I did some figures in my head and was a bit surprised to find that the take home pay of the much higher paying job wasn't too much more than the lower paying one. I just did these figures with the base pay, leaving out the bonuses because they could range from nothing to something. Not guaranteed.
I see that the CA job would leave me more net to fight the MMM fight, but perhaps I could use the 3 days I have off in OR to make up the difference. In CA, I will have 2 days off. In addition, a strong incentive is to remain living with my wife and not be separated for years.
What is the Mustachian way?
base bonus net
Oregon 66300 4500 1800x26=46800
California 95000 10000 2350x26=61100
This leaves a net difference of 14,300. If I live in CA, I will incur a 750 per month cost of living increase, which is 9000 annually out of net pay.
14300-9000=5300 net difference in pay.
The next thing is benefits.
The CA job has a small pension of 1700 annually multiplied by years of service, two weeks of paid vacation, and 6% matching 401k. There is no stock program.
The OR job has no pension, but it does have a stock futures program. This year with six months of employment I was prorated at 1650 shares which is fully mature in 4 years. When you are there 4 years, you have one year of futures mature, one year of futures 3/4 mature, one year futures 1/2 mature, etc, and it just keeps rolling so that every year you have one more year of futures maturing to add on to previous years. This is a leading biotech company. Whatever the INCREASE in that stock over "purchase" price is my benefit, should I sell.
The OR job also has 10% 401k matching which is fully vested when you hit six years of service. You also get 3 weeks annual paid vacation, and at your sixth year you get an addition 6 weeks paid vacation to add to your normal 3 weeks; it averages out to 4 weeks paid vacation per year. At the OR job, they insist you stay home when you are sick, even if it's a whole week or more, and you are paid. At the CA job? Ummmm....no.
The health benefits are roughly the same.
So which should I choose, assuming I get the CA offer next week (which I expect). Strictly going by net pay to fight debt with, it's the CA job. But the other things weighed in makes me think twice.
Please, mustachioed people, give me a quick assessment?