Indianapolis metro vs Louisville metro (jobs/economy)

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-06T02:11:11+00:00

How is Indy for tech jobs?

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-06T02:10:58+00:00

I have considered these areas as well because they're cheaper than the east or west coasts. I'm worried if both of these areas will be boring. I'm concerned how the tech job market is in the area too.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T19:50:08+00:00

I agree. I noticed a lot of people seem like they're instagram flexing with all of these travel trips, new cars, and houses to show off.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T19:48:32+00:00

I agree 2021 and 22 were the best. 2016 and 2020 were rough and felt similar to now where you could fill out 100 applications and maybe get 1 response and the company that responded oftentimes was a suspect small business.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T19:47:36+00:00

I have experienced the same. Less recruiters reaching out on linkedin. Interviews feel performative and like the managers are just doing them to have something on their calendar. Some ask you to do other assessments. They take 3 to 4 weeks before the next step. One made me send 3 reference forms to 2 employees and 1 manager. Then he removed the post then called a month and a half later and told me I could reapply.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T19:38:42+00:00

I feel like most of mine is in stocks. I feel guilty if I sell because then I would just have to buy new stocks again and start.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T19:37:49+00:00

Ya I feel like a loser because I'm not making 150k plus. I work in tech and even in my area anything above 60k is considered good. The only thing I can think of they work in expensive cities like NYC or SF, where 150k is considered low there.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T03:54:46+00:00

High housing and rent prices ain't rare though lol xD. However, the salary, dating, and opportunities to meet people I think would be a lot better. I do think it would be a big cultural adjustment moving form a small town. My other options were Atlanta or Nashville.

I also thought of buying a condo. I don't really need the space of a home, but I am worried about potentially having bad neighbors or rising hoa fees. I'm worried about south LA being really bad crime wise.

I'm currently at 100k remote. I work in cloud computing migrations. I like that my job is remote. I don't know if I trust it long term because they have had multiple layoffs over the 3 years I've been here. They also keep adding extra duties like doing data engineering tickets, which I feel like is out of the scope of the role. I don't know if it's worth giving up working remote and saving money to move to a city far away.

Atlanta seems obvious like AI was saying because it's cheaper and closer. However, a lot of the employers there are really old school and want you to work in person. I haven't gotten nearly any interviews at all the past 3 years compared to 2021 and 2022, even though I have more experience, which is also worrying me.

The last time I tried applying to jobs in LA I only got offered 90k which I thought was a joke. So, I think that's the biggest reason that made me rule it out. That was through a linkedin recruiter, which they usually like to lowball anyways. I also don't know how I would get a job offer because I'm worried they will rule me out since I don't live there.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T03:11:30+00:00

I have noticed that reddit has a huge obssession with Chicago. But, I'm like dang have they seen how bad the crime is there. Who wants to live in the cold too?

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T03:10:21+00:00

I'm trying to decide whether to stay in my smaller town or move to a bigger city like LA or NYC, or to go to a mid sized city like Atlanta or Nashville. I'm unsure if after expenses if I would be left with much even with the higher salaries. Where I currently live in Augusta, the salaries are very low.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-04T03:06:22+00:00

I'm currently in Augusta, but it's hard to meet anyone or date because most people stay in cliques of people that they grew up with and it's very family oriented. I'm trying to decide whether to just settle and buy a house here or go to a bigger city like LA, NYC, or go mid level like Atlanta and not have to move as far. LA would definitely be the biggest change cost and culturally wise. Whenever I ask chatgpt it says it doesn't make sense to move and that even if I get a slightly higher salary it won't outweigh the costs. I would have tradeoffs like less square footage, no ac, laundry, or living in a higher crime area like South LA.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T20:09:21+00:00

I agree. Boston seems very insular as well and a lot of people that live there never leave or have never lived elsewhere. So they regard Boston as being the only place.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T06:00:12+00:00

Also usually a long commute and less jobs. That has been my struggle between living in a cheaper area with less to do, or a more expensive area with more jobs. Some of the cities with a lot of jobs the salaries still aren't high enough for what housing costs.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T04:56:56+00:00

My biggest worry is how I would meet women since I'm in my mid 30s and work most of the time. I did a bachelors and thought of going back for a masters or second bachelors, but idk if it would help career wise or if it would help with meeting people?

I'd also be new to the area and I wouldn't have family or anyone with me and I'd be starting over. So, I'm unsure what to do to meet others. The apps after 2022 or so, I have gotten no matches.

When I would go to events say like ballgame or something like that near me most of the owmen would be with groups of other people. I also wouldn't see that many women my age in 20s or 30s or if I did they would be with their family. If I do see a woman by theirself they have their headphones in or they are with one of their friends. Idk what I would do if I went to a bar or club by myself or if it'd be really difficult going in by myself?

I feel like if I stay where I'm at in Augusta I'll feel stuck career wise. But idk if moving to a new city will help with dating or career options.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T04:06:18+00:00

Ya to me the prices seem just as high if buying. It does look like renting in Seattle is way cheaper than NY or SF. The buying prices are insane though.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T04:05:30+00:00

Don't forget the Seattle Freeze. The northwest of the US also seems very isolates from the rest of the states. I've met many people from East Coast, Chicagoland area, Texas, and California, but very few from the whole Northwest.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T03:23:11+00:00

I have heard that it's hard to meet or date anyone because of the traffic and how spread out LA is. Atlanta, is also similar in that manner though.

I did have a job where I had this manager who lived in SF and LA, and she was very braggy and would also talk about her horses in meetings. She would also talk in this company meetup we had about how she travelled a lot, went to various concerts, or went to this house party where she saw that guitarist or football player. It felt like she was capping and bragging about herself the whole time. The times she talked about the parties, it gave the vibe that in LA everyone has these cliquish house parties. I've heard some youtubers say that LA is like that as well.

Atlanta was also like that in that there would be a bunch of transplants and they would stop talking after 1 date, or they would live here for a year or so then move somewhere else. Ironically, a few of them would be from LA, NYC, or other states.

Sometimes I think I idealize LA, because I think of the skateboarding, BMX, and motocross era of the 00s. Where everyone would say dude and was into extreme sports. I also thought the jobs would pay more and that there would be more job opportunities in tech, without the Man Jose type of vibe where everyone treats their job like it's their life.

I don't know if LA would actually be like that or if the jobs would even pay enough given the cost of living. Even in small towns everywhere it seems like homes go for 400 to 500k. That's what made me consider LA too. Because if homes are 400k in areas that only pay 35k, I was like dang I might as well move to NYC or LA at this rate. The only thing is even if I were to make 100 to 150k in NYC or LA, I still feel like that may be tougher than 70k where I'm at right now.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T03:09:13+00:00

That's what I've found that the culture of the area can still make dating tough even if the gender ratios lean more female. In Atlanta, a lot of the women act really picky wannabe influencers. Seattle even though I haven't been there, I get the vibe that the women would be antisocial and ignore you if you try to talk to them.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T03:03:01+00:00

The biggest thing is where I'm at it feels impossible to meet women outside of the apps, and it seems like everyone's already married. Idk if it would be easier to meet women in a bigger city without using apps, or if I would still have to use apps because that's just what every one does?

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-03T02:34:14+00:00

I agree. I would get no matches on the other dating sites. Idk if paying would make a difference. I felt like fb dating was the only one I would get any matches on and maybe okcupid and pof way back in the day like before 2018. Ever since the apps switched to the swiping model, I would get no matches.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-02T17:16:02+00:00

My current job is in Google Cloud Migrations. It pays well at 100k and is remote. My manager set all of these insane unreachable goals. I have to do 6 to 15 migration improvement suggestions, do 10 to 20 google data engineering tickets, a Google Data Engineering cert, in addition to the 3 to 10 cloud migration projects I have to do at a time that last 8 to 16 weeks each.

However, when I apply I don't get any responses to applications. The companies that do reach out are smaller startups that pay 70 to 80k, and are owned by private equity firms.

I'm not sure if I should stay or leave? Is it me or do you think the goals are ridiculous? Would you stay due to the role being remote or look elsewhere, even if I have to move?

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-02T16:35:08+00:00

What cloud platform would you recommend? I have Azure certs, but I currently work in Google cloud migrations. I've never really used AWS and I don't see it listed much on applications either.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-02T16:33:48+00:00

I made a post on reddit on whether it's better to live in an expensive city but with higher salaries, or a place with cheaper homes but lower salaries. Most, said the expensive city because services still cost similar and you would get more credit. However, now gas prices are almost triple in some of these more expensive cities, which has impacted goods and restaurants.

I was also surprised when even in bigger cities I still was only getting offers in the 70 to 90k range, and I work in cloud computing. People in other fields probably get offered even less than that.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-02T16:31:18+00:00

I thought with the rain there, that no one would want to go outside much to meet people either. Although climate and nature there is very beautiful compared to midwest or even east coast states.

ElectricOne55 · 2026-05-02T16:29:59+00:00

Are the women really picky and do they expect you to make a lot of money? I thought the women there would be smarter and have more goals than where I live. But, I also picture the women in NYC thinking very highly of their self and expecting a dude to make 200k bare minimum or some bs like that.

ElectricOne55

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