[Caltovegas]

If you move to Vegas and don't have a job say within three month the bus companies have a high turn over so drive a bus and still look for the job you want. Just understand Vegas is all about the casinos for the most part.

[duma512]

I appreciate the replies and info. I am currently in Austin and have been applying for jobs here, even though there are jobs they pay is entry level and then working your way up the ladder. So I was thinking there wont be too big of a pay difference when I move at the beginning. Also with UT students graduating every year its quite competitive in the accounting field. Aggrofish - A degree in accounting and working towards my CPA (taking the first part in Nov). Caltovegas - Thanks for the heads up! I was looking at a taxi cab too in a worst case scenario.

[ecd3easy]

Getting an initial job in Accounting or Finance is always tough if you don't go into Public Accounting. The truth about Vegas is they generally pay below market wages for junior white collar workers. You will be able to find something however with a smaller company in the valley. You will get paid a minimal amount ($11-$15 an hr). However do that for 1-2 years and you'll be fine after that. Finding the initial one is the key.

Try applying to the local and smaller CPA firms out here. UNLV grads tend to lock up the Big 3 (Vegas only has 3 of the Big 4) firms out here. Something may break for you.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by ecd3easy

Getting an initial job in Accounting or Finance is always tough if you don't go into Public Accounting. The truth about Vegas is they generally pay below market wages for junior white collar workers. You will be able to find something however with a smaller company in the valley. You will get paid a minimal amount ($11-$15 an hr). However do that for 1-2 years and you'll be fine after that. Finding the initial one is the key.

Try applying to the local and smaller CPA firms out here. UNLV grads tend to lock up the Big 3 (Vegas only has 3 of the Big 4) firms out here. Something may break for you.

Very true about the wages. My friend who moved here from Detroit and has been a comptroller for 20+ years at about $85K/year. She was just offered a job here doing the same thing for $34K. She turned it down, so there's at least one accounting job open!

[ecd3easy]

Originally Posted by Raiderman

Very true about the wages. My friend who moved here from Detroit and has been a comptroller for 20+ years at about $85K/year. She was just offered a job here doing the same thing for $34K. She turned it down, so there's at least one accounting job open!

It's weird and almost unreal what they what you to work for in Vegas. $34 for a comptroller .

[ElleTea]

In researching places to move to, I set up a daily email of new jobs from Careerbuilder. My field is accounting also. I had 3 cities in my search and each email would send me 25 new jobs. Of the 25, only one or 2 were from Las Vegas, and they were generally entry level, $10 an hour jobs.

That is what solidified my decision to not move to LV.

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

In researching places to move to, I set up a daily email of new jobs from Careerbuilder. My field is accounting also. I had 3 cities in my search and each email would send me 25 new jobs. Of the 25, only one or 2 were from Las Vegas, and they were generally entry level, $10 an hour jobs.

That is what solidified my decision to not move to LV.

Yet to some people, $10 an hour is a "good" salary, lol


I think you made the right choice in bypassing Las Vegas as a place to move to. While the Cost of Living here in Vegas might be low compared to bigger metro areas, still, with typical entry wages like that, you need to work a part time job as well or work many hours just to pay the bills and nothing else.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

Yet to some people, $10 an hour is a "good" salary, lol


I think you made the right choice in bypassing Las Vegas as a place to move to. While the Cost of Living here in Vegas might be low compared to bigger metro areas, still, with typical entry wages like that, you need to work a part time job as well or work many hours just to pay the bills and nothing else.

Yep. And what is the point of moving to a fun place like Vegas and have ZERO money to do anything?

To the OP, I'd stay in Austin. That was one of my cities in my search, and I got lots of hits on jobs from there.

[Willy702]

Not all accounting jobs are like this. The $10 hour jobs are basically bookkeepers small businesses are trying to pick off for a short while. They know a decent hire won't stay long, but for whatever reason they can't or won't pay more. Larger companies know the going rate for quality people and will pay much better. These are the type of jobs one gets with experience or through networking. Degreed accountant with 3 years experience should not work for less than 50k. If someone offers a controller 34k it means the job is going to suck beyond the pay and a decent worker will be out of there in a year. Vegas pay for professional people is not bad by any means, but there are a lot of desperate people who do get screwed. This is why when people move to Vegas they should have a good cushion of money or else they take crap jobs for crap pay and it takes years to get on the right track.

[Kitchen Witch]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Yep. And what is the point of moving to a fun place like Vegas and have ZERO money to do anything?

To the OP, I'd stay in Austin. That was one of my cities in my search, and I got lots of hits on jobs from there.

Sadly, that "I'll take a big cut in pay and pinch pennies until....." is what traps a lot of people once they move here. As you say, a fun place isn't any fun if you got no money!

Austin is an up an coming area, very nice in fact, may I ask where did you finally relocate to?