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Hello everyone! I was recently offered an interview in D.C at a small non profit that says they will pay $29,000 annually. I know the D.C area can be expensive so I was just hoping someone could give me some idea of if this is a livable salary. I don't mind having roommates, but I don't not want to be in a bad neighborhood. I would be willing to commute up to 40 minutes. My school loans will run about 200-300 every month. Is it doable or will I be living off ramen noodles? Btw I am a recent grad so I'm not concerned about schools or anything like that.
No matter where you live, rather in the city or in the 'burbs, the only chance you have is by having a roommate. Find some friends or go on craiglist. That's your only option with a salary like that.
LMaoooo...no you can't make it...do your 6 months - one year and bounce to higher paying opportunities....the dc payscale that employers toss at ppl is almost laughable.
There are people here who would argue that you should "just do it!" and "you'll be fine!", but honestly, my advice would be: unless it's a dream job-type of opportunity, hold off until you're in a position to command a higher salary.
You seem to be aware that the cost of housing in DC is quite expensive. But with your current salary levels, you're looking at a monthly take-home somwhere in the neighborhood of $1800. From that $1800 you will need to pay your rent (an absolute minimum of $500 even with multiple roomates, for a crummy DC neighborhood or a far-flung one in the burbs), food, transportation costs (Metro/bus without a car, gas, insurance, parking and registration with), health insurance, cell phone/cable/internet, clothing, and incidentals (doctors visits, unanticipated expenses, travel, etc.) And that doesn't include any entertainment (restaurants, bars, shows, galleries, plays, etc.) or--perhaps most important--anything in your savings account or 401(k).
That's really, really tough. Now, I don't know what other means of support you might have in place, or what your specific situation is. So no one here can tell you whether you would be comfortable with this situation. But I can tell you that I *wouldn't* be comfortable, and would either look for a higher-paying job, or would wait until a better opportunity presented itself.
Yeah, I used an online paycheck calculator and it said I would be in 1,700's after taxes each month. Like 14thandyou said, some people have been telling me it's a start and I should try it, but even with a ton of roommates I figured I'd be really struggling. Thanks for the input everyone, I'm thinking it's not worth the five hour trip to go interview...
Hello everyone! I was recently offered an interview in D.C at a small non profit that says they will pay $29,000 annually. I know the D.C area can be expensive so I was just hoping someone could give me some idea of if this is a livable salary. I don't mind having roommates, but I don't not want to be in a bad neighborhood. I would be willing to commute up to 40 minutes. My school loans will run about 200-300 every month. Is it doable or will I be living off ramen noodles? Btw I am a recent grad so I'm not concerned about schools or anything like that.
That isn't going to work. Maybe $40,000 you could entertain the offer but $29,000 I wouldn't waste my time ...
I started in DC at $28k in 2005. I made it work living with a bunch of roommates. Rents have gone up since then, despite the economy, so have a little bit saved up before you make this kind of plunge. You'll be walking a fine financial line.
Yeah, I used an online paycheck calculator and it said I would be in 1,700's after taxes each month. Like 14thandyou said, some people have been telling me it's a start and I should try it, but even with a ton of roommates I figured I'd be really struggling. Thanks for the input everyone, I'm thinking it's not worth the five hour trip to go interview...
Think about it like this, is this job worth it? Is your salary going to increase or is this job going to give you the experience you need to get a higher paying job? If it can't do either of those things, then you would be taking a big risk. You have to think long term as well as right now. It's definitely possible to live here with roommates but then roommates can move to different areas, then what?
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