Goodbye Maui (live in, moving to, swimming)

[Dthraco]

Congratz on what looks to be a nice reprieve from the situation you were in. More money, lower cost of living, you definitely won't be broke all the time unless you choose to be.

[Tappan Zee]

Good luck Wink. Congrats on your new job. Always enjoyed your honest insight in Maui and enjoyed your pics.

[Jungjohann]

Blink,
Sorry to see you go. You never did get that surf ski lesson, and times running short............ PM me if you need a ride to the airport, that offer still stands....

You'll miss this place, but not the pay.

Aloha

[KauaiPono]

Good luck, wink. Keep us posted. I have always appreciated your posts.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Lovely photos. Best luck with the new job and new town.

[CyberCity]

Good luck on your new adventure.

Your experience illustrates that the "paradise tax" for living in Hawaii is a real thing to have to contend with for most folks.

[KauaiHiker]

If you get a hankering for Spam musubi, just make it yourself! Get a musubi mold at Long's before you go. Same for loco moco, etc.

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

Good luck on your new adventure.

Your experience illustrates that the "paradise tax" for living in Hawaii is a real thing to have to contend with for most folks.

The thing is, the cost of living isn't that high. Gas is expensive and electricity is expensive, but we're talking a few hundred dollars a month. Rent is cheaper on Maui than in a mainland city, food isn't bad except for specific items, and property tax is almost nothing. The problem is that jobs pay far less here, especially professional and tech jobs.

For example the IT techs at the county make even less than I do. They start around $32k. That's probably $1600/month take home pay. On the mainland they could be making $50k. Plus those salaries are standard for all state and county workers here. So a tech in Honolulu has to pay his entire salary for rent.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

The thing is, the cost of living isn't that high. Gas is expensive and electricity is expensive, but we're talking a few hundred dollars a month. Rent is cheaper on Maui than in a mainland city, food isn't bad except for specific items, and property tax is almost nothing. The problem is that jobs pay far less here, especially professional and tech jobs.

For example the IT techs at the county make even less than I do. They start around $32k. That's probably $1600/month take home pay. On the mainland they could be making $50k. Plus those salaries are standard for all state and county workers here. So a tech in Honolulu has to pay his entire salary for rent.

My rule of thumb for our recruiter if needing to source mainland candidates when they ask about compensation is: within the private sector - IT in Honolulu generally pays about 30-50% less than the San Francisco Bay Area with about the same cost of living. When/if we hire mainland candidates we focus all the effort on the West Coast (LA/SF/Seattle) as at least they are more used to the cost of living aspect and can start doing the math if they can live here on a reduced salary. About 50% burn out in year 1 when the lease is up and most of the rest leave in 2 years - when they pass the 2 year point they are generally here for good.

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

My rule of thumb for our recruiter if needing to source mainland candidates when they ask about compensation is: within the private sector - IT in Honolulu generally pays about 30-50% less than the San Francisco Bay Area with about the same cost of living. When/if we hire mainland candidates we focus all the effort on the West Coast (LA/SF/Seattle) as at least they are more used to the cost of living aspect and can start doing the math if they can live here on a reduced salary. About 50% burn out in year 1 when the lease is up and most of the rest leave in 2 years - when they pass the 2 year point they are generally here for good.

What do you pay IT technicians? I'm curious how the private sector compares to the county/state but job listings never include a salary.