... FYI, the embolden could be and is said about a sizeable population of Atlanta as well...

[jero23]

Originally Posted by vacollins

Hmm I can't say that I agree that DC has a better quality of life for educated African Americans. In fact, I would argue otherwise as many African Americans struggle with the high cost of home ownership in the DC metro.

It's about even according to most statistics on homeownership rankings amongst blacks. Also the cost-of-living is higher in DC but salaries are higher because of that. Finally, this region is just now bouncing back from being hit extremely hard by the housing bubble that hit educated and middle class black the hardest. Looks and hearsay can be deceiving about how well some of us are living here because unless you are making 60K, you might be in for a big surprise on how ridiculous...

[goofy328]

The thing about this thread is that there is either more opportunities in DC, or those opportunities are easier to come by. We know how expensive DC is. We also know how competitive you have to be just to get into the DC area. So why throw all of that hard work away unless you are truly miserable.

DC is a "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere" type of place. Personally I would hold out until a better opportunity comes about.

If the op plays their cards right, they could make $60K in Atlanta proper. If they're worth $60 in Northern Virginia they should be worth $60K somewhere else.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by goofy328

The thing about this thread is that there is either more opportunities in DC, or those opportunities are easier to come by. We know how expensive DC is. We also know how competitive you have to be just to get into the DC area. So why throw all of that hard work away unless you are truly miserable.

DC is a "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere" type of place. Personally I would hold out until a better opportunity comes about.

If the op plays their cards right, they could make $60K in Atlanta proper. If they're worth $60 in Northern Virginia they should be worth $60K somewhere else.

This is a good point. If the OP really wants to move to Atlanta, but the $45K salary she'd make by transferring with her current govt job wouldn't leave much breathing room, why not look for another job? Maybe something in the private sector would give her at least $50K or $55K plus room for growth and she'd be in a much better position. I think the thing that's worse than the salary level is the fact that she's been told there's not much room for growth. $45K is ok for a while if you know you can work hard and push to a higher salary level.

[vacollins]

Yes I can try to hold out for a higher salary, but it will definately be for a different position which is not as easy to come by because the numbers are limited more than DC. But as far as this position there is no negotiating for a higher salary at all due to transparency reasons. I asked that already and they came back with the cost of living.