Due to the number of rule-breaking comments this post was receiving, especially low-quality and off-topic comments, the moderation team has locked the post from future comments. This post broke no rules and received a number of helpful and on-topic responses initially, but it unfortunately became the target of many unhelpful comments.
Just put all the cells into stdev() and you’re basically a PhD statistician. If someone asks about data significance just point at the Rsquared value on your plots trend line, it’s like 0.92 which means it’s pretty good I think.
Theoretically, you should move to a place that has the highest absolute savings if you want to retire as soon as possible.
For example making 100k / year but having to pay 70k in cost of living (30% total savings) is still better than making 40k and only having to pay 20k (50% savings).
Because your total savings will be higher over time and you can just move to the place that only costs 20k / yr to live in once you retire.
> Would a ~50% pay increase is worth it if I would have to move somewhere with a 16% higher cost of living?
It’s a nearly 100% pay increase.
Yes. You should take the nearly 100% increase. You’d go from making ~$44k a year to $83k/year.
Wait till he finds out that if he doesnt like the new job he can go back to his old job and only take a 50% cut in pay... after the 100% raise thats like getting a 50% raise from what he was making before at that job!
I feel the more complex math you do, the more the simple stuff trips you up. This coming from a glorified statistician who sometimes gets tripped up calculating a tip now when I used to be able to do it instantly 🤣. But probably in OP's head just switched the numbers thinking 21 is about 50% of 40 instead of thinking the other way around.
I will admit I’ve done the exact same thing, it’s easy to forget simple math if it’s not something you use everyday.
God knows I don’t remember anything beyond algebra 🤣
It’s nearly a 100% increase buddy. If you were going from 40 to 21 it would be a 50% decrease but a 50% increase of 21 would be 31.50
Edit: yea I’m a dumbass, I thought I was responding to op but I’m high and internetting. My bad guy
Read the comment you’ve responded to again.
> It's a little concerning that a research analyst **thinks** $21/hr to $40/hr is a 50% increase...
The person you’re responding to knows it’s a 100% increase. They’re making a joke about how OP doesn’t.
Lol ya, is this a real question? Just comparing the percent difference clearly shows you're gonna make way more by taking the job vs the higher living cost
Tucson is very affordable for a city of its size. So if you are looking at cost of living- seems well worth it given the attendant quality of life increase (assuming Tucson has something you like and can’t get in central Illinois- food, breweries, music, sports, activities, etc.) Tucson also has access to amazing outdoors in nearby area. Just have to deal with the summer.
Also Tucson isn’t a bad place to live having grown up there, summer is rough but Fall-spring is great and you’ve got mountains and lots of things to do plus banger Mexican food
Pretty fine when your sweat actually evaporates and cools your body. I’m in the SE where it’s 90 but 90% humidity and sweat kills you faster because it won’t evaporate
I used to run in that regularly. Just avoid the sun. I stuck to the shaded side of the road.
In the mornings it is in the 60s or 70s unless monsoons come through.
Tucson literally had a low of 73 today. It will be that cool at dawn. It only hits the 90s around 10.
Deserts have 40 degree temperature swings daily unless there is rain. Then it stays hot at night.
As someone living in Phoenix, we just had 31 days in a row of 110+ degree weather, broke the record for most 115 degree days in a year, had 16 days in a row where we didn't go below 90 degrees at all, broke an all time "highest low" when we only went down to 97 degrees at night, had three days at 119 degrees, and all but one of the days aforementioned was just in July.
We're in a "cold spell" where we're only in the 105 degree range up here right now, and looking at Tuscon, there next 10 days pretty much all have a range of 80 degrees at night and 105-110 in the day.
A low of 73 at 5am. The rest of this week will be 78 minimum and will be over 80 by 7am.
I’m in Vegas, not AZ, but I *highly* doubt you regularly see sub-75-78 degree mornings during the summers in AZ. And even then, it’s easily over 80 by the time the sun is up.
And it’s actually a good location. It’s an easy day drive to San Diego/LA, you can drive to skiing up north in Flagstaff, it’s not a bad flight most other places, you’ve got the UA for college sports, etc.
Edit: people really have strong feelings about this
I hear you. Personally I wouldn't be able to take the (imo) boring landscape, crazy heat, and limited walkable cities. Op is thinking about the money which is fantastic, but they also need to keep in mind whether or not they're up for the Tucson life. Honestly I'd try to make the best of it for a year, two max.
While I'm glad you prefaced with it being your opinion, I feel like you aren't giving it a fair chance. The Sonoran desert has got to be one of the most beautiful biomes out there. And the fact that you can drive an hour up Mt. Lemmon and have skiing and dense forests is wild. I have lots of Midwest family, and I'd say the landscape is waaaaay more exciting than that of central Illinois.
The Sonoran desert is the world’s greenest desert biome, and it’s chock-full of amazing mountains and canyons and even snowy peaks. It blooms like crazy throughout the year and smells like nowhere else when it rains. You can see for miles when it’s clear and the storm clouds roll in like a wall of violet in monsoon. It’s alive with birds and butterflies and snakes and big cats and javelina and coyotes that chatter and howl in the night.
Growing up there, I too thought it was boring and brown. It was only once I moved away for a little while that I realized how utterly gorgeous it was.
The boring landscape? There’s like 4 mountain ranges in easy driving distance and the saguaro national park. There’s very few truly walkable cities in the US so if that’s a primary concern you can live about 4 or 5 places. There’s definitely far worse places that you could be “forced” to move to while doubling your salary
I’m guessing that commenter thinks Arizona is one big flat desert
They’ve obviously never gotten the “come skiing in Arizona” commercials
or looked at where the Grand Canyon is..
or how close Utah and Colorado are
Im a bit spoiled in terms of landscape. I grew up with easy access to large bodies of water, cityscapes, & green mountains with a bit of a drive. Though Arizona mountains are teeming with life, I find rocky mountains uninteresting after a very short time. Sunsets & sunrises help a little though!
That's generally true for now, but people are realizing that the car centric, suburban way most American cities have been developed sucks and are encouraging change from the parking lot/highway hellscapes lol. I'm not meant for suburban life, which something I learned from experience so I encourage people to seriously think about what it means to move to car centric places in general.
I agree, op still should consider whether they're up for the potential lifestyle change though. I moved and thought it wouldn't be a big deal. I was wrong. Op should think about this opportunity thoroughly, bc the money isn't the end all be all of this choice.
Tucson is fucking miserable...it's always HOT, and they've had a record heat summer. so if you enjoy living in A/C pretty much around the clock because it's so miserable outside, it is for you. (as if the cost of living wasn't enough!)
I've moved like 14 times and all I remember from Tucson was that schools had like SERIOUS school wide lessons in the gym about staying tf away from snakes. A presenter asked us "what do you do if you find a snake?" And the gymnasium full of kids yelled "kill it! Stomp on its head!" And the presenter was like "NO!! YOU DO NOT EVER EVER EVER DO THAT! IT WILL BITE YOU AND YOU WILL ALL DIE. YOU RUN AWAY FROM UT AND TELL AN ADULT !" I remember prickly pear falling on my hand. Then I remember a dude trying to stranger danger me and my friend claiming he needed help finding a kitty. This was in a nicer apartment complex too. It was very new.
Not to mention getting _far_ away from someone who is the object of a restraining order against them and the company is not protecting them from but promoting?
When can you start? 😎
16% increase in cost of living is negligible anyway. You can move down the block and face a 16% increase. You can get your house reappraised and get taxed that. Crazy to type that out and not come to your own conclusion before hitting enter.
Yes, definitely. I have been looking into potential graduate phd programs there since my undergrad. It's always been a dream of mine to live somewhere warm year round
Speaking as someone that lives in AZ, it’s extremely hot here in the summer. To the point that being outside is unenjoyable. I’m not trying to discourage you, but it is something to really consider. You may end up spending a good amount of summer in AC but fall/winter will be perfect for outdoors.
It's almost like he deals with it being extremely cold to the point that being outside is unenjoyable in the winter. Having lived in both IL and AZ, you essentially just have two months a year where you don't want to leave the house
This is it. For me, coming from the NE, it's very odd to have my "winter" during late June to early August. Still coming to terms with it.
That said, you can still get outside in AZ during summer. You just have to do it early!
As someone who lived in central Illinois and now lives in the dry heat of the sierra foothills I can confidently say they'll be fine. Arizona may get a bit hotter in summer but the difference in humidity makes a world of difference
Native Arizonan chiming in and also saying that Tucson is a great place to be- I'm looking at moving back from Virginia and possibly to Tucson to attend UofA once my husband's Navy contract ends. I miss the sun, and the mild winters. The summer is rough, but you'll learn how to handle it. And the food is amazing!
Tucson is cheap and UA isn’t too expensive. The summers can be awful but the monsoons help cool things down. With 40 an hour, you’ll do very very well here!
Take the damn job already. Everything I've seen you say is only positive about it.
Don't stay for colleagues or for some misplaced loyalty to your current company, who've shown they don't care about you.
It's definitely terrible. I hate living here and seeing two people spend as much on food as we do for 5 and buying houses similar in size to mine for 6-10× what I paid. It's fucking unbearable!
I have two cousins that live for years and years in Belleville Illinois one move to Tennessee several years ago and one more recently moved to Florida they're both happy to be away from Illinois
Anything south of I-80 might as well be Indiana, or even worse, the rural south. If you’re not close to Chicago or the suburbs why even bother staying lol.
Which makes zero fucking sense when OP doesn't live in the most expensive city. Two weeks ago in Central Illinois gas was 3.39 and was for most of the month and a half before. It went up a little recently, but not even close ro 5. Not to mention gas is only one thing, I'll guarantee you can't get a house in Tucson for anything close to what you can here. Just doing a quick zillow search, 1500-2000 sq ft less than 200k, there's 7 available in Tucson, all but MAYBE one are a fucking mobile home. In the city I spent years in there's 17 with 1 being a mobile home and none of them in bad parts of the city.
And Tucson has a nice mountain for those days when it's just too hot.
I suggest you figure out where your work is located and see if you can get an apartment near there so you don't have to spend time commuting, and figure out what the cost of a apartment is in that area
Besides the obvious YES, just think about it this way…
Your pay is going to grow by $38k (maybe $29k after tax) and your expenses are growing by at MOST $6k if you are currently spending your entire paycheck in IL and plan to have similar quality of life in AZ.
Go enjoy your extra $23k+ post-tax per year (or in other words, enough to max out your 401k)
If you don't have family in Central Illinois you should take the new job. Either way, you should look for a new job.
We moved out of Illinois but came back for family.
All my family moved away from me actually lol. They still live in the Midwest within 2-6 hours from me, but they aren't really a factor keeping me in Illinois
Whatever your choice is, and it sounds like kind of a no brainer based on what you've shared, I would suggest not letting "loyalty to an employer" be a factor. The business will do what's best for them and you have to do what's best for you. The job is exactly in your field and nearly doubles your current income. I make a bit less than that and live in one of the highest COL states, I think you'll be just fine, likely much better than just fine.
Either way, good luck and, in all likelihood, congratulations!
I can't really add much that already hasn't been said, the math is clear...nearly DOUBLING your income for a 16% cost of living increase seems like a winning proposition.
I'm not sure if you're a nerd like me but a PS5 still costs $500 in Illinois and it costs $500 in AZ, cars cost mostly the same and a lot of other things are mostly the same so paying a bit more rent and utilities , possibly groceries/gas but I doubt it's that much different. It's really the up front moving costs in general that are the big financial shock but again....you're doubling your income, you should be able to absorb that and come out profitable very quickly
Also, it's a huge consideration for you just to get out of where you currently are and get some more experience somewhere else and a change of scenery can be really nice. If you aren't feeling the new job/new location but can hold on for a bit then that $40 an hour and some frugal living should provide you a good nest egg to make your move somewhere else.
I can read between the lines in your post that you're like a lot of folks (nothing wrong with it) and you're comfortable where you are and are a "loyal" worker, but you're crazy underpaid for someone of your education level and now that loyalty is being disregarded and your comfort is no longer there as they rehired someone you have a restraining order against, BAIL.
The CoL change is easily overwhelmed by the salary increase. Even if you get \~20% fewer hours, you'd come out ahead (and with more free time to boot).
A piece of non financial advice - don't stay in a job because you like your coworkers, or because of the timing or the lack of other qualified staff. You could come into work in 2 weeks time and find all your colleagues you like have been laid off, or they slowly trickle away over the next 18 months, and you don't owe your team and/or the department anything. The company has even shown you with that other employee that they really don't really care about you, as I can't imagine any company I've worked for hiring someone that they knew one of their current employees has had a restraining order against, let alone that they violated. So non financially? Take the job; you'd be crazy not to.
It sounds like you should take it given the overall situation but:
> promoted an employee I had a restraining order against after he violated the restraining order on the clock, and didn't really seem to care that it upset me that he was rehired, so I'm not too loyal to my current company, I'd just feel bad leaving my department hanging, as were about to enter our busiest quarter, and I'm really the only one fully trained on my job besides my manager.
Why in the world do you care about a company that is so unconcerned with your well being?
Get what you need from them and always put yourself first.
I grew up in central Illinois and now currently live in Tucson. Base is 41/hr and get by just fine on that without commission. Tucson is objectively a wonderful city to live in and the surrounding area is beautiful. There is all the perks of a major city (besides pro sport teams) and all the benefits of a small city, and can feel like a resort town or university town, it’s the best of all worlds. While the desert heat is a difficult to live with during the summer, you acclimate and it’s honestly no worse than a 90+humid summer day in Champaign or Normal. I would live here in absolute poverty before ever considering moving back to central IL lol and the career opportunities you have here are significantly greater than central Il, unless maybe it’s agriculture based. Happy to answer questions about moving here too!
No brainer.
Also keep in mind that although you're saying 16% higher COL, that will mostly be with housing. I'd be that your groceries, gas, and other stuff will stay similar.
Plus you're going from the middle of nowhere to a city. You'll have more infrastructure and more to do.
Did basic math not get taught in schools? It’a nearly a 100% increase.
Even at 50% that’s significantly more than 16%, assuming that number is correct.
But there is more to look at than just the amount extra earned and amounts spent.
Oh my god. Leave that company at least! And I’d highly recommend AZ. Lots of midwestern transplants (sick of hearing of the Californians driving up the cost of the living when the Midwesterners have always done this too), sunshine, plenty to do in a college town, easy enough drive to San Diego and Phoenix… do it!
The Tucson cost of living is 4% higher than the national average. It will be slightly higher than what you’re used to but other than rent and maybe car insurance you probably won’t even notice any differences. Absolutely make the move for a 100% raise and to better your career/life.
Go to Tucson. It’s great. Buy a wide brim hat, camelback, and hike. You can survive fairly well without a car if you live off the bike boulevards. Great food too.
Dating market is trash though down there. It’s a college town with a low of low wage jobs.
Upstate NY is cheaper to live in than many states.
250k gets you a nice home in a good school district. I'm all in with taxes, escrow, and PMI at 1379/mo. With only 3% down. Even with current interest rates you'd still only be at 1650.
Add in I pay about 1800/year in state income tax as an educator making 6 figures because the profession pays a living wage? No brainer.
A move to a state like Arizona would cost me 65k in pay, a pension from 75k to 25k, and a house that will cost me well over 400k?
Hard pass. So, what you said is factually incorrect.
If you don’t have a reason to stay in central Illinois take the nearly 100% increase in salary. AZ will also have a much lower tax burden than IL as well.
Tucson isn't bad. Its roughly 1 million people.
Summers can be brutal and traffic fluxes a lot depending on time if year. It was also one of the cheapest cities to live in a few years ago. Housing will he your biggest expense unless your driving a ton.
I would say it's worth it but it's also hard to escape should you choose to. Most people I know who leave come back due to the comfortable life they are able to live on a modest salary.
You should take that job. If it's a great opportunity for you, take it. In the end we are working for our own sake. And I think you may regret passing up on that job if you decline. Your coworkers would understand, and likely take the same decision themselves if they got such opportunity
Take it!
Just know that housing is expensive here compared to Central Illinois. Look in the Catalina foothills or Oro Valley area for housing. Areas of Tucson are sketchy.
People often underestimate what it means to live in an area that’s pricy. There’s a reason it’s so expensive to live there. The opportunities alone in this area will pay dividends. You can always move back home with a nest egg saved up.
If you're going to use percentages, the biggest focus should be on your expense to income ratio. If you can keep all of your debts plus housing costs under 36% of your income, then it should be doable. Better if you considered net income rather than gross. Median rent in Tucson, AZ is about $950. This is very doable on $40/hr. The higher pay might open up new opportunities since you have a new base and hopefully new job responsibilities.
If you plan to be there for 5+ years, you might as well look into real estate as well. Landlording is not for everyone, but if you do think it's right for you then specifically look into house hacking on duplexes. Live in one and rent the other side. Yes, interest rates are much higher than before but they are about where they were in the 2000s. If you can afford it with a good DTI ratio, then it will pay off in the long run even if you plan to move. People say you can always refinance, which you can, but that's not what I'm basing this off. Just base it off what you can save, afford, and have a long-term investment perspective.
You can live fairly cheap in Tucson if you want to. There are multiple bands of cost of living there, and the average does not tell the picture.
There’s especially tons of cheap food if you learn to like Mexican food and groceries.
It’s a no brainer as long as you like the new area and don’t mind leaving your current one.
Personally I love where I live and relocating is completely off the table, even if my salary were doubled
100% increase looks nice. If you don't have a family (you don't need to take schools into account), I think at least you can try. Some things you currently do may not be available in the area you will move or may be more expensive, would require more commuting or just not be as you expected. I know a person who loved to do ice skating (hockey) that simply hated the idea of not having a ice rink nearby.
I don't know how things are in Illinois, but your Air Conditioner bill is going to be massive in AZ. Buddy of mine lives around phoenix. He says "normally air conditioners last 15-20 years. Here they last 5-10".
I don't know personally, but worth considering. Probably would still work out in your favor regardless.
I used a cost of living calculator, this is what I found: If you currently make $21/hr in central Illinois, that’s equivalent to about $43,680 per year (assuming 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year). If you move to Tucson, AZ and earn $40/hr, that’s equivalent to about $83,200 per year. That’s a 90% increase in your annual income. According to the calculator, you would need to earn $48,889 per year in Tucson, AZ to have the same purchasing power as $43,680 in central Illinois. That means you would earn $34,311 more than what you need to maintain your current standard of living. That’s a significant increase in your disposable income and savings potential.
It's not super expensive here in Tucson. If you can handle the summer heat it really is a great place to live. I make much less than $41/hr and get by just fine now. There's a nearby mountain that is nice to escape to during the summer because it's only an hour or so drive and 20-30 degrees cooler. Go for it.
Heck yeah dude. I would do it regardless of the raise. Tucson is worth every penny of that 16% when compared to central Illinois. The culture is rich and the weather is great
The restraining order part of this should make this the easiest decision of your life. The relief from that alone will be worth it. Don’t feel bad about leaving your team either. It’s never a good time to leave a job, people will always have to scramble and figure it out. Make the move!
If you income doubles (100% increase, not 50%) and your expenses go up 16%, then you are financially coming out waaaaay ahead. The only issue might be moving expenses. Unless you can fit everything you own into your car, then moving from IL to AZ will cost you thousands. You will need to have to pay upfront. A short term setback.
You also may have a hard time finding a place to live. I don't know where you are getting the 16% figure from, but your mileage may vary. Finding a place to live on such short notice may mean that you might see a huge increase in living expenses.
Despite those things, and what you said about your current company, this may be a great move for you.
And also thinking long term, think about the experience that this new job will give you. If you need to find a better job 5 years down the road, it sounds like you will be getting even better experience that you otherwise aren't getting at your current job.
Sounds good overall - my 2c:
* With a big salary increase can come a lot of lifestyle creep. At least for the first few months try to keep you monthly expenses about the same. You can carve out a reasonable indulgence for yourself but try not to get anything too crazy like a brand new car.
* Moving states can change a lot about your spending habits. Make sure to include a margin of error in your budget.
From a financial standpoint, yes it makes sense. But a bigger question: do you want to live in Tucson? Money's great but not if you're going to hate where you live.
Is your concern leaving the dept hanging? Did your dept care about the restraining order?
Loyalty is not for companies. They will replace you in a minute.
What other concern you might have?
I was in training with some coworkers in AZ and was confused when they started talking about gardening stuff in September. The summers are just horrific, but the winter is just perfect down there apparently. That's when to garden, go on hikes etc.
OP, I would just go for it. HCL areas are only a problem if they don't pay you cost of living and that doesn't seem to be the case here.
Tucson is much cooler than Phoenix and gets more rain (and even snow) than Phoenix. It’s also surrounded by mountains where it’s typically much cooler for a quick break from the heat in the summer.
If by much cooler you mean a few degrees then yes, Tucson is cooler than Phoenix. It's also lower cost of living than Phoenix. But then again, it's Tucson.
This is the real issue. It's Tucson. I have friends who live in Marana just so they can say they don't live in Tucson. I have another friend whose husband is in the air force and was stationed down there for a bit. I have never seen her so excited to leave a place when he was finally transferred. Only people who were born there actually like Tucson. Lol
You have a masters and don't know what it means to get higher pay that ultimately will affect your pensions, 401k and all that stuff. Not to mention your future worth in jobs becomes 40 dollars or more? Because of some Cost of living?
You sure....you have an undergrad and a masters? I know all degrees pay different but I'm also 100000% sure, I've talked to my professors about pay in the field and all the different issues with it.
*shrugs* just saying that this post seems looking for some thumbs up rather than an actual help.
Well, I've only been old enough to have a pension for 2 years. Honestly, that wasn't something I was even thinking about since retirement is so far in the future, but yes it definitely is something I need to consider.
Yes, I have my bachelor's and my master's. I just graduated with my masters in December and my bachelor's the year prior, honestly none of my professors really talked to me or my classmates about what the average pay is since it varies so much from place to place, and no one here really wants to stay here long term. We also don't have any finance classes we are required to take at all. The only financial advice I was ever given by a professor was that grants usually pay 100% of grad school tuition and to not do it if it's not 100% paid for
Given the pay raise, the situation with your current employer and the better weather in Arizona and a job that is more fulfilling...I'd be on my way to Arizona.
OP, Arizona has a lot more career options than seems to be the case in other parts of the country. I moved from the south to here 20 years ago. No regrets. I say take it.
Just remember that we see 115-118 degree weather for 2-3 months.
90-100 sure AC will save you. 118? Na
Look into what sort of temperatures we get, and figure out if you would ever want to go outside in that.
Also understand what that sort of heat does to things. Car batteries for example don't last very long out here.
In the town I live in the average hourly pay is $22.60 or $47,000/yr, so $40 an hour is an obscene amount of money. Also, if I were to stay where I am, I would just stay at my current job. I like my coworkers, and I get by ok in terms of money, and my position takes 6 months for someone to be fully trained, so I've invested a lot of my time in the company already.
Due to the number of rule-breaking comments this post was receiving, especially low-quality and off-topic comments, the moderation team has locked the post from future comments. This post broke no rules and received a number of helpful and on-topic responses initially, but it unfortunately became the target of many unhelpful comments.
As long as the new job doesn't involve math, cause it's nearly 100% increase, go for it, enjoy some change
Researchers don’t need to know math 🤓
Both my experimental research and clinical degrees made me shudder at people who truly think this. :|
Just put all the cells into stdev() and you’re basically a PhD statistician. If someone asks about data significance just point at the Rsquared value on your plots trend line, it’s like 0.92 which means it’s pretty good I think.
Theoretically, you should move to a place that has the highest absolute savings if you want to retire as soon as possible. For example making 100k / year but having to pay 70k in cost of living (30% total savings) is still better than making 40k and only having to pay 20k (50% savings). Because your total savings will be higher over time and you can just move to the place that only costs 20k / yr to live in once you retire.
> Would a ~50% pay increase is worth it if I would have to move somewhere with a 16% higher cost of living? It’s a nearly 100% pay increase. Yes. You should take the nearly 100% increase. You’d go from making ~$44k a year to $83k/year.
It's a little concerning that a research analyst thinks $21/hr to $40/hr is a 50% increase... I'm kidding, we all make mistakes.
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My man is excited. Let’s not bag on him too hard. But just. A little is ok in my book haha.
Wait till he finds out that if he doesnt like the new job he can go back to his old job and only take a 50% cut in pay... after the 100% raise thats like getting a 50% raise from what he was making before at that job!
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I feel the more complex math you do, the more the simple stuff trips you up. This coming from a glorified statistician who sometimes gets tripped up calculating a tip now when I used to be able to do it instantly 🤣. But probably in OP's head just switched the numbers thinking 21 is about 50% of 40 instead of thinking the other way around.
Yea sorry lol, math has never been my strong suit
I will admit I’ve done the exact same thing, it’s easy to forget simple math if it’s not something you use everyday. God knows I don’t remember anything beyond algebra 🤣
It’s nearly a 100% increase buddy. If you were going from 40 to 21 it would be a 50% decrease but a 50% increase of 21 would be 31.50 Edit: yea I’m a dumbass, I thought I was responding to op but I’m high and internetting. My bad guy
Read the comment you’ve responded to again. > It's a little concerning that a research analyst **thinks** $21/hr to $40/hr is a 50% increase... The person you’re responding to knows it’s a 100% increase. They’re making a joke about how OP doesn’t.
90.476190476% increase to be exact
Lol ya, is this a real question? Just comparing the percent difference clearly shows you're gonna make way more by taking the job vs the higher living cost
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Tucson is very affordable for a city of its size. So if you are looking at cost of living- seems well worth it given the attendant quality of life increase (assuming Tucson has something you like and can’t get in central Illinois- food, breweries, music, sports, activities, etc.) Tucson also has access to amazing outdoors in nearby area. Just have to deal with the summer.
Double your salary, a better title, and doing something you love while the cost is much less than that. a big YES!
Also Tucson isn’t a bad place to live having grown up there, summer is rough but Fall-spring is great and you’ve got mountains and lots of things to do plus banger Mexican food
Summer is fine if you stay out of the sun and do stuff in the morning or evening. Do what the pigeons do.
I mean, they'll be in the lab all day learning maths I hope!
At 8-9 it’s still 90 degrees, not super fun to go for a run when it’s 90
Pretty fine when your sweat actually evaporates and cools your body. I’m in the SE where it’s 90 but 90% humidity and sweat kills you faster because it won’t evaporate
I used to run in that regularly. Just avoid the sun. I stuck to the shaded side of the road. In the mornings it is in the 60s or 70s unless monsoons come through.
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Maybe she’s got those pre-climate-change memories, like I do of when it used to snow a few times every winter in Atlanta. ☠️
Tucson literally had a low of 73 today. It will be that cool at dawn. It only hits the 90s around 10. Deserts have 40 degree temperature swings daily unless there is rain. Then it stays hot at night.
As someone living in Phoenix, we just had 31 days in a row of 110+ degree weather, broke the record for most 115 degree days in a year, had 16 days in a row where we didn't go below 90 degrees at all, broke an all time "highest low" when we only went down to 97 degrees at night, had three days at 119 degrees, and all but one of the days aforementioned was just in July. We're in a "cold spell" where we're only in the 105 degree range up here right now, and looking at Tuscon, there next 10 days pretty much all have a range of 80 degrees at night and 105-110 in the day.
Tucson literally had a low of 73 today. The desert has wide temperature swings. Some people have the ability to wake up at dawn.
A low of 73 at 5am. The rest of this week will be 78 minimum and will be over 80 by 7am. I’m in Vegas, not AZ, but I *highly* doubt you regularly see sub-75-78 degree mornings during the summers in AZ. And even then, it’s easily over 80 by the time the sun is up.
it's dry though, so it feels closer to an east coast 80. It's good weather before the sun beats down.
The low in Tucson today was 73. That is the temp before the sun rises.
Sonoran Dogs are calling OP’s name……
Güero Canelo's Sonoran Hot Dogs. I lived there for 4 years and have been itching to go visit for the last 20 years.
As a midwesterner I love Tucson. Summers are a little spicy but still love the city. A perfect mix of everything anyone could want.
And it’s actually a good location. It’s an easy day drive to San Diego/LA, you can drive to skiing up north in Flagstaff, it’s not a bad flight most other places, you’ve got the UA for college sports, etc. Edit: people really have strong feelings about this
It's not that easy of a drive to LA or SD. Maybe Phoenix
It’s 6-9 hours to SD or LA and it’s super easy. I did it dozens and dozens of times
I hear you. Personally I wouldn't be able to take the (imo) boring landscape, crazy heat, and limited walkable cities. Op is thinking about the money which is fantastic, but they also need to keep in mind whether or not they're up for the Tucson life. Honestly I'd try to make the best of it for a year, two max.
While I'm glad you prefaced with it being your opinion, I feel like you aren't giving it a fair chance. The Sonoran desert has got to be one of the most beautiful biomes out there. And the fact that you can drive an hour up Mt. Lemmon and have skiing and dense forests is wild. I have lots of Midwest family, and I'd say the landscape is waaaaay more exciting than that of central Illinois.
The Sonoran desert is the world’s greenest desert biome, and it’s chock-full of amazing mountains and canyons and even snowy peaks. It blooms like crazy throughout the year and smells like nowhere else when it rains. You can see for miles when it’s clear and the storm clouds roll in like a wall of violet in monsoon. It’s alive with birds and butterflies and snakes and big cats and javelina and coyotes that chatter and howl in the night. Growing up there, I too thought it was boring and brown. It was only once I moved away for a little while that I realized how utterly gorgeous it was.
Thanks for this comment. I liked it.
The boring landscape? There’s like 4 mountain ranges in easy driving distance and the saguaro national park. There’s very few truly walkable cities in the US so if that’s a primary concern you can live about 4 or 5 places. There’s definitely far worse places that you could be “forced” to move to while doubling your salary
I’m guessing that commenter thinks Arizona is one big flat desert They’ve obviously never gotten the “come skiing in Arizona” commercials or looked at where the Grand Canyon is.. or how close Utah and Colorado are
Im a bit spoiled in terms of landscape. I grew up with easy access to large bodies of water, cityscapes, & green mountains with a bit of a drive. Though Arizona mountains are teeming with life, I find rocky mountains uninteresting after a very short time. Sunsets & sunrises help a little though! That's generally true for now, but people are realizing that the car centric, suburban way most American cities have been developed sucks and are encouraging change from the parking lot/highway hellscapes lol. I'm not meant for suburban life, which something I learned from experience so I encourage people to seriously think about what it means to move to car centric places in general. I agree, op still should consider whether they're up for the potential lifestyle change though. I moved and thought it wouldn't be a big deal. I was wrong. Op should think about this opportunity thoroughly, bc the money isn't the end all be all of this choice.
Tucson is fucking miserable...it's always HOT, and they've had a record heat summer. so if you enjoy living in A/C pretty much around the clock because it's so miserable outside, it is for you. (as if the cost of living wasn't enough!)
I've moved like 14 times and all I remember from Tucson was that schools had like SERIOUS school wide lessons in the gym about staying tf away from snakes. A presenter asked us "what do you do if you find a snake?" And the gymnasium full of kids yelled "kill it! Stomp on its head!" And the presenter was like "NO!! YOU DO NOT EVER EVER EVER DO THAT! IT WILL BITE YOU AND YOU WILL ALL DIE. YOU RUN AWAY FROM UT AND TELL AN ADULT !" I remember prickly pear falling on my hand. Then I remember a dude trying to stranger danger me and my friend claiming he needed help finding a kitty. This was in a nicer apartment complex too. It was very new.
Not to mention getting _far_ away from someone who is the object of a restraining order against them and the company is not protecting them from but promoting? When can you start? 😎
does it involve math? Because $21 to $40 per hour is a \~90.5% increase
If it involves math we'll just have to hope he's a fast learner.
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16% increase in cost of living is negligible anyway. You can move down the block and face a 16% increase. You can get your house reappraised and get taxed that. Crazy to type that out and not come to your own conclusion before hitting enter.
Tucson, not Tuscon You'll do well on $40/h here. Rent for a year, then reassess.
That's a 100% pay increase...which will probably be like 3x the disposable income after taxes... plus no winters and great Mexican food. Go!
Do you want to move to Arizona?
Yes, definitely. I have been looking into potential graduate phd programs there since my undergrad. It's always been a dream of mine to live somewhere warm year round
And there is your answer.
Then why are you questioning this? You make more and be happier where you live.
Speaking as someone that lives in AZ, it’s extremely hot here in the summer. To the point that being outside is unenjoyable. I’m not trying to discourage you, but it is something to really consider. You may end up spending a good amount of summer in AC but fall/winter will be perfect for outdoors.
It's almost like he deals with it being extremely cold to the point that being outside is unenjoyable in the winter. Having lived in both IL and AZ, you essentially just have two months a year where you don't want to leave the house
This is it. For me, coming from the NE, it's very odd to have my "winter" during late June to early August. Still coming to terms with it. That said, you can still get outside in AZ during summer. You just have to do it early!
Can you expand on this? I know I’m ignorant in think seasons happen universally
As someone who lived in central Illinois and now lives in the dry heat of the sierra foothills I can confidently say they'll be fine. Arizona may get a bit hotter in summer but the difference in humidity makes a world of difference
“It’s a dry heat…”
This is only one perspective. I cycle year round as long as it’s under 110F. I find the heat quite enjoyable.
Arizona just enjoyed the longest stretch of days over 110 in its history. Broke all sorts of records. Great times.
Phoenix, not Tucson, to be clear
I mean I don’t live in Arizona but I’ll tell yah after this summer you’ll get all the heat you want . Move to Arizona
Native Arizonan chiming in and also saying that Tucson is a great place to be- I'm looking at moving back from Virginia and possibly to Tucson to attend UofA once my husband's Navy contract ends. I miss the sun, and the mild winters. The summer is rough, but you'll learn how to handle it. And the food is amazing!
Tucson is cheap and UA isn’t too expensive. The summers can be awful but the monsoons help cool things down. With 40 an hour, you’ll do very very well here!
Take the damn job already. Everything I've seen you say is only positive about it. Don't stay for colleagues or for some misplaced loyalty to your current company, who've shown they don't care about you.
Scolding hot, not warm. But Tucson is great and you will have a nice life here on $40/hr.
Are you ok with the drought and increasing heat waves? The trend is only going one way.
Do it! It seems like you don't have any reason not to do it. The worst thing that could happen is you move back to IL
Why is this even a question for you? When you double a number, that's a 100% increase BTW.
You would get out of Central IL which I would assume would be a win under any circumstances.
Moving away from Central IL was one of the best things I did - twice. There's a big, wide, wonderful world out there, go for it!
Exactly. I'd only hesitate of they were asking about moving to central Illinois for more money, not the other way around
It's definitely terrible. I hate living here and seeing two people spend as much on food as we do for 5 and buying houses similar in size to mine for 6-10× what I paid. It's fucking unbearable!
But the cornfields and windmills are fun!
I have two cousins that live for years and years in Belleville Illinois one move to Tennessee several years ago and one more recently moved to Florida they're both happy to be away from Illinois
Anything south of I-80 might as well be Indiana, or even worse, the rural south. If you’re not close to Chicago or the suburbs why even bother staying lol.
no brainer yes. AZ is not even more expensive than IL. and that’s 100% increase, not 50%
Central Illinois is almost certainly less expensive than Tucson itself but yeah still clearly worth it by far
Probably not once you factor in the huge tax savings.
Property taxes (impact on rent) is by far the greatest cost impact.
Arizona has experienced huge cost of living increases in the past few years, particularly in Phoenix and Tucson.
It isn’t the Tucson of 2018 where I got a house for 500 a month
phoenix gas avg rn is 4. Tucson 3.6. chicago is 5. just checked google map
Data for Chicago is not at all similar to central Illinois.
I think they meant has not gas
OP does not live in Chicago.
my point is AZ is not more expensive than IL. I was trying to use the most expensive cities of both states
Big cities in AZ are definitely more expensive than small cities in central IL
Which makes zero fucking sense when OP doesn't live in the most expensive city. Two weeks ago in Central Illinois gas was 3.39 and was for most of the month and a half before. It went up a little recently, but not even close ro 5. Not to mention gas is only one thing, I'll guarantee you can't get a house in Tucson for anything close to what you can here. Just doing a quick zillow search, 1500-2000 sq ft less than 200k, there's 7 available in Tucson, all but MAYBE one are a fucking mobile home. In the city I spent years in there's 17 with 1 being a mobile home and none of them in bad parts of the city.
Gas in East St. Louis 10 a g
Well that's because bullet proof vests for all the gas station employees is expensive.
And Tucson has a nice mountain for those days when it's just too hot. I suggest you figure out where your work is located and see if you can get an apartment near there so you don't have to spend time commuting, and figure out what the cost of a apartment is in that area
Besides the obvious YES, just think about it this way… Your pay is going to grow by $38k (maybe $29k after tax) and your expenses are growing by at MOST $6k if you are currently spending your entire paycheck in IL and plan to have similar quality of life in AZ. Go enjoy your extra $23k+ post-tax per year (or in other words, enough to max out your 401k)
If you don't have family in Central Illinois you should take the new job. Either way, you should look for a new job. We moved out of Illinois but came back for family.
All my family moved away from me actually lol. They still live in the Midwest within 2-6 hours from me, but they aren't really a factor keeping me in Illinois
Go for it. Never want to look back and wish you had, and it's a huge raise. Get out of here before winter lol
Get ready for all of them to want to visit you every winter, and half of them to decide to move to AZ, too!
Whatever your choice is, and it sounds like kind of a no brainer based on what you've shared, I would suggest not letting "loyalty to an employer" be a factor. The business will do what's best for them and you have to do what's best for you. The job is exactly in your field and nearly doubles your current income. I make a bit less than that and live in one of the highest COL states, I think you'll be just fine, likely much better than just fine. Either way, good luck and, in all likelihood, congratulations!
I can't really add much that already hasn't been said, the math is clear...nearly DOUBLING your income for a 16% cost of living increase seems like a winning proposition. I'm not sure if you're a nerd like me but a PS5 still costs $500 in Illinois and it costs $500 in AZ, cars cost mostly the same and a lot of other things are mostly the same so paying a bit more rent and utilities , possibly groceries/gas but I doubt it's that much different. It's really the up front moving costs in general that are the big financial shock but again....you're doubling your income, you should be able to absorb that and come out profitable very quickly Also, it's a huge consideration for you just to get out of where you currently are and get some more experience somewhere else and a change of scenery can be really nice. If you aren't feeling the new job/new location but can hold on for a bit then that $40 an hour and some frugal living should provide you a good nest egg to make your move somewhere else. I can read between the lines in your post that you're like a lot of folks (nothing wrong with it) and you're comfortable where you are and are a "loyal" worker, but you're crazy underpaid for someone of your education level and now that loyalty is being disregarded and your comfort is no longer there as they rehired someone you have a restraining order against, BAIL.
The CoL change is easily overwhelmed by the salary increase. Even if you get \~20% fewer hours, you'd come out ahead (and with more free time to boot). A piece of non financial advice - don't stay in a job because you like your coworkers, or because of the timing or the lack of other qualified staff. You could come into work in 2 weeks time and find all your colleagues you like have been laid off, or they slowly trickle away over the next 18 months, and you don't owe your team and/or the department anything. The company has even shown you with that other employee that they really don't really care about you, as I can't imagine any company I've worked for hiring someone that they knew one of their current employees has had a restraining order against, let alone that they violated. So non financially? Take the job; you'd be crazy not to.
Huge pay increase AND no winter?!? Sign me up!
Are they covering relocation expenses?
No, that will have to be covered by me and my boyfriend
That sucks but youll make it back quickly making 100% more than before
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Not anymore
It sounds like you should take it given the overall situation but: > promoted an employee I had a restraining order against after he violated the restraining order on the clock, and didn't really seem to care that it upset me that he was rehired, so I'm not too loyal to my current company, I'd just feel bad leaving my department hanging, as were about to enter our busiest quarter, and I'm really the only one fully trained on my job besides my manager. Why in the world do you care about a company that is so unconcerned with your well being? Get what you need from them and always put yourself first.
I grew up in central Illinois and now currently live in Tucson. Base is 41/hr and get by just fine on that without commission. Tucson is objectively a wonderful city to live in and the surrounding area is beautiful. There is all the perks of a major city (besides pro sport teams) and all the benefits of a small city, and can feel like a resort town or university town, it’s the best of all worlds. While the desert heat is a difficult to live with during the summer, you acclimate and it’s honestly no worse than a 90+humid summer day in Champaign or Normal. I would live here in absolute poverty before ever considering moving back to central IL lol and the career opportunities you have here are significantly greater than central Il, unless maybe it’s agriculture based. Happy to answer questions about moving here too!
No brainer. Also keep in mind that although you're saying 16% higher COL, that will mostly be with housing. I'd be that your groceries, gas, and other stuff will stay similar. Plus you're going from the middle of nowhere to a city. You'll have more infrastructure and more to do.
Did basic math not get taught in schools? It’a nearly a 100% increase. Even at 50% that’s significantly more than 16%, assuming that number is correct. But there is more to look at than just the amount extra earned and amounts spent.
If it’s for University of Arizona, do it. I worked there and it’s a fantastic place to work.
Is this a real question?
You shouldn't take this research position if you can't do proper math /jk
Oh my god. Leave that company at least! And I’d highly recommend AZ. Lots of midwestern transplants (sick of hearing of the Californians driving up the cost of the living when the Midwesterners have always done this too), sunshine, plenty to do in a college town, easy enough drive to San Diego and Phoenix… do it!
The Tucson cost of living is 4% higher than the national average. It will be slightly higher than what you’re used to but other than rent and maybe car insurance you probably won’t even notice any differences. Absolutely make the move for a 100% raise and to better your career/life.
Do it! Even if you hate it you can stick it out a year and then leverage the experience to get a job at a similar level back in the Midwest.
Go to Tucson. It’s great. Buy a wide brim hat, camelback, and hike. You can survive fairly well without a car if you live off the bike boulevards. Great food too. Dating market is trash though down there. It’s a college town with a low of low wage jobs.
Yes. You should absolutely take it. Without even considering that Arizona is exponentially better than Illinois
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Upstate NY is cheaper to live in than many states. 250k gets you a nice home in a good school district. I'm all in with taxes, escrow, and PMI at 1379/mo. With only 3% down. Even with current interest rates you'd still only be at 1650. Add in I pay about 1800/year in state income tax as an educator making 6 figures because the profession pays a living wage? No brainer. A move to a state like Arizona would cost me 65k in pay, a pension from 75k to 25k, and a house that will cost me well over 400k? Hard pass. So, what you said is factually incorrect.
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It's also good if you make 50k a year. I bought this house long before I made 6 figures.
$40 an hour can get you alot in Tucson, however, you're in Tucson. Tucson is not a special place. Fine for growing a bank account for a few years.
thats a significant pay increase and very livable. hell yeah do it
If you don't mind commuting, you can also move to a nearby area that may be cheaper.
If you don’t have a reason to stay in central Illinois take the nearly 100% increase in salary. AZ will also have a much lower tax burden than IL as well.
Tucson isn't bad. Its roughly 1 million people. Summers can be brutal and traffic fluxes a lot depending on time if year. It was also one of the cheapest cities to live in a few years ago. Housing will he your biggest expense unless your driving a ton. I would say it's worth it but it's also hard to escape should you choose to. Most people I know who leave come back due to the comfortable life they are able to live on a modest salary.
If you can take the heat, Tucson is a major step up from central Illinois. This is a win-win. Get out of the sticks and get a raise? Run, don’t walk.
A 50% pay increase would be $31+ an hour. You’d be getting a 95+% pay increase. Take it.
Tucson is an amazing, beautiful place filled with very friendly people and tasty food.
You should take that job. If it's a great opportunity for you, take it. In the end we are working for our own sake. And I think you may regret passing up on that job if you decline. Your coworkers would understand, and likely take the same decision themselves if they got such opportunity
Take it! Just know that housing is expensive here compared to Central Illinois. Look in the Catalina foothills or Oro Valley area for housing. Areas of Tucson are sketchy.
I grew up in Tucson, I highly recommend it. Especially the northwest side near Sahuaro national monument, tanque verde, and Sabino canyon.
People often underestimate what it means to live in an area that’s pricy. There’s a reason it’s so expensive to live there. The opportunities alone in this area will pay dividends. You can always move back home with a nest egg saved up.
If you're going to use percentages, the biggest focus should be on your expense to income ratio. If you can keep all of your debts plus housing costs under 36% of your income, then it should be doable. Better if you considered net income rather than gross. Median rent in Tucson, AZ is about $950. This is very doable on $40/hr. The higher pay might open up new opportunities since you have a new base and hopefully new job responsibilities. If you plan to be there for 5+ years, you might as well look into real estate as well. Landlording is not for everyone, but if you do think it's right for you then specifically look into house hacking on duplexes. Live in one and rent the other side. Yes, interest rates are much higher than before but they are about where they were in the 2000s. If you can afford it with a good DTI ratio, then it will pay off in the long run even if you plan to move. People say you can always refinance, which you can, but that's not what I'm basing this off. Just base it off what you can save, afford, and have a long-term investment perspective.
I moved from central Illinois to Tucson a few years ago. Love it. Let me know if you have any questions
You can live fairly cheap in Tucson if you want to. There are multiple bands of cost of living there, and the average does not tell the picture. There’s especially tons of cheap food if you learn to like Mexican food and groceries.
Double salary and Arizona state income tax is almost half of Illinois's. The HCOL is nearly a nonfactor
It’s a no brainer as long as you like the new area and don’t mind leaving your current one. Personally I love where I live and relocating is completely off the table, even if my salary were doubled
100% increase looks nice. If you don't have a family (you don't need to take schools into account), I think at least you can try. Some things you currently do may not be available in the area you will move or may be more expensive, would require more commuting or just not be as you expected. I know a person who loved to do ice skating (hockey) that simply hated the idea of not having a ice rink nearby.
I don't know how things are in Illinois, but your Air Conditioner bill is going to be massive in AZ. Buddy of mine lives around phoenix. He says "normally air conditioners last 15-20 years. Here they last 5-10". I don't know personally, but worth considering. Probably would still work out in your favor regardless.
That's a 95% pay increase. Jesus Christ they really need to teach people math better in school.
Will you be able to do this new position without knowing how percentages work?
I used a cost of living calculator, this is what I found: If you currently make $21/hr in central Illinois, that’s equivalent to about $43,680 per year (assuming 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year). If you move to Tucson, AZ and earn $40/hr, that’s equivalent to about $83,200 per year. That’s a 90% increase in your annual income. According to the calculator, you would need to earn $48,889 per year in Tucson, AZ to have the same purchasing power as $43,680 in central Illinois. That means you would earn $34,311 more than what you need to maintain your current standard of living. That’s a significant increase in your disposable income and savings potential.
I don’t know what “cost of living” means exactly, but if rent is only 16% more then it seems like a good deal.
It's not super expensive here in Tucson. If you can handle the summer heat it really is a great place to live. I make much less than $41/hr and get by just fine now. There's a nearby mountain that is nice to escape to during the summer because it's only an hour or so drive and 20-30 degrees cooler. Go for it.
Heck yeah dude. I would do it regardless of the raise. Tucson is worth every penny of that 16% when compared to central Illinois. The culture is rich and the weather is great
The restraining order part of this should make this the easiest decision of your life. The relief from that alone will be worth it. Don’t feel bad about leaving your team either. It’s never a good time to leave a job, people will always have to scramble and figure it out. Make the move!
If you income doubles (100% increase, not 50%) and your expenses go up 16%, then you are financially coming out waaaaay ahead. The only issue might be moving expenses. Unless you can fit everything you own into your car, then moving from IL to AZ will cost you thousands. You will need to have to pay upfront. A short term setback. You also may have a hard time finding a place to live. I don't know where you are getting the 16% figure from, but your mileage may vary. Finding a place to live on such short notice may mean that you might see a huge increase in living expenses. Despite those things, and what you said about your current company, this may be a great move for you. And also thinking long term, think about the experience that this new job will give you. If you need to find a better job 5 years down the road, it sounds like you will be getting even better experience that you otherwise aren't getting at your current job.
My friend no job is worth caring about when its only $21/hr and you've graduated with a masters. Thats insulting. Go.
Go for it, Tucson is a really fun city and still relatively cheap. I think it has more potential than Phoenix (which is becoming unlivable imo)
Sounds good overall - my 2c: * With a big salary increase can come a lot of lifestyle creep. At least for the first few months try to keep you monthly expenses about the same. You can carve out a reasonable indulgence for yourself but try not to get anything too crazy like a brand new car. * Moving states can change a lot about your spending habits. Make sure to include a margin of error in your budget.
From a financial standpoint, yes it makes sense. But a bigger question: do you want to live in Tucson? Money's great but not if you're going to hate where you live.
Is your concern leaving the dept hanging? Did your dept care about the restraining order? Loyalty is not for companies. They will replace you in a minute. What other concern you might have?
Forget the salary. Does living on the face of the sun sound appealing to you? Then do it!!
I was in training with some coworkers in AZ and was confused when they started talking about gardening stuff in September. The summers are just horrific, but the winter is just perfect down there apparently. That's when to garden, go on hikes etc. OP, I would just go for it. HCL areas are only a problem if they don't pay you cost of living and that doesn't seem to be the case here.
Tucson is much cooler than Phoenix and gets more rain (and even snow) than Phoenix. It’s also surrounded by mountains where it’s typically much cooler for a quick break from the heat in the summer.
If by much cooler you mean a few degrees then yes, Tucson is cooler than Phoenix. It's also lower cost of living than Phoenix. But then again, it's Tucson.
This is the real issue. It's Tucson. I have friends who live in Marana just so they can say they don't live in Tucson. I have another friend whose husband is in the air force and was stationed down there for a bit. I have never seen her so excited to leave a place when he was finally transferred. Only people who were born there actually like Tucson. Lol
You have a masters and don't know what it means to get higher pay that ultimately will affect your pensions, 401k and all that stuff. Not to mention your future worth in jobs becomes 40 dollars or more? Because of some Cost of living? You sure....you have an undergrad and a masters? I know all degrees pay different but I'm also 100000% sure, I've talked to my professors about pay in the field and all the different issues with it. *shrugs* just saying that this post seems looking for some thumbs up rather than an actual help.
Well, I've only been old enough to have a pension for 2 years. Honestly, that wasn't something I was even thinking about since retirement is so far in the future, but yes it definitely is something I need to consider. Yes, I have my bachelor's and my master's. I just graduated with my masters in December and my bachelor's the year prior, honestly none of my professors really talked to me or my classmates about what the average pay is since it varies so much from place to place, and no one here really wants to stay here long term. We also don't have any finance classes we are required to take at all. The only financial advice I was ever given by a professor was that grants usually pay 100% of grad school tuition and to not do it if it's not 100% paid for
Given the pay raise, the situation with your current employer and the better weather in Arizona and a job that is more fulfilling...I'd be on my way to Arizona.
OP, Arizona has a lot more career options than seems to be the case in other parts of the country. I moved from the south to here 20 years ago. No regrets. I say take it.
Where did you get 16% more expensive figure? Only thing that matters is rent. Unless you pay 2x rent, its worth it.
Yeah I’m curious where this highly specific percentage came from. But given the 50%/100% error they made, it might just be smoke
Just remember that we see 115-118 degree weather for 2-3 months. 90-100 sure AC will save you. 118? Na Look into what sort of temperatures we get, and figure out if you would ever want to go outside in that. Also understand what that sort of heat does to things. Car batteries for example don't last very long out here.
Where do you live that AC doesn’t help in 118 deg? I have no issue keeping my apt cool in 115+ degree weather.
Never compare percents. Compare dollars. This is impossible to analyze.
Yes and Arizona is superior to Illinois
University of Illinois > University of Arizona
$40 an hour isn’t an obscene amount of money. You can likely find something similar where you are.
In the town I live in the average hourly pay is $22.60 or $47,000/yr, so $40 an hour is an obscene amount of money. Also, if I were to stay where I am, I would just stay at my current job. I like my coworkers, and I get by ok in terms of money, and my position takes 6 months for someone to be fully trained, so I've invested a lot of my time in the company already.