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I currently live in the Research Triangle and have thought about moving a bit more north to be close to family in Hagerstown MD
However, the DMV/NoVa/DC Metro area just seems so expensive. In the best situation I'd be able to comfortably afford a 1bedroom for about $1000-$1500 at like 65K(if that is possible..). I'd say it is possible where I live, but not in DMV. I currently make 55k and think I could pull of a studio where I live, but currently live with a brother. Im working on certs in IT to move up and considering a move if I get the right job offer.
I also have a 50lb lab. Im a bit liberal. White single 29 male. Love the outdoors. Mostly biking, running, hiking.
I feel like my only options would be Pittsburg, Baltimore, DMV area, and Richmond. I've driven through Richmond enough to feel like I dont care much about it. So Pittsburg seems to take a lead on CoL and scenary. It takes off 2hrs from my trip to seeing family.
So to me it comes to CoL and Weather.
Pittsburg would be coldest place I've lived and also I know it gets moody for months. I grew up in FL and had seasonal depression even in NC. But its seems like a cool city and has lower CoL. However I doubt it competes with DMV with tech jobs?
DMV area is just more expensive and longterm I like Lower CoL. But I feel it might be silly to avoid the whole area, but not sure I want to deal with paying up just to live near DC. I dont really care about the cool factor of that.
I am leaning towards Pittsburgh, but the move will/would just be a bit more then something closer. I think the biggest concern is the winter. But with the right clothes I might be fine.
There is also Cleveland, but that is a bit farther and it think would land me just as far from family as I am now.
I currently live in the Research Triangle and have thought about moving a bit more north to be close to family in Hagerstown MD
However, the DMV/NoVa/DC Metro area just seems so expensive. In the best situation I'd be able to comfortably afford a 1bedroom for about $1000-$1500 at like 65K(if that is possible..). I'd say it is possible where I live, but not in DMV. I currently make 55k and think I could pull of a studio where I live, but currently live with a brother. Im working on certs in IT to move up and considering a move if I get the right job offer.
I also have a 50lb lab. Im a bit liberal. White single 29 male. Love the outdoors. Mostly biking, running, hiking.
I feel like my only options would be Pittsburg, Baltimore, DMV area, and Richmond. I've driven through Richmond enough to feel like I dont care much about it. So Pittsburg seems to take a lead on CoL and scenary. It takes off 2hrs from my trip to seeing family.
So to me it comes to CoL and Weather.
Pittsburg would be coldest place I've lived and also I know it gets moody for months. I grew up in FL and had seasonal depression even in NC. But its seems like a cool city and has lower CoL. However I doubt it competes with DMV with tech jobs?
DMV area is just more expensive and longterm I like Lower CoL. But I feel it might be silly to avoid the whole area, but not sure I want to deal with paying up just to live near DC. I dont really care about the cool factor of that.
I am leaning towards Pittsburgh, but the move will/would just be a bit more then something closer. I think the biggest concern is the winter. But with the right clothes I might be fine.
There is also Cleveland, but that is a bit farther and it think would land me just as far from family as I am now.
Thoughts/suggestions?
Expand on tech jobs. Do you want to be a desktop admin? security analyst? infrastructure or network professional? Do you want to work for a tech vendor, or for internal IT? Would you consider working in the channel space for a reseller or for a managed services provider?
Areas, like the Research Triangle, will have more vendors (companies that create tech products), and some more companies with an appetite to invest in technology. But as you know, every metro, big and small, has a tech footprint. And every metro has demand for technology workers, especially those that want to be in internal IT.
To me, unless you want to work for a technology product company (think saas) and be involved in innovation, you can live anywhere and make more money doing it. Entry level security folks command no less than $80k in any market. A developer with a rudimentary understanding of Java or HTML is worth $65k+. With the exception of very expensive markets, like San Francisco and Boston, earning power won't change. So you won't have to worry about that.
You will not have a harder or easier time finding a tech job in Pittsburgh, vs. Cleveland, vs. Columbus, vs. Cincinatti, etc. Every market needs tech workers, especially internal IT.
All of that to say - Pick the city you like the most, and that had the most industry in general. If it were me, I prefer Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Plenty of places in and around Philly to live well on an entry tech salary. And you'll find a large network of people doing so in the process, with more diverse industry than in Pittsburgh. I also prefer Baltimore, at least, that general part of the country, to Pittsburgh. But, it won't have the hills and access to hiking like Pitt will.
Expand on tech jobs. Do you want to be a desktop admin? security analyst? infrastructure or network professional? Do you want to work for a tech vendor, or for internal IT? Would you consider working in the channel space for a reseller or for a managed services provider?
Areas, like the Research Triangle, will have more vendors (companies that create tech products), and some more companies with an appetite to invest in technology. But as you know, every metro, big and small, has a tech footprint. And every metro has demand for technology workers, especially those that want to be in internal IT.
To me, unless you want to work for a technology product company (think saas) and be involved in innovation, you can live anywhere and make more money doing it. Entry level security folks command no less than $80k in any market. A developer with a rudimentary understanding of Java or HTML is worth $65k+.
You will not have a harder or easier time finding a tech job in Pittsburgh, vs. Cleveland, vs. Columbus, vs. Cincinatti, etc. Every market needs tech workers, especially internal IT.
Thanks for the reply and you are correct. I am looking to get into networking and then from there security or cloud. Right now I am a tier2 help desk specialist. from what I understand even entry security jobs are not "entry level IT jobs", but more like mid level career jobs. So right know network admin would be nice. I did a search for CCNA in Pittsburgh and got 50 results for jobs on indeed. I would do system admin as well. But Im studying for the Sec+ and CCNA right now. So as long as I find work It comes down to Col, weather, politics (not super conservative), outdoor options. Pittsburghs only hit for me is the cloudy weather which I feel like is something Id have to experience for a while before having a clear answer. I do like moodyness but weeks on end is hard, Id need vitamin d supplements lol
Thanks for the reply and you are correct. I am looking to get into networking and then from there security or cloud. Right now I am a tier2 help desk specialist. from what I understand even entry security jobs are not "entry level IT jobs", but more like mid level career jobs. So right know network admin would be nice. I did a search for CCNA in Pittsburgh and got 50 results for jobs on indeed. I would do system admin as well. But Im studying for the Sec+ and CCNA right now. So as long as I find work It comes down to Col, weather, politics (not super conservative), outdoor options. Pittsburghs only hit for me is the cloudy weather which I feel like is something Id have to experience for a while before having a clear answer. I do like moodyness but weeks on end is hard, Id need vitamin d supplements lol
Congrats - Great career ahead of you. I'm bias, but security is a fantastic avenue, especially as legacy networking becomes intertwined with security. Just look at what Zscaler is doing for a look at the future!
Yes, security jobs are covered in yellow tape, as they demand certain levels of general IT experience and a plethora of certs. But the reality is, if you can understand the fundamentals of CIS 18, and know how to triage a simple incident, you are a mega asset for any organization. Too bad there is an unwillingness to lower the entry level security expectation. Until companies do that, they will continue to struggle finding talent.
But I digress. Sounds to be like you are focusing more on internal IT. LinkedIn is chalk full of recruiters looking for headcount. I suspect 50 is grossly low for Pittsburgh, or any other mid-tier city. I'd bet there are 500+ open entry level IT jobs in Pittsburgh. Triple that in a city like Philadelphia and it's surrounding suburbs.
Again, personally, I like Philadelphia more. Just more to do, and a much more expansive cultural experience. Great food, ton of neighborhoods, within reach of plenty of hills and trails and ocean.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I love Pittsburgh. I think it is a beautiful city with lots to do and a great walkable downtown. But from what I hear, the winters are long and gray. I also think you should consider Philadelphia which is milder than Pittsburgh. If you live in the western suburbs like West Chester or along Main Line, you'd be just a bit over 2 1/2 hours to Hagerstown. Still going to be colder than the Triangle but warmer than Pittsburgh.
There is also the Harrisburg/Hershey/York/Lancaster area. Obviously a much smaller area, but very close to Hagerstown. Might be worth looking into.
You might also consider Frederick, MD or Winchester, VA. Each of those places has grown and could be close to Tech jobs. And of course, Baltimore gets a bad rap, but maybe someplace like Towson or the outskirts of Balto.?
Why not send out a bunch of resumes and see what kind of response you get? Good luck!
Albany-Schenectady-Troy NY comes to mind right away, as it even has a video game cluster and some other tech related jobs. Relatively affordable, near multiple sets of mountains and major cities such as NYC/Boston/Montreal are all within a few hours. There are also multiple walkable and/or relatively dense built environment neighborhoods that are desirable in each of those cities and even in other places in the area(Cohoes, Scotia, Delmar, maybe even parts of Watervliet, Rensselaer, etc.).
You say you’ve passed through Richmond, have you spent any time here?
It still may not be to your liking but it seems to check your boxes. If by passing through you mean you’ve seen it from 95, don’t cross it off of your list without a proper visit. The outdoors here beats the other places on your list.
I make about $65k and it still doesn’t feel like enough to fully enjoy Richmond these days. My rent is $1,200. It’s crazy how much money it takes to have nice things these days.
Northern Virginia and Washington are very expensive but salaries do keep up with the COL there. Instead of $65k you’d probably make $80k.
I second the Frederick MD suggestion. It’s small but it’s a very pretty, lively town and is only 30-40 minutes from Washington (so while it’s a small town you get the amenities of a metro of over 6 million people because lots of day trippers descend on it regularly providing enough business to keep the downtown bustling).
I’ve been to Pittsburgh about 6 times. It’s just OK IMO. The downtown is cool but I find the surrounding neighborhoods kinda dreary. It’s very much an Appalachian city.
Baltimore is a good option too. I personally love the place and on paper it’s really impressive (educated, wealthy, huge job market).
"Lower COL city" and "tech jobs" do not go together, generally speaking. Once a city or town becomes a hub of tech, only the tech workers with high salaries can afford to live there.
You might also consider Frederick, MD or Winchester, VA. Each of those places has grown and could be close to Tech jobs. And of course, Baltimore gets a bad rap, but maybe someplace like Towson or the outskirts of Balto.?
Quote:
Originally Posted by spencer114
I second the Frederick MD suggestion. It’s small but it’s a very pretty, lively town and is only 30-40 minutes from Washington (so while it’s a small town you get the amenities of a metro of over 6 million people because lots of day trippers descend on it regularly providing enough business to keep the downtown bustling).
Frederick is not THAT cheap lol...it's essentially the same price as Leesburg VA. Frederick is more or less an outer suburb of DC nowaday anyway. 1br is something like $1600-$1800, essentially the same price as places like Towson. Newer and nicer place? $2200 for 1br.
Winchester is probably cheaper but it's just not as nice as Frederick...the Maryland equivalent to Winchester would probably be Hagerstown. Plus Winchester is getting pretty far even to Dulles Airport area (where all those IT / Data Center jobs are). Instead of Winchester even Charles Town WV or Martinsburg are better. The latter even have commuter rail into DC.
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