Can you live on $80,000 a year in Northern VA (school, college)

[Artsywoman]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I agree with the last poster and disagree with the other two. I've been to many major metropolitan areas in my lifetime, and DC, by far, is one of the most materialistic ones. The sheer volume of high-end vehicles on the roadways is a very good indicator of this.

No way, check out Boston! Here all those cars are really secret service agents for the Prez!!

[bjohn209]

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for the sage advice. We're looking closer at renting for a year to get to know the area. Takes some of the pressure off too.

[Claire2900]

PWC has some top notch schools. Please look at SOL scores at greatschools.net and do some comparisons. I would highly recommend renting for a year and see your tolerance for commuting. Just because you live inside the beltway, doesn't mean your commute is a piece of cake. I lived in Arlington and drove to work on M Street and my commute to work at the height of rush hour was 45 mintues.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by Claire2900

PWC has some top notch schools. Please look at SOL scores at greatschools.net and do some comparisons. I would highly recommend renting for a year and see your tolerance for commuting. Just because you live inside the beltway, doesn't mean your commute is a piece of cake. I lived in Arlington and drove to work on M Street and my commute to work at the height of rush hour was 45 mintues.

Did you really mean to say PWC schools? If you did you are probably about the only person on here who has ever said that. It seems like the majority of the times that schools are discussed on here PWC seems to fall at the bottom.

[Thomas Brown]

You should definitely take the job, if you have not already. The quality of the staff in the federal govt is mich higher than in previous decades. The "company" will never go out of business. I recommend it highly.

[ateo]

Government workers like you are the reason that this area is so expensive. You can easily live on your 80K salary for pushing papers as an administrative assistant or human resources or whatever function you perform for the government at far above private sector pay.

You can't be fired and you are guaranteed a 3.9% raise every year.

What's the issue?

Median salary in Fairfax county for a man is 60K and you're making 80K. You won't live like a king, but you'll be in the top 50%.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by ateo

Government workers like you are the reason that this area is so expensive. You can easily live on your 80K salary for pushing papers as an administrative assistant or human resources or whatever function you perform for the government at far above private sector pay.

You can't be fired and you are guaranteed a 3.9% raise every year.

What's the issue?

Median salary in Fairfax county for a man is 60K and you're making 80K. You won't live like a king, but you'll be in the top 50%.

To the contrary, I believe most government jobs pay less than their equivalent in the private sector. If anything, I believe it may be the various contractors and other companies that find it advantageous to locate close to Washington that are driving up salaries and therefore the cost of living.

Not sure if I shared my opinion before in this thread... but I think that a single or couple who is more or less debt-free - maybe carrying a car note -can make it on $80K... they might even be able to score a condo. A family with more than one kid? That would be a stretch.

[ateo]

Originally Posted by Tone509

To the contrary, I believe most government jobs pay less than their equivalent in the private sector.

Government workers make less overall but not when you taken into consideration their skills and credentials. Anyone that has worked with federal employees knows that at least 75% of them are basically incompetent and worthless and just waiting on retirement.

80K to be a secretary? 80K to work in a museum? 80K to work in the library of congress shuffling books around?

There is nowhere in the private sector that pays these wages to perform these functions because they are not profitable, do not generate money, and are not highly skilled.

Most government employees are far overpaid for what they do, the hours they put in, and the skills and credentials they have. Sure they have a master's degree from strayer or umuc or some other online degree mill, but that's a joke in and of itself.

[ZakAttack]

Originally Posted by ateo

Government workers make less overall but not when you taken into consideration their skills and credentials. Anyone that has worked with federal employees knows that at least 75% of them are basically incompetent and worthless and just waiting on retirement.

80K to be a secretary? 80K to work in a museum? 80K to work in the library of congress shuffling books around?

There is nowhere in the private sector that pays these wages to perform these functions because they are not profitable, do not generate money, and are not highly skilled.

Most government employees are far overpaid for what they do, the hours they put in, and the skills and credentials they have. Sure they have a master's degree from strayer or umuc or some other online degree mill, but that's a joke in and of itself.

Man...get out of the bitter barn and come play in the hay.

[Skooby]

Originally Posted by ateo

Most government employees are far overpaid for what they do, the hours they put in, and the skills and credentials they have. Sure they have a master's degree from strayer or umuc or some other online degree mill, but that's a joke in and of itself.

UMUC is a degree mill? Sure they're online but I thought they have an actual campus. They are a traditional non-profit.