Author Topic: CA vs OR comparison  (Read 6757 times)

Zx

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CA vs OR comparison
« on: April 11, 2015, 06:59:02 PM »
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?

               
                                          
                                          
                                          
« Last Edit: April 11, 2015, 07:34:04 PM by dagiffy1 »

ender

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2015, 07:08:18 PM »
You work in tech?

You should be able to negotiate higher than 95k in CA then..

Gockie

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2015, 07:09:10 PM »
I am wondering, how long would you have to work in the CA job before the 22k debt is forgiven?

Cococola

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2015, 07:22:02 PM »
Take the OR job, so you have more time and benefits, you can always try to start something on the side.

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2015, 07:31:24 PM »
You work in tech?

You should be able to negotiate higher than 95k in CA then..

I do not work in tech, no. I would be a technical training instructor, basically teaching apprentices in classes they have to pass to be journeymen. It's all instrumentation: pressure, temperature, level, flow, pH, salinity, controllers, pressure regulation, etc.

There's no negotiation. If you won't accept the offer, someone else will. Originally I worked there for 95k, but that was a senior position that they have since deleted. The position open is an entry level, which started at 75k when last I was there. I said at the interview that I would need to start at 95k again, and they said we'd talk about it.

I won't negotiate, either :) It's take it or leave it.

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2015, 07:33:32 PM »
I am wondering, how long would you have to work in the CA job before the 22k debt is forgiven?

If I start in CA, the 22k debt is gone.

In its place is a 7k debt from where I work now, so I would lose 15k in debt right off.

The problem is that from there I wouldn't be in a much better position, and it's likely that I won't be getting 95k if I go back. Conjecture, but the hand writing is on the wall.

JGR

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2015, 08:16:41 PM »
I would choose Oregon hands-down.  Why would you split up your household and have to pay two sets of living expenses, plus travel expenses (assuming you wish to maintain your relationship).  OR has a much lower cost of living and no sales tax.  Plus 3 days off is priceless.  The amount of debt that you are talking about is relatively small.  Surely, you and your wife could live on one salary and eliminate the debt in short order from the other's salary.  And 9 weeks off and unlimited sick time are astounding benefits.  Adding up the total package, the OR job seems like a much better deal in almost every way.

kathrynd

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2015, 08:29:06 PM »
If the free house situation ended now, how much would it cost for you and your wife to rent elsewhere?

I think you mentioned, it could end anytime?

The_path_less_taken

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2015, 08:36:54 PM »
I would choose Oregon hands-down.  Why would you split up your household and have to pay two sets of living expenses, plus travel expenses (assuming you wish to maintain your relationship).  OR has a much lower cost of living and no sales tax.  Plus 3 days off is priceless.  The amount of debt that you are talking about is relatively small.  Surely, you and your wife could live on one salary and eliminate the debt in short order from the other's salary.  And 9 weeks off and unlimited sick time are astounding benefits.  Adding up the total package, the OR job seems like a much better deal in almost every way.

Yep.

And...a good many places in OR have no sales tax. Goods are cheaper than CA. Taxes are for the most part cheaper (maybe not Gresham but a lot of places).

Oregon is probably like CA was 30+ years ago: clean, wide open spaces, not a ton of traffic (except in the city), lots of wildlife, great ocean/forests/mountains, less restrictions...

I wouldn't live in CA again at gunpoint.

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2015, 08:51:45 PM »
If the free house situation ended now, how much would it cost for you and your wife to rent elsewhere?

I think you mentioned, it could end anytime?

Yes, you remember correctly. It could end any time. On the other hand, it's a 3 million dollar house and the owners will not budge (people have tried. Hilariously tried, as in, "put in a pool, redo all the tile, repaint the cabinets, loan us 500k and cut the price by a million and you have a deal. I'm not kidding).

So, we could be out next month or 5 years from now. The owners told us that. Moving a house this big and this expensive isn't easy.

Rents here aren't cheap, not by any means. I was shocked to find that the rental prices are about 80 to 85% of what they are in the Dublin/Pleasanton area where we moved from in CA.

Looking around, we could live in the basement of another mansion...another friend of my wife...for around 700 per month. It's 28 or 29 miles to work and I could take the public transit for most of it when I go to work. Coming home at 2 a.m.? Nope. No transit, just me and my bike, and riding that far in pouring down rain very cold and windy conditions at 3a.m. isn't for me.

We could live closer to my work, but the apartment rentals start at about 1200 for 1 bed/1 bath. I suppose it's possible to find cheaper, but...

FrugalKube

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2015, 01:46:26 AM »
Where would you want to live in OR? I'm assuming the greater Portland area? Probably gonna be cheaper than CA. I would go with OR

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2015, 06:29:40 PM »
Where would you want to live in OR? I'm assuming the greater Portland area? Probably gonna be cheaper than CA. I would go with OR

It IS cheaper, but not by a lot. I'd live in Pleasanton in CA, and the rents there are about 15% more than here. And it's an 8 mile ride to work.

In Oregon I want to live within 5 miles or so of the light rail. I could actually live 30 miles from work that way and still have no car if I worked days, but because I'm being switched to swing shift and will be off at 2am, there won't be any public transit running me home. I'd have to bike the 30 miles home. No thanks, that's just too far.

So I'd like to live within 15 miles of Hillsboro but within 5 miles or so of the light rail. At least I can take that on the way in to work. I'm on my own after work.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2015, 06:34:41 PM by dagiffy1 »

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2015, 06:32:33 PM »
I actually stated the 401k for the OR job wrong.

They do 4% matching, but at the end of the year they put in 6% of your gross earnings into 401k.

So, even if you put nothing into it yourself all year, you will get 6% in a lump 401k deposit at the end of every year.

I said it was 10% matching, but that's not quite right.

Unique User

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2015, 09:20:14 AM »
Oregon, without question.  At a $5,300 difference, you only need to make $102 on your extra day off ($5,300/52) in order to be even.  Additionally, you stay with your wife and can encourage her to increase income/spend less.   

zolotiyeruki

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2015, 09:42:56 AM »
Stick with Oregon, IMO. The pay difference isn't large enough to justify the enormous hassle and the burden on your marriage.

Zx

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2015, 11:09:04 AM »
""Oregon, without question.  At a $5,300 difference, you only need to make $102 on your extra day off ($5,300/52) in order to be even.  Additionally, you stay with your wife and can encourage her to increase income/spend less."" 


""Stick with Oregon, IMO. The pay difference isn't large enough to justify the enormous hassle and the burden on your marriage.""



Well, with these two comments and many others, I am really, really leaning toward OR now. I thought you'd all say CA for sure.





swick

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Re: CA vs OR comparison
« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2015, 11:39:07 AM »

Well, with these two comments and many others, I am really, really leaning toward OR now. I thought you'd all say CA for sure.

The forum is full of surprises :)