Pay difference Denver, CO Springs, Ft. Collins

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Specializes in Emergency.

Is there a pay difference between Denver, CO Springs, or Ft Collins? We are selling our house and wanting to relocate to CO, but………I am really surprised by the pay, its much lower than I expected. I am coming from southern California and know I will have a decrease in pay in CO but my friend who has the same number of years experience makes exactly half of what I do in Denver. I would expect maybe a 30% decrease, but half, wow! I just can’t see that even with the cost of living lower that is equivalent to the pay difference. Any insight on pay in other CO cities would be much appreciated!!!

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

The decrease in pay, from what I've been told is jokingly called the "view tax". The simple fact is, the quality of life and beauty in CO is so nice that people are willing to make a lot less. We are getting ready to relocate to Ft. Collins, my boyfriend is taking about a 10% decrease as a pharmacist, and I am taking a pay cut from $29.00/hr to $24.00/hr --I am also commuting 40 minutes to Cheyenne, WY to work. It seems like a nice hospital, and I only have 6 month experience--so I am very grateful to have my dream job, the decrease in pay is worth it a million times over. I hope you make it to CO. I do hear that Denver, CO hospitals pay less because they are so saturated--but I can't speak from experience.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

What's your specialty?

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Just saw its ER. You will make more in the smaller towns.......

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Specializes in Emergency.

Thanks for the info! Any smaller towns you recommend?

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Specializes in Emergency.

Are there other advantages to living in CO but workign in WY such as tax breaks or anything?

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Durango. Frisco. Vail. Grand junction.

Those all have hospitals. Im moving to Vail in july..... paid a lot more than others.....

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Durango. Frisco. Vail. Grand junction.

Those all have hospitals. Im moving to Vail in july..... paid a lot more than others.....

Did you compare the increase of pay to the cost of the area. Vail is a pretty expensive place to live so I would imagine they would pay more.

Liz520, I know a lot of people that live in Fort Collins and work in WY. WY is a pretty wealthy state so it can be a good place to live. I am not sure what their taxes are compared to CO though.

Their should be a lot of jobs opening up in a couple years, to bad it's not sooner. They are building a few new facilities so that will open up a lot.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

it is only $300-500 more a month for a fully furnished, all bills paid(including cable and inet) condo on the side of the mountain..... that is not that much more a month.... You can pick up a decent 2 or 3 bedroom condo for $300k too. These are not what I would consider super high end condos for sale but they are also not a dump, the lease condos are very nice high end places in vail compared to the ones in denver though. I would not call that a significant increase in cost compared to pay.

Durango paid pretty well, St Anthonys facility in Frisco paid about 25% less than both of these, Grand Junction paid about 15% less, denver paid about 30%.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
it is only $300-500 more a month for a fully furnished, all bills paid(including cable and inet) condo on the side of the mountain..... that is not that much more a month.... You can pick up a decent 2 or 3 bedroom condo for $300k too. These are not what I would consider super high end condos for sale but they are also not a dump, the lease condos are very nice high end places in vail compared to the ones in denver though. I would not call that a significant increase in cost compared to pay.

Durango paid pretty well, St Anthonys facility in Frisco paid about 25% less than both of these, Grand Junction paid about 15% less, denver paid about 30%.

Hmmmm guess things have changed a bit there since the last time I was there. Granted i have a big family so I have never looked at condos or apartments and stuff. Only houses. I remember last time I had looked house process were similar to CA home prices which is a lot more then general Denver area. House prices here in Fort Collins are a little more than Denver on our nicer end of town, but not huge difference. At least last time I checked.

Castle Rock is a beautiful area too and you can commute to either Denver or Co Springs.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

View tax indeed! Silly Californians want to move here, have cheaper cost of living, better quality of living, and make the same pay. I keeeeed. ;)

You can pick up a decent 2 or 3 bedroom condo for $300k too. These are not what I would consider super high end condos for sale but they are also not a dump

I searched the MLS for all 2 and 3BD condos 300K and less in the Vail area. Only two results: both 2bd 1ba and 688sqft... that's TINY... built in the 60s... oh and an extra $300/mo in association dues.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Think what you want. I will be living on the side of the resort in 4 weeks..... its all good.

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