Salary in DC Suburbs

[mandolinwalt]

Hello,

My wife and I are trying to get a grasp on what range of salary she can expect working in a DC suburb--Alexandria, Arlington, etc. I start law school next fall in DC, and we are trying to get an idea of what sort of housing we can afford. She has been an RN for four years, working in a hospital setting. Because we are in Louisiana right now, she only makes around 50k/year, but it is extremely cheap to live here--our rent right now is

Also, are there any suggestions on places to work? We are going to try to live by the blue or orange line, so that I can use public transport to get to school. But my wife will have a car, and would be willing to make a ~30 min. commute if necessary.

Thanks in advance

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

There are a few major players as far as healthcare systems in Northern Virginia ... Inova (http://www.inova.org), Reston Hospital Center (http://www.restonhospital.com/), and Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington (http://www.virginiahospitalcenter.com/). Inova has several hospitals in the NoVA area. I worked for an emergency department that was part of Inova Loudoun Hospital, and I was making slightly more than $30/hr with three years as an RN, not including differential, when I left in early 2011 (joined Army).

I've been a homeowner since the early 90s, so I'm not sure what rent is doing these days ... however, I know that from trying (unsuccessfully) to sell my home in Winchester (about 75 miles west of DC) before going into the Army, there is still a glut of homes on the market, so I have to think that renters will also have a wide selection of homes from which to choose.

[kbdavis]

My sister lives about 70 miles or so from DC. Her husband works in the district and the closer you get to Dc the more crime is. Thats why they live in the boonies.

[leenak]

There are plenty of safe areas near DC and even in DC. I've never felt unsafe in DC and I've even been in some of the sketchier parts of town. It is expensive though the closer you get to DC. I was reading some responses from other nurses in the area and salaries seem to vary between $50k to $80k for newer nurses (

I live in the suburbs, about 20 miles out of DC along the Red line. Our first apartment was about $1200 for a 2 bedroom, older apartment in a cheaper area. Alexandria and Arlington are nicer areas so they are pretty pricey and the closer to the metro you are, the more it'll cost.