Originally Posted by
Tireteapot
Big thing is cost of living. Say I move my family to Bay Area…no way we get something comparable to what we have here. Especially with rates now. Another $1000 a month in housing at least. Plus high utilities. Higher gas prices to commute 2-3 hours to SFO since that’s all we could afford.
Another big one is Cali state income tax. Factor 10%. At top end United 737 pay, take home would actually be less than top end 737 Alaska pay.
Or I commute for 35 years. Not sure I’d enjoy that with a young family. Say United has 4 days more off a month. I’d eat a few of those in commuting. Doesn’t exactly seem worth it. Tough decisions.
There will be rationalizations for either choice, and neither is wrong. It rains 300 days a year in Seattle. CA tax 10% is really 7% after deductions. United has a variety of fleets and missions. How much do you love the 737?
Besides, United has a multitude of bases around the country. Not just San Francisco.
These are all personal calculations. But like someone mentioned earlier, make the big leaps now while you can. It only gets harder as you get older.