Job market in Tucson? (Vail, Pima: home, private schools, university)

[nc99arev]

Hi everyone,
I am looking into a possibility of moving to Tucson and wanted to get an idea of the job situation in your area (especially in the education field). I have a masters degree and 5 years of work experience. How long can I expect to search for a job, and what are some of the salary averages?
Thanks is advance!

[Tornado of Souls]

There are quite a few large schools here - try the University of Arizona or Pima College. There is also Rose Academies and many other private schools. Their websites have job listings where you can get the answers you need.

[russyboy]

Jobs are tight in Tucson even with a Masters degree. You posted your interest in education and five years of work experience but it may be helpful to post what your degree is in(i figure its probably education but realize it may not be). That makes a hugh difference and if your work experience is in the same field. Master's of education are not that unusual here as the UofA churns them out. If your degree is anything related to health care tecnologies those I know who work for Hospitals here are always looking for people.

The suggestions given about Pima and the UofA are good ones especially depending on your field but having looked at those jobs as well(also with a Masters) those jobs are so highly desired that they can post very specific experience requirments and the payrate is lower then you would have expected.

[nc99arev]

Originally Posted by russyboy

Jobs are tight in Tucson even with a Masters degree. You posted your interest in education and five years of work experience but it may be helpful to post what your degree is in(i figure its probably education but realize it may not be).

@russyboy, thanks for your input. I have a masters in arts administration/mgmt, and I've been working in higher ed for the past 5 years. Prior to that I have briefly worked at museums/gallery. I am just trying to get a sense of salary ranges so I'm not completely off when applying for jobs. I've looked at some UofA posting, but a lot of the time they do not list salaries.

[AndyAMG]

My wife has a BA in teaching and finally gave up looking for a job, she taught 8th graders in Vail but it paid so little ($965 a paycheck after taxes) being a stay at home mom was much better because what we paid for child care was almost 1600 a/mo. Things are pretty bleak here. I'm an Air Force officer, I am getting out and we are moving to Portland or Seattle.

Tucson is dead, the 5 years since I have been here the elderly that have a death grip on the city killed every initative to promote gowth, business, city beautification, infrastructure improvement, you name it. If it rased taxes they didnt want it. Baseball left, concerts and events pass by now. Enrollment is down at U of A. If they had there way they would close DM and AMARG because of the noise. If you are under 40 or are looking for progress or a well planed/ran city then don't bother with Tucson.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by AndyAMG

Things are pretty bleak here. I'm an Air Force officer, I am getting out and we are moving to Portland or Seattle.

If you are under 40 or are looking for progress or a well planed/ran city then don't bother with Tucson.

I hope you find that all your dreams come true in Portland and Seattle. Lots of people look at that area as the pot at the end of the rainbow. Lots of people leaving that area to come to AZ. I think it all evens out.

[coatimundi]

You could likely find a job working at a museum, but you may not be able to support yourself on it. I have a friend with a Master's in Education that works at a museum, and she's been there quite a while now, and still makes less than I did working as a web developer at UA (which wasn't much). I know that people with Master's in Art History usually end up as ushers (or whatever you call the people who walk around) at the Art Museum being paid $9 or so per hour, just hoping something higher up would open up.
The downside of having a large university in your city is that your working population is more highly educated than other similarly-sized metropolitan areas. Therefore, any degree means less in Tucson than it does in a lot of other places. I've found that employers in Tucson usually prefer practical experience over education.

[missmouseaz]

As with a lot of places in the country, the job market here is pretty crap at the moment. In addition to that, there is a certain aspect of Tucson society that is very relationship-oriented, and prefers to hire someone they know - either directly, or by a few degrees of separation. It's a good-old-boy/girl kind of town.

For example, I kept hearing how hard jobs at the UA were to land, but I was interviewed by 3 different divisions before I finally picked the great position I'm in now. All three of the people that chose to interview me knew my previous bosses personally. I got very lucky, but it sucks that not everyone is privy to that kind of luck.

I have a lot of empathy for anyone trying to break into any job market at this time. There are a lot of things working against you that are outside of your control.

Best of luck!