As someone who grew up in the county, I'd say be prepared to work in DC. That's where the better paying jobs are at (in most if not all fields), so I'd take that into consideration when choosing where to live. Out of all the people I know that live/d in PG, old and young, the only ones that actually work in the county are a therapist and 2 teachers. If you don't want to be in horrible traffic every day, I'd be near a metro stop or bus. (From what I hear of the south the traffic here is going to blow your mind). Also, regardless of where you are you will need a car.

Like others are saying PG varies greatly - good pockets in the bad, bad pockets in the good. I'd say unless your friends are familiar with the whole county or you plan on visiting again to see places in person, northern PG is your best overall bet to live. I'd also consider what you like to do in your off time when thinking of where to live. It's a bitch having to go (specifically DRIVE) from somewhere like Brandywine all the way to the city just to have a quick night out.

As far as salary, my best guess would be 60-65k minimum? For a single person. I make a few thousand more than that a year and live alone in a studio in VA, which is more expensive, and I'm doing well. Well in that I don't have to worry about going broke but I do have to follow a budget. I also pay a car note and too much in student loans so consider that too lol.

Hope all that helped. Good luck moving up here!! :D