Moving California. Insight on pay scale etc?

caliotter3 · May 17, 2019

I only have one job at present, instead of two full time jobs, or a combination of full time and part time jobs, and had to borrow money last year to fix my car and just borrowed money again for medical care over and above what my "insurance" will pay for. It would be nice to really retire like I should have done a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, there are people in their retirement years who still live hand to mouth in California. Since we all can't have a mortgage, some of us have rent that outstrips a fixed income. Nobody has told me yet how to pay $1650 for a dump apartment on $1350 fixed income. Figure that one out without telling me I have to move elsewhere. I was born here and have a right to stay here. But a person who wants to move here had better take a good hard look at the dump $1650 one BR apartments in desirable ghetto neighborhoods if they are not already independently wealthy. Nothing wrong with telling it like it is.

LibraNurse27, BSN, RN · May 17, 2019

Hi ? I live in the SF Bay Area (25 mins from SF with no traffic so... 2 hours during rush hour! lol) I'm from here and wanted to stay so I'm dealing with the high rent, traffic, etc. Luckily I have a reverse commute and a great job and rent controlled apartment. Not sure if I'll ever be able to buy a house though... maybe a condo. Which part of CA would you like to move to? Norcal, Bay Area, SoCal, Central Valley and Inland Empire all have very different pay, cost of living, politics, and weather. Feel free to message me with any questions ?

fsuao2006 · May 17, 2019

You sound like me years ago... From Florida, wanted higher pay, ratios and hey! how about that weather!? haha. I took a 3 month travel contract in San Bernardino... HATED it.. went back to Florida for a few years... decided I wanted to give san diego a shot and I was tired of making pennies working in florida... on a whim I applied and got 4 job offers within a week at multiple hospitals here in San Diego.. (ER exp)..mind you, I am single, no kids, no boyfriend, etc. my only expense payment is for my student loans and my current job requires me to take call. If I was not taking call I could NOT afford to live here. My 600 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment is $2100 a month. I have a pet which makes things more difficult with housing but my friend with no pets just got a 1 bedroom for $1600 in my neighborhood but doesn't have near the amenities that I do. rates for so cal are all within $10/hr in all the hospitals in the $45-$55 pay scale. sounds like a lot coming from NC but with taxes, and the increased pay of everything you'll be living paycheck to paycheck if you have any sort of monthly payment other than your utilities. I've been here 2 years and have had a great experience in san diego but I have come to realize that I will NEVER be able to afford housing here on my own. I am going back to NP school and will be returning back to Florida so I can scale back my hours and not be homeless in the process. My suggestion is to take a travel assignment in different areas and decide from there.

WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS · May 17, 2019

42 minutes ago, HomeBound said:
As far as where I live now---I am a traveler. I own a home on the east coast, within an hours' drive of one of the nicest beach areas there outside of Florida's.
My taxes are under 4 figures on 10 acres with my beautiful home. I can drive to world class shopping, hop a plane or train to see a show for dinner in NYC (say THAT in Ca. no efficient or effective public transportation there AT ALL) and be home by midnight. World class museums and cultural attractions, with the rich history that embodies the east coast and mid atlantic region. If I want to go to one of the most famous hiking trails---the Appalachian---I can do that easily. We have some of the most beautiful scenery with the Smokey Mountains---friendly folks and just plain good people who don't consistently try to take advantage of everybody who crosses their path.
Absolutely amazing schools and higher education. State pension systems in the black. Decent wages---but I'd love to see nurse to patient ratios.

Yep, I know the area -- beautiful country -- good living. Y'all do need work on those nursing ratios though.

brownbook · May 17, 2019

51 minutes ago, hppygr8ful said:
Your allowed to water your grass???

We had a very wet winter, right now May 14 - 16 we're having winter storms and snow in the Sierras!

OscarTheOwl · May 17, 2019

I live in SoCal and it is bad, but not as bad as described. There are too many people, too many cars, and too much meth. This year is actually a very wet year, it's raining right now. I pay about 2K/month for my huge house. My water bill is around 30-40/month and I have a large inground pool/spa and run my sprinklers twice daily 3x a week AND I have 4 children and a husband. We are not water conservers by any means. I have never paid to park anywhere in my mid-large sized city.

Gas is around 3.75/gal. What will hit hard is tags/DMV fees, a truck will cost around 1000 for tags per year. Income/property taxes are high, but you adjust to this. It is hot and the air quality sucks, so maybe not a good choice for asthmatics or those with chronic lung conditions. I make 6 figures and do not have an advanced degree. I've never had an issue getting a job and my city has many nursing schools churning out new grads twice a year.

nursosarus, CNA, RN, EMT-I · May 17, 2019

I lived and worked in CA many years ago and it was a good experience. I got my surgical experience there and worked in Thousand Oaks, CA, UCLA, and Valley Presbyterian. If you like sitting in a hospital cafeteria and your summertime view is so obscured you can't see across the street, this is for you. I had trouble adjusting to having to wear a sweater during the summer nights. Us Southeners just aren't used to cool ocean breezes if you live near the coast. And if you like rainy and dry seasons, being prepared for earthquakes, mud slides, HIGH fire danger, insurance so high you need more than one job, this is for you. You could wait hour on hours just to get your driver's license and car registration, after you pass vehicle inspection. Another made the comment to have a job, excellent advise. The COL expense was high then. I can't imagine what it is now. If you really want to try it at least go and visit first. You might even considering taking a traveling assignment to test the water. Don't lock yourself into one geographical location. Take the time to familarize yourself with the state and what each area has to offer as far as pros and cons. I don't mean to say everything is bad but you have to be willing to compromise on some things you may want. There are cities in NC with large populations but nothing like the population and diversity you will be going to. Your commute will be a big adjustment. You will discover that miles is relative as 2-3 miles could take a few minutes to hours.

i

Zippy83 · May 17, 2019

35 minutes ago, OscarTheOwl said:
I live in SoCal and it is bad, but not as bad as described. There are too many people, too many cars, and too much meth. This year is I pay about 2K/month for my huge house.

I was going to guess Palm Springs, but later you mention you are in a mid to large size city. I guess that’s also subjective.

Where can you get a huge house with a pool for that price in SoCal? Moreno Valley? Hemet?

Sorry not trying to pry, but I live here too and have never seen anything that price, I want to know where I should be looking lol.

A little over a decade ago I was paying $1000 for a tiny two bedroom here, now I’m paying $2400 for a tiny two bedroom, I mean tiny, less than 700 ft.². No parking, no laundry But nice neighborhood with good schools.

guest769224 · May 17, 2019

12 hours ago, 2Ask said:
Coronado residents are often heard to comment, "another beautiful day in paradise". I have not seen any homeless here on the island but it is true that there is a high homeless population in SD and Chula Vista, etc. Coronado is not a hipster happening place however. It's quiet- small town feel. I walk 3 blocks to the beach to watch the sunset whenever I can. I like to boogie board and was able to do so with a wetsuit through Dec. Jan-Mar was too cold. I'm going to try my hand at kayaking- there are numerous spots for it @ the area. All my commuting around the island is on a beach cruiser bike.

Coronado looks beautiful! What a dream... I have been to Orange County beaches several times, but never further south. Do you mind if I PM you a few questions about nursing in the SD area?

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · May 17, 2019

22 hours ago, HomeBound said:
Before you do anything, have a job before you go. It's the most saturated market in the US besides the PNW and Boston/NYC areas.
The reason is that the shops are unionized and the pay is high.
California is very expensive. The high paying jobs are the mid valley--Sacramento, Roseville, SFB, Napa. They are all on the same union contract and it's very good. The RNs make ~55-75/hr. depending on where you snag a job.
Remember union dues. Each facility in that area takes $120/mo for them.
Southern CA is not high paying, but some are unionized. COL is atrocious, and I mean beyond belief in SoCal. You can get something decent in Inland Empire like Bakersfield---as long as you want to live in the desert with oil derricks and fracking going on all around you. It's the most toxic atmosphere I've seen since going through the Gulf states.
SoCal has the worst traffic, air quality and quality of life in general that I've seen. Everywhere you want to go---it takes an hour. And that's local. If you want to go to SF---people fly. It's cheaper, less time consuming and easier all around. The cost of housing in SoCal ---$2800-$3500 for a 2br that you could get for $1100 in Raleigh. The pay is NOT commensurate with the cost of living.
Mid valley--Sac and SFB is as bad on housing. SFB you have to have a roommate or 5 to live in a decent place. It's easy to drop $4000/mo on a 1 br in a decent neighborhood. SF has a tax for working in the city--and they rely on outsiders not knowing about that---and you get stuck financially because you think you're making a bundle---but you're taxed out the ying yang.
No parking in any of the bigger cities on the coastline. Don't bring a car.
Inland--Sac/Redding/Roseville---are all pretty much on fire every year. It's getting worse and worse. Last year people were walking around with masks on because the air quality was so poor from the fires.
NorCal has a different contract than Sac/SFB and SoCal. The pay is crap. The housing is just as expensive as Sacramento.
Sac/Redding housing--$1700-2000 for a 2br in a "safe" neighborhood. It's so hit and miss in that area...you just don't know what you're getting.
Don't even think about Modesto, Fresno, Stockton. Go watch the documentary on Fresno by a guy named Thoreaux. It's the most accurate depiction of what is really going on in that area with the meth problem.
Homeless and meth. Pretty much a staple in the entire state. It's a real problem and they're everywhere.
NorCal---like I said---read up on the fires. You'll understand why there is a mass exodus OUT of California.
The pay in SoCal is pretty much like NC. $28-35/hr. Same with NorCal. Sac and SFB are the players. If you can get in. The nurses there have it pretty much locked down---they all have 3 jobs so that there is no excess to be had.
It's hot. I mean---HOT. Unless you are on the coast, inland it gets to the 105-107 degree mark for a month or two at a time. Going outside is a prospect similar like jumping into a volcano. You have to spend all of the money you make at your high paying job to get OUT of the area and towards something resembling normal. Most of my friends spent their money and their time driving to Tahoe or to Oregon. It was the only relief that they had from the hot, dry, stifling, horrible air quality and crime.
It does NOT rain. You'd think that's impossible, but it's not. Everything is dead or you are paying out the orifice for your water bill.
A friend's water bill at her humble 2br rancher with her and her husband was $400/mo. And she had no grass.
The state income tax is the highest in the country I think--asides from NYC. Your "high pay" is knocked down by 45% after all of the state, local and federal taxes you pay. The gas tax is the highest--you pay double what you pay in NC.
Fees for nursing licensure just tripled.
Everything is monetized. Everything. And it's always twice or three times what you'd pay elsewhere.
Property taxes are the high---very similar to NY and NJ. Gun laws are so prohibitive--don't even bother bringing a personal weapon. They'll confiscate it.
NC---the pay is low, but you are leaving because of that---what I'd advise you to do is leave for a year---go traveling to CA just to get that "high pay" delusion out of your system---and then go back to NC.
Leaving and going back gets you a $5-8/hr bump in any of the hospitals in NC. Especially if you started at one of those hospitals as a new grad---and you're struggling to break the national median salary of $32/hr.
Just my advice. Because I did exactly what you are thinking of doing.
If you do it---have a place to go back to--don't burn your bridges. You just might need it.
Good luck to you.

I just wanted to add this is a pretty accurate description. I DO live in the inland sac area and will say my income close to doubled with obtaining a job here compared to Orange County. We stay because we own a home that’s pretty reasonable with 1800 a month mortgage. And the money is good. The fact that we can pay all our bills on one income works well because one of our kids is autistic. It meets our needs.

There are pros and cons. But only you can make that decision.

LaJollalove · May 17, 2019

I’m an LVN so I’m sorry I can’t give you a precise insight into the RN market but I do know lots of RN, lol and I’ve lived in So Cal most of my life.

I honesty can’t advice moving to CA. unless your husband makes over 100k. You can absolutely make over 100k here with a little OT as an RN. They seem to be tons of RN jobs.

Coastal California is stunningly beautiful even after all these years. I particularly like the Central Coast. I can’t afford it, even though I stayed with family there while still paying rent in the less than great Inland Empire. I made close to 30 hourly with plenty in fact too much to handle OT but I still couldn’t afford to rent a place that was nice and allowed pets and make my credit card bills I racked up from only make 20K in HH for years in polluted San Bernardino County.

Anyways the affordable parts of California aren’t desirable BUT they are (even with our insane traffic) accessible for a weekend trip. I would recommend living in Arizona or Nevada since you may have more than two days off in a row. That way you could afford a very nice home and just get a hotel where you want to stay in the paradise areas (near the coast only, let’s be honest) of California.

0.9%NormalSarah, BSN, RN · May 17, 2019

I live a little north of LA in a nice beach community and work for a hospital that is not unionized. I started at a little over $40 an hour as a new grad with an ADN. I know they do pay more up north but it’s also more expensive to live there. Yeah the traffic sucks but it’s a pretty nice place and I love it here. It is certainly expensive to live in my little town, but there are places just slightly inland by a few miles that are more affordable and you can still get to the beach in 20 minutes. I also moved here from the South several years back, it was a culture shock for sure but now I feel at home. Good luck with your choice!