Girlfriend and myself want to move to Montana to start a family, Would appreciate some advice :) (Billings: low income, loan)

[freshtracks]

Your have very little chance of finding a job in Montana without significant experience. The odds of two people finding decent jobs in the same town are even more steep. EVERYBODY wants to move to Montana, including lots of highly experienced people willing to take pay cuts to live there.

But if your fiance has political experience, there may be some kind of work in Helena. In general, Helena is the best place for people with advanced degrees and little experience to hope to find work, as it is home to many gov't jobs that hire based on specific qualifications - such as a Master's. Homes are a little pricey there but probably cheaper than you are used to. Taxes are dirt cheap in MT, so once you pay your mortgage bill the rest of your COL should be pretty low.

[Dragoon1337]

Originally Posted by freshtracks

Your have very little chance of finding a job in Montana without significant experience. The odds of two people finding decent jobs in the same town are even more steep. EVERYBODY wants to move to Montana, including lots of highly experienced people willing to take pay cuts to live there.

But if your fiance has political experience, there may be some kind of work in Helena. In general, Helena is the best place for people with advanced degrees and little experience to hope to find work, as it is home to many gov't jobs that hire based on specific qualifications - such as a Master's. Homes are a little pricey there but probably cheaper than you are used to. Taxes are dirt cheap in MT, so once you pay your mortgage bill the rest of your COL should be pretty low.

I am the one who has worked for some local politicians here. My fiance has not had an internship yet, but is planning to in microbiology.

Would you then recommend we work for 2-3 years here in Southern CA before we move to Montana? If we do so, we would probably have a very solid portion of the money for the home saved up. Average starting salary for my degree in the San Diego and LA area is around $45,000. My Fiance is over $50,000. We could always rent here and save up for a few years while we gain work experience.

Would having a PhD help finding a job? I have considered going on and getting my PhD but I am in doubt about that.

[MTSilvertip]

Not trying to be flippant, but for most of my early life I thought PHD meant "Post Hole Digger".

If you want to teach, a PhD may help, but the high level jobs you describe are few and far between in Montana.
Experience, talent, work history, ability count far more than degrees around here.

If you can create a work history that applies to something you may find here, it will count a lot more than that sheepskin on the wall unless you are an MD or Dentist or something like that.

Our politics are done on the cheap here as most campaigns with the exception of statewide or for national office are run on budgets in the few hundred/few thousand dollar range, not the hundred thousand to multi million range and I live in Helena and know only a few political consultants, and most of those are imported talent from out of state as they would starve here.

Microbiology may have a place with St Pete's hospital or with Carroll college, or with the department of Health and Human Services or Department of Agriculture or maybe with Department of Natural Resources.
Most state jobs don't pay well. Most jobs here overall don't pay well, and all jobs are few and far between with the exception of the oil patch, and most of those jobs are actually over the border in North Dakota, lots of people live in Montana and go to North Dakota to work.

Not trying to rain on your parade, but if you want wages in the ranges you are talking about, if you can bring your own job or transfer into an existing position, you can do fine. If you come looking for a job in that price range, you better have a large savings account because you will be looking for a while. There are some jobs like that, but there is a lot of competition for them and you would be going up against people with practical experience and resumes. A degree only goes so far.

I would reccomend you look first, plan long, don't let your decision be based on emotion, look cynically at what is here and take your time before you make your move.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

Not trying to be flippant, but for most of my early life I thought PHD meant "Post Hole Digger".
.

You really brought that one out. hahahaha I spent a lot of years digging post holes. I spent a lot of years bustin horses. I'm getting real tired os somebody telling me what I can, and can't do in my life. Let me tell you little missy, I busted a lot of horses. I carried water from the spring to the house. I humped out to the outhouse holding on to my britches. hahahaha

I, yet today, own a 1905 Duhamel. I will stand with anybody. I will stand tall in that saddle. I be 58 years young and I will stand up and ride with anybody. Gotta ride a lot of years to get to my house.

[happiness is]

Yes, I would recommend working and saving before you try to move.

I agree that advanced degrees in your fields are not going to gain much more for you in Montana.

My grandfather used to say PhD stood for Piled High and Deep....

H.I.

[Dragoon1337]

Can anyone here provide me with a few of the most thriving solid wage industries in MT?

That way I know what I should be focusing my internships on.

[talldarkone]

Montan has what is called " Scenic Tax" It is 50% of your expected wages, taken right out of your pay check BEFORE you even see it.


I laughed when I the Job Service lady asked what my last salary was.... She made a funny noise...air going out...and said..."Well you might have to settle for less, we don't even pay the Governer that much" we had a good laugh.

[happiness is]

To people outside of the state, the "scenic tax of 50%" is not real... it's a joke we have that lamentably, the beautiful outdoors of Montana has to be accepted as part of our compensation for living here and getting low wages.

[happiness is]

Dragoon, off hand, I can't think of any industry in Montana that is thriving.

This state has never been one where people have been paid top wages, and after the recession, it is even harder to make a living wage.

I am educated, used to be an art director, but for awhile I was watering plants for a living, in the houses of wealthy people who were here only a few months in the year. One would wonder why, when they could build a mansion anywhere in the world, why they would invest in such expensive houses here... well, it's because you can hire someone with a Master's degree to water your plants, and pay them less than you would in CA.

[Keim]

Oh, it is real. It just isn't collected by the state...