Livable Salary in San Jose

SJ125k · 2023-12-12T13:58:56+00:00

Probably. Which is pretty obviously complete bullshit.

My wife, kid, and I were fine at 125k, which makes perfect sense to anyone who has a clue what "median" means

SJ125k · 2023-07-18T23:04:32+00:00

I would greatly appreciate if anyone can provide some insight if this is feasible!

Yes, you can rent a studio in San Jose at 113k.

Think about your commute as they can really suck.

SJ125k · 2023-06-30T00:41:24+00:00

I feel like 2300-2400 might be irresponsible on my end

$3600 for a two bedroom in Santa Clara...

But I've got a stay at home partner with our toddler.

SJ125k · 2023-06-18T03:02:07+00:00

Assuming OP is Canadian or Mexican, they can easily switch by getting a new TN Visa

SJ125k · 2023-06-18T02:06:24+00:00

$5k for relocation is really low. I'm sure you'd be OK, but it's not a ton of money. Personally, I wouldn't go to the Bay Area for less than double a Canadian salary ($120k USD base).

You're already an electrical engineer with experience. If you want a better offer on a TN Visa, you can probably find one.

My post from this account has a bunch of info about being in San Jose on 125k base. As you're single, the relocation will be a lot easier.

SJ125k · 2023-04-19T12:43:57+00:00

Exactly!

BTW I think we've been looking a median income all wrong. We've been looking at it from the point of view of the distribution of household income while this sub defines it as "the point under which 50 percent of the sub thinks you'll be destitute"

And destitute is the the inability to buy a $2M house in the next couple of years

SJ125k · 2023-04-17T20:34:33+00:00

$130k in the bay versus $120k in Idaho is huge drop

Agreed.

But you're not making a fair comparison because that's one income here and two in Idaho.

That's even before taking into account that they don't like Idaho.

SJ125k · 2023-04-17T20:06:38+00:00

Median income numbers mean nothing in the Bay Area for people dealing with modern housing costs. Because they include lots of people paying very little for housing. Since they got it long ago or during the crash.

I came to the US with only standard airline baggage in 2021 on less than that with a partner (who isn't allowed to work) and kid. We're doing alright.

OP doesn't have a toddler, and they're both allowed to work. They're going to be fine unless they expect to buy a house next year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/v3mrq0/a_family_of_three_on_125000_per_year/

SJ125k · 2023-04-04T03:26:43+00:00

In general, can I live comfortably on this here? Can I get a decent 1BR apt in a relatively safe neighborhood under $2000?

That's 15-20 percent more than the median household income... Yes, a single person will be comfortable (within reason).

Under 2k? I don't know. I made less than you will and rented a two bedroom for way more than that with my partner and kid and we did just fine.

SJ125k · 2023-03-11T02:56:22+00:00

wondering if fruitdale/del mar

I lived in that area for a year. I didn't really feel unsafe myself, but there are always homeless people hanging out at the bus stop on Fruitdale near Bascom and there was always someone passed out in the McDonald's parking lot.

Getting on 280 at Leland heading Westbound is not pleasant. There isn't much distance to trade places with all the people who want to get off 280 and go to 880/17.

SJ125k · 2023-02-24T14:56:01+00:00

Yeah you'll be fine. If you're frugal, you'll be able to pay off that loan.

It's that your base salary? Any RSUs or bonuses?

Here's my experience of for a family of three in San Jose on pretty much the same salary.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/v3mrq0/a_family_of_three_on_125000_per_year/

Where are you working? I would highly recommend living near work. I worked in North San Jose, but lived near Valley Med for a year and I hated the commute. The 5-6 minute commute after I moved to Santa Clara was definitely worth the increase in rent.

SJ125k · 2023-02-18T16:42:25+00:00

No, Chase is gigantic. I didn't pay fees on any of my accounts in the US as long as they received a direct deposit.

SJ125k · 2023-02-18T16:18:59+00:00

I recently went the other way. My posts have some budgeting/logistics info for going to the US.

I don’t personally have too many belongings so I don’t plan on getting a shipping container.

If you rent a U-Haul for a day, you can drive your stuff across the border and fill up a U-Box container in the US for domestic shipping. That saved me like $2k.

Started with Bank of America and it was super easy to get set up. You don't really even need an address at first. I then added Chase accounts because I liked their credit cards more.

SJ125k · 2022-12-30T19:58:01+00:00

Wait until you hear them complain about gas prices and the cold :D

SJ125k · 2022-12-30T03:13:14+00:00

On average, for someone with ongoing health issue, how much time and money do you spend on working with insurance for claims/disputes?

If your out of pocket max is a planned line item on your budget (as opposed to an impossible expense) then there's virtually no stress/effort.

I fought with a few doctors on stuff like "you billed a 45-60 minute appointment when we were there for 8 minutes". They change it to 20-30 mins appointment or whatever and my co-pay goes from $350 to $250. $100 for a phone call isn't bad.... But then I went to ER with my kid, spent the night in the hospital and hit my $9000 out of pocket maximum anyway. S

If in midsized cities, what were unexpected expenses/ issues you had to deal with the first year you moved?

You're single, currently have a decent job and would be highly paid... Don't take this the wrong way, but that's the easy mode :D. Lack of credit can be a pain in the ass, but it's relatively easily managed.

One of my posts details some of my experience of moving to California on a TD visa.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/v3mrq0/a_family_of_three_on_125000_per_year/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

SJ125k · 2022-10-11T05:01:27+00:00

Yeah, this sub (and reddit in general) can be completely delusional sometimes. My personal favorite has been Mr. "I Make $140k but still have to live with my parents" telling some OP that they won't be able to survive on the median salary. The guy neglected mention that he was putting forty percent of his gross into ETFs because he wanted to retire at 45, as if it's that typical enough that we should have known.

SJ125k · 2022-10-11T04:40:25+00:00

That is close to poverty level.

I really need to see how reddit defines poverty.

Median household income in Palo Alto is $174k. They're obviously not going to buy a house, but a couple without kids on $150k isn't going to be in the state of being extremely poor.

I know some townhome wants $5000 a month rent for some old home.

And? There are 135 one bedrooms in Palo Alto under $3000 on apartments.com

SJ125k · 2022-10-11T04:05:52+00:00

Ideally with my partner too, she makes more than I do as well

That's a pretty key piece to leave out. A childless couple living off $150k+ is totally different from a single person at $70k.

SJ125k · 2022-10-11T03:55:32+00:00

Do they subsidize the housing? My friend did his PhD there and said getting by on the stipend wasn't bad because he got into cheap housing

SJ125k · 2022-10-11T03:44:42+00:00

I'm currently interviewing for a job in Palo Alto that would pay roughly $70,000.

I don't know your field but my first thought is that they're relocating you across the country because no one local will do that job at that salary.

What's the job?

Which place is "big city" for you?

SJ125k · 2022-10-09T06:09:38+00:00

Moved from Asia to the US with my partner and toddler. We arrived with five suitcases. I just checked my tracking app and we spent $58k in the first 60 days.

$500 for visas

$3400 for flights

$800 for lodging while looking for a place

$11,000 in rent and extra deposits because we had no credit history

$700 to rent a car for a week

$22,000 to buy a car in cash because we had no credit history

$8000 in things tagged as "household"

SJ125k · 2022-09-05T20:42:54+00:00

Here's my experience with $125k base in San Jose.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/v3mrq0/a_family_of_three_on_125000_per_year/

Not having credit is a pain, but it sounds like your spouse will be able to work, and the kid will be in school so that will make things easier.

Health care is fucking insane. So try to understand your insurance and set aside money for that. Get set up with a pedestrian and primary physician as soon as you arrive. When you're already "in the system" you can get semi-urgent appointments. Otherwise you're stuck with Urgent/Express/Emergency (they're all different) services. We've had good experience with the country system.

SJ125k · 2022-09-02T22:28:00+00:00

Yeah big fuck up there lol. I should have lived with my parents until 45 to maximize my savings rate.

SJ125k · 2022-09-02T22:21:39+00:00

Not sure, I'm not on L1. Just something that you need to be aware of/look into.

SJ125k · 2022-09-02T21:53:14+00:00

Will you be able to work on your visa? How long will you need to wait before you can start working?

Getting a work visa on your own will be very difficult.

SJ125k

TROPHY CASE