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Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

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Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#51
post #24

I worked with two developers in Boston who were DINK (Double Income No Kids) and they sold their Boston condo, moved to the Midwest (Minneapolis) and bought a six bedroom house on a lake and two jet-skis for the same price as their condo. Their cost of living went down tremendously. By their own standards they lost nothing compared to Boston (food/services/entertainment actually got better) except that they had to de…

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

They were on track to be retired by the time they turned 40 by for the most part having very high incomes and very low overhead - they were planning on spending much more time on experiences then they were able to before.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#52
Yup, just did this. Got an extra master suite, and 1.75 more bathrooms with much bigger yard and garage for $1100 less. And neighbors that actually talk to you. Not to mention half the price for gas and food. Oh, and the swings aren't chained up. Good-bye LA, I will not miss you one bit.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#53
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

Versus the highly spiritual experience of living in the pod, eating the bugs, paying the $4,500 every month to the landlord of the one bedroom, answering e-mails at 11:24 pm to be able to pay for it etc.

You oughta go to a better city.

Also, non-consumerist does not imply spiritual.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#54
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

Versus the highly spiritual experience of living in the pod, eating the bugs, paying the $4,500 every month to the landlord of the one bedroom, answering e-mails at 11:24 pm to be able to pay for it etc.

A 6br lakefront house in Minneapolis is just as expensive as a nice condo in Boston (op literally notes they spent the same amount).

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#55
post #17

Moved from the Midwest to the Bay Area, and tech comes in two forms: IT departments at major industrial firms (manufacturing, chemical, pharma, etc), or companies that are eventually bought by West Coast companies. The pay cap is much lower. Becoming a millionaire through stocks and wages is harder, but you will still be in the top 10% of earners overall. If you want to live in a mansion, the Midwest makes this dream…

What are the big schools? I always thought that what was holding the Midwest up, not enough high quality schools.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#56
post #17

Moved from the Midwest to the Bay Area, and tech comes in two forms: IT departments at major industrial firms (manufacturing, chemical, pharma, etc), or companies that are eventually bought by West Coast companies. The pay cap is much lower. Becoming a millionaire through stocks and wages is harder, but you will still be in the top 10% of earners overall. If you want to live in a mansion, the Midwest makes this dream…

I think you will find the engineering brain drain from any US region that doesn't (currently) have high paying tech jobs. I went to Georgia Tech and a significant number of CS grads from there moved to NYC, Bay Area, Seattle, or Austin.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#57
post #24

I worked with two developers in Boston who were DINK (Double Income No Kids) and they sold their Boston condo, moved to the Midwest (Minneapolis) and bought a six bedroom house on a lake and two jet-skis for the same price as their condo. Their cost of living went down tremendously. By their own standards they lost nothing compared to Boston (food/services/entertainment actually got better) except that they had to de…

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

This is a very consumerist world view (get opportunity and experiences) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live frugally so I can drop jobs when I find projects that interest me more than whatever I'm doing at the time.

For example I have spent the last week reading a very interesting book on transcendental number theory which is completely pointless for any job but has given me a lot more satisfaction than trying the latest ethnic fusion $500 a plate cuisine my peers seem to go insane over. Were it not for forest fires I would have moved to the mountains since sci-hub has made university libraries largely pointless.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#58

I worked with two developers in Boston who were DINK (Double Income No Kids) and they sold their Boston condo, moved to the Midwest (Minneapolis) and bought a six bedroom house on a lake and two jet-skis for the same price as their condo. Their cost of living went down tremendously. By their own standards they lost nothing compared to Boston (food/services/entertainment actually got better) except that they had to de…

I'm skeptical that the food/services/entertainment is actually better. What's the Asian food scene in Minneapolis? Can you get Sichuan, Hunan, Henan, and Yunnan or is it just that one Sichuan place?

How about the movie theaters or theaters? I went from New York to Seattle and finding a theater that showed non-blockbusters was really hard. When I did find one, they were always three months behind New York. If I wanted to watch, say, Parasite, when could I do that? Four, five months after New York?

There's definitely some appeal to Minneapolis. You can't rent a jetski in New York and you certainly can't afford a mansion. But you also can't watch the latest Palm D'Or and get Yunnan noodles in Minneapolis.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#59

Off-topic - for any other non-Americans wondering why this eastern area is considered western: "The term West was applied to the region in the early years of the country. In the early 19th century, anything west of Appalachia was considered the West" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States#Backg...

Right, but news flash: It's not 1840 any more. Chicago isn't the frontier. Chicago and anywhere east of there is east.

... at least geographically. Culturally, those places are midwest, just like everywhere from just west of Pittsburgh to just east of Denver. (Culturally, Pittsburgh is at least partly east, and Denver is at least partly west.)

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#60
Minneapolis has a bunch of tech and startups. Microsoft, Cray, Amazon, AWS, Target, Best Buy, then a bunch of medical tech and insurance companies as well as associated startups. I imagine the med tech AI space will develop here as well. Google is working with the Mayo in Rochester for example.
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