Salary ranges in the US...what are the high paying jobs?

[Immaculate]

Hello People!!
I'm glad that I found this forum and hopefully some one will respond. I was wondering if 70-75k is enough of a salary to live decently in San Fran. My company (Aramark) wants to send me out there to work in some hospital system. I Just moved from Va Beach, Va to Portland, Or just 4 weeks ago and now I potentially have to move again. Any suggestions or just opinions? I am a Biomedical Engineer Tech and here in Portland I make 46k which was cake compared to what I was making back in the hampton Roads area of VA. I tried to see what salaries are comparable to mine, but I am still not sure if it will be enough. I didn't come to the west coast for the first time just to struggle.

[ealimbuyao]

Location, location, location!

...that's the name of the game. Starting nurse's salary in San Fran is $40-44/hr while in Texas is $21-25/hr. It's the cost of living, cost of houses that make the difference.

[Scanner]

Yes, you can't go wrong with nursing or pharmacy at this point. Physician's assistant is another good career choice or a midwife (physician extenders).

As far as teachers, yes, in NJ, they have great benefits, I suppose all negotiated by the union.

What other job do you know where you get a paid maternity leave? I honestly can't think of any other. The pay could be considered mediocre but I actually would tack 25-30K in benefits onto their salary, it's worth that much.

Oh, their prescription copays went up from $2 to $5.00 - horrors!

Another thing - what other profession do you know that gets 10 weeks in the summer, and then Columbus Day, and then a 4 day weekend in November for a convention, and then a 4 day vacation at Thanksgiving, and then a week between Christmas and New Years and then MLK day, and then a 4 day Presidents Day weekend, and then Spring Break?

I'm not faulting them. . .but c'mon, that's worth something - that's something on the table.

BTW, thanks for the interest in the topic - you are inspiring me more to work on my book.

[kv968]

As far as teachers, yes, in NJ, they have great benefits, I suppose all negotiated by the union.

And let's not forget the ultimate in benefits...tenure.

[dreamweaver]

I could be rich....if I lived in California. Trona, California that is. You can still buy a house for less than 50,000. Heck, several years ago I looked at houses for less than 20K. No....it isn't for everyone. That is why the houses are so cheap. Still, I drive thru once in awhile....just to tell myself that if I EVER wanted to be rich I could be.

[asmom]

Yes, you can't go wrong with nursing or pharmacy at this point. Physician's assistant is another good career choice or a midwife (physician extenders).

Now, now Scanner, we advanced practice nurses strenously object to being referred to as "physician extenders".

(you may all now return your regularly scheduled programming)

[Fern]

Salaries vary greatly depending on what part of the country you live in. If you want to test that out, go to salary.com and punch in an occupation in your home state, then several others, and see what a difference there is.

Here in Connecticut, most notably lower Fairfield County (aka 'the Gold Coast') it is not at all uncommon for people to make in excess of $100K annnually. That pay range would be typical for a mid-level business executive, account manager, etc. in a wide range of industry.

With the cost of living here, it's tough to make ends meet on less than $50K, and there are many towns in southwestern CT you would simply be priced out of, but it can be done if you are very good with your money. Imake just $56K at my day job, which is fairly modest for my region.

[Immaculate]

I wish I had a better idea of California. Portland is actually cheaper than it was back home in Virginia Beach. The salaries there haven't caught up with the rising cost of living. I was struggling there making 35k and staying at home with mom and dad!! I get out here to Portland where everything is a little more expensive, and I breezing through life here. I still have to make a good decision on whether or not I want to go to San Fran.

[Fern]

San fran is very expensive.

[Schadenfreude]

I wish I had a better idea of California. Portland is actually cheaper than it was back home in Virginia Beach. The salaries there haven't caught up with the rising cost of living. I was struggling there making 35k and staying at home with mom and dad!! I get out here to Portland where everything is a little more expensive, and I breezing through life here. I still have to make a good decision on whether or not I want to go to San Fran.

$70-$75k in SF is not enough to buy a house. At all. If you are hell bent on home ownership, you'll be commuting 1.5 hours each way at least (that's NOT counting traffic). If you're renting, then you still probably won't be "breezing through life". It's an insanely expensive city.

Google, "sf rent heat map" for more detailed information on housing prices around the city.

[skibo]

My wife teaches at a public school - this year starting pay with a BS is around 33,000. Most go on to get a masters, and with a masters it levels off at 68,500 after 30 years.

Benefits are OK - the pension is vastly better than mine (I'm an engineer for a huge company) but she pays a lot into it, as well - 7.5% of every dollar. But if she retires after 40 years her pension will equal 100% of her pay (compared to mine, which will be ~35% of pay). Health ins. is a PPO which she only contributes a little to. No matching on 403b (401k equivelent) savings.

But, the real benefit is the time off and the schedule consistancy. She's off when the kids are off. There is no travel, no late nights getting ready for some big review, etc.

We live in Erie, PA - a past-its-prime milltown on the edge of the midwest.

[CRFSaver]

I have lived all over and it all depends what you do. I took a step back from running a global treasury department to a more entry level Corporate Risk Manager position and still make 6 figures. Of course thats also in the South Bay which has the highest real estate prices in the US. Of course I wouldn't live anywhere else.