How much does a social worker's salary pay to live in San Jose or anywhere in The Bay Area? (San Diego: low income, rentals)

[Janoritish]

Originally Posted by AnythingOutdoors

The Bay Area isn't just bigger, the mountain ranges and the bay create multiple choke points as traffic is funneled into relatively narrow areas with no practical alternatives. If you go for a visit, I challenge you to stay one Tues night in Tracy and then try driving to San Jose or Oakland by 8:30am Wed morning. Or, try driving from San Jose to Tracy on a summer Friday departing around 6pm.

Texas may have big pickup trucks, but they're no match for the Bay Area's tech bros with expensive sports cars. Beware the BMW M5 and Tesla Model S on I-280

I definitely would do those drives. I'm starting to think that people might be the same there. I'm still going to visit and see what it's like.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Go fish. Personally I'd put SF near the end of my list, though there are certainly plenty of people there who are badly in need of social work services.

When I got out of school I was a bit discouraged by the pay rates I saw, around 18-19 grand. I was very connected at that time, I was talking with one of my classmates and she mentioned the state psych hospital was paying about 25 grand, which was a living wage. 18, not so much.

I applied, interviewed, got hired. Fascinating place to work. Lots of kooks to deal with, I'm talking staff now. I'd never been exposed to the sickest of the sick, schizophrenic and bipolar can be very out there. And then there are the borderlines, but again that's more staff issue. Haha just kidding.
But SPMI are a whole 'nother ball game, you don't just treat them you treat the family because the family suffers through these illnesses. Discharge planning and aftercare are absolutely critical to helping keep that person on a fairly even keel, functioning, and out of the hospital. I had friends who hated discharge planning, it can get very tickie and many leads just don't pan out. Try, try again. Don't give up.
I got some thank you letters from families, I knew SW staff who'd been there 20+ years who never got a letter. One of my colleagues told me our boss was holding a letter intended for me. She didn't tell me. I had to confront her to get that letter. Borderlines, they're a real treat.
Work hard, don't give up, care about your people, don't give up.

[Janoritish]

I want to work with kids and their families. Not sure how much of a need there is to work with kids in The Bay Area. I feel like there might be more singles than families there because of the high COL.

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, you need to know where to look to find an affordable rental. For example, Alameda, which is on the Bay off of Oakland, separate from Oakland but easily commutable to BART, is 1 area with cheaper rents. I did a quick search, and came up with this, one of the lower-priced options, but there are several at under $2000. It's a nice, quiet, friendly, family-oriented community with Bay beachfront.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...585461808.html

You're talking about living in places like Santa Rosa and taking the train somewhere to connect with BART, or living out in Tracy, and taking the train in to the Bay or to San Jose or wherever. Completely impractical. Long travel time, and bear in mind that a long distance like that is going to COST you! The train is expensive, and then you transfer to BART, or actually, maybe from Tracy the train would go to San Jose without the need to transfer. In any case, you'll spend whatever you save on rent just paying for your daily commute.

Another area with slightly more affordable rents is Albany, north of Berkeley, also on the Bay. You might be able to get social work gigs in the Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito area, or maybe Richmond. There's BART out there, and buses. Albany's nice.

You were asking on another thread about Las Vegas .Forget Las Vegas, OP, unless you don't mind living in an oven, which you may not, since you've survived Phx for several years. Ugh! Go for the towns on or near the Bay; the weather is cooler. Oh, but there's fog at night; damp, cold. Bring warm sweaters and jackets for after work hours.

[Janoritish]

Out of curiosity, what is Orange County like? Is it more affordable than The Bay Area? Is it far enough from the LA craziness?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Janoritish

I want to work with kids and their families. Not sure how much of a need there is to work with kids in The Bay Area. I feel like there might be more singles than families there because of the high COL.

Right; the entire Bay Area is devoid of kids, because no one can afford to have them, due to the high COL.

OP, you're going to have to lose the stereotypes if you want to find a job and a place to live. "The Bay Area is too expensive to have any kids." "Oakland is dangerous. 'No' to Oakland." "Commuting from Gilroy to San Jose will work." Yes, actually, more Silicon Valley workers have been settling in Gilroy for the affordability, but Gilroy became a lake during the recent rainstorms.

Neighborhoods in northeast Oakland are some of the most exclusive in the Bay Area. You'd be lucky to find a rental there. Here's one, btw, at just under $2K. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...581629586.html
Here's another: great location: walkable to BART, grocery, etc. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...585646430.html

You're going to need a "can-do" attitude to make this work, rather than a "no go" attitude. Especially considering that you know nothing about the area other than misguided rumors.

[Janoritish]

So having roommates is not an option. It's fine, if needed, I'll live in a very bad area. I'll just install an alarm. I'm probably only gonna make $40,000 a year. I wish California were more affordable. If I found an apartment that was $1,300 a month, that would work.

However, I feel like those apartments are in cities like Fresno and Bakersfield. Maybe there is one in the bay?

[AnythingOutdoors]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Right; the entire Bay Area is devoid of kids, because no one can afford to have them, due to the high COL.

OP, you're going to have to lose the stereotypes if you want to find a job and a place to live. "The Bay Area is too expensive to have any kids." "Oakland is dangerous. 'No' to Oakland." "Commuting from Gilroy to San Jose will work." Yes, actually, more Silicon Valley workers have been settling in Gilroy for the affordability, but Gilroy became a lake during the recent rainstorms.

Neighborhoods in northeast Oakland are some of the most exclusive in the Bay Area. You'd be lucky to find a rental there. Here's one, btw, at just under $2K. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...581629586.html
Here's another: great location: walkable to BART, grocery, etc. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...585646430.html

You're going to need a "can-do" attitude to make this work, rather than a "no go" attitude. Especially considering that you know nothing about the area other than misguided rumors.

Yes, the story around kids and families is quite a bit more nuanced. The most expensive parts of the Bay Area have seen a decline in kids and families. Places like San Francisco proper where a 3 bedroom house/apartment is prohibitively expensive. Some families moved out of the area entirely, yet most have moved to more affordable suburbs.

OP, you may find something that works in the Bay Area, but I would strongly advise to stop thinking of doing a long commute.

In your situation I would spend more time looking for job opportunities in your field in parts of the Bay Area you'd like to live. As I mentioned earlier, if at all possible live and work in the same general area. Santa Rosa is lovely, if there are openings there then try and live and work there. Same with Alameda which I think is a reasonable suggestion (though getting on/off the "island" may be more chaotic than you want). Dublin/Pleasanton/Livermore is also a viable option... again, if you can live + work in the same general area.

Many families have moved to Sacramento, which may be worth consideration.

I also happen to think Las Vegas is a good option. Not as hot as Phoenix (which you're already familiar with), but also a shorter hot season and very pleasant weather the rest of the year.

[moguldreamer]

Originally Posted by Janoritish

Hello, I am looking into a possible relocation to The Bay Area. I currently live in Phoenix, and after almost seven years in Arizona, I want to try living somewhere else. My hope is that The Bay Area will provide the social life and friendly people that I really want. My only concern is the cost of living.

With this said, how much do social workers typically make in The Bay Area? Is it enough to make a decent living? Could I make a living on $60,000 to $80,000 a year? Can I get a decent apartment for at least $1,800 to $2,000 a month?

Overall, for someone who is single and doesn't make much, is it possible to think about moving to The Bay Area or is it unrealistic? I read somewhere that rent is the same as it is in the Phoenix area, but wages pay a whole lot better. I would live in San Jose or in the outskirts and would take the BART into the city.

No.

Go elsewhere. The Bay Area is for people with much, much higher incomes than you will be paid. You will be miserable. You will feel far more impoverished than any of your clients.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Janoritish

So having roommates is not an option. It's fine, if needed, I'll live in a very bad area. I'll just install an alarm. I'm probably only gonna make $40,000 a year. I wish California were more affordable. If I found an apartment that was $1,300 a month, that would work.

However, I feel like those apartments are in cities like Fresno and Bakersfield. Maybe there is one in the bay?

You don't seem to be reading the posts here, and following up with your own research. I see no point in continuing to offer info until you're more actively involved.