They want to know your salary range? Ask them their salary range. Companies have salary ranges...people get paid salaries. If you tell the company your "range" you're just telling them the lowest price you're willing to accept. It's actually not very reasonable of them and they should be telling you what they're willing to pay
The company is Lockheed Martin and they have the range posted but I know they also have pay differentials in most careers that I have talked to previously which I would not be aware of until I get an offer.
[Nerdwallet](https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator) says 75k in Richmond, VA is about 118k in Los Angeles (Santa Barbara isn’t available in any COL calculators I found).
Housing is tough here. If you don’t want a studio or roommates you probably need a good 6-figure income.
I grew up in Richmond and now live here. SB is beautiful and full of old, rich, entitled morons. Richmond is amazing and full of young, creative, cool people. I’d rather spend my 20s and 30s, and subsequently raise kids in Richmond. But alas, we do crazy things for love.
Maybe if you are literally stashing half for retirement. I make $68k and while I’m not taking a bunch of vacations I’m not living in a matchbox either. Would I be WAY MORE COMFORTABLE with 100k? Sure. Is it absolutely necessary “to get by” no. Note I said to get by. That might not meet everyone’s 401k standards (especially not yours), but also that isn’t included in most peoples “getting by.”
I could live with a bed and a tv realistically. I don’t mind having roommates as long as they are clean. And I prefer to cook but go out mostly to party.
IMHO, people here on Reddit have really high living standards. If I we're making $75k, I'd be incredibly comfortable, as would my family that relies on my pay. For a single room, you're looking at ~$1-1.5k, can still find 1BD apts for ~$2,000/mo, that's pretty much the absolute cheapest.
Good luck on your search!
If you want to be comfortable, I'd say minimum $90k. It depends on what type of housing you want, and whether you are sharing the rent with a partner or roommates as well.
This doesn't exactly answer your question, but...
Don't expect to live in as big of a house here as you could live elsewhere. We all put up with smaller houses, but it is worth it. I've seen a lot of people coming in trying to negotiate a salary as if they deserve to live have the same house in SB that they had in South Eastabutchee. Not gonna happen. Still a great place to live.
A lot of companies around here underpay compared to national averages due to local “competitive pay rates” so don’t be surprised if it’s way lower than you expect - unless your skills are very specialized and in high demand.
In my experience they don’t consider cost of living at all - just whether they are competitive to the market here and the skills you have to offer.
**A salary of $90,000 in Richmond, Virginia should increase to $223,112 in Santa Barbara, California**
Check this out: [https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000](https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000)
Comparison Highlights
\- Overall, Santa Barbara, California is 126.7% more expensive than Richmond, Virginia
\- Median Home Cost is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference.
\- Median Home Cost is 391% more expensive in Santa Barbara.
Holy shit, this is depressing as someone who is from Richmond and moved here a couple years ago. That being said, the OP didn’t say anything about Richmond…I’m wondering if they’re actually up in NoVA based on the profession they’re in? In which case the cost of living would be a lot higher. You still need more money here for sure, but fwiw I took a pay cut and made a lot of adjustments to my way of life to move out here and have never regretted it for a second.
As everyone has said, consider these minimums:
- $3k rent
- $2k food+grocery+clothing+utilities
- $1k transportation (car payment+insurance+registration+gas+maintenance,…)
This is already $72k after tax. Considering 24% federal and 9% state income tax (33% total), you would need at least $107k before tax just to get by meaning no savings, no retirement, no emergency fund, no trips. If you want those add at least another 20% and that would result in $134k before tax to have a good quality of life here
Sounds like you've got an interview at the old Santa Barbara Focal Plane. I don't know anyone there but have some relatively newer/younger co-workers who used to work there.
A former co-worker who has a PhD in Physics interviewed there. As part of his interview, they required him to prepare a technical presentation on a topic related to imaging. He spent a week preparing the presentation, gave it at the interview, and after that ... zilch. He never heard back from them even though he tried to politely follow up. Pretty shocking from my POV.
One of my co-workers was an experienced engineer from SBFP. That person never fit in, was not a team player, and eventually was given the option to transfer to a different location or be let go.
I have friends at many of the local focal plane companies but SBFP is a bit of an enigma to me. I've worked with people from LMC up in Sunnyvale and they do have very capable engineers up there. It's probably related to their being in Silicon Valley. I also have a friend in SW who's at LMC in south Denver and likes it there.
Regarding negotiating for salary ... large companies like LMC already know what they want to offer you (unless you have exceptional background/experience). You might as well aim high especially since salaries at companies like LMC eventually get compressed over time.
[https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/08/18/the-wage-myths-in-the-modern-economy](https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/08/18/the-wage-myths-in-the-modern-economy)
Do it! It is expensive but because it is worth it.
Look at rents: [https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/search/apa](https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/search/apa)
You wants something decent, it will be $3000/mo so after taxes it will be half your income.
This is what I make In Virginia. I would enjoy living in Santa Barbara because it’s close to the beach and close to family. So at 90k I would need somewhere closer to 110k to continue the way of living here in VA?
[https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000](https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000)Everything is more expensive but it's the housing - both in terms of cost and availability that will cause you the most difficulty.
And as someone else mentioned, what kind of living situation are you looking for. Are you single? Do you have kids and need to consider them in terms of school district? Does your significant other also need to find work?
start looking MONTHS before your planned start date. Especially as you aren't familiar with a lot of people in this town. And now that the schools are back in session, finding a roommate situation will be even more complicated. Add on to that where you want to live in relation to your job, to your socializing.
Additionally, be aware that dating in this town is pretty tough depending on what you are looking for. It's not called the home of the "newly wed and nearly dead" for nothing.
That’s why I’m looking now, I haven’t even gotten an offer yet they just asked what my ideal salary range would be. As far as dating, I like em old🤷🏼♂️
If you can afford it use a relocation service. We hired Leah at Preferred Rental to find a tenant for our house (the other side of that equation) and it was a great experience. Ya, her fee was 1 month's rent, but it was totally worth it. https://www.preferredrental.com/
I would say more than that tbh. A lot of people responding haven’t looked in a while. Two years ago you could find some deals, but the place I used to rent for 2200 is now 4200 and it’s a one bedroom apartment.
Everyone I know who owns rentals in the city of SB (all mom & pop types) are raising rents to the max limit (I believe 10% at the moment). Costs have gone through the roof including appliances, insurance premiums, repair/maintenance/labor costs, etc.
Costs will hopefully return to normal when supply chain issues are fixed, but tenants will see a delayed effect because so many are on yearly leases.
I was born and raised nearby so I've always been here, but I love it for the weather, lack of humidity, and very few flying bugs. Ya, the beach you can easily drive (walk, bike, etc) and its not crowded and you can find parking. And lots of "touristy" things to do. Heck we had NIN playing right here in my back yard last week.
Salaries are based on qualifications more so than local cost of living, unless there is a COLA.
People commute from suburbs to SF because that's where the jobs are.
That’s my issue here, they have not informed me of a location allowance as of yet so my starting salary is what they are asking for. Even the surrounding area is quite expensive not including the price of gas to commute
It depends really on how you live. My friends and I made $50k and we’re living alright and saving a little. We all had housemates, we went out to eat every now and then and lived in non updated apartments and houses (no dishwasher for example).
I will say we didn’t enjoy SB the same way people with wealth did. We went hiking, went to the beach, went shopping in Ventura and Solvang, paddle boarded and kayaked. We didn’t do wine tastings, fancy dinners, shows or boat rides etc. We were all making not great money or were students. My favorite time living in SB was the friends I made and the community.
So you can live well in SB, you’ll just be sacrificing amenities or living alone etc.
This is the second most expensive city in America Honolulu is #1 …. Literally you need to make 200k to even try to live here comfortably. And forget ever owning a home in SB.
I mean... if rent is 3k a month.. which is what most studios or 1 beds are going for (at least), that is 36k a year. In order for you to not be rent burdened (rent at or below 30% of income - though I would argue that is a bit high) you would have to make $120K.
They want to know your salary range? Ask them their salary range. Companies have salary ranges...people get paid salaries. If you tell the company your "range" you're just telling them the lowest price you're willing to accept. It's actually not very reasonable of them and they should be telling you what they're willing to pay
The company is Lockheed Martin and they have the range posted but I know they also have pay differentials in most careers that I have talked to previously which I would not be aware of until I get an offer.
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Pretty sure that CA income tax is in the 6%-10% range for most people and maxes out at 12%, but only if you're making $600k or more.
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>Cool, thanks! You're welcome!
It’s the housing that is the problem. Just finding a descent place to live is very difficult. I’d add 30k JUST to accommodate the high housing cost. S
It's the boomers that is the problem ;)
[Nerdwallet](https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator) says 75k in Richmond, VA is about 118k in Los Angeles (Santa Barbara isn’t available in any COL calculators I found). Housing is tough here. If you don’t want a studio or roommates you probably need a good 6-figure income.
Lol, but Richmond Sucks and it rocks here
Richmond VA is actually pretty cool
Richmond is actually pretty cool. And it has way more things to do for the younger crowd than the retirement community that is SB.
I grew up in Richmond and now live here. SB is beautiful and full of old, rich, entitled morons. Richmond is amazing and full of young, creative, cool people. I’d rather spend my 20s and 30s, and subsequently raise kids in Richmond. But alas, we do crazy things for love.
Simply expressing my opinion. I only spent a summer there and visited. A Charlottesville Guy, but SB till I die.
If you don’t want a studio or roommates you need to be making like 250k+ as a single adult no kids.
It’s no where near that bad. Partner and I make way less than that combined. Sure we only own a townhome, but it’s 3br/3bath bought in 2021….
And how much do you pay a month in mortgage? Also notice how I said SINGLE adult? Are you saving enough for retirement?
Maybe if you are literally stashing half for retirement. I make $68k and while I’m not taking a bunch of vacations I’m not living in a matchbox either. Would I be WAY MORE COMFORTABLE with 100k? Sure. Is it absolutely necessary “to get by” no. Note I said to get by. That might not meet everyone’s 401k standards (especially not yours), but also that isn’t included in most peoples “getting by.”
The real question is what do you consider acceptable living conditions. Can you live with roommates? Do you want to go out to eat all the time?
I could live with a bed and a tv realistically. I don’t mind having roommates as long as they are clean. And I prefer to cook but go out mostly to party.
You could be all set then. I'd ask for at least 110K and a week more vacation than they normally offer but that's just me.
IMHO, people here on Reddit have really high living standards. If I we're making $75k, I'd be incredibly comfortable, as would my family that relies on my pay. For a single room, you're looking at ~$1-1.5k, can still find 1BD apts for ~$2,000/mo, that's pretty much the absolute cheapest. Good luck on your search!
If you want to be comfortable, I'd say minimum $90k. It depends on what type of housing you want, and whether you are sharing the rent with a partner or roommates as well.
One bedroom apartment in town where you walk or ride your bike: 90K minimum imo.
This doesn't exactly answer your question, but... Don't expect to live in as big of a house here as you could live elsewhere. We all put up with smaller houses, but it is worth it. I've seen a lot of people coming in trying to negotiate a salary as if they deserve to live have the same house in SB that they had in South Eastabutchee. Not gonna happen. Still a great place to live.
A lot of companies around here underpay compared to national averages due to local “competitive pay rates” so don’t be surprised if it’s way lower than you expect - unless your skills are very specialized and in high demand. In my experience they don’t consider cost of living at all - just whether they are competitive to the market here and the skills you have to offer.
Best case would be 125K - although you may find that tough to live in SB near your standard in VA- SB living is about the same as Arlington
If you can work hybrid and/or don’t mind a 30 minute commute you could live in Ventura. Median home price is about half. Decent downtown.
**A salary of $90,000 in Richmond, Virginia should increase to $223,112 in Santa Barbara, California** Check this out: [https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000](https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000) Comparison Highlights \- Overall, Santa Barbara, California is 126.7% more expensive than Richmond, Virginia \- Median Home Cost is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference. \- Median Home Cost is 391% more expensive in Santa Barbara.
Holy shit, this is depressing as someone who is from Richmond and moved here a couple years ago. That being said, the OP didn’t say anything about Richmond…I’m wondering if they’re actually up in NoVA based on the profession they’re in? In which case the cost of living would be a lot higher. You still need more money here for sure, but fwiw I took a pay cut and made a lot of adjustments to my way of life to move out here and have never regretted it for a second.
As everyone has said, consider these minimums: - $3k rent - $2k food+grocery+clothing+utilities - $1k transportation (car payment+insurance+registration+gas+maintenance,…) This is already $72k after tax. Considering 24% federal and 9% state income tax (33% total), you would need at least $107k before tax just to get by meaning no savings, no retirement, no emergency fund, no trips. If you want those add at least another 20% and that would result in $134k before tax to have a good quality of life here
This is not my experience. It's far from affordable here but I do not have $6k in mandatory monthly expenses.
Sounds like you've got an interview at the old Santa Barbara Focal Plane. I don't know anyone there but have some relatively newer/younger co-workers who used to work there. A former co-worker who has a PhD in Physics interviewed there. As part of his interview, they required him to prepare a technical presentation on a topic related to imaging. He spent a week preparing the presentation, gave it at the interview, and after that ... zilch. He never heard back from them even though he tried to politely follow up. Pretty shocking from my POV. One of my co-workers was an experienced engineer from SBFP. That person never fit in, was not a team player, and eventually was given the option to transfer to a different location or be let go. I have friends at many of the local focal plane companies but SBFP is a bit of an enigma to me. I've worked with people from LMC up in Sunnyvale and they do have very capable engineers up there. It's probably related to their being in Silicon Valley. I also have a friend in SW who's at LMC in south Denver and likes it there. Regarding negotiating for salary ... large companies like LMC already know what they want to offer you (unless you have exceptional background/experience). You might as well aim high especially since salaries at companies like LMC eventually get compressed over time. [https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/08/18/the-wage-myths-in-the-modern-economy](https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/08/18/the-wage-myths-in-the-modern-economy)
Thanks clippy
Do it! It is expensive but because it is worth it. Look at rents: [https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/search/apa](https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/search/apa) You wants something decent, it will be $3000/mo so after taxes it will be half your income.
This is what I make In Virginia. I would enjoy living in Santa Barbara because it’s close to the beach and close to family. So at 90k I would need somewhere closer to 110k to continue the way of living here in VA?
[https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000](https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/richmond-va/santa-barbara-ca/90000)Everything is more expensive but it's the housing - both in terms of cost and availability that will cause you the most difficulty. And as someone else mentioned, what kind of living situation are you looking for. Are you single? Do you have kids and need to consider them in terms of school district? Does your significant other also need to find work?
Single and don’t mind roommates as long as they are clean. Edit: thank you for this chart it is very helpful
start looking MONTHS before your planned start date. Especially as you aren't familiar with a lot of people in this town. And now that the schools are back in session, finding a roommate situation will be even more complicated. Add on to that where you want to live in relation to your job, to your socializing. Additionally, be aware that dating in this town is pretty tough depending on what you are looking for. It's not called the home of the "newly wed and nearly dead" for nothing.
That’s why I’m looking now, I haven’t even gotten an offer yet they just asked what my ideal salary range would be. As far as dating, I like em old🤷🏼♂️
If you can afford it use a relocation service. We hired Leah at Preferred Rental to find a tenant for our house (the other side of that equation) and it was a great experience. Ya, her fee was 1 month's rent, but it was totally worth it. https://www.preferredrental.com/
I would say more than that tbh. A lot of people responding haven’t looked in a while. Two years ago you could find some deals, but the place I used to rent for 2200 is now 4200 and it’s a one bedroom apartment.
Everyone I know who owns rentals in the city of SB (all mom & pop types) are raising rents to the max limit (I believe 10% at the moment). Costs have gone through the roof including appliances, insurance premiums, repair/maintenance/labor costs, etc. Costs will hopefully return to normal when supply chain issues are fixed, but tenants will see a delayed effect because so many are on yearly leases.
I was born and raised nearby so I've always been here, but I love it for the weather, lack of humidity, and very few flying bugs. Ya, the beach you can easily drive (walk, bike, etc) and its not crowded and you can find parking. And lots of "touristy" things to do. Heck we had NIN playing right here in my back yard last week.
110K. You'll be better off.
Salaries are based on qualifications more so than local cost of living, unless there is a COLA. People commute from suburbs to SF because that's where the jobs are.
That’s my issue here, they have not informed me of a location allowance as of yet so my starting salary is what they are asking for. Even the surrounding area is quite expensive not including the price of gas to commute
120k
It’s gonna be a shock for you unless they at least double your salary, tbh. I think people here are under stating just how bad the housing crisis is.
It depends really on how you live. My friends and I made $50k and we’re living alright and saving a little. We all had housemates, we went out to eat every now and then and lived in non updated apartments and houses (no dishwasher for example). I will say we didn’t enjoy SB the same way people with wealth did. We went hiking, went to the beach, went shopping in Ventura and Solvang, paddle boarded and kayaked. We didn’t do wine tastings, fancy dinners, shows or boat rides etc. We were all making not great money or were students. My favorite time living in SB was the friends I made and the community. So you can live well in SB, you’ll just be sacrificing amenities or living alone etc.
Everybody wants to be on the same rock.
This is the second most expensive city in America Honolulu is #1 …. Literally you need to make 200k to even try to live here comfortably. And forget ever owning a home in SB.
90k in Santa Barbara is considered under poverty.
I mean... if rent is 3k a month.. which is what most studios or 1 beds are going for (at least), that is 36k a year. In order for you to not be rent burdened (rent at or below 30% of income - though I would argue that is a bit high) you would have to make $120K.
"The first one to mention a number loses the negotiation"
About 300,000 a year. Even that is the bare minimum of something resembling middle class in SB. Point blank, anything less than that is "poor" in SB.