Opportunity to relocate to another country - California

[roy_1031]

The water district has my attention. My neighbor does something for our local water district and it's hands on related/construction type work. He literally built his own pool, formed his own concrete hardscape, leveled his lot. It took him about 7 months but did it mostly on his own. I don't have interest in that but I checked into jobs and I qualify for associate planner level positions with them or if I want to go back to wrench turning I can apply for mechanical level jobs. The pay is comparable to my current job but commute would be a fraction of what it is now.

I looked into other enterprise asset management system analyst positions and the pay cut is not worth my time leaving California. My wife would take a small pay cut if she transferred to Dallas. There isn't anything that pays me my current wages near Dallas.


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Your neighbor sounds like a talented individual. Our planner schedulers here do pretty well. They’re about $2/hr ahead of mechanics but we knock it out on OT. In this particular department, OT is part of the job. My wife works for a large cooperate bank and can transfer anywhere in the country. I’ve looked at other water agencies and it’s a no go. I’m part of the old Pers plan where after 5 years you’re fully vested. Our pension plan isn’t the highest percentage of pensions but it’s still not bad because we make more than the smaller districts. We’re at 2% at 55. I can start drawing from my pension at age 55. By then I’ll have 35 straight years here with MWD and be 55 years old collecting 70% of my pay. And if for some reason I ever left, I have lifetime medical starting at age 50. When I turn 55 is when I would strongly consider leaving California but by then I’m not sure if I’ll even want to leave. I’ll be making over $70k a year minimum being retired doing absolutely nothing and when I pass if my wife outlives me, she continues to draw off of it. I know $70k outside of California can buy me a nice piece of property and live very comfortably. Who do you work for if you don’t mind me asking?


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[thomas91169]

But you've got to remember that on average, you'll be hitting roughly 2-3 times what you make in ATL.

Case in point. Magnaflow has an open position in CA for a bit. They pay 125-150k from what I hear. That's enough to get you an apartment and not starve to death. But not enough to buy a house.

The smartest thing a person could do is go to CA, make CA salary, live in an apartment for a couple years. Bank all of the excess. Leave with a 100k in your pocket and move back home. Buy a house with cash/big down payment, and be setup for life. It's damn near like working abroad.

Sounds good, but doesnt work. The cost to live there correlates with the higher salaries. In other words, you aren't saving any more than anywhere else. Also, as of recently, CA salaries have become incredibly stagnant, while cost of living increases, and everyone just shrugs it off like its fine. "Oh its the sunshine tax!", no its our states inability to manage itself anymore.

We constantly look at like Dallas, TX, and the salaries we both would make are comparable to here (she might make even more than here), yet we could buy a nice 3br/2ba house for $200k in a good area.

 

[Stanger00]

Your neighbor sounds like a talented individual. Our planner schedulers here do pretty well. They’re about $2/hr ahead of mechanics but we knock it out on OT. In this particular department, OT is part of the job. My wife works for a large cooperate bank and can transfer anywhere in the country. I’ve looked at other water agencies and it’s a no go. I’m part of the old Pers plan where after 5 years you’re fully vested. Our pension plan isn’t the highest percentage of pensions but it’s still not bad because we make more than the smaller districts. We’re at 2% at 55. I can start drawing from my pension at age 55. By then I’ll have 35 straight years here with MWD and be 55 years old collecting 70% of my pay. And if for some reason I ever left, I have lifetime medical starting at age 50. When I turn 55 is when I would strongly consider leaving California but by then I’m not sure if I’ll even want to leave. I’ll be making over $70k a year minimum being retired doing absolutely nothing and when I pass if my wife outlives me, she continues to draw off of it. I know $70k outside of California can buy me a nice piece of property and live very comfortably. Who do you work for if you don’t mind me asking?


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That pay difference isn't bad at all. I earn 16% more over my mechanic position and I would of had to work 1 weekend a month to make up the difference.

I originally had traditional CalPers 2% at 55 when I started in January 2014 but in April 2015 a judge ruled that all persons in my union from Jan 2013 to Dec 31st 2014 will be changed to Calpers 2% at 62. Not only will I earn less at retirement age I am paying more into Pers than I was under the traditional plan. Our union is still waiting in appeals courts but it is not looking to promising that we will win, especially, after that ruling in favor of public employees being able to opt out of the union. I should of bought my Active Duty time when I was in my very first pay grade! My salary has nearly doubled since I started in 2014....At the time I think my cost for 4 years was around $45k over 300 payments. I think I broke it down that I would see the realized value 8 years after retirement at 62. I'm scared to know how much those 4 years will cost now!

If I switch to another California state government job I won't be any worse off with CalPers. You on the other hand have too good of a deal to leave behind.

My wife is also in the banking industry and the group she works in only has offices in 3 states, N.C., TX and CA. We joke about leaving but I doubt we are...

 

[roy_1031]

That pay difference isn't bad at all. I earn 16% more over my mechanic position and I would of had to work 1 weekend a month to make up the difference.

I originally had traditional CalPers 2% at 55 when I started in January 2014 but in April 2015 a judge ruled that all persons in my union from Jan 2013 to Dec 31st 2014 will be changed to Calpers 2% at 62. Not only will I earn less at retirement age I am paying more into Pers than I was under the traditional plan. Our union is still waiting in appeals courts but it is not looking to promising that we will win, especially, after that ruling in favor of public employees being able to opt out of the union. I should of bought my Active Duty time when I was in my very first pay grade! My salary has nearly doubled since I started in 2014....At the time I think my cost for 4 years was around $45k over 300 payments. I think I broke it down that I would see the realized value 8 years after retirement at 62. I'm scared to know how much those 4 years will cost now!

If I switch to another California state government job I won't be any worse off with CalPers. You on the other hand have too good of a deal to leave behind.

My wife is also in the banking industry and the group she works in only has offices in 3 states, N.C., TX and CA. We joke about leaving but I doubt we are...

I just missed the 5 year mark when we were able to buy back our first 5 years into Pers. I was still an apprentice and it would’ve been really cheap and worth buying it at my age and pay grade.

Ok back on topic. OP California is what you make of it. What kind of work are you in? That area you’re speaking of is very remote and extremely hot, riverside county is huge and bigger than some states.


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[Pribilof]

Another exaggeration.

View attachment 1517859

I wouldn't call it absurd amount. It's a PITA to pay it but it's not a LARGE portion of your check.

I don't even think about the tax money they take from my checks. Not much I can do about it but vote when it's time to vote.


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Not a large portion? You're already at the 6% bracket at only $30k of annual income. That's a really crappy annual income in CA and you're still paying as much or more as the max brackets in most other states.

 

[Stanger00]

Not a large portion? You're already at the 6% bracket at only $30k of annual income. That's a really crappy annual income in CA and you're still paying as much or more as the max brackets in most other states.

So if you earn 30,000 you owe CA 1,800 before deductions.


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[bglf83]

Average person pays 9.3%. That is almost 10k out of 100k you owe California. Then you have to pay the feds like everyone else right?

9% is a whole lot of cash to throw away. At least it is to me.

 

[roy_1031]

Still leaves you with a $90k some odd dollar salary. You can afford to live very comfortably here, especially on a combined income. So it cost you $10k to live in a nice state with endless things to do where stuff doesn’t close early, alcohol is sold in grocery stores AND on Sundays. From mountains, beaches, oceans, deserts activities atv’s etc, bars/clubs/night life, one of the best car scenes in the country and endless cultural diversities for all sorts of amazing different foods. Some silly kooks in Sacramento aren’t going to drive me out or change my hobbies. It’s like people complaining they don’t want to work overtime because they will get taxed more.


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[Stanger00]

Average person pays 9.3%. That is almost 10k out of 100k you owe California. Then you have to pay the feds like everyone else right?

9% is a whole lot of cash to throw away. At least it is to me.

You do know it's progressive, correct? You pay x percent to x amount and then you pay y percent to y amount and so on.

Majority is paying 9.3% after $53k. If you earn $100k a year you will only pay 9.3% on $47k.

So, you're effective tax rate is less than 9.3% for your entire $100k a year salary. This same principal applies to federal taxes.

However, state income tax is just one tax, we have sales tax, gas tax and homeowners have property taxes.



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[bglf83]

Still leaves you with a $90k some odd dollar salary. You can afford to live very comfortably here, especially on a combined income. So it cost you $10k to live in a nice state with endless things to do where stuff doesn’t close early, alcohol is sold in grocery stores AND on Sundays. From mountains, beaches, oceans, deserts activities atv’s etc, bars/clubs/night life, one of the best car scenes in the country and endless cultural diversities for all sorts of amazing different foods. Some silly kooks in Sacramento aren’t going to drive me out or change my hobbies. It’s like people complaining they don’t want to work overtime because they will get taxed more.


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True, but I am used to keeping all of it.