What kind of job could my husband transition into in Denver? (Aurora: apartment, rent)

[dharmabummer]

My husband has worked for a local speciality grocery store in Seattle for almost 8 years and in that time has risen to an unheard of salary for a grocery stocker... $18/hour. I know this doesn't seem like a lot to most people, but he just came to this country 8 years ago to get married to me and doesn't have any education. He is a refugee and never got the chance to go to school beyond 4th grade. He's a very hard worker, but also very stubborn. He's not really a quick study and wouldn't do good in a job that requires math or any kind of certification that you have to study for. He speaks very good English and is very friendly, easy going. His best quality as a worker is that he is meticulous.

We are considering a move to Denver or the Boulder area. I think it will be very difficult for him to expect $18 an hour starting in a grocery store in a new city. What other kind of job/industry should he consider that will pay reasonably well? He is documented to work in this country, but doesn't have a U.S. GED or high school diploma. Some employers, we have found, don't actually ask to see a diploma if you tell them it was obtained in another country. Somewhat dishonest, I know, but he really doesn't have the ability or motivation to go back to school at this point in his life.

[oldsage]

Originally Posted by dharmabummer

My husband has worked for a local speciality grocery store in Seattle for almost 8 years and in that time has risen to an unheard of salary for a grocery stocker... $18/hour. I know this doesn't seem like a lot to most people, but he just came to this country 8 years ago to get married to me and doesn't have any education. He is a refugee and never got the chance to go to school beyond 4th grade. He's a very hard worker, but also very stubborn. He's not really a quick study and wouldn't do good in a job that requires math or any kind of certification that you have to study for. He speaks very good English and is very friendly, easy going. His best quality as a worker is that he is meticulous.

We are considering a move to Denver or the Boulder area. I think it will be very difficult for him to expect $18 an hour starting in a grocery store in a new city. What other kind of job/industry should he consider that will pay reasonably well? He is documented to work in this country, but doesn't have a U.S. GED or high school diploma. Some employers, we have found, don't actually ask to see a diploma if you tell them it was obtained in another country. Somewhat dishonest, I know, but he really doesn't have the ability or motivation to go back to school at this point in his life.

For a person to live in Boulder it is required to own a mountain bike and drink only Latea coffee and be college educated. It is also required to under the age of 30 and be a white Liberal.
You never mention where your husband is a refugee from. In Denver there is every nationality from the four corners of the earth. He could network with a group from his homeland and they could help him land a job. The important thing with the Denver metro area is to have some form of transportation better yet a 4 wheel drive vehicle for when and if it snows.
One thing you will notice if you do move to Colorado is the lack of mold and mildew smells in the older buildings like you have on the West coast.
Anyway, try to network through people from his homeland first and then see what happens.

[TropicanaRose]

I'm a native of Boulder, and would definitely dispute that characterization.

Also, unless you plan to drive to the mountains regularly in the winter, you don't need a 4-wheel drive. I do go to the mountains all the time, and I didn't own a 4WD until I was close to thirty. I did just fine. If you are going to drive in the winter, you will probably want a FWD. As for having to have a car, that really depends upon where you live, and where you need to go. Livecontent gives great public transportation information, so when you've nailed down where you'll be, ask him for an assessment!

As for employment, it is generally very competitive up and down the front range, and Boulder is especially difficult. Denver would be easier, but it's still not a slam dunk. I think you also need to take a careful look at whether you can make a sufficient combined income here. From what you've said, I think you may have a hard time getting by in Boulder.

[dharmabummer]

My husband is Tibetan. I've heard there are lots of Tibetans in the Boulder area, i.e. Naropa Institute. The Tibetan community in Seattle is unexpectedly insular and hard to get to know. I hope it's not the same there.

I'm not worried about driving in snow. We have a Land Rover and a Prius. Surprisingly, the Prius does very well in snow as it has traction control, vehicle stability control, and a superior braking system (ABS, EBD, etc.).

As far as income, I am the primary "breadwinner" in our family. I have a professional career with a Master's degree in my field. We've made in Seattle, which I think of as having a very high cost of living, so I'm sure we'll make it in Denver. I just don't want to see him have to take a minimum wage job after he's been able to work his way up so high. Too bad you don't have a Trader Joe's in Denver; he could just transfer!

[TropicanaRose]

You'll be fine in the snow.

I don't know how large the Tibetan community is, but the Buddhist community is very large.

Everyone that I know dreams of having a TJ's here, but they haven't wanted to come!

If your husband has great customer service/people skills, he may find a service job here, somewhere between minimum and $18.

I didn't realize that you were the primary breadwinner. It's encouraging that you've done well in Seattle, as I imagine the job markets are similar. Advanced degrees are a dime a dozen!

[dharmabummer]

Originally Posted by TropicanaRose

You'll be fine in the snow.

I don't know how large the Tibetan community is, but the Buddhist community is very large.

Everyone that I know dreams of having a TJ's here, but they haven't wanted to come!

If your husband has great customer service/people skills, he may find a service job here, somewhere between minimum and $18.

I didn't realize that you were the primary breadwinner. It's encouraging that you've done well in Seattle, as I imagine the job markets are similar. Advanced degrees are a dime a dozen!

Well, doing well is relative. Here's my post from a Seattle thread:

I thought I'd add my own numbers/story to this thread. 6 years ago, when my husband and I wanted to buy our first home, we both worked in downtown Seattle and had a combined income of only $50K. We thought the most house we could afford would be $120K, so we looked as far out in the 'burbs as we would be willing to commute. We found a 3 bedroom, 2100 sq ft townhouse, 3000 sq ft lot (postage stamp yard) in Everett for $190K. Our mortgage was $1300/month, the HOA was $120/month, and we each commuted a total of 2 hours per day. We were lucky enough to be able to put down $30K.

Today, our salaries are $85K combined, which translates to $5000/month take-home after taxes, 401K and a healthcare savings account. My husband still works in the downtown area, but my job has moved further out to the Lynnwood area. Our house is now "worth" $320K (if we could sell it, that is; we had it listed for 3 months last year with NO ACTION whatsoever); our HOA dues have gone up to $170/month. We want to buy a new house, and even though we are sitting on a significant amount of equity, we can't afford a bigger/newer/detached house unless we go even further out, i.e. to Marysville. My husband's commute is currently 2 hours total per day. If we were to move out to Marysville, his total commute time would go up to 3 hours. And we would probably be looking a new mortgage of at least $2000 per month, which would be a stretch on our budget (1 car payment @ $350/month, insurance @ $350/month on 3 cars, house, etc., food @ $400 month, utilities/phone/cable at $350/month, gas at $200/month - which would probably go up with all the extra driving). We don't have kids yet, either. Really, how could we start a family, anyway, with childcare at $800/month and both of us driving for 2+ hours per day. Honestly, I don't know how people do it.

So, you see, we are really stuck where we are. We are happy to have what we now consider a very reasonable monthly housing expense; we are happy with our location (only 20 min. commute for me). But, we are tired of feeling like we live in an apartment because of the constant noise from the neighbor's side. I also resent the continuous rise in HOA dues every year because my HOA can't control their spending on useless neighborhood upgrades, i.e. $5000 solar heater for an outdoor pool that only gets used 6 weeks per year (ridiculous and irresponsible, especially since only 4 board members were present to vote on that!). So, we're looking to relocate out of state. I feel that is really the only option for us to be able to start a family and buy a better house.

[Katarina Witt]

I feel that is really the only option for us to be able to start a family and buy a better house.

Well, maybe. I am skeptical about making $18/hr in metro Denver with a 4th grade education. I barely make more than that as a nurse (doctor's office, I know they make more in the hospitals). COL is lower here, so salaries are lower.

[TropicanaRose]

Do you know what your budget is for a house yet? Also wondering about your plans for starting a family, and if your husband is planning to stay home with the baby? I'm also thinking that you may want to think about living in Southern Longmont.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by dharmabummer

My husband is Tibetan. I've heard there are lots of Tibetans in the Boulder area, i.e. Naropa Institute. The Tibetan community in Seattle is unexpectedly insular and hard to get to know. I hope it's not the same there.

You'd be far better off in Denver in meeting other Tibetans. Denver and Aurora are by far the two most diverse cities in Colorado when it comes to different nationalities. Boulder does have its share given the presence of a large university, but it can't really hold a candle to either Denver or Aurora in this regard.

[dharmabummer]

Originally Posted by TropicanaRose

Do you know what your budget is for a house yet? Also wondering about your plans for starting a family, and if your husband is planning to stay home with the baby? I'm also thinking that you may want to think about living in Southern Longmont.

If we move this year, we'll probably rent for a while before buying. There are so many unknowns at this point, how much my salary will be (estimating between $50-80K), what area would be best to live in for our commute, where our jobs will be. After we sell our house in Seattle, we will have over $140K to put down, so that should help.

We do not have children at this point, but would like to start a family within the next 2 years. My husband would stay home with baby if it makes financial sense, i.e. his salary - commute/parking expense is less than childcare expense. Childcare in Seattle, for 8 hours per day, 4 days per week, is going to be about $800/month. While that's high, he still brings home more than that. I imagine it would be cheaper in Denver. I agree we couldn't afford to live in Boulder. When I said Boulder in my original post, I was thinking of working in Boulder and living in a suburb like Longmont.