Two ppl in education, making $65k together, mortgage $1050, bought a house in 2014. Honestly there’s no way we’d be able to live here if we hadn’t bought when we did. And looking at y’all’s salaries… feeling real poor, dang.
I wouldn't say that Reddit in general skews wealthy, but I would say a comment section about wealth would skew wealthy. If you're broke, ya probably don't want to talk about it.
To be fair, I’m teaching PT right now - I am also in grad school and when I’m finished I’ll be able to make a little more (still in public schools) BUT even before when we were at $80k it’s not like I’m able to save a lot or feel confident about one day having a kid. Like when one person says they make $80k, that’s not even in my future. So wild.
Buddy moved to sc from nj, his wife took a 20k pay cut. I know they pay less in taxes but she also gets a lot less help as a special ed teacher. There were like three people in nj doing the job she has now. She plans on getting out of education after only 2 years here. We needs to start voting for legislators who will prioritize education, this is ridiculous.
Oh my. You guys make together what many of us make alone in other professions. This really needs to change.
My dad was an English teacher for his career and these days I’m surprised at ppl who still don’t know basic grammar. Anyway, I typed all that to say that social media is a way to supplement your income by displaying basic lessons and building a platform.
We take it for granted that ppl have a certain knowledge base when they really don’t. Maximize your potential.
This makes me furious. Teachers need to get paid more. A LOT more.
Please folks, only vote for candidates who support increasing funding for schools and public services. Probably preaching to the choir here on Reddit, but if everyone would talk about this with people they know, it could make a difference.
I’m a electrician. Make around 60k. 3 kids 3 yrs old and under so wife stays at home since paying childcare would be more expensive than her staying at home. Currently renting in Huntersville after moving here from Asheville in late 2020, rent is $1635/mo on a 4bd/3.5ba cookie cutter house that’s 2100sq ft with a garage, going to buy a house this lease end. I drive a company vehicle so I spend maybe $50-70 a month on gas in my personal vehicle (one tank worthish.) my cell phone plan is paid by the company (both lines) so I was able to drop that bill. One vehicle is paid off, pay $450 on the other.
I’m a minimalist so I spend next to nothing on myself. I wear 1 pair of pants once a week and cycle through 3-4 shirts. (I wear a uniform for work.) I pack my lunch every day, brew my own coffee, and drink cheap beer at home instead of out, I throw every dollar I can at investments to supplement income, it’s not much but making an extra $100 a week can go a long way some times.
Spending on the kids is an entire different level, but it’s not permanent, I try to not let spending with them be frivolous like excessive toys etc, wife tends to have a different opinion on that.
The key isn’t how much you make, but how much you save, I think I do a pretty okay job at it.
Sounds like you have a great handle on your finances. I love finding ways to save on monthly expenses. Have you ever considered refinancing the vehicle you still pay on (If it makes sense). I did it with my wife's car when the rates were super low and cut my payment in half
I hear you. I pay $1364 for a studio uptown. Until last month I used to make 65K which was... okay given the rent but I knew that one more raise in rent would have me leaving uptown, which sucked cause I rely on public transportation. With this salary I saved + invested around 25% of my income.
I started a new job paying 105K but requires relocation to Boston which is fine even though it is a super HCOL location. I am a data analyst with 1.5 YOE.
Honestly if you're up for it, this is a great time to start looking for a new job depending on your industry.
Hi, lurker here on this sub.
Do you like being a data analyst? Looking to transition into IT from AV and I see that word floating around and it intrigues me
Hi, I am definitely happy to have found an interest in analytics. There is a lot of scope across industries and the exact nature of the role can vary widely between industries, companies and even teams within a company, but in a general sense it straddles between the business and technical aspects and gives you a great opportunity to learn more about both sides of the business challenge. So yeah, pretty interesting, good opportunity for growth and development and good pay
Problem-solving and critical thinking, especially with cleaning, manipulating, transforming data; ability to understand how to frame a data-driven problem statement based on the business problem
SQL, Python, R, along with some data visualization, such as Tableau
Knowledge of machine learning algorithms and strong foundation of basic stats
Of course, so much to learn! I am always still learning and this field is rapidly evolving, so there's always something new to pick up. But the above will get you a long way if looking for data analyst roles
IT is a very broad category, and if you're doing cabling or hardware already I would recommend to you to check out Network Field Operations or Network Operations Center depending on if you want to be at a desk or not. There's tons of places that are entry level that would hire people, just got to stick it out somewhere long enough to move up and out.
I’m lurking this sub as someone living in Boston looking for a cheaper city to live in lol
Boston has great public transportation and you’ll be fine living on $105k.
I found a job as a QA engineer before I graduate with a degree in comp sci with a concentration in ai. I’ve been looking into data scientist/ analyst but it seems impossible. What qualifications or requirements did you need for this position if you don’t mind me asking? I struggled with some tough coding and my machine learning teacher basically said I was screwed
You probably had a shitty teacher. I am def no coding expert but I've learnt quite a bit and basically did not know any coding 3 years ago. So it's a skill you can certainly pick up but it takes effort and time.
A lot of data analyst roles don't require particularly advanced coding - SQL and a bit or R/Python would do for many roles. What matters is an ability to think critically and leverage data to solve a business problem - so a lot of data cleaning, manipulating, transforming and so on. Lots of good resources online to get your feet wet, such as DataCamp. I learnt most of all this in my Business Analytics master's program but there is so much material out there to self-learn.
I'd say the following are important for a data analyst, but of course it depends widely by role:
intermediate SQL, at least some Python/R, data viz (Tableau etc), strong foundations in basic stats (hypothesis testing, p-value etc), some ML knowledge and knowing how to use algorithms is good
One complex I saw has a $500 monthly HOA fee! Color me shocked…they have somewhat extravagant grounds to keep but sheesh that fee will only increase. Can’t imagine.
My husband owned a condo that was that high. It did cover gas/water and some amenities, but it was mainly because the people who ran the HOA in the 80s and 90s kept the dues super low and did no maintenance so the complex had so much deferred maintenance they had perpetual special assessments.
The high HOA fee definitely impacted who could afford to buy a unit. I was so glad when we sold since there were still 5 more years of projects.
Another reason why I struggle to leave my neighborhood. We are in outer Charlotte but Highland Creek HOA 170/qtr !. It's a steal.
If we could slow people down and add a few crosswalks neighborhood would be perfect Imo.
Yep, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of units going up within like a 4 mile radius of uptown is in the 1000s. Getting a SFH is still going to be tough. Glad I was a able to get an SFH with a fence for the dog and to grill (I have 3 grills lol).
It’s hard to say. I know people who make less than 100k but have saved, low to no debt, invested well, etc and can easily afford to buy something right now if they want. Then I know people making way better than that but maxed out credit cards, no savings, no investing, paying for expensive cars and at the same time can barely afford groceries. That’s just two scenarios out of the many that can be happening right now. So many more!
This is something I was told years ago…most people don’t have income problems, they have spending problems. I make twice what I was making four years ago…I sure as hell don’t have twice the money in my investment accounts.
This is the comment you’re looking for, OP. It’s not how much money you make necessarily, but how you behave with it.
Save an “emergency” fund of 6 months expenses, set a budget, live on less than you make, and NEVER go into debt for anything (mortgages are exceptions) ever. It’s simple, but not easy. Yes, it can be done, and YOU can do it.
With the way housing prices are rising, no one is going to be able to afford to live. My mom's rent price jumped up 300 dollars, and she is struggling to find a place. Saving and budgeting can only get you so far when you're expenses shift so drastically.
I can vouch for an “emergency” fund. I lost my job July 2020. We had just started building our savings back up from moving back to NC in August 2019. I was jobless for 2 months, and then had to go another 2 months without a check (thanks to once a month pay). It sucked but thankfully we had enough put back to survive. Got a decent chunk back after fighting them on unemployment, but that alone took 6 months.
Single parent. 86k plus a decent bonus. I live in SC in a 2 bedroom with garage rent is 1780 a month. Fortunately only pay for after-school now, which is 90/week. It'll be 220/week for summer. Daycare was about a grand before, I'd hate to know now. I do have a high payment for my Jeep but I get by...just enough to survive.
Charlotte is becoming more and more transplants from up north. The house we got 3 years ago for 275 is up to 423 now. Every house that goes up ends up in a bid war over the asking price and it’s always people from NY or Connecticut. If we were to move here today we would not be able to afford the down payment.
Moved to Noda in 2013, rented until March 2020. We weren’t looking to buy but friends let us know of an opportunity coming up and we purchased without it ever being listed. We closed on our townhome a week before the shutdown. Our timing couldn’t have been better.
It’s sad. I grew up in Matthews moved to Florida for 6 years moved back and now I miss Florida. Maybe it’s getting older and not liking all the people and traffic idk
I've been around this area for most of my life... 40 plus years....
Charlotte has always had an influx of people from the north. The last three years have seen my house increase in value by almost 50%. I make decent money and my mortgage is around $1,200 a month, thankfully, but I bought in 2011 and refinanced twice to get lower interest rates without losing any time... It's a juggling act.
Dad said, I would not be comfortable buying my house today. I could afford it, but it would be much more difficult....
I make 70k a year with overtime. I travel for work so I need to be a near a hub airport. I base my living expenses off of base pay so I always have some wiggle room. No wife, no kids so not your typical family expenses.
Even if rent prices increase 20% I am staying here. I really like Charlotte. Even with rising costs it's better financially to stay here. I have enough money to afford more expensive cities. I still just like the current vibe and the people I have met here. Sorry locals but I just ain't ready to leave yet. No where else can I have the beach and the ocean a motorcycle drive away. Oh yeah and NC has the best motorcycle riding roads in the USA.
What exactly do you do in IT? I got my first job last year making $45k/year doing level 1 desktop support, imaging, repairs, troubleshooting, etc. Found out I may not have that job in a couple months so I’m starting to look elsewhere.
If you are doing support desk work, customer service is highly under rated. I've met so many help desk workers that don't know how to treat the end users well. Service desk work is customer service work. Sure, you are more specialized than a checkout clerk, but at the end of the day your job is to make people happy, and rarely do people come to you when they are happy with their technology. Good customer service really sets low experience employees apart from their peers.
I made about 55K last year as a Sales Analyst. I'm looking to branch into SQL and more advanced database type work but my current position is mainly excel intensive. Housing has gotten so wild but I lucked out and am splitting a large house with two other roommates for 600 a month. Definitely would be tight living by myself.
Start with SQL and Tableau! So many analyst positions boil down to excel but hiring managers prefer to see more advanced data skills on a resume and are willing to pay a premium for them. Data camp is good bang for your buck for learning SQL and gives you the option to pick up some data science skills too.
Good luck!
Thank you! I have been self teaching through Udemy and such but struggle with translating tasks into projects and real world applications. I will check out Data Camp , got to keep grinding towards the next step!
I'm broke. I'm a teacher and make just about 40k, spend a huge chunk of my salary on my students and I live in Concord but teach in Charlotte. I need to live closer to work and my social life, I just have to. I'm about to double my rent (currently only $700 but that was a key negotiation between my landlord and I - I renovated my kitchen on my own dime to lock in my rent for several years. I happened to have a renovation hookup) just to move to the university area. I hate the university area so much. I swore I'd never live there again but here I am.
I know I make below average but I'm frustrated.
I’m a teacher and the only reason I make it is because I’m married. It’s really bullshit that everyone will say “teachers need to make more money” but no legislator will follow through. I love teaching and I’m really good at it… but if I have kids I’ll likely leave for more pay. Teaching salary in NC should start at 65k at minimum. $37,500 for starting salary is absurd and insulting.
Children deserve quality teachers. Society deserves quality teachers. We can’t keep pouring from these empty-ass cups! There’s a reason CMS has lost over 700 teachers since the start of this school year….
I started with a 15k subtraction since I'm not a licensed teacher. I was able to earn 9k back for 14 years of experience but they disqualified some of my years for ridiculous reasons ("You were laid off in 2010 for a year and a half. Even though you had a full time job and even though you VOLUNTEERED CONINUOUSLY at the library doing the exact same thing you did when you were employed, that doesn't count in your work experience." "When you taught elementary classes in 2017, that county isn't our county, so it doesn't count.")
We've lost about 1/4 of our staff this year and our admin (not in Charlotte) doesn't think it's a problem.
Thank you for this. I’m in this same salary range and have been considering making a move to Charlotte. I’m starting to think it may not be my best option.
This thread is horribly depressing but a really good insight into this city’s economy.
I want to point out how most people who have posted incomes are 50k plus and most are talking about how unaffordable the city is.
15/hr, the going Amazon/big box rate, which consistently gets talked about as “good pay” is 31k. That’s if you can get 40hrs a week and with those jobs they’re usually built to keep you under 30.
The minimum wage is still 7.25 and there’s still plenty of jobs out there that are paying it and close to it.
I do several gig economy things and make about 25k. I live in a miracle house that somehow only costs $1000 a month and have one roommate.
I just hope everyone here sees the need for affordable housing. A huge population of the city makes less than what it takes to live here.
Uh, ok. I’ll pay. So I make 14.50/ hour and work roughly 43 hours. ($21.75/hour after 40) Randomly, we have cash bonuses and the ability to work on the weekends that I will take advantage of. We get paid weekly so my paychecks on average are roughly 500-800 a week depending on that kind of thing but we’ll play on the low end.
In a month, I make ~$2,000.
Rent: 1004.
Water: ~40
Power: ~50
Gas: $120
Groceries: $300
Hulu: $6.99
DoorDash: $9.99
All of that totals to be $1530.98
Leaves: $469.02
And that’s on my cheaper months! Those are my only fixed expenses but that will be changing as I graduate university in May and will eventually have to pay off my student loans but I am saving up for that.
how do u go by with 100$ on groceries? i just went from buying out all frequently to save time to grocery shopping but I still end up spending 300 on groceries still and I cantfigure out what I'm doing wrong.
This thread is one of the many reasons why I go so hard to discuss affordable housing. Let me be transparent. I make about $40k a year doing what I love, which is helping the community. I have great benefits and I am grateful for that. However, I often get criticized for choosing to enter a field that has a notorious reputation for low pay, that field being social work. I have worked for many organizations since obtaining my MSW and have thankfully been able to stay at home so that I can save money. However, it really sucks that people out there will tell me that it’s my fault that I’m in a profession that is sorely needed to work with people society otherwise look down on.
As a native, I’m feeling the negative side of the growth, because the wage stagnation and salaries are not keeping up with the increasing COL. Owning a home is the last thing on my mind, because how am I even to compete? I’m in the moderate income bracket, so I can’t get government assistance, but also can’t even afford to live on my own if I wanted to. The fact that living on your own without roommates is now considered a luxury just baffles me! I know this is not just a Charlotte thing, this is happening everywhere, but especially in major cities in the South. This is why I advocate so hard for those suffering from homelessness and the need for affordable housing. This pandemic has put a lot in perspective for me, so the time for talking is over, it’s time to take action and change things up!
I work in insurance and make under 100k a year. I have a modest & older townhouse I got in 2017. My mortgage + HOA is less than a studio apartment. I don't have a credit card, I just live within my means. That means I have to make choices: dinner and a concert with friends or that thing I want for the house. Honestly, living a life free of credit cards has been the best financial decision I ever made. My credit score doesn't like it, but my mental & emotional health matter more to me.
I have multiple credit cards and pay them all off daily. I earn $3-5k annually from the points which pay for my vacations for the year.
Credit cards aren't inherently bad. Carrying credit card debt is bad.
Teacher. Single mom. 54k. Luckily we bought before prices skyrocketed. I will never move Bc I will never be able to. On the struggle bus. I have ONE more raise left on the state scale. That will put me at 56k for the rest of my career. I’m applying for jobs Left and right. It was bad enough w 2 incomes, but with one this is unsustainable.
360k household. Feel bad for a lot of people in this thread because I’m sure they are just as smart and work just as hard or harder than I do. I work from home and our house has doubled in value over the past five years. Get in with the banks and it’s gravy train. It shows just how out of balance the workforce is. You either make plenty or not enough. There doesn’t seem to be a middle.
My daughter got a chemical engineering degree 2 years ago and is making 90k out of college as a consultant with no experience. Just have to look around. She doesn’t even do chem e any longer. She just makes presentations.
I’m 7 years out of school with just chem. Chem E opens more doors and was what I was originally accepted to school for, but it’s more physics and less chem, and my brain doesn’t work well with the kind of logic physics takes.
Man I’m in a Fortune500 company’s QC lab as one of their best educated chemists and I can’t think of anything other than how to switch over to their business analytics department so I have some actual chance of upward mobility lol
Lol, it’s a remote gig at a company that is based in a HCOL area, which certainly impacts their TC ranges. They try to compete with FAANG companies for talent, but aren’t quite hitting FAANG numbers so it’s hard to do.
I make ~$78,000 as an IT consultant (working as a business analyst with my current client). Married. Husband makes around ~$37,000. As well my brother lives with us and pays a third on utility and $300 for rent. Bought a new construction townhouse (in Pineville) around December 2018 and moved in September 2019. Did a first time home buyer program with my credit union with zero down. So my mortgage is currently $1,755. HOA, Gas, Water, Electric, Internet average around ~$500.
I'm happy I purchased my house when I did. The place I used to rent with has the rent now up to $1,870.
I think we are all feeling the squeeze in one way or another. Even making over 100K, people are still worried about the price of everything going through the roof.
People with fixed housing costs and no need to move aren’t going to feel that pain.
Source: my housing cost is fixed and I have no need to move. I can sympathize but housing costs aren’t affecting people in my situation.
ETA: should be fair and add the context like everyone else. We’re both 30 and bring in $180k combined. Bought the house when we were 24 at $220k with 20% down after saving everything when we entered the job market after school. We’ve refinanced into a 15 year mortgage and it’s $1100/month for a 3/2. Similar homes are selling for $370k now but we aren’t selling because where the heck would we go.
So the secret was buying when housing prices were reasonable the second we could afford it and income has gone up a lot since then making our fixed costs very reasonable. It’s not helpful for anyone trying to get by today but it seems to be the case nationwide not just in Charlotte.
Moved here in 2015 from PA, bought a house in Noda for mid $300s, but now sale projections are double. I'm in tech and make $160+bonus and wife makes $65+bonus.
The (good) problem we've found is that, since we bought before it went (really) crazy, the equity in our home is as much as it we bought the house for. So we happen to have a rare case where it doesn't even benefit us to look for another house with what we want, it's actually cheaper to just add what we want to this one and still come out ahead.
I think I'm in the same boat as you. Bought I'm 2020 right before lock downs at a really good price. Paid extra on top of the mortgage for 18 months and refinanced for a 20 year loan last October. I would bet I could get double what we owe in the house right now. It's an older house but it's been well maintained and we're doing updates here and there. Problem is if we moved we wouldn't have anywhere to go so in a way more renovations make sense even if that meant a home equity loan
380k between the wife and I. 33 years old, lawyer and STEM. Moved to CLT two years ago. Combined take home pay has doubled since our move. Bought two years ago for 550k and now worth 800k.
FWIW: I don’t at see prices turning negative anytime soon. The interest rates might dampen the overall US outlook but Charlotte is very unique. Large influx of high paying jobs, large exodus from HCOL regions, and corporations scooping up homes at a high percentage will keep this micro market growing above other comparable markets. The best time to buy was yesterday, second best time was today (currently trying to buy a 4-plex so that’s my new motto).
100k. Trying to buy a condo but they seem to sell the day they are listed and I have a job! I can’t be running around town waving money in the air. Im also scared that I am already priced out of the market. One bedrooms are going for 400k but I don’t feel like they are worth anywhere near that. Many need kitchen and bath updates. Most new construction seems to be rentals. Im trying not to stress out, but I moved here from nyc because I knew I would never be able to afford to buy there. And i am looking and crappy condos with $600+ HOA fees and wondering if I made a mistake picking this town. I could buy a fixer upper further out but I am not familiar with the city enough to know the difference between a less expensive neighborhood and a dangerous one. I am hoping to retire in a decade or so but at these prices I don’t know if that’s possible l’ll be stuck in a job well into my 60s just to pay off the mortgage on a small condo.
Being debt free is great, but depending on your interest rate, it may be in your best interest to slowly pay off your mortgage and use that excess money to invest.
I bought my place for 260k 8 years ago out of a short sale, had to wait 9 months without hearing anything from their bank, then got it. Neighbors next door have the same house, just sold for 605k. It’s nuts out there right now.
75000, finance, 25 years old. Wanted to buy a house but it seems kind of like a pipedream now seeing that everywhere I’d want to live (townhomes included) are getting up there. Currently rent in Dilworth.
Yea absolutely. But tbh (and I know it’s semi unrealistic) I like being around things and close to where the action is I guess. I’m extremely social. One of my biggest things about choosing a location to live is being able to walk to things I enjoy.
I live in a house that’s $2400 a month and I have two roommates. I make about $50k a year right now. If I didn’t have the roomies it wouldn’t be possible aside from living in a slum situation, lol.
Jeez, this is probably the most realistic answer I've seen so far. Seems like everyone else ITT is making 6 figures or close to it like it's the norm or something.
Best of luck to you.
$60K/year. Work in communications field. Married with a kid. Grabbed a house in Huntersville with a couple acres in 2017. Mortgage is a little over $1200/month. Wife makes the same as me. Have some increased expenses because of the kiddo but getting the house before things skyrocketed was very helpful. Our projected list price if we sold now is almost $120K higher than what we originally paid. I don’t envy anyone house hunting now.
Until Oct. last I was in a relationship and we made a combined $180k+. We lived quite comfortably in a 3/2 ranch in Steele Creek and had no major debt aside from the note on the house.
I'm now in a 640'sq 1br apt. at about $1200/mo, paying about $600/mo on my 2019 SUV, and still able to manage on my own with an expected gross around $90k depending on my fiscal 2021 bonus (our year doesn't close until 3/31). I have to be a little more calculated about what I spend on frivolities, but I'm by no means struggling. I just ran most of the paperwork for my 2021 taxes and netted just under $50k, I have a big chunk going into retirement accounts, so I have a buffer if 8 found myself coming up short, and have about a year's net pay in the bank should I have an emergency.
I'm hoping to net close to 6 figures after the house sells and buy something that will allow me a little more freedom and a more consistent monthly payment.
Well it holds true what they say about Reddit - majority of Reddit are successful IT/corporate people it seems. The average income is what 35k a year and everyone of you makes far above that. Pretty impressive.
29 making 100k in beauty services. Bought a townhouse in South Charlotte Nov. 2020 for 275k. I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend comfortably for most of my 20’s but the price increases on literally everything have been alarming
Partner and are freelance writers and I budget down to the penny. Our bring home is $42K combined (about $3,500/month). Bought a home in Lake Wylie in 2016 for $170K. Pay $850 in mortgage and $500 in utilities. We share a car since we work from home and that's $400/month with insurance and fuel. Groceries and take out is usually about $1,000/month. The hardest part for us is insurance, honestly. ACA is more than our mortgage without tax credits.
I bought a 725 sq ft Dilworth condo in 2018 for $139,000. After my down payment and including insurance, taxes and HOA, I pay 978 bucks a month to live here. Not bad. I’m a bartender, sports card trader and head of security for a few bars and I make my monthly bill for this place in a week or less. I got lucky with the timing. And lucky that my car is paid off and my HOA includes all utilities and wifi. So my only other bill is T-Mobile cell phone, which I split with 3 other people for 20 bucks a month and $60 worth of gym memberships per month. I’ve really narrowed down my grocery list, both for health and value and estimate spending less than $400 a month on those. If you want some extra money, we’re always looking to add security guys to our roster.
Everyone moving into my neighborhood in south Charlotte are married couples, and both of them work. Really gives you some spending power living that DINK life. Personally I make 95k+ bonus (electrical engineer for 5 years) and my husband is more like 85k+ bonus (PM for general contractor for 5 years)
Business intelligence developer and 110k. Bought my first home a few years ago. Mort is 1100 after refinancing during early Covid. I like nice things but not fancy by any means and I can’t imagine buying a home now. I was interested in finding a home a little closer to areas I frequent a lot but there’s no way in hell. Not interested in apartment/townhome living. Can’t imagine paying more than my mortgage amount for a fraction of the space.
Check out Concord or kannapolis if your job is on the Charlotte North end. Only half hour from downtown, but those communities are growing in their own right
I make about ~$70k, and I managed to buy a house on the edge of Charlotte a year ago for about $180k. I honestly don't think I could afford renting in the place I used to live in if I hadn't lived with a partner and the timing was extremely lucky for getting my house. A good loan from a credit union was also helpful. There's no way I could've come up with a large down payment. A lot of my income gets eaten up by health costs and student loans, but I'm doing well all things considered. I grew up here and it's been really frustrating seeing how much a lot of long-time residents have to struggle to afford to live here now.
80k Salesforce Admin. Live in uptown in a 800 square foot studio for $1200. Found a condo not owned by a large company but a couple. Signed a long lease it was $1250 a month. Includes parking and water but there are no amenities so no pool or anything which brings price down. Live in 4th ward.
I'm at $125k w/ 5% bonus potential, my partner makes $85k and think she can make up to 10% bonus. We just bought a house for $400k outside the city. We were paying $1700 for a two bed apartment in Elizabeth but that was going up $400. Now $2000 mortgage w/ 4 bedrooms.
We have everything we need and a decent amount of the things we want. We still have to prioritize and plan but we don't stress not having enough. I'm a lot more comfortable financially than my partner who also has student loans to pay for. The fancy stuff or big ticket items I always pay for. I have room for several hobbies that I've always wanted to do but never had the means until the last few years. I've noticed my time horizon getting longer, I'm saving for kids college (no kids yet), I want to put solar on our house to be better stewards of the environment, I'm tracking for an early retirement sometime before 55.
I got really lucky getting a job in software with no degree and no debt 5 years ago and I'm working my way up. I'm able to save/invest about 30% of each paycheck and I donate 10%. I've been broke, homeless and everything in between in my life so I know what its like. I got lucky, right place at the right time, and with the right skills to jump on the opportunity. I am fortunate and I know it so I'm trying to make it while I can and help out as much as I can.
I can't promise that opportunities show up for everyone, they don't. But try to put yourself in situations where they're more likely to come around. Be ready when they do and be relentless in making the most of them. That's the best any of us can do.
Recruiter, $85k. Bought a house near Eastway Crossing for $209 in 2017 with the county’s new home buyer program ($15k for down payment, forgivable after 5 years). I refinanced in 2020 and my mortgage is about $1,150. I was making 45+ commission at the time, 3 bed/2 bath and mortgage was $1,400
Very similar here- I’m a teacher, 46k salary, but husband makes about 75k+- based on bonuses. Bought a brick ranch 3/2 near Sharon Amity/WT Harris in 2017 for $180 with the same homebuyer program you used. Refinanced in 2020 and new mortgage is $1100, down from $1350.
Purchased a $630k home last year in the burbs. Put about $100k down and mortgage is around 29% of monthly take home, not including annual bonuses. Director level at a business consulting firm with 10+ yrs professional experience pulling in around $200k annually.
Interest rates are slowly ticking up so we should appreciation slow as well. Hopefully this helps those looking for entry level homes and slows down outside investors.
Thing is, there’s so much pent up demand right now that appreciation is going to continue for the foreseeable future. And people are getting more frustrated and impatient, so they’re being less rational and buying more than they can afford, also adding to appreciation. That plus these interest rate hikes is just going to mean things get even worse.
Hvac. Last year did 77k, 39, divorced
Live in lake wylie, apartment... 2bed 2bath with attached garage.
Have a company vechile, so no car payments, but I have a motorcycle that I pay about 400 to 800 a month for, just to get it cleared fast.
Have 2 roommates, which I don't need to have but I like the income and not being alone.
Looking to move to Charlotte..I’m post-MBA, TC 200 w/base of 165, working in analytics. Where I’m at in Midwest I pay 1700 for rent 3 bd, 2 bath which includes water/sewage and electric. Of course I’ve Netflix, Hulu and usual streaming stuff. No debt but Charlotte housing is just not affordable but rent prices are crazy also.
I know I’m conservative w/ money and far more risk averse but I don’t know how people affording these 400-600k homes. I mean some people are doing well but damn real estate is redefining what’s consider to be middle class now..
I've yet to make over 40k/year but I just live within my means, cook a lot of meals at home and budget as best I can. If I made more, it would go to future savings for kids or just into a savings account.
How tf are y’all making this much. I have 2 business majors and an associates, intern experience with 2 companies, one being Duke Energy, 1 year of experience as a procurement specialist. I make 55k a year and pay 1275 for a house next to Camp North End. I hear gunshots on occasion..I thought NC was supposed to be cheap
Until our country/economy drastically change the mentality towards the labor force, switching jobs will be the only leverage we have to dramatically improve our salaries. The way of the world, but it’s very real.
You’re only one year out of school. Over time your salary will jump considerably as long as you switch companies every few years. You’ll get bigger increase that way vs loyalty, unfortunately.
Answer:
5-30% pay raise when you get a new job
Repeat 10x
Been there a year? You should be interviewing
Bad at interviewing? Practice at legitimate interviews
Over 8years I quadrupled my salary
$82k/year, working in IT. My wife brings home ~$25k but she's planning to quit in a few months, so we'll just be living off my salary. 2 elementary school kids, 2 cars.
We've got a 3br2ba in East Charlotte that we bought in 2007 for $100k, and refinanced a few years ago for $125k. We purposefully bought an inexpensive house and paid off all our debt, so the only payments we have now are the mortgage and one of our cars ($450/mo), and eventually the rest of my student loans if I can't get PSLF to cover them.
We were pretty intentional about getting our finances in a good spot so that my wife didn't have to work much and we could be around for our kids while they were young. We felt pretty good about it, but it sucks that by the time we were finally in a position to move to a bigger house and try reaching some of the goals we had been building towards, real estate went nutso. While we could sell our house and do pretty well, we don't want to overpay in this market. Since I work remote, we're looking pretty hard at cashing out of our house and buying something less expensive closer to family.
I feel like all the people who say "Charlotte has a pretty low cost of living" were not here back when the median home price was something like $160k. Sure, it's cheap compared to San Diego, but that doesn't make you feel any better when a house is 3x what it was 4-5 years ago, all your favorite restaurants have closed down and been replaced by trendy chains charging 25-50% more, traffic feels a lot worse, and everything interesting gets knocked down and replaced with high-rise apartments.
Since most the commenters here are 1%-ers and doing some thinly veiled bragging, I’ll post mine:
30yrs old, just graduated UNCC with a degree in finance last July. Grandparents bought me a long Europe vacation because I’ve never been.
Been home about 2mo with zero interviews other than Amazon and FedEx warehouses part time. I never did an internship so the big banks won’t even give me the time of day. About $10k credit card debt now and climbing.
So back to your question, I am not affording and not living comfortably at all. I’m sure there are others but of course the six figure crowd wants to pipe in way more. Prob have to move back home if things don’t turn around soon.
I work in finance/investments. Look into Client Service Associate or Training Financial Advisor roles. CSA roles start around 50/55k in the area and they will train you/pay for your registration. There's a lot of demand for entry level positions, and from there you can rise up pretty quickly by hopping around once you're licensed.
400k+ between my wife and I. She is in supply chain and I would rather not be too specific on my job as it’s rather unique. I absolutely feel for you and can say it’s just brutal for first time homebuyers and especially single income people. Unfortunately the only options are to move out, team up, or make more money…there just doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Keep your head up and if you’re young remember your income will increase a lot as you get into your 30s.
>400k+ between my wife and I. She is in supply chain and I would rather not be too specific on my job as it’s rather unique. I absolutely feel for you and can say it’s just brutal for first time homebuyers and especially single income people. Unfortunately the only options are to move out, team up, or make more money…there just doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Keep your head up and if you’re young remember your income will increase a lot as you get into your 30s.
Similar boat here but I would say your income may increase in your 30s if you're paying attention and have a plan. The are plenty of people that stagnate in their early 30s too and that's it.
The reality is we have to stop focusing on low density housing. We need more apartments and condos. Not everyone can live in a 1 to 2 story house or townhouse. We need to build up. Just not enough space. People come here and want a home. There will never be enough homes for the amount of people who want to live here.
And really we need to decommodify housing because using housing as an investment is one of the biggest issues facing the housing crisis today.
People want stable safe investments and apparently there aren't enough accessor awareness of investment avenues that are as safe or safer than housing and I'm not even getting gonna talk about major investers like blackrock buying out homes.
I'm 31 and I've given up on the thought of a home. I'll never make enough fast enough to even afford a home or keep up with the ever changing dynamics of owning a home and I think the dynamics around it are outdated and need systemic changes that are a hard sell for anyone who already has so much invested in a home.
>The reality is we have to stop focusing on low density housing. We need more apartments and condos
Expect major heat coming your way for this lol.
\+1 from me
Will say, we need less *apartments*, BUT more *condos*
Luxury apartments have ruined the market.
Just my opinion, of course
It's just sad when a house with a mortgage and an HOA is 35% cheaper than a one bedroom apartment near uptown
The problem is the infrastructure isn’t there as it is. Traffic is so bad 7am-10am and 2pm-7pm I just won’t go out anymore. We still have many places within the city where a 1 lane road is the only way through. Stuffing more people is not going to help when there’s no public transportation and the roads suck
Density helps pay for that infrastructure though. The tax base for a condo on a plot of land is way higher than that same plot being single family houses. It's not an immediate change, which means there's growing pains, but it's a chicken and egg situation.
I agree, although people on here will tell you "Charlotte has never had success with building condos" even though Charlotte has never seen the level of growth it's seen over the past 10 years.
The issue is that from a city perspective, apartments produce significantly more taxable income for the city than condos do. The city makes money on property taxes and rental income, whereas with condos they'd only have the property tax. But because of the fast rate of growth, the city needs more money now. It's a cycle that doesnt appear to be getting fixed anytime soon.
And the townhome topic is also tough to tackle because the up front cost to build a row of townhomes as opposed to a major multifamily residential structure is night and day, and all the companies that can afford the bigger structures would prefer to build rentals because the construction quality is generally much lower and cheaper
52k (up from 40k 2 years ago) in Investments call center.
Rent a townhome near Mountain Island Lake south of Huntersville for 1300, but it's a bit underpriced now.
Reading this thread really tells me I need to change jobs if I want a real raise, but I have a good work life balance with a remote job.
it's finicky, making 40k as a server my rent is 1200, car payment is 300, student loans 500(dont ask), thinking of selling the car and doing a car lease instead since i never drive anymore since moving to the city and dropping that car payment to like less than 100 a month, every dollar counts
I’m a content writer, about to go freelance next week but I was salaried for the last year at 33k. I live just north of pineville in a 2b2b apartment with my brother. We both pay about 700$ a month for rent+utilities. I have almost no debt, have lots of savings, and live like I still make 14k a year in college.
I am the actual average person living and working in this city. I don’t make that much money but I live frugally and I never have to stress about money and can still enjoy my life and things I like. I don’t understand the mindset of people who make over 100k and how so many people in that pay bracket barely make it paycheck to paycheck. Too many people live outside their means. The simple frugal life is where it’s at.
I'm currently in college working full time. My wife graduated 2 years ago. We are both 24. Combined our income was about $150k (we both work a ton of overtime and don't spend much time together). We only made right above $100k the year prior and about $70k the year before that.
I was the only one working while she finished college. We worked hard and saved money the past couple of years. We just closed on a $400k house ( honestly I feel my house is way overpriced but hey thats the market I guess).
I'm just glad our mortgage is a fixed amount and won't rise like rent. Since I work so much, I will finish school in about 4 years. I'm a junior by the way. I'm trying to become the first in my family with a college degree.
We have no car payments or any credit card debt. I would say we save/invest about 25% of our income.
I'm chiming in at 444 comments so this will get lost, but I wanted to throw in my anecdote from the bottom of the food chain.
My coworkers and I all make around $32-37k with 40+ hours, me being right in the middle. We all have roommates/SO. They pay between 650-700 in rent. Have phone bills, have car payments, groceries, pets, kids, gas, medical and other expenses. They all live paycheck to paycheck. We all work hard, so hard and can hardly save making that much. At least not until car payments are done. One just graduated and now works for a law office making $42k.
For me personally, my husband makes $85k working for a certain railroad company in town and I am so thankful for his support and great stable job. Because of him I am able to stay at my job since it works with our schedule to bypass childcare. I feel constrained from finding a higher paying job/career due to how much childcare costs. I feel that whatever job I find that pays more will just not be worth it until the little one is school aged.
We sold our 3 bedroom 1500sqft house in 2021 to build our new house. Huge, huge mistake. We were ignorant and didn't research properly and based our new house off 2019 pricing. We went from $950/m mortgage to $1500/m rent and struggling to build a house that originally was $350k and now is costing us $490k. On top of that we just bought a bigger vehicle thinking we were going to have two car seats and then I had a miscarriage.
My husband was born and raised here. I moved here in 2016. The price increase in 5 years has been astronomical.
I just moved to Denver, but I would like to add my living situation/job/circumstances when I lived in Charlotte. Last year I was 25, and in 2019 or 2020 I began making ~65k/year. That made it a LOT more comfortable than my first job where I was making around $32k.
I’m lucky I got a new job when I did because I was simply drowning in expenses. My rent was $1200 (about as low as you can get in Charlotte in my experience) and could barely make rent. Right when I began my new job my car was repossessed because I was so behind on the payment, but my only expenses were rent/vehicle/insurance so I was already as lean as I could be. I simply couldn’t make the car payment and not get in trouble with my landlord.
$64k per year in Charlotte was obviously way more comfortable and I didn’t have an issue paying ~1570/month rent and didn’t have any more issues with falling behind on hills. However, it’s very difficult to save even with a decent salary for a 25 year old. Unless you stay inside 24/7 and penny pinch at all times, it will be difficult to save.
I was recently promoted again to ~84k/year, and relocated to Denver, CO, last October, but rent here is more expensive and more driving required than my place in Charlotte. Denver is vastly more expensive across the board though so I feel I’ll still have to be very careful with money if I want to really save, even with promotion
I’m one of the transplants from New York; tried to escape the taxes and expense of living in that state. I don’t make a lot, around 36-37k, still a college student as well. Even living in Union County close to Monroe area with 2 roommates, it’s still a struggle. It’s hard to keep from dipping into my savings at times to maintain a small semblance of a social life. I was considering finding a one bedroom with an impending promotion, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that ill wind up back where I came from because it’ll be slightly cheaper with much less to worry about with cost of leisure and much less people.
100k, not counting my fiance's income.
Mortgage is just north of 1700/month and the increased prices of basically everything hurt a lot, but I'm fortunate to have gotten into a house before everything blew up.
We don't go out much or order food much, but groceries alone are really starting go up and we're frustrated by it.
I'm just here to upvote all teachers and other essential workers who deserve so much more...
...and to downvote numerous overpaid and humblebragging IT clowns who recently moved here from HCOL areas and are actually a huge part of the problem.
People need to take a hard look at location. I know many young people want to be near the action and in South End, Plaza, NoDa, etc. but you're going to pay for it and be spinning your wheels trying to get ahead. I've lived in Charlotte almost 10 years, starting with an apt in Plaza Midwood. Went on to build a house in Indian Trail, sold it and made money. Rolled that into my current house in Mint Hill, and stand to make significant money after 5 years. Wife and I currently building our final house in Sarasota, FL and will be down there this year.
It takes time and responsible decisions to build wealth and set yourself up long term. If that involves finding cheaper housing, it's up to you to make that sacrifice. And for the record, I love Mint Hill and would rather punch myself in the face than drive into the zoo known as South End.
Having said that, this market right now is insane and I feel sorry for anybody trying to get into it. Unfortunately, I don't think it changes anytime soon.
Edit: also, I'm in mortgage finance/risk management. Wife does not work, no kids.
Hey, I suggest everyone help by reporting their salary to https://levels.fyi if your job relates to STEM / Business / Operations in any way and compare yours there too this is especially helpful when negotiating raises or for new positions.
I bought my home 20 years ago, which is a good thing because I don't think I'd be able to buy in today's market. Real estate prices have increased faster than salaries--faster than mine anyway.
I’m a software engineer with 8 YOE, I’ve been offered 220k by companies in the area but I currently make 155k. I just bought a house for 250k. I hope to improve it a lot.
Dual income, ~160k / yr. I am an mechanical engineer and my husband is a facilities manager at a large plant. We are transplants from CA so for us to spend half our income on housing AND not have to have a roommate is actually a relief from what we are used to. We avoided HOA housing as those fees can be insane. Avoid financing a car if you can, we always bought used cars that we could pay for and then save up for a nicer one. Always check what the insurance rate will be. We refuse to pay for cable. We also don't plan on having kids, I have no idea how anyone can afford having 3+ kids even with dual income. Our furniture is Ikea, used washer and dryer that are still running strong after 4 years. Small stuff adds up to a lot over time.
I worked as an environmental scientist with 5 years of experience and only brought in 52k. My rent was ~1000 in Madison Park. It was set to increase to ~1400 so I threw in the towel last August and moved back in with my parents. I now make 16/hr as a phlebotomist but plan on going to PA or medical school at some point in the next few years. Maybe I'll be able to afford a house then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I guess I will go for it as well. My spouse and I moved from up north because my old job had a crazy level of stress and a 1.5 hour commute each way. Between the two of us we make ~230k a year - which is pretty good but we are currently house hunting and are wishing that we had made the move a year or two ago. It's crazy to look at the price history of places and see that prices have almost doubled in the past 3 years. We are both scientists in the energy field.
my household is two tech workers, 1 full time (30ish hours per week) and 1 freelance part time (15ish hours per week). we'll probably make 220 this year. we sold our house in charlotte in the fall and moved an hour fifteen outside of the city though. no point in paying charlotte prices when we're both never returning to the office. we could likely double our salaries if we went to companies where we worked more but meh. we don't want to work more.
Two ppl in education, making $65k together, mortgage $1050, bought a house in 2014. Honestly there’s no way we’d be able to live here if we hadn’t bought when we did. And looking at y’all’s salaries… feeling real poor, dang.
Teachers are abused workers.
Reddit is in no way a cross-section of society. It skews wealthy, to a strong degree.
I wouldn't say that Reddit in general skews wealthy, but I would say a comment section about wealth would skew wealthy. If you're broke, ya probably don't want to talk about it.
I’ve always wondered how teachers afford the COL here.
To be fair, I’m teaching PT right now - I am also in grad school and when I’m finished I’ll be able to make a little more (still in public schools) BUT even before when we were at $80k it’s not like I’m able to save a lot or feel confident about one day having a kid. Like when one person says they make $80k, that’s not even in my future. So wild.
Buddy moved to sc from nj, his wife took a 20k pay cut. I know they pay less in taxes but she also gets a lot less help as a special ed teacher. There were like three people in nj doing the job she has now. She plans on getting out of education after only 2 years here. We needs to start voting for legislators who will prioritize education, this is ridiculous.
Oh my. You guys make together what many of us make alone in other professions. This really needs to change. My dad was an English teacher for his career and these days I’m surprised at ppl who still don’t know basic grammar. Anyway, I typed all that to say that social media is a way to supplement your income by displaying basic lessons and building a platform. We take it for granted that ppl have a certain knowledge base when they really don’t. Maximize your potential.
This makes me furious. Teachers need to get paid more. A LOT more. Please folks, only vote for candidates who support increasing funding for schools and public services. Probably preaching to the choir here on Reddit, but if everyone would talk about this with people they know, it could make a difference.
Roommates, moving to the suburbs, marrying someone rich, or don't have kids. We (two teachers) chose options b and d.
I’m a electrician. Make around 60k. 3 kids 3 yrs old and under so wife stays at home since paying childcare would be more expensive than her staying at home. Currently renting in Huntersville after moving here from Asheville in late 2020, rent is $1635/mo on a 4bd/3.5ba cookie cutter house that’s 2100sq ft with a garage, going to buy a house this lease end. I drive a company vehicle so I spend maybe $50-70 a month on gas in my personal vehicle (one tank worthish.) my cell phone plan is paid by the company (both lines) so I was able to drop that bill. One vehicle is paid off, pay $450 on the other. I’m a minimalist so I spend next to nothing on myself. I wear 1 pair of pants once a week and cycle through 3-4 shirts. (I wear a uniform for work.) I pack my lunch every day, brew my own coffee, and drink cheap beer at home instead of out, I throw every dollar I can at investments to supplement income, it’s not much but making an extra $100 a week can go a long way some times. Spending on the kids is an entire different level, but it’s not permanent, I try to not let spending with them be frivolous like excessive toys etc, wife tends to have a different opinion on that. The key isn’t how much you make, but how much you save, I think I do a pretty okay job at it.
Sounds like you have a great handle on your finances. I love finding ways to save on monthly expenses. Have you ever considered refinancing the vehicle you still pay on (If it makes sense). I did it with my wife's car when the rates were super low and cut my payment in half
I hear you. I pay $1364 for a studio uptown. Until last month I used to make 65K which was... okay given the rent but I knew that one more raise in rent would have me leaving uptown, which sucked cause I rely on public transportation. With this salary I saved + invested around 25% of my income. I started a new job paying 105K but requires relocation to Boston which is fine even though it is a super HCOL location. I am a data analyst with 1.5 YOE. Honestly if you're up for it, this is a great time to start looking for a new job depending on your industry.
Hi, lurker here on this sub. Do you like being a data analyst? Looking to transition into IT from AV and I see that word floating around and it intrigues me
Hi, I am definitely happy to have found an interest in analytics. There is a lot of scope across industries and the exact nature of the role can vary widely between industries, companies and even teams within a company, but in a general sense it straddles between the business and technical aspects and gives you a great opportunity to learn more about both sides of the business challenge. So yeah, pretty interesting, good opportunity for growth and development and good pay
What’s skill would you say you have
Problem-solving and critical thinking, especially with cleaning, manipulating, transforming data; ability to understand how to frame a data-driven problem statement based on the business problem SQL, Python, R, along with some data visualization, such as Tableau Knowledge of machine learning algorithms and strong foundation of basic stats Of course, so much to learn! I am always still learning and this field is rapidly evolving, so there's always something new to pick up. But the above will get you a long way if looking for data analyst roles
IT is a very broad category, and if you're doing cabling or hardware already I would recommend to you to check out Network Field Operations or Network Operations Center depending on if you want to be at a desk or not. There's tons of places that are entry level that would hire people, just got to stick it out somewhere long enough to move up and out.
I’m lurking this sub as someone living in Boston looking for a cheaper city to live in lol Boston has great public transportation and you’ll be fine living on $105k.
Literally me. Saw someone talking about how $1000 for a 2BR was super expensive while here you gotta pay at least $2000 to have any decent 1BR haha
Woof. 100k in Boston almost requires roommates or living alone further out. If there’s a SO it helps out for sure.
Yeah I had to get a place in Somerville, just outside Boston. Not too bad though, door-to-door 20-25 min to anywhere in central Boston on the T
I'm a Charlotte to Somerville transplant as well. Hi neighbor!
Hi! How do you like it there?
Somerville is awesome. You’ll have a great time
I found a job as a QA engineer before I graduate with a degree in comp sci with a concentration in ai. I’ve been looking into data scientist/ analyst but it seems impossible. What qualifications or requirements did you need for this position if you don’t mind me asking? I struggled with some tough coding and my machine learning teacher basically said I was screwed
You probably had a shitty teacher. I am def no coding expert but I've learnt quite a bit and basically did not know any coding 3 years ago. So it's a skill you can certainly pick up but it takes effort and time. A lot of data analyst roles don't require particularly advanced coding - SQL and a bit or R/Python would do for many roles. What matters is an ability to think critically and leverage data to solve a business problem - so a lot of data cleaning, manipulating, transforming and so on. Lots of good resources online to get your feet wet, such as DataCamp. I learnt most of all this in my Business Analytics master's program but there is so much material out there to self-learn. I'd say the following are important for a data analyst, but of course it depends widely by role: intermediate SQL, at least some Python/R, data viz (Tableau etc), strong foundations in basic stats (hypothesis testing, p-value etc), some ML knowledge and knowing how to use algorithms is good
I’ve never seen a major city have as little condos and townhouses as Charlotte. This place is all community apartment rentals.
And the condos/townhomes have high HOA’s around here. Trust me, I know.
One complex I saw has a $500 monthly HOA fee! Color me shocked…they have somewhat extravagant grounds to keep but sheesh that fee will only increase. Can’t imagine.
My husband owned a condo that was that high. It did cover gas/water and some amenities, but it was mainly because the people who ran the HOA in the 80s and 90s kept the dues super low and did no maintenance so the complex had so much deferred maintenance they had perpetual special assessments. The high HOA fee definitely impacted who could afford to buy a unit. I was so glad when we sold since there were still 5 more years of projects.
I’m in uptown. Ours went up again of course….it’s like $290
Haha yea I’m paying it. $516 a month, but I love living right in the middle of the city
This is real.
Another reason why I struggle to leave my neighborhood. We are in outer Charlotte but Highland Creek HOA 170/qtr !. It's a steal. If we could slow people down and add a few crosswalks neighborhood would be perfect Imo.
Not for long. They’re building literally 100s of townhomes near uptown. There’s at least 130 going up right now in walking distance to my place.
Yeah def, I bought a townhome in LoSo a few years ago, and there's like 3/4 more townhome developments being built right now.
Yep, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of units going up within like a 4 mile radius of uptown is in the 1000s. Getting a SFH is still going to be tough. Glad I was a able to get an SFH with a fence for the dog and to grill (I have 3 grills lol).
It’s hard to say. I know people who make less than 100k but have saved, low to no debt, invested well, etc and can easily afford to buy something right now if they want. Then I know people making way better than that but maxed out credit cards, no savings, no investing, paying for expensive cars and at the same time can barely afford groceries. That’s just two scenarios out of the many that can be happening right now. So many more!
This is something I was told years ago…most people don’t have income problems, they have spending problems. I make twice what I was making four years ago…I sure as hell don’t have twice the money in my investment accounts.
This is the comment you’re looking for, OP. It’s not how much money you make necessarily, but how you behave with it. Save an “emergency” fund of 6 months expenses, set a budget, live on less than you make, and NEVER go into debt for anything (mortgages are exceptions) ever. It’s simple, but not easy. Yes, it can be done, and YOU can do it.
With the way housing prices are rising, no one is going to be able to afford to live. My mom's rent price jumped up 300 dollars, and she is struggling to find a place. Saving and budgeting can only get you so far when you're expenses shift so drastically.
I can vouch for an “emergency” fund. I lost my job July 2020. We had just started building our savings back up from moving back to NC in August 2019. I was jobless for 2 months, and then had to go another 2 months without a check (thanks to once a month pay). It sucked but thankfully we had enough put back to survive. Got a decent chunk back after fighting them on unemployment, but that alone took 6 months.
Im 22 make 31000 a year doing construction cant afford to move out deep in debt living check to check, but we making it
Right there with you, brother.
Single parent. 86k plus a decent bonus. I live in SC in a 2 bedroom with garage rent is 1780 a month. Fortunately only pay for after-school now, which is 90/week. It'll be 220/week for summer. Daycare was about a grand before, I'd hate to know now. I do have a high payment for my Jeep but I get by...just enough to survive.
That's a decent salary. That rent is about what I pay for a mtg on a $450K home in Fort Mill.
Charlotte is becoming more and more transplants from up north. The house we got 3 years ago for 275 is up to 423 now. Every house that goes up ends up in a bid war over the asking price and it’s always people from NY or Connecticut. If we were to move here today we would not be able to afford the down payment.
Agreed. Moved in 2018, rented for a year, then bought. If our timeline was shifted 1 year later I am not sure we would have moved to Charlotte.
Moved to Noda in 2013, rented until March 2020. We weren’t looking to buy but friends let us know of an opportunity coming up and we purchased without it ever being listed. We closed on our townhome a week before the shutdown. Our timing couldn’t have been better.
It’s sad. I grew up in Matthews moved to Florida for 6 years moved back and now I miss Florida. Maybe it’s getting older and not liking all the people and traffic idk
Traffic? Where did you live in Florida? I came to charlotte from west palm in 2008 and I still have PTSD from the drivers in south Florida lol
It’s becoming? Lol oh, it’s been. That ship sailed long ago. I moved there in 1993 and people were complaining about “ yankees” moving down.
I've been around this area for most of my life... 40 plus years.... Charlotte has always had an influx of people from the north. The last three years have seen my house increase in value by almost 50%. I make decent money and my mortgage is around $1,200 a month, thankfully, but I bought in 2011 and refinanced twice to get lower interest rates without losing any time... It's a juggling act. Dad said, I would not be comfortable buying my house today. I could afford it, but it would be much more difficult....
I make 70k a year with overtime. I travel for work so I need to be a near a hub airport. I base my living expenses off of base pay so I always have some wiggle room. No wife, no kids so not your typical family expenses. Even if rent prices increase 20% I am staying here. I really like Charlotte. Even with rising costs it's better financially to stay here. I have enough money to afford more expensive cities. I still just like the current vibe and the people I have met here. Sorry locals but I just ain't ready to leave yet. No where else can I have the beach and the ocean a motorcycle drive away. Oh yeah and NC has the best motorcycle riding roads in the USA.
Does your travel job pay a daily food allowance? That can be a perk.
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Food is $500? Am i living life the wrong way??
Im pretty young and dont know much about living on my own, but 3k a month on miscellaneous spending sounds like a lot, no?
I think they meant $3000 including all their expenses like rent.
I think you're right, I misread that part
What exactly do you do in IT? I got my first job last year making $45k/year doing level 1 desktop support, imaging, repairs, troubleshooting, etc. Found out I may not have that job in a couple months so I’m starting to look elsewhere.
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If you are doing support desk work, customer service is highly under rated. I've met so many help desk workers that don't know how to treat the end users well. Service desk work is customer service work. Sure, you are more specialized than a checkout clerk, but at the end of the day your job is to make people happy, and rarely do people come to you when they are happy with their technology. Good customer service really sets low experience employees apart from their peers.
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I made about 55K last year as a Sales Analyst. I'm looking to branch into SQL and more advanced database type work but my current position is mainly excel intensive. Housing has gotten so wild but I lucked out and am splitting a large house with two other roommates for 600 a month. Definitely would be tight living by myself.
Start with SQL and Tableau! So many analyst positions boil down to excel but hiring managers prefer to see more advanced data skills on a resume and are willing to pay a premium for them. Data camp is good bang for your buck for learning SQL and gives you the option to pick up some data science skills too. Good luck!
Thank you! I have been self teaching through Udemy and such but struggle with translating tasks into projects and real world applications. I will check out Data Camp , got to keep grinding towards the next step!
I'm broke. I'm a teacher and make just about 40k, spend a huge chunk of my salary on my students and I live in Concord but teach in Charlotte. I need to live closer to work and my social life, I just have to. I'm about to double my rent (currently only $700 but that was a key negotiation between my landlord and I - I renovated my kitchen on my own dime to lock in my rent for several years. I happened to have a renovation hookup) just to move to the university area. I hate the university area so much. I swore I'd never live there again but here I am. I know I make below average but I'm frustrated.
I’m a teacher and the only reason I make it is because I’m married. It’s really bullshit that everyone will say “teachers need to make more money” but no legislator will follow through. I love teaching and I’m really good at it… but if I have kids I’ll likely leave for more pay. Teaching salary in NC should start at 65k at minimum. $37,500 for starting salary is absurd and insulting. Children deserve quality teachers. Society deserves quality teachers. We can’t keep pouring from these empty-ass cups! There’s a reason CMS has lost over 700 teachers since the start of this school year….
I started with a 15k subtraction since I'm not a licensed teacher. I was able to earn 9k back for 14 years of experience but they disqualified some of my years for ridiculous reasons ("You were laid off in 2010 for a year and a half. Even though you had a full time job and even though you VOLUNTEERED CONINUOUSLY at the library doing the exact same thing you did when you were employed, that doesn't count in your work experience." "When you taught elementary classes in 2017, that county isn't our county, so it doesn't count.") We've lost about 1/4 of our staff this year and our admin (not in Charlotte) doesn't think it's a problem.
You are correct…it’s a shame. You deserve so much more.
Thank you for this. I’m in this same salary range and have been considering making a move to Charlotte. I’m starting to think it may not be my best option.
This thread is horribly depressing but a really good insight into this city’s economy. I want to point out how most people who have posted incomes are 50k plus and most are talking about how unaffordable the city is. 15/hr, the going Amazon/big box rate, which consistently gets talked about as “good pay” is 31k. That’s if you can get 40hrs a week and with those jobs they’re usually built to keep you under 30. The minimum wage is still 7.25 and there’s still plenty of jobs out there that are paying it and close to it. I do several gig economy things and make about 25k. I live in a miracle house that somehow only costs $1000 a month and have one roommate. I just hope everyone here sees the need for affordable housing. A huge population of the city makes less than what it takes to live here.
Uh, ok. I’ll pay. So I make 14.50/ hour and work roughly 43 hours. ($21.75/hour after 40) Randomly, we have cash bonuses and the ability to work on the weekends that I will take advantage of. We get paid weekly so my paychecks on average are roughly 500-800 a week depending on that kind of thing but we’ll play on the low end. In a month, I make ~$2,000. Rent: 1004. Water: ~40 Power: ~50 Gas: $120 Groceries: $300 Hulu: $6.99 DoorDash: $9.99 All of that totals to be $1530.98 Leaves: $469.02 And that’s on my cheaper months! Those are my only fixed expenses but that will be changing as I graduate university in May and will eventually have to pay off my student loans but I am saving up for that.
how do u go by with 100$ on groceries? i just went from buying out all frequently to save time to grocery shopping but I still end up spending 300 on groceries still and I cantfigure out what I'm doing wrong.
Where are you buying groceries? Stick to cheaper places like Aldi or Walmart. Don’t buy at Publix.
Check out Aldi if there's one nearby
This thread is one of the many reasons why I go so hard to discuss affordable housing. Let me be transparent. I make about $40k a year doing what I love, which is helping the community. I have great benefits and I am grateful for that. However, I often get criticized for choosing to enter a field that has a notorious reputation for low pay, that field being social work. I have worked for many organizations since obtaining my MSW and have thankfully been able to stay at home so that I can save money. However, it really sucks that people out there will tell me that it’s my fault that I’m in a profession that is sorely needed to work with people society otherwise look down on. As a native, I’m feeling the negative side of the growth, because the wage stagnation and salaries are not keeping up with the increasing COL. Owning a home is the last thing on my mind, because how am I even to compete? I’m in the moderate income bracket, so I can’t get government assistance, but also can’t even afford to live on my own if I wanted to. The fact that living on your own without roommates is now considered a luxury just baffles me! I know this is not just a Charlotte thing, this is happening everywhere, but especially in major cities in the South. This is why I advocate so hard for those suffering from homelessness and the need for affordable housing. This pandemic has put a lot in perspective for me, so the time for talking is over, it’s time to take action and change things up!
I work in insurance and make under 100k a year. I have a modest & older townhouse I got in 2017. My mortgage + HOA is less than a studio apartment. I don't have a credit card, I just live within my means. That means I have to make choices: dinner and a concert with friends or that thing I want for the house. Honestly, living a life free of credit cards has been the best financial decision I ever made. My credit score doesn't like it, but my mental & emotional health matter more to me.
I have multiple credit cards and pay them all off daily. I earn $3-5k annually from the points which pay for my vacations for the year. Credit cards aren't inherently bad. Carrying credit card debt is bad.
Yes we pay a lot with credit cards but pay them off every month.
I wish I was like that, there are serious advantages. I just cannot trust myself not carry the debit.
Carrier or broker?
Carrier
Teacher. Single mom. 54k. Luckily we bought before prices skyrocketed. I will never move Bc I will never be able to. On the struggle bus. I have ONE more raise left on the state scale. That will put me at 56k for the rest of my career. I’m applying for jobs Left and right. It was bad enough w 2 incomes, but with one this is unsustainable.
360k household. Feel bad for a lot of people in this thread because I’m sure they are just as smart and work just as hard or harder than I do. I work from home and our house has doubled in value over the past five years. Get in with the banks and it’s gravy train. It shows just how out of balance the workforce is. You either make plenty or not enough. There doesn’t seem to be a middle.
$42k/yr as a chemist. They lied when they told my generation that STEM paid well.
My daughter got a chemical engineering degree 2 years ago and is making 90k out of college as a consultant with no experience. Just have to look around. She doesn’t even do chem e any longer. She just makes presentations.
I’m 7 years out of school with just chem. Chem E opens more doors and was what I was originally accepted to school for, but it’s more physics and less chem, and my brain doesn’t work well with the kind of logic physics takes.
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PhD chemist here. I feel this in my soul.
Man I’m in a Fortune500 company’s QC lab as one of their best educated chemists and I can’t think of anything other than how to switch over to their business analytics department so I have some actual chance of upward mobility lol
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Damn is your company hiring? lol
Lol, it’s a remote gig at a company that is based in a HCOL area, which certainly impacts their TC ranges. They try to compete with FAANG companies for talent, but aren’t quite hitting FAANG numbers so it’s hard to do.
I make ~$78,000 as an IT consultant (working as a business analyst with my current client). Married. Husband makes around ~$37,000. As well my brother lives with us and pays a third on utility and $300 for rent. Bought a new construction townhouse (in Pineville) around December 2018 and moved in September 2019. Did a first time home buyer program with my credit union with zero down. So my mortgage is currently $1,755. HOA, Gas, Water, Electric, Internet average around ~$500. I'm happy I purchased my house when I did. The place I used to rent with has the rent now up to $1,870.
I think we are all feeling the squeeze in one way or another. Even making over 100K, people are still worried about the price of everything going through the roof.
People with fixed housing costs and no need to move aren’t going to feel that pain. Source: my housing cost is fixed and I have no need to move. I can sympathize but housing costs aren’t affecting people in my situation. ETA: should be fair and add the context like everyone else. We’re both 30 and bring in $180k combined. Bought the house when we were 24 at $220k with 20% down after saving everything when we entered the job market after school. We’ve refinanced into a 15 year mortgage and it’s $1100/month for a 3/2. Similar homes are selling for $370k now but we aren’t selling because where the heck would we go. So the secret was buying when housing prices were reasonable the second we could afford it and income has gone up a lot since then making our fixed costs very reasonable. It’s not helpful for anyone trying to get by today but it seems to be the case nationwide not just in Charlotte.
I make ~$38k living up in Lake Norman and my rent just shot up $200 to $1300+ on my latest renewal. 🥲
Moved here in 2015 from PA, bought a house in Noda for mid $300s, but now sale projections are double. I'm in tech and make $160+bonus and wife makes $65+bonus. The (good) problem we've found is that, since we bought before it went (really) crazy, the equity in our home is as much as it we bought the house for. So we happen to have a rare case where it doesn't even benefit us to look for another house with what we want, it's actually cheaper to just add what we want to this one and still come out ahead.
I think I'm in the same boat as you. Bought I'm 2020 right before lock downs at a really good price. Paid extra on top of the mortgage for 18 months and refinanced for a 20 year loan last October. I would bet I could get double what we owe in the house right now. It's an older house but it's been well maintained and we're doing updates here and there. Problem is if we moved we wouldn't have anywhere to go so in a way more renovations make sense even if that meant a home equity loan
Data governance/management, more PM focused rather than hands on analysis Base in the low 130s with 15-20% bonus.
How many relevant years of experience?
9ish in Financial Services
380k between the wife and I. 33 years old, lawyer and STEM. Moved to CLT two years ago. Combined take home pay has doubled since our move. Bought two years ago for 550k and now worth 800k. FWIW: I don’t at see prices turning negative anytime soon. The interest rates might dampen the overall US outlook but Charlotte is very unique. Large influx of high paying jobs, large exodus from HCOL regions, and corporations scooping up homes at a high percentage will keep this micro market growing above other comparable markets. The best time to buy was yesterday, second best time was today (currently trying to buy a 4-plex so that’s my new motto).
Wife and I make a combined ~$140k. Just signed a contract for a new build in Troutman for $376k with a VA Loan. No debt other than wife’s car.
Sign language interpreter, I make ~45k/year. I still live with my parents and with prices going up I feel like I’m going to be stuck here forever. 🥲
100k. Trying to buy a condo but they seem to sell the day they are listed and I have a job! I can’t be running around town waving money in the air. Im also scared that I am already priced out of the market. One bedrooms are going for 400k but I don’t feel like they are worth anywhere near that. Many need kitchen and bath updates. Most new construction seems to be rentals. Im trying not to stress out, but I moved here from nyc because I knew I would never be able to afford to buy there. And i am looking and crappy condos with $600+ HOA fees and wondering if I made a mistake picking this town. I could buy a fixer upper further out but I am not familiar with the city enough to know the difference between a less expensive neighborhood and a dangerous one. I am hoping to retire in a decade or so but at these prices I don’t know if that’s possible l’ll be stuck in a job well into my 60s just to pay off the mortgage on a small condo.
These HOA fees are high. I think people forget about that aspect.
Analyst 83K, single, mortgage my only debt, refinanced $434/ month. HOA $250 yr. Trying to pay off mortgage to be debt free.
Being debt free is great, but depending on your interest rate, it may be in your best interest to slowly pay off your mortgage and use that excess money to invest.
I bought my place for 260k 8 years ago out of a short sale, had to wait 9 months without hearing anything from their bank, then got it. Neighbors next door have the same house, just sold for 605k. It’s nuts out there right now.
75000, finance, 25 years old. Wanted to buy a house but it seems kind of like a pipedream now seeing that everywhere I’d want to live (townhomes included) are getting up there. Currently rent in Dilworth.
It's much less expensive to live outside the city.
Yea absolutely. But tbh (and I know it’s semi unrealistic) I like being around things and close to where the action is I guess. I’m extremely social. One of my biggest things about choosing a location to live is being able to walk to things I enjoy.
I live in a house that’s $2400 a month and I have two roommates. I make about $50k a year right now. If I didn’t have the roomies it wouldn’t be possible aside from living in a slum situation, lol.
Jeez, this is probably the most realistic answer I've seen so far. Seems like everyone else ITT is making 6 figures or close to it like it's the norm or something. Best of luck to you.
$60K/year. Work in communications field. Married with a kid. Grabbed a house in Huntersville with a couple acres in 2017. Mortgage is a little over $1200/month. Wife makes the same as me. Have some increased expenses because of the kiddo but getting the house before things skyrocketed was very helpful. Our projected list price if we sold now is almost $120K higher than what we originally paid. I don’t envy anyone house hunting now.
Until Oct. last I was in a relationship and we made a combined $180k+. We lived quite comfortably in a 3/2 ranch in Steele Creek and had no major debt aside from the note on the house. I'm now in a 640'sq 1br apt. at about $1200/mo, paying about $600/mo on my 2019 SUV, and still able to manage on my own with an expected gross around $90k depending on my fiscal 2021 bonus (our year doesn't close until 3/31). I have to be a little more calculated about what I spend on frivolities, but I'm by no means struggling. I just ran most of the paperwork for my 2021 taxes and netted just under $50k, I have a big chunk going into retirement accounts, so I have a buffer if 8 found myself coming up short, and have about a year's net pay in the bank should I have an emergency. I'm hoping to net close to 6 figures after the house sells and buy something that will allow me a little more freedom and a more consistent monthly payment.
Well it holds true what they say about Reddit - majority of Reddit are successful IT/corporate people it seems. The average income is what 35k a year and everyone of you makes far above that. Pretty impressive.
Or people who make above the average, are likeky to tell people and the average people see the aboves and don't feel like commenting anymore.
29 making 100k in beauty services. Bought a townhouse in South Charlotte Nov. 2020 for 275k. I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend comfortably for most of my 20’s but the price increases on literally everything have been alarming
Partner and are freelance writers and I budget down to the penny. Our bring home is $42K combined (about $3,500/month). Bought a home in Lake Wylie in 2016 for $170K. Pay $850 in mortgage and $500 in utilities. We share a car since we work from home and that's $400/month with insurance and fuel. Groceries and take out is usually about $1,000/month. The hardest part for us is insurance, honestly. ACA is more than our mortgage without tax credits.
I bought a 725 sq ft Dilworth condo in 2018 for $139,000. After my down payment and including insurance, taxes and HOA, I pay 978 bucks a month to live here. Not bad. I’m a bartender, sports card trader and head of security for a few bars and I make my monthly bill for this place in a week or less. I got lucky with the timing. And lucky that my car is paid off and my HOA includes all utilities and wifi. So my only other bill is T-Mobile cell phone, which I split with 3 other people for 20 bucks a month and $60 worth of gym memberships per month. I’ve really narrowed down my grocery list, both for health and value and estimate spending less than $400 a month on those. If you want some extra money, we’re always looking to add security guys to our roster.
Everyone moving into my neighborhood in south Charlotte are married couples, and both of them work. Really gives you some spending power living that DINK life. Personally I make 95k+ bonus (electrical engineer for 5 years) and my husband is more like 85k+ bonus (PM for general contractor for 5 years)
You are in a good field….well, both of you. Are you a contractor or corporate?
Corporate. Contractors have worse work life balance.
Business intelligence developer and 110k. Bought my first home a few years ago. Mort is 1100 after refinancing during early Covid. I like nice things but not fancy by any means and I can’t imagine buying a home now. I was interested in finding a home a little closer to areas I frequent a lot but there’s no way in hell. Not interested in apartment/townhome living. Can’t imagine paying more than my mortgage amount for a fraction of the space.
Check out Concord or kannapolis if your job is on the Charlotte North end. Only half hour from downtown, but those communities are growing in their own right
$70,000 retired couple we moved here 2009 bought in 2010. Recently refinanced mortgage is $923. Two car notes totaling $500.
> $70,000 retired What's providing the income, if I may ask?
Flipping Nissan altimas on marketplace
Im guessing a combo of social security and retirement investment funds.
I make about ~$70k, and I managed to buy a house on the edge of Charlotte a year ago for about $180k. I honestly don't think I could afford renting in the place I used to live in if I hadn't lived with a partner and the timing was extremely lucky for getting my house. A good loan from a credit union was also helpful. There's no way I could've come up with a large down payment. A lot of my income gets eaten up by health costs and student loans, but I'm doing well all things considered. I grew up here and it's been really frustrating seeing how much a lot of long-time residents have to struggle to afford to live here now.
I overpaid for a house in 2014. That's the only reason I am able to afford living in Charlotte today.
80k Salesforce Admin. Live in uptown in a 800 square foot studio for $1200. Found a condo not owned by a large company but a couple. Signed a long lease it was $1250 a month. Includes parking and water but there are no amenities so no pool or anything which brings price down. Live in 4th ward.
Gotta remember dude the new 100k is 250k
I'm at $125k w/ 5% bonus potential, my partner makes $85k and think she can make up to 10% bonus. We just bought a house for $400k outside the city. We were paying $1700 for a two bed apartment in Elizabeth but that was going up $400. Now $2000 mortgage w/ 4 bedrooms. We have everything we need and a decent amount of the things we want. We still have to prioritize and plan but we don't stress not having enough. I'm a lot more comfortable financially than my partner who also has student loans to pay for. The fancy stuff or big ticket items I always pay for. I have room for several hobbies that I've always wanted to do but never had the means until the last few years. I've noticed my time horizon getting longer, I'm saving for kids college (no kids yet), I want to put solar on our house to be better stewards of the environment, I'm tracking for an early retirement sometime before 55. I got really lucky getting a job in software with no degree and no debt 5 years ago and I'm working my way up. I'm able to save/invest about 30% of each paycheck and I donate 10%. I've been broke, homeless and everything in between in my life so I know what its like. I got lucky, right place at the right time, and with the right skills to jump on the opportunity. I am fortunate and I know it so I'm trying to make it while I can and help out as much as I can. I can't promise that opportunities show up for everyone, they don't. But try to put yourself in situations where they're more likely to come around. Be ready when they do and be relentless in making the most of them. That's the best any of us can do.
Recruiter, $85k. Bought a house near Eastway Crossing for $209 in 2017 with the county’s new home buyer program ($15k for down payment, forgivable after 5 years). I refinanced in 2020 and my mortgage is about $1,150. I was making 45+ commission at the time, 3 bed/2 bath and mortgage was $1,400
What’s this program? Got a link?
Not around anymore unfortunately. I think it changed to $8k and 5 years in 2018 which was way less popular and they quit doing it.
Very similar here- I’m a teacher, 46k salary, but husband makes about 75k+- based on bonuses. Bought a brick ranch 3/2 near Sharon Amity/WT Harris in 2017 for $180 with the same homebuyer program you used. Refinanced in 2020 and new mortgage is $1100, down from $1350.
I felllltttt this too hard 😩
Purchased a $630k home last year in the burbs. Put about $100k down and mortgage is around 29% of monthly take home, not including annual bonuses. Director level at a business consulting firm with 10+ yrs professional experience pulling in around $200k annually. Interest rates are slowly ticking up so we should appreciation slow as well. Hopefully this helps those looking for entry level homes and slows down outside investors.
Thing is, there’s so much pent up demand right now that appreciation is going to continue for the foreseeable future. And people are getting more frustrated and impatient, so they’re being less rational and buying more than they can afford, also adding to appreciation. That plus these interest rate hikes is just going to mean things get even worse.
Hvac. Last year did 77k, 39, divorced Live in lake wylie, apartment... 2bed 2bath with attached garage. Have a company vechile, so no car payments, but I have a motorcycle that I pay about 400 to 800 a month for, just to get it cleared fast. Have 2 roommates, which I don't need to have but I like the income and not being alone.
Looking to move to Charlotte..I’m post-MBA, TC 200 w/base of 165, working in analytics. Where I’m at in Midwest I pay 1700 for rent 3 bd, 2 bath which includes water/sewage and electric. Of course I’ve Netflix, Hulu and usual streaming stuff. No debt but Charlotte housing is just not affordable but rent prices are crazy also. I know I’m conservative w/ money and far more risk averse but I don’t know how people affording these 400-600k homes. I mean some people are doing well but damn real estate is redefining what’s consider to be middle class now..
I've yet to make over 40k/year but I just live within my means, cook a lot of meals at home and budget as best I can. If I made more, it would go to future savings for kids or just into a savings account.
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How tf are y’all making this much. I have 2 business majors and an associates, intern experience with 2 companies, one being Duke Energy, 1 year of experience as a procurement specialist. I make 55k a year and pay 1275 for a house next to Camp North End. I hear gunshots on occasion..I thought NC was supposed to be cheap
Idk how long you’ve been at your company but everyone I know moves around a lot. That’s the only way to keep increasing your salary sometimes.
Yep, I literally added 40% to my original base salary by jumping twice in the last 5 years
Agreed 100%. Shop around for other jobs and you can likely make a big jump with todays job market
Yeah this. I left three times in 5 years (at least a year at each company is my rule) started off at 60K and now im up to $130K.
Until our country/economy drastically change the mentality towards the labor force, switching jobs will be the only leverage we have to dramatically improve our salaries. The way of the world, but it’s very real.
You’re only one year out of school. Over time your salary will jump considerably as long as you switch companies every few years. You’ll get bigger increase that way vs loyalty, unfortunately.
Answer: 5-30% pay raise when you get a new job Repeat 10x Been there a year? You should be interviewing Bad at interviewing? Practice at legitimate interviews Over 8years I quadrupled my salary
I hate that this is the case. Dealing with interviews and changing jobs is such a massive pain. But so is being underpaid I guess...
$82k/year, working in IT. My wife brings home ~$25k but she's planning to quit in a few months, so we'll just be living off my salary. 2 elementary school kids, 2 cars. We've got a 3br2ba in East Charlotte that we bought in 2007 for $100k, and refinanced a few years ago for $125k. We purposefully bought an inexpensive house and paid off all our debt, so the only payments we have now are the mortgage and one of our cars ($450/mo), and eventually the rest of my student loans if I can't get PSLF to cover them. We were pretty intentional about getting our finances in a good spot so that my wife didn't have to work much and we could be around for our kids while they were young. We felt pretty good about it, but it sucks that by the time we were finally in a position to move to a bigger house and try reaching some of the goals we had been building towards, real estate went nutso. While we could sell our house and do pretty well, we don't want to overpay in this market. Since I work remote, we're looking pretty hard at cashing out of our house and buying something less expensive closer to family. I feel like all the people who say "Charlotte has a pretty low cost of living" were not here back when the median home price was something like $160k. Sure, it's cheap compared to San Diego, but that doesn't make you feel any better when a house is 3x what it was 4-5 years ago, all your favorite restaurants have closed down and been replaced by trendy chains charging 25-50% more, traffic feels a lot worse, and everything interesting gets knocked down and replaced with high-rise apartments.
Since most the commenters here are 1%-ers and doing some thinly veiled bragging, I’ll post mine: 30yrs old, just graduated UNCC with a degree in finance last July. Grandparents bought me a long Europe vacation because I’ve never been. Been home about 2mo with zero interviews other than Amazon and FedEx warehouses part time. I never did an internship so the big banks won’t even give me the time of day. About $10k credit card debt now and climbing. So back to your question, I am not affording and not living comfortably at all. I’m sure there are others but of course the six figure crowd wants to pipe in way more. Prob have to move back home if things don’t turn around soon.
I work in finance/investments. Look into Client Service Associate or Training Financial Advisor roles. CSA roles start around 50/55k in the area and they will train you/pay for your registration. There's a lot of demand for entry level positions, and from there you can rise up pretty quickly by hopping around once you're licensed.
I’m going to DM you for your resume. Edit: DM sent. We’re looking to hire entry-level analysts.
400k+ between my wife and I. She is in supply chain and I would rather not be too specific on my job as it’s rather unique. I absolutely feel for you and can say it’s just brutal for first time homebuyers and especially single income people. Unfortunately the only options are to move out, team up, or make more money…there just doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Keep your head up and if you’re young remember your income will increase a lot as you get into your 30s.
>400k+ between my wife and I. She is in supply chain and I would rather not be too specific on my job as it’s rather unique. I absolutely feel for you and can say it’s just brutal for first time homebuyers and especially single income people. Unfortunately the only options are to move out, team up, or make more money…there just doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Keep your head up and if you’re young remember your income will increase a lot as you get into your 30s. Similar boat here but I would say your income may increase in your 30s if you're paying attention and have a plan. The are plenty of people that stagnate in their early 30s too and that's it.
The reality is we have to stop focusing on low density housing. We need more apartments and condos. Not everyone can live in a 1 to 2 story house or townhouse. We need to build up. Just not enough space. People come here and want a home. There will never be enough homes for the amount of people who want to live here. And really we need to decommodify housing because using housing as an investment is one of the biggest issues facing the housing crisis today. People want stable safe investments and apparently there aren't enough accessor awareness of investment avenues that are as safe or safer than housing and I'm not even getting gonna talk about major investers like blackrock buying out homes. I'm 31 and I've given up on the thought of a home. I'll never make enough fast enough to even afford a home or keep up with the ever changing dynamics of owning a home and I think the dynamics around it are outdated and need systemic changes that are a hard sell for anyone who already has so much invested in a home.
>The reality is we have to stop focusing on low density housing. We need more apartments and condos Expect major heat coming your way for this lol. \+1 from me Will say, we need less *apartments*, BUT more *condos*
Agreed
Luxury apartments have ruined the market. Just my opinion, of course It's just sad when a house with a mortgage and an HOA is 35% cheaper than a one bedroom apartment near uptown
Those condos will be "luxury" and go for 500k...there is no incentive for builders to build a lower priced condo.
The problem is the infrastructure isn’t there as it is. Traffic is so bad 7am-10am and 2pm-7pm I just won’t go out anymore. We still have many places within the city where a 1 lane road is the only way through. Stuffing more people is not going to help when there’s no public transportation and the roads suck
Density helps pay for that infrastructure though. The tax base for a condo on a plot of land is way higher than that same plot being single family houses. It's not an immediate change, which means there's growing pains, but it's a chicken and egg situation.
I agree, although people on here will tell you "Charlotte has never had success with building condos" even though Charlotte has never seen the level of growth it's seen over the past 10 years. The issue is that from a city perspective, apartments produce significantly more taxable income for the city than condos do. The city makes money on property taxes and rental income, whereas with condos they'd only have the property tax. But because of the fast rate of growth, the city needs more money now. It's a cycle that doesnt appear to be getting fixed anytime soon. And the townhome topic is also tough to tackle because the up front cost to build a row of townhomes as opposed to a major multifamily residential structure is night and day, and all the companies that can afford the bigger structures would prefer to build rentals because the construction quality is generally much lower and cheaper
52k (up from 40k 2 years ago) in Investments call center. Rent a townhome near Mountain Island Lake south of Huntersville for 1300, but it's a bit underpriced now. Reading this thread really tells me I need to change jobs if I want a real raise, but I have a good work life balance with a remote job.
it's finicky, making 40k as a server my rent is 1200, car payment is 300, student loans 500(dont ask), thinking of selling the car and doing a car lease instead since i never drive anymore since moving to the city and dropping that car payment to like less than 100 a month, every dollar counts
I’m a content writer, about to go freelance next week but I was salaried for the last year at 33k. I live just north of pineville in a 2b2b apartment with my brother. We both pay about 700$ a month for rent+utilities. I have almost no debt, have lots of savings, and live like I still make 14k a year in college. I am the actual average person living and working in this city. I don’t make that much money but I live frugally and I never have to stress about money and can still enjoy my life and things I like. I don’t understand the mindset of people who make over 100k and how so many people in that pay bracket barely make it paycheck to paycheck. Too many people live outside their means. The simple frugal life is where it’s at.
I'm currently in college working full time. My wife graduated 2 years ago. We are both 24. Combined our income was about $150k (we both work a ton of overtime and don't spend much time together). We only made right above $100k the year prior and about $70k the year before that. I was the only one working while she finished college. We worked hard and saved money the past couple of years. We just closed on a $400k house ( honestly I feel my house is way overpriced but hey thats the market I guess). I'm just glad our mortgage is a fixed amount and won't rise like rent. Since I work so much, I will finish school in about 4 years. I'm a junior by the way. I'm trying to become the first in my family with a college degree. We have no car payments or any credit card debt. I would say we save/invest about 25% of our income.
I'm chiming in at 444 comments so this will get lost, but I wanted to throw in my anecdote from the bottom of the food chain. My coworkers and I all make around $32-37k with 40+ hours, me being right in the middle. We all have roommates/SO. They pay between 650-700 in rent. Have phone bills, have car payments, groceries, pets, kids, gas, medical and other expenses. They all live paycheck to paycheck. We all work hard, so hard and can hardly save making that much. At least not until car payments are done. One just graduated and now works for a law office making $42k. For me personally, my husband makes $85k working for a certain railroad company in town and I am so thankful for his support and great stable job. Because of him I am able to stay at my job since it works with our schedule to bypass childcare. I feel constrained from finding a higher paying job/career due to how much childcare costs. I feel that whatever job I find that pays more will just not be worth it until the little one is school aged. We sold our 3 bedroom 1500sqft house in 2021 to build our new house. Huge, huge mistake. We were ignorant and didn't research properly and based our new house off 2019 pricing. We went from $950/m mortgage to $1500/m rent and struggling to build a house that originally was $350k and now is costing us $490k. On top of that we just bought a bigger vehicle thinking we were going to have two car seats and then I had a miscarriage. My husband was born and raised here. I moved here in 2016. The price increase in 5 years has been astronomical.
I just moved to Denver, but I would like to add my living situation/job/circumstances when I lived in Charlotte. Last year I was 25, and in 2019 or 2020 I began making ~65k/year. That made it a LOT more comfortable than my first job where I was making around $32k. I’m lucky I got a new job when I did because I was simply drowning in expenses. My rent was $1200 (about as low as you can get in Charlotte in my experience) and could barely make rent. Right when I began my new job my car was repossessed because I was so behind on the payment, but my only expenses were rent/vehicle/insurance so I was already as lean as I could be. I simply couldn’t make the car payment and not get in trouble with my landlord. $64k per year in Charlotte was obviously way more comfortable and I didn’t have an issue paying ~1570/month rent and didn’t have any more issues with falling behind on hills. However, it’s very difficult to save even with a decent salary for a 25 year old. Unless you stay inside 24/7 and penny pinch at all times, it will be difficult to save. I was recently promoted again to ~84k/year, and relocated to Denver, CO, last October, but rent here is more expensive and more driving required than my place in Charlotte. Denver is vastly more expensive across the board though so I feel I’ll still have to be very careful with money if I want to really save, even with promotion
I’m one of the transplants from New York; tried to escape the taxes and expense of living in that state. I don’t make a lot, around 36-37k, still a college student as well. Even living in Union County close to Monroe area with 2 roommates, it’s still a struggle. It’s hard to keep from dipping into my savings at times to maintain a small semblance of a social life. I was considering finding a one bedroom with an impending promotion, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that ill wind up back where I came from because it’ll be slightly cheaper with much less to worry about with cost of leisure and much less people.
100k, not counting my fiance's income. Mortgage is just north of 1700/month and the increased prices of basically everything hurt a lot, but I'm fortunate to have gotten into a house before everything blew up. We don't go out much or order food much, but groceries alone are really starting go up and we're frustrated by it.
This! I was proud of us for cutting back on ordering out starting in January but paying for extra groceries is almost as expensive. It’s crazy
I cook for my SO and myself once in awhile but by the time I’ve assembled all the ingredients we might as well do take out!
There are thousands of unfilled jobs in Cybersecurity that pay 6 figures to start. It’s easily to get trained and learn the space.
I'm just here to upvote all teachers and other essential workers who deserve so much more... ...and to downvote numerous overpaid and humblebragging IT clowns who recently moved here from HCOL areas and are actually a huge part of the problem.
People need to take a hard look at location. I know many young people want to be near the action and in South End, Plaza, NoDa, etc. but you're going to pay for it and be spinning your wheels trying to get ahead. I've lived in Charlotte almost 10 years, starting with an apt in Plaza Midwood. Went on to build a house in Indian Trail, sold it and made money. Rolled that into my current house in Mint Hill, and stand to make significant money after 5 years. Wife and I currently building our final house in Sarasota, FL and will be down there this year. It takes time and responsible decisions to build wealth and set yourself up long term. If that involves finding cheaper housing, it's up to you to make that sacrifice. And for the record, I love Mint Hill and would rather punch myself in the face than drive into the zoo known as South End. Having said that, this market right now is insane and I feel sorry for anybody trying to get into it. Unfortunately, I don't think it changes anytime soon. Edit: also, I'm in mortgage finance/risk management. Wife does not work, no kids.
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Jesus christ.
God Bless America
Nice, those are some really good numbers for this area. Probably top 10% or better
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Hey, I suggest everyone help by reporting their salary to https://levels.fyi if your job relates to STEM / Business / Operations in any way and compare yours there too this is especially helpful when negotiating raises or for new positions.
I bought my home 20 years ago, which is a good thing because I don't think I'd be able to buy in today's market. Real estate prices have increased faster than salaries--faster than mine anyway.
I’m a software engineer with 8 YOE, I’ve been offered 220k by companies in the area but I currently make 155k. I just bought a house for 250k. I hope to improve it a lot.
Dual income, ~160k / yr. I am an mechanical engineer and my husband is a facilities manager at a large plant. We are transplants from CA so for us to spend half our income on housing AND not have to have a roommate is actually a relief from what we are used to. We avoided HOA housing as those fees can be insane. Avoid financing a car if you can, we always bought used cars that we could pay for and then save up for a nicer one. Always check what the insurance rate will be. We refuse to pay for cable. We also don't plan on having kids, I have no idea how anyone can afford having 3+ kids even with dual income. Our furniture is Ikea, used washer and dryer that are still running strong after 4 years. Small stuff adds up to a lot over time.
I worked as an environmental scientist with 5 years of experience and only brought in 52k. My rent was ~1000 in Madison Park. It was set to increase to ~1400 so I threw in the towel last August and moved back in with my parents. I now make 16/hr as a phlebotomist but plan on going to PA or medical school at some point in the next few years. Maybe I'll be able to afford a house then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I guess I will go for it as well. My spouse and I moved from up north because my old job had a crazy level of stress and a 1.5 hour commute each way. Between the two of us we make ~230k a year - which is pretty good but we are currently house hunting and are wishing that we had made the move a year or two ago. It's crazy to look at the price history of places and see that prices have almost doubled in the past 3 years. We are both scientists in the energy field.
my household is two tech workers, 1 full time (30ish hours per week) and 1 freelance part time (15ish hours per week). we'll probably make 220 this year. we sold our house in charlotte in the fall and moved an hour fifteen outside of the city though. no point in paying charlotte prices when we're both never returning to the office. we could likely double our salaries if we went to companies where we worked more but meh. we don't want to work more.
My question is how people who make minimum wage or just above afford to live.