penguinsix

Nine months at Columbia University, at the northern end of Manhattan, will cost a student $25,140 according to their cost of living outline:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/finaid/cost/index.html

This is living in a college apartment probably with a roommate in your room (not sharing a flat, but sharing a bedroom). It is also for 9 months, so if you expand that out to say 12 months you get this figure:

$31,425 for 12 months in NY

Now, $45,000 run through a payroll calculator that deducts your tax withholding, etc (you will have federal, state, local and social security/medicare) results in you getting paid, over the course of a year, about:

$33,080.06 take home pay per year.

This does not include the health insurance you'll probably have to pay for, which could be a few hundred a month (say $200 for argument's sake). That reduces your take home to:

$30,680.06.

So in the end, if you are coming over on a salary of $45,000 a year and living in New York City, you should expect to live WORSE than a college kid lives in New York City.

moi

American Dream = "I just almost choked on my nightcap"

Sarah

Assuming that although you'd be working for Virgin, that its a typical American workplace: For starters, your working week is a fair bit longer. 40+ hours a week as opposed to 37. More often than not you'll be expected to be at work from 7-8am and finish around 5-6pm. If your workday starts at 8am, often you will be expected to arrive 10-30mins prior to 8am and expected to be at your desk, working by 7.59am. Taking days or any time off is frowned upon. If you're sick, thats frowned upon, they won't be concerned with what ailment you have, they'll be concerned that you can produce documentation to prove you were ill.
I was once fired from a job because I had to dig my car out of 2 feet of snow before I could drive to work. My workday started at 8am, I arrived at 8.03am and I was gone. That may sound severe, but I'm not making it up. The level of friendliness isn't the same as in the UK, often the sense of comraderie isn't there. Co-workers often police what you're doing and the mistakes you're making, they're out for themselves, not to make friends with you. As a Brit, you'll be a novelty, one that will wear off quickly and it may exasperate people when they can't understand what you're saying, (happened to me more times than I care to remember) or you struggle with things like not knowing what the sound on the end of the telephone means, how to write out a cheque, or how to dial long distance on a fax machine or with the american jargon.
Of course there are exceptions to the rule but I can only tell you from my experiences so far.

Obviously the reaction of people on this board has been "don't do it, its not worth it" and honestly, no it isn't. Not for the experience or the money you'll be making. We can see this because we're on the other end of the experience,and we can clearly see what you're heading into, but you can't because you haven't experienced it. You have to find out for yourself. Even if you have a miserable time. It will be a rude awakening, there's no two ways about it but sometimes you just need to discover that for yourself. I wouldn't commit to a contract of staying here for any longer than a year.

JAJ

This is Australia specific but read it, it explains the issues:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Corpor...tion-Australia

Green card - your employer has to sponsor, and even with employer sponsorship, it might take years. If anything goes wrong with your job, you'll have a one way trip back home.

Brat1

I know you want to experience living in the city, but you have other options maybe to cut down your monthly expenses. You could live in CT, near where the job is and that would save you money on your commute every day from NY. It would also mean that you would be able to get to and from work easily without having to sit on a train, which let me tell you is extremely busy at peak times. This Winter was a really long and hard and I really don't fancy doing all that travelling in the middle of winter when there's 2 foot of snow on the ground. My OH drives from Bethel CT to White Plains NY every day which is anything from 45 mins to an hour each way and he really struggled some days when the weather was bitterly cold.

As I said, we live in Bethel and when we feel like it, we just jump on the train to NYC. It takes about an hour and 40 mins with a change at South Norwalk but is around $21.50 return off peak at the weekend and gets you to the city around lunch time. I could really go to NY any day I please tbh and maybe think this might be an option for you. On the salary they're providing, even if you are able to get them to move it up to $55,000, you want to have enough money in the bank every month to be able to go out, experience and enjoy the multitude of things that the city has to offer. It's just a suggestion, I hope it all works out for you, so good luck

Reena81

Thank you for you feedback. I think I'm going to give it a try in NY and commute. If it gets too bad, expensive or tiring - and even difficult in the winters, then I can always locate to CT. I've just read some many comments on other forums, where peeps earn much much less than I would and still can get by.

If I get there, I'll be sure to post back here to let you all know how I get on. Ultimately, I just can't give up this opportunity. I love New York so much and I know I won't be put on a plate in front of me again.

I want to die with no regrets. None at all and this would be one of them.

Cheers.

hobbes79

I can tell you right now that my STARTING salary with NO experience back in 2001 in Texas (which is far cheaper - my rent actually was $550 and I had my own 600 sq ft apt) was $45K. Cost of living down there was so low I used to put a $1000 a month into a savings account cos I didn't know what to do with it. Oh, those were the days

To get $45K in NYC in 2011 is insultingly low quite frankly.

To push for near double wouldn't be unreasonable IMO.

Bob

Yeah, if they know she's good enough for a visa, then they're playing her for a fool and desperation because it's a bit of a joke.

To the OP....how do you plan to relocate if things don't work out? Others have said you'd be broke, so how are you going to afford to fill out a crummy apartment, even getting stuff off craigslist? And then move if it doesn't work out?

If you really want to take this opportunity, take the advice of living closer to the job, in CT and just taking the train into NYC when you fancy, because you won't have time nor money to go out and enjoy it after commuting all hours to and from work.

HumphreyC

Is it not possible to live in southern CT on 45-55k then? (obviously Manhattan is a no-no) How do teachers cope for example? There must be cheap places out there - the less sketchy parts of Bridgeport (if they exist). If it has to be NYC - can you not do the less scary parts of the Bronx on a budget?

Pollyana

Interesting read I must admit

This might be a really silly question but I'm nowhere close to an expert on US visas, so ...... if the OP takes the job with a L1 visa and then an opportunity comes up within the same company (cos I appreciate its company sponsored) for a better-paid position, can the OP take a better position without having to start again applying for a new visa? Just wondering, if they are determined to go, and will be tied to the company, whether there is a change to improve their "lot in life" and end up with a better standard of living even if its tough at first?

Bob

any savings would be slaughtered on the commute though and car insurance would be stupidly expensive.

CT isn't a cheap state to live in either, but probably a lot more doable.

The other thing the OP has to factor in, that the locals don't need to, the complete lack of credit history, meaning those start up costs are going to be a lot higher, having to put a deposit down on every utility etc will blow any marginal spare cash there is.

meauxna

There are possibilities there, Pol.

You know, everyone has to go do their own adventure, pursue their own current version of 'the dream'. I myself took a company transfer back in the day, and moved to "Los Angeles" (actually Orange County, but I was a noob). The money was crap, the company didn't give anything, but I was thrilled to have the opportunity.. I was 21! I wasn't thinking of retirement, and having babies or the other expensive stuff. I wanted to live the big time in Southern California!

I came home with a vintage Mustang, so it's not all bad.

Bob

You can transfer within a company, but you don't get any more time allowed on the visa, which can make the greencard process a bit sketchy.

digbydog

What's with all the negativity here. Do you think everybody in NYC is on a massive wage. Granted on this wage the OP will not be having breakfast at the Four Seasons anytime soon.

The OP has a chance of a move to NYC with a half decent company who must think the OP has potential or why would they offer the position.

So what if it doesn't work out... at least you can say to yourself you tried. Worst case is you get to spend some time in NYC.

Last time I looked there were planes back to London everyday of the week if it all goes pear shaped.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

meauxna

Thanks digby, that is what I was getting at.

Another time, in the not so distant past, there was an inside sales job with the parent company to the one I'd been working with. Very similar job. I was the #5 salesperson in the world in the company, so I was pretty confident about my skills. We were closing our office here and I was looking to see what was possible. The job was in Manhatten, sounded like an absolute terrific adventure. They were offering $24K. Now *that* made me 'WTF?!'. OK, with commission etc I'd have done better, but really? I didn't see how anyone could live locally and do that. Not to mention I'd been making 5X that with half the COL. So clearly people can live in NYC on less than 45K a year. Whoever the poor chump doing my old job is, probably is!

In the end, I took a hiatus, went to Greece and wound up living there.. who'd have thought? I haven't looked back yet.
My only advice is, keep enough money for a plane ticket home saved somewhere. What else *really* can go wrong?