why is MA so expensive? (Boston, Worcester: loans, headhunters, buying a house)

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by brainbree

Again, the poster claimed that they doubt anyone is making less than $40K as a nurse (not necessarily as an RN, as neither myself nor Outdoor Lover was referring to RN specifically) in the entire state of Massachusetts. This is just factually wrong, hence my comment. There are nursing assistants, home nurses and LPNs in addition to RNs and other types who have lower wages. I'm not really sure what you're arguing. Throughout my comments I've intentionally stated nurses as opposed to RNs. I'm not sure why you keep on misrepresenting what I'm saying.

Those who are "low income" and a "nurse" would likely not be an RN, hence why I haven't been stating that.

What exactly is your point?

Why? Because you decided to call out a poster as elitist and out of touch when he made an accurate and non-absolute statement. You substantiated your position by perpetuating a the barely factual narrative that nurses ... and not CNAs ... are making 40-60K in west and central MA. Reality suggests otherwise. LPNs are rapidly becoming irrelevant in a hospital setting, which I'm sure you're aware, so I think you and I can assume most on this forum are referring to the real-deal RNs working in Worcester, metro-west, and Boston hospitals.

[brainbree]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Why? Because you decided to call out a poster as elitist and out of touch when he made an accurate and non-absolute statement. You substantiated your position by perpetuating a the barely factual narrative that nurses ... and not CNAs ... are making 40-60K in west and central MA. Reality suggests otherwise. LPNs are rapidly becoming irrelevant in a hospital setting, which I'm sure you're aware, so I think you and I can assume most on this forum are referring to the real-deal RNs working in Worcester, metro-west, and Boston hospitals.

Again we're not talking about hospital nurses, we're talking about "nurses". I'm really not understanding what you don't understand. You keep on saying RNs but I never made that claim to begin with. There's no such thing as "barely factual" by the way -- it's either a fact or it is not. It is a fact that there are nurses making that much out in western Massachusetts. I'm not sure what there is to dispute. Yes, RNs blah blah, hospitals blah blah. Yeah, I never said that. Sheesh. Literally this thread is about Massachusetts in general in the Massachusetts subforum.

The statement being made by the other poster, by the way is empirically false.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Why? Because you decided to call out a poster as elitist and out of touch when he made an accurate and non-absolute statement. You substantiated your position by perpetuating a the barely factual narrative that nurses ... and not CNAs ... are making 40-60K in west and central MA. Reality suggests otherwise. LPNs are rapidly becoming irrelevant in a hospital setting, which I'm sure you're aware, so I think you and I can assume most on this forum are referring to the real-deal RNs working in Worcester, metro-west, and Boston hospitals.

You're being polite. A new grad community college RN with average grades might start at $40K at a nursing home. We got on this topic since it relates to white collar professionals in the leafy suburbs. That's BSN and likely with an advanced degree or specialized training and a 6-figure job.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

You're being polite. A new grad community college RN with average grades might start at $40K at a nursing home. We got on this topic since it relates to white collar professionals in the leafy suburbs. That's BSN and likely with an advanced degree or specialized training and a 6-figure job.

Yes, well I thought the context was understand, but some enjoy a contrarian position even when it's severely misguided.

In a market where my borther-law pulls $120K gross as a corporate auto mechanic, and my father-inlaw pulls $135K gross as a unionized HVAC tech, I'm not terribly surprised home prices are where they are ... especially when paired with low interest rates. I and others on this board are painted as "out of touch", to which I ask "When is the last time you hired a plumber?". It's not just biotech-bros propping up this market.

[matrix5k]

Originally Posted by brainbree

Again, the poster claimed that they doubt anyone is making less than $40K as a nurse (not necessarily as an RN, as neither myself nor Outdoor Lover was referring to RN specifically) in the entire state of Massachusetts. This is just factually wrong, hence my comment. There are nursing assistants, home nurses and LPNs in addition to RNs and other types who have lower wages. I'm not really sure what you're arguing. Throughout my comments I've intentionally stated nurses as opposed to RNs. I'm not sure why you keep on misrepresenting what I'm saying.

Those who are "low income" and a "nurse" would likely not be an RN, hence why I haven't been stating that.

What exactly is your point?

We are arguing that the average nurse salary is much higher than 40k-60k which is what you said, just own up to it. If you type "average nurse salary" into Google (with no mention of RN as you said), the top result is $68,450.

[brainbree]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

We are arguing that the average nurse salary is much higher than 40k-60k which is what you said, just own up to it. If you type "average nurse salary" into Google (with no mention of RN as you said), the top result is $68,450.

Again, no (I never even made the claim that the average nurse salary is $40-60K to begin with).

Here's the original thing we're discussing:

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I just don't think it's nearly as dire as some are making it out to be - like if you let some people into town that make less than 6-figures, your house value is going to be cut in half.

And while some caution about the dangers of the dreaded low income residents, even those making $40K-$60K, like a nurse or accountant, will have a tough time making it in this area. Are they supposed to be a threat to the community also?

Notice there's no "RN" here, nor "average". The poster is saying, low income residents, even those making...

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by brainbree

Again, no (I never even made the claim that the average nurse salary is $40-60K to begin with).

Here's the original thing we're discussing:



Notice there's no "RN" here, nor "average". The poster is saying, low income residents, even those making...

In the pursuit of being right, I believe the point being overlooked is that these "average" workers are also the ones contributing to the high housing costs. I believe posters were rebuffing the original comment for this reason.

There is, effectively, no longer a middle-class. There is an upper middle-class and poverty. Nurses, accountants, cops, tradesmen/techs, public sector workers, etc. are, statistically, on the cusp of Boston's upper middle-class or solidly within.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by brainbree

Again, no (I never even made the claim that the average nurse salary is $40-60K to begin with).

Here's the original thing we're discussing:



Notice there's no "RN" here, nor "average". The poster is saying, low income residents, even those making...

Yep, I am the guilty one ;-) ...I didn't mean best case - like you're an RN, with 20 years experience, in Boston, at Mass General, working overtime - that's the edge case. I meant you're either an LPN or RN, working in any hospital in the greater metro Boston area, because housing costs are pretty rough all over this area.

From some browsing of nursing salaries online, it looks like an LPN in this area will average anywhere from $52K in Lowell to $63K in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, while an RN in this area will average anywhere from $72K in Lynn-Saugus to $97K in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Note that these figures are average, and not starting salaries. See:
https://nursesalaryguide.net/nurse-s...massachusetts/

...Accounting salaries are similar.

[brainbree]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Yep, I am the guilty one ;-) ...I didn't mean best case - like you're an RN, with 20 years experience, in Boston, at Mass General, working overtime - that's the edge case. I meant you're either an LPN or RN, working in any hospital in the greater metro Boston area, because housing costs are pretty rough all over this area.

From some browsing of nursing salaries online, it looks like an LPN in this area will average anywhere from $52K in Lowell to $63K in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, while an RN in this area will average anywhere from $72K in Lynn-Saugus to $97K in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Note that these figures are average, and not starting salaries. See:
https://nursesalaryguide.net/nurse-s...massachusetts/

...Accounting salaries are similar.

To quote the other two posters, if you're talking strictly Greater Boston area, the only way you'd get to $40-60K (even in the worst case scenario) would be things like home nurses, nurses who work at nursing homes, etc. Not that it changes your point or anything.

[western mass and love it]

My daughter is an RN working at Baystate in Spfld. She has her BSN and has been working for 3 years. She is currently at the 80k range for salary. Her husband is a Nurse anesthesiologist ( I know there's a different name, don't shoot me). He is well over 110k , he obviously has a master's and a specific focus but that's what the rates are out here in the wild wild West.