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If you're in the right field it's not, like healthcare which I'm in. Also California created more jobs this year than New York did.
Right. Figure that many people staying here are in the right fields.
On my middle class block alone, every other house has a teacher or cop as one of the bread winners..the other person stays home or works in health care or some other field. You have a few people commuting into the city making good salaries mixed in.
You don't find 2 people owning a house working in retail or a service industry or something..because those people can't afford to buy a house. I'd move if I were them also.
The weather in the entire Western half of the country is better than anywhere on the East Coast. Colorado, California, desert South West, even the Pacific Northwest all of have superior climates than we have, for the simple fact that humidity and bad air ruins half of the summer here and snowy winters suck.
As someone else mentioned, the job market is a major concern.
The point is, FOR YOU, the southwest is good. But the East Coast has a varied climate. Florida doesn't see much snow, if any; Georgia and the Carolinas don't have "bad air" or much snow which some people like and that's why they live in Maine!
You obviously don't like the cold or humidity. That's great that you found a place you DO like. I also am leaving the east coast but only to get to someplace affordable for retirement. I definitely plan to come back often as I love it here.
So, aside from going back to school for 10 years for my doctorate or 2-4 years to get my masters for teaching, what other job markets are available there? For instance, I work in IT as a data analyst, would there be opportunities for someone like me?
I don't hear much about IT in Arizona, but then again I'm not familiar with the field. I know Austin is good for IT and San Jose added a lot of new IT jobs this year. So maybe those cities would be better for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest_Hills_Daddy
You mean the "right field" for Arizona of course. Career wise, some people would not consider physical therapy to be the right field as opposed to, say, banking or media.
I'm curious as to how the climate for small and mid sized businesses is in AZ compared with mid Atlantic or Northeast.
Again I can't answer this because it's not my expertise. All I do know is that Arizona has lower taxes than New York so I'd imagine I might be a little better. I do know that Texas is great for small and mid sized businesses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dman72
Right. Figure that many people staying here are in the right fields.
On my middle class block alone, every other house has a teacher or cop as one of the bread winners..the other person stays home or works in health care or some other field. You have a few people commuting into the city making good salaries mixed in.
You don't find 2 people owning a house working in retail or a service industry or something..because those people can't afford to buy a house. I'd move if I were them also.
The average physical therapist salary on Long Island is about $80,000 and it's not unusual to see some making $100,000 after several years, depending on where you work and how much education you have. The problem for us was that there was too much competition on Long Island for the PT field, not the salaries or being able to afford a house.
So, aside from going back to school for 10 years for my doctorate or 2-4 years to get my masters for teaching, what other job markets are available there? For instance, I work in IT as a data analyst, would there be opportunities for someone like me?
Yes, but at far lower compensation than say NYC, but probably comparable to LI salaries.
For a much better deal, look at some of the other western states, where salaries and overall comp are now higher than in NYC.
The point is, FOR YOU, the southwest is good. But the East Coast has a varied climate. Florida doesn't see much snow, if any; Georgia and the Carolinas don't have "bad air" or much snow which some people like and that's why they live in Maine!
You obviously don't like the cold or humidity. That's great that you found a place you DO like. I also am leaving the east coast but only to get to someplace affordable for retirement. I definitely plan to come back often as I love it here.
I live in NY.
The Southeast has miserably hot and humid summers. 95 and humid in Georgia is a much different experience than 95 in the Central Valley of California or Vegas in April. I've never met anyone who prefers hot and humid over hot and dry, but I'm sure there's some internet contrarian out there who will claim they do.
I don't mind cold, I just don't like snow. Last winter was fine. The previous winter sucked..we had snow on the ground for almost 3 months straight.
I'll take the fall in NY over any season anywhere, but if you're talking about year round weather, I can't say NY is superior to any place in the West.
I don't hear much about IT in Arizona, but then again I'm not familiar with the field. I know Austin is good for IT and San Jose added a lot of new IT jobs this year. So maybe those cities would be better for you.
Again I can't answer this because it's not my expertise. All I do know is that Arizona has lower taxes than New York so I'd imagine I might be a little better. I do know that Texas is great for small and mid sized businesses.
The average physical therapist salary on Long Island is about $80,000 and it's not unusual to see some making $100,000 after several years, depending on where you work and how much education you have. The problem for us was that there was too much competition on Long Island for the PT field, not the salaries or being able to afford a house.
I checked salary.com. If I could find a job in my field in Phoenix, I'd probably make 10K less than here, which would be a huge net gain considering cost of living.
However, my wife being a teacher, her salary would be cut in half, and that's not taking into account a New York State pension and job security, both of which probably fall off dramatically in Arizona.
In short, we're not going to Arizona, or anywhere else, for those reasons.
I like the four seasons. Fall is my favorite season and it is right around the corner. I'm one of the rare people who like winter. I love snow and cold weather, hot soup, snowmen, and fireplaces.
Just when the wool blankets begin to itch too much; spring begins. There is nothing better then that time of year when the sun repositions, the birds are out again and the flowering trees open up. Next thing you know it; it's Memorial day and the pool gets opened and the I'm outside planting annuals.
Arizona seems like a nice place to vacation, but I wouldn't want to live in the same climate all year.
Job market on LI is a nightmare when cost of living is factored in. Gotta be on the civil service/public teat to survive and that bird has flown.
Arizona is great but my wife wouldn't last a day in that heat and truth be told, it's pretty darn backwoodsy compared to NY and many NYers don't adapt well to the southwest, hot, texmex, low income, white trashy culture. I know that's generalizing but I've been there and it's valid.
Sedona and Phoenix are two separate worlds of income and culture just as Arizona and New York are.
As far as healthcare, definitely look south. Certain industries like fashion, trading (stocks and related) etc are still cutting edge here, but companies in that industry are moving the "no need to be in NYC" jobs elsewhere (read cheaper to do business).
The scoop about other states adding more jobs maybe true, but they are not adding the very high end jobs, but they got numbers on their side, consider this to be a mini outsourcing (within the USA). The most critical aspect for employers is finding the right person.
If more "qualified" people are available outside of NY, a company will explore the option to move its (non critical) operations outside. It seems like there is a steady migration of talented professionals to certain cities like Austin etc, no wonder tech companies have set up shops there.
NY area had an edge over most careers.... both in terms of salaries and numerical jobs.
I think that list has dwindled over the recent past. Salaries might have held up, but numbers are shaky at best. For IT.... average salaries are comparable (in some cases even higher outside of NY). I believe there still are a few very high paying jobs in the Big Apple (which everyone likes to cite when showing how good is life in NY) in many careers, but then again I think my kid is going to get a full scholarship at Harvard too . If you adjust for cost of living, then you might actually come out better else where.
For NY, its all about trying to get back to being business friendly, anyone who disputes this have to see the "The new New York" for business ads being run these days for proof.
But this was all about how much further your dollar goes. If you are one of those who loves this area ( seasons is a very popular reason cited over here) and cannot imagine moving, all of what I said above really is irrelevant (until you retire ).
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. If you adjust for cost of living, then you might actually come out better else where. 
