Got a job in NYC making 57K.. at my current job I'm making 52K

Hi guys,

So, I have 1.5 years of experience. Ive recently been looking and got offered a job in NYC. Im in NJ, so I'll have to learn/get use to the traveling in the city.

Its a Systems Engineer/consulting gig for a very small consulting firm. I would pretty much be going and working at all the different clients. They are smaller clients, so setting up smaller networks. My questions are;

1. Is 57K good for 1.5 years of experience? Since I'm going to be living in Jersey, but working in NY.
2. Is it cool working for a small consulting firm?

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View Boot Camps

Comments

thomas_

Just off the top of my head, but is $5000 enough to compensate for travel time, tolls, parking, subway, taxis, etc?

systemstech

All travel inside of the city for work is reimbursed. No tolls or paying for parking. I'd be taking the bus in. Roughly 10 bucks a day. Same as gas for my car.

v1ral

Wtf $50 a week for your commute? I'd be more comfortable with 60k a year if you're going to have to deal with NYC public transportation.

Skynet9

Congrats!!!

hurricane1091

I live in SJ and get comparable money and work in Philadelphia and have the same amount of experience if it helps. I'm a Network Engineer though and the company is a couple thousand people.

I don't have to travel though except basically voluntarily very occasionally.

Dakinggamer87

Congrats on your new opportunity!!

Blackout

Ugh 57k for NYC? *Shudder*

NetworkNewb

Blackout wrote: »

Ugh 57k for NYC? *Shudder*

lol this is what I thought ^^ but if it is a move up from your last job could be good experience...

systemstech

That's not a good salary for 1.5 years of experience?

danny069

If you live in NJ you don't have to pay NYC City tax. So you will save some money there. 57k is better than your last job so it doesn't matter if it's in NYC or not, you can work your way up from that given your performance and company.

NetworkNewb

danny069 wrote: »

57k is better than your last job so it doesn't matter if it's in NYC or not, you can work your way up from that given your performance and company.

Just cause it was better than is last job is poor indicator if he is compensated fairly... If he was paid 12/hr and got a raise to 13/hr for being a system engineer, based on your conclusion it wouldn't matter and that would be good

edit: btw I'm sure the 57k is fine for that area with not much experience, just thought of working downtown NYC for that much wouldn't fly for me. Hate working downtown... I just didn't like danny's reasoning

DigitalZeroOne

I'm not saying this is you, but saying that you have a certain number of years of experience doesn't really say much. Again, not saying you, but I have co-workers who have 5+ years of experience, and they know today, the same thing that they knew 5 years ago, which isn't much. Listing out what you know, and what you can do, and how much you have advanced would be a better indicator. Even then, it's not an exact science.

danny069

NetworkNewb wrote: »

Just cause it was better than is last job is poor indicator if he is compensated fairly... If he was paid 12/hr and got a raise to 13/hr for being a system engineer, based on your conclusion it wouldn't matter and that would be good

edit: btw I'm sure the 57k is fine for that area with not much experience, just thought of working downtown NYC for that much wouldn't fly for me. Hate working downtown... I just didn't like danny's reasoning

I think you misread my comment, let me rephase, 57 is better than his last job. (period) it doesn't matter what location he is working at.

hurricane1091

NetworkNewb wrote: »

lol this is what I thought ^^ but if it is a move up from your last job could be good experience...

He's not going to get paid much more than 57k, and unfortunately most IT jobs are in major cities. He could get maybe 70k tops but I doubt it. OP, you know best if you want to drive around NYC. If I had to drive around Philadelphia for 60k, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't drive anywhere in Philadelphia or NYC even for 70k. If this was an office job, I would say it's basically on par.

systemstech

^^ true. I wouldn't be driving. I'd be taking public transportation.

hurricane1091

Besides experience, you didn't post any degrees or certifications either - which probably factors. If you're going to learn from it, I would do it. Otherwise, I wouldn't if it were me. It gets cold out in the city and public transportation isn't known to be on time all the time. It seems like a tough gig for 57k. I'm at my desk and I can just look down in center city and laugh at the idea of running around it all day - zero chance I would!

NetworkNewb

I didn't even think about going outside in the winter all the time...

DoubleNNs

Winter would suck.
The pay increase isn't that much to be honest. I think the main question here is whether the job will offer you anything else that's valuable outside of monetary compensation. Examples may include ability to meet people and grow connections, ability to learn more/work under people that are smart, ability to get hands on more tech, getting paid even while en-route to places and either napping/watching movies/listening to music/reading, more fun/fulfilling work, etc. If you have a few other reasons to take the opportunity, then go with it and don't look back.

Congrats!

systemstech

Yeah. I DEFINITELY have a lot to think about. The weather or if it snows isn't really my concern. Thousands of other people do it, so I can do it. That sounds more of a little kid reason. That's like not joining the army because you have to run when it's hot.... boo hoo.

Anyways, thanks for the advice guys. I definitely have a lot to think about.

thenjduke

I would not work in the City for anything less than 75k.

hurricane1091

thenjduke wrote: »

I would not work in the City for anything less than 75k.

It's not always bad - My commute to train station is only 15 minutes and the train ride over the bridge is 12 minutes, and the walk to the office is 2 minutes. I'm lucky though I think.

NetworkNewb

Thousands of people literally pick up dog sh*t for a living too, it doesn't mean it doesn't s#ck to do it :P I live in Minnesota and winter is too long already for me to have to deal with it while I'm working.

If it is a good position and your able to learn/experience alot from it the weather should not matter much though! Best of luck whichever way you choose!

systemstech

thenjduke wrote: »

I would not work in the City for anything less than 75k.

Yeah, and judging by your cert list, you have a lot more experience than I do.... so it's much different.

danny069

$75K is great for NYC, hopefully you don't live in NYC and can save money by living on the outskirts and commuting.

coreyb80

DoubleNNs wrote: »

Winter would suck.
The pay increase isn't that much to be honest. I think the main question here is whether the job will offer you anything else that's valuable outside of monetary compensation. Examples may include ability to meet people and grow connections, ability to learn more/work under people that are smart, ability to get hands on more tech, getting paid even while en-route to places and either napping/watching movies/listening to music/reading, more fun/fulfilling work, etc. If you have a few other reasons to take the opportunity, then go with it and don't look back.

Congrats!

This is excellent advice. Definitely don't leave because of $. I made that mistake myself.

BradleyHU

systemstech wrote: »

That's not a good salary for 1.5 years of experience?

$57K in NYC for a 1.5 years is very good....i know pplz who've got 5-7 years and get like $65K in the city. Jobs in North Jerz(JC, Hobo, Brick City, Mahwah) are going to pay you around the same as NYC jobs. Its NYC metro area, pay is all the same in the area.

What industry/sector is the new firm in?

and transpo in the tri-state area is not cheap...but you thank Port Authority & MTA for that...

if you're going to be going to client sites, just make sure you buy those monthly unlimited metrocards, and expense it to the job....

Blackout

My comment was based around the cost of living. Im not talking about the experience vs the pay. my shudder was the thought of trying to survive in NYC on 57k a year.

Blackout

5-7 years of experience here in Raleigh, NC gets you 90-100k a year (Depending on the technology) Very good salary for a low cost of living state.

paul78

systemstech wrote: »

Is it cool working for a small consulting firm?

What type of consulting does the company do? And for what industry? And how do you define small

?

A consulting company could give you experience to a myriad of different environments and business use-cases. And if you are being exposed to different customers and technologies, it sounds like a nice opportunity. Aside from the experience, a consulting company can offer variety depending on the type of consulting so it can be less tedious.

NYC also sounds like a more dynamic place to work so hopefully that's an intangible plus for you.

Congratulations on your new job and good luck.

systemstech

Blackout wrote: »

My comment was based around the cost of living. Im not talking about the experience vs the pay. my shudder was the thought of trying to survive in NYC on 57k a year.

With all do respect, my post did specifically say I live in NJ, but going to be working in NY.

Thank you all for the responses. I do have some things to consider.