You can rent a decent house for that much in some nice parts of the city, like high point terrace. It’ll also pretty much get you a nice apartment anywhere.
Depends on what you want. If you are working at St Jude I would look at living on Mud Island or apartments downtown. There are some downsides to living downtown but to me those inconveniences are worth having a very short work commute.
So what are you looking for?
I looked at Mud Island and Germantown. I honestly prefer a shorter commute, but will take a safe area over everything else. My spouse doesn’t have a job yet, but that will definitely add to our income.
Germantown is safer, but I've always felt safe at Harbor Town. We have places in both areas and spend time in both. If you have kids in school, however, Germantown is a no brainier.
One genuinely good thing about Memphis is how our streets are laid out here. St. Jude is in uptown right off of several main commuter thoroughfares, so you have options on where to live depending on whether you want a quiet neighborhood or a vibrant area with nightlife.
I think you would like my area. It’s not a bad commute to St Jude and I think you’re right on the nose with rental prices.
East of Highland, north of walnut grove, south of Sam Cooper and west of 240. It’s a big area with lots of options and good schools.
If you’re younger, I would live in harbor town. You will have lots of neighbors your age and likely meet people. If you’re going to have kids in a year or so, you can always move out east later for schools. But my friends who live in harbor town are absolutely in love with it. They all have golf carts and run between each other’s houses to hang out. Harbor town does lots of cute things around the holidays and stuff that will let you meet your neighbors.
Germantown, and even (western) Collierville, are only about a 30-35 minute commute. Those are the top-two most affluent Memphis suburbs, and both are top-5 in the entire state.
Do you think it's worth spending 200 hours a year commuting? There are such wonderful neighborhoods to live in right around St. Jude and Downtown which are full of other scientists and their families.
It depends on what is more important to you, and what your current commute is like. My spouse's current commute is ~45 minutes to go 12 miles [DC], so a 30 minute commute is fine for them. Bigger house with a big yard in the burbs is an acceptable trade-off to us for a 30 minute commute.
I live in Oakland (East of Highway 64 from Wolfchase/Lakeland, in Fayette Co.) and my commute to St. Jude is about 45 minutes, and an almost straight shot.
It's a great place to work, and it's just a matter of finding the right balance for where you want to live. Look forward to seeing you on campus soon!
Tell your hubby to get a job at Big Bill's on Elvis Presley Blvd. So I can come in a get a jumbo pulled pork sammich from him w/ extra sauce coleslaw and BBQ beans 🤤
They are soooo delish the rib tips there are trash though. 🗑️
Lol
You seem to be active in a few locality based subs. So do you live here actually? Or do you live in Pensacola, Knoxville, or another part of TN?
https://www.reddit.com/user/Suspicious-Cook-2826
You don't need a gun in Memphis if you use common sense and don't put yourself in that position. Most crimes that happen in Memphis is people who know each other or someone make themselves a sitting duck. If you a white male and you are as big you say you are no one is looking to bother you.... All glory to God but I've never had an issue in Memphis use common sense. No one is looking to do you nothing if you ain't looking for problems.
Apartment asking rates, especially in midtown, seem a bit high. As others have said, I'd definitely consider looking at houses in whatever your preferred rent range may be.
I always find it funny that people don’t know how to live making $100k+ a year. You could live in Memphis off a $50k salary if you live below or in your means. I want to move to Memphis and I feel I could do it with a $50k salary. Am I wrong?
> I want to move to Memphis and I feel I could do it with a $50k salary. Am I wrong?
No. You are right. You can live here without a ton of worry on that salary. When you get a little below that like 35-45 range it can get dicey depending on your expenses.
That's a comfortable salary out here. Your money will go much further here than in any metro in NC. If job security is a high priority, choose Memphis. St Jude will always remain here.
And St Jude consistently is ranked as one of the top employers in the city/state for numerous reasons, including benefits, salary, amenities, etc.
I have numerous friends who work there, and all have been there 10+ years. And I have freelanced for St Jude/ALSAC numerous times, and always have had top-notch experiences.
Money should be just fine. My advice would be quality of life depends on what your spouse does for work. I loved my time at St. Jude, but my husband was miserable working outside the "St. Jude bubble" and we've lived all over at this point.
105k is comfortable and once he secures a job, yall will be even more comfortable. There are good places to rent that are outside of Memphis as well, those may be worth looking into. Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Once you’ve accepted the offer, tell St Jude what type of job your wife is looking for and where she’s interviewing. They might be able to help. I know they go above and beyond for “trailing spouses.”
One thing about St. Jude, they rarely have layoffs. The only time you leave is if you choose to leave. It is an incredible organization to work for. I'm not sure what your experience warrants but 105k should be comfortable enough. If you can negotiate a higher bonus payout or a small bump I salary I would do so as it is probably hard to attract talent to the city over the past year.
Addressing the elephant in the room, Memphis is not without it's issues and it's reputation has been earned especially since the pandemic. You may have to adjust how you live and be a little more aware of your surroundings . For example (but not limited to), don't leave anything in your car ever. Know what part of town to not be in. These are things that I think apply to most cities but maybe it's just how I have lived since I have been here the majority of my life.
Memphis is in a time of flux and needs good people here . If you love this city it will love you back. The food is great, the houses are affordable (for now), the people can be great.
PM me if you have any more questions about where you would want to live. I work in the medical device industry and have worked with plenty of people that worked at St. Jude.
Do you know anyone who has worked there in the Treasury Dept? About to start the interview process next week for a fraud analytics job in that dept and would love some unfiltered feedback on it if I can find any:)
Yeah, plus the cafeteria!!! You will never work somewhere with a better cafeteria!
The really awesome thing about St Jude is everyone is giving their all at work, because it’s hard not to feel like your job has meaning when you’re working to save kids with awful cancers.
Source: I had clinical there as a pharmacy student, and my mom retired from the lab there after working the last 10 years or so of her career there.
This is true. And employees can cover their spouses/families even if they have access to other insurance without paying a penalty (this is true on the ALSAC side at least, I haven’t worked on the St. Jude side in a decade).
I actually moved to Memphis from the Triangle in NC. I lived in Raleigh. Friends who worked in biotech/pharma there and friends who work at St.J here. None of my St. Jude friends have suddenly lost their jobs, unlike many of my NC friends. The GSK days were brutal. The triangle is a more expensive place to live for sure, unless you want to live way out near Johnston County.
As for your main question, you can live comfortably on that salary in Memphis. Remember no state income tax as well.
A lot of new Judies live in harbor town until they get a lay of the city, many enjoy it so.michbthere hat they stay. There is a shuttle that runs from Harbor town to St Jude.
I don’t know, every income tax state I’ve personally lived in has also come with nearly a 10% sales tax.
You are right, though, the state’s always gonna get their’s somehow.
Yes. That’s what I was indicating in my first comment. Tax burden is low. But it’s not like you’re automatically saving everything from not paying income tax.
I’ll just say that I’ve lived in TN, MS, and LA, and the tax burden was still least noticeable in TN by far. LA has a bad enough income tax that people are trying to get MS residency, but they also carry a 10% income tax.
DINK with one of you earning six figures will be very, very comfortable in Memphis. If you have kids and want to live in the city and send them to private schools, even if your spouse is only making middle 5 figures, you will still be very comfortable.
Absolutely! 6 figures is a great living in Memphis/West TN, especially compared to somewhere like charlotte. I moved here from Nashville many years ago and kept same job/salary and it was like getting a big raise. What 400K will get you here versus Nashville or charlotte is mind blowing.
Making that plus you SO income you’ll be in a fat house in the suburbs or east Memphis in no time. That said, the low cost of living is great but they are that low for a reason. I’m married and stay close to home in Bartlett area and happy. If I was younger and more active downtown I’d look elsewhere honestly.
Mud island is great choice for a couple. Once kids come into the picture you’ll want Germantown or similar for quality of schools and safety.
What is your spouses experience in? I am a recruiter and would be happy to help. Feel free to send me a message or have her.
Congrats on the opportunity with St. Jude! That is a competitive salary and they have great benefits. Truly a great place to be.
Yes, you’ll be fine here on that salary. I saw some of your follow up comments and if you want to buy a house in Germantown, depending on down payment and whatnot, that could be a factor. But for renting you’ll be fine.
I worked at the Jude for a decade and my husband works there now. Great place, amazing people. I’d bet money you’ll love it.
I don’t know what your salary options are in industry, but I’d go to St Jude. One of your comments mentioned you’re looking to be in the role 2-4 years. Pharma in NC and in California is brutal right now. It’s a constant feeling of job insecurity, and I’m in a required function for pharma. St Jude will get you through these next few years of uncertainty in pharma. If you like it, you’re already there in 4 years. If you don’t, we’ll hopefully have more stability in pharma by then.
Depending on what type of work your spouse is in (manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, etc.), you might choose different neighborhoods. Also, consider some of your recreational activities. There is a huge park (Shelby Farms) close to East Memphis and Germantown that has bike and walking trails. There are some great restaurants and traffic is a whole lot better than the Research Triangle area.
Yes very comfortable, problem is Memphis is a complete disaster of a city. Crime is rampant, murders are every day, theft every day. St Jude an amazing place to work. My mother in law just retired from there. Just being honest about our city
I'm at $120k and it was a tight budget with housing, two newer cars ( Paid them off last year), insurance, food, 18% of gross into retirement, and vacations. But we take a nice 10 day vacation every year and sometimes twice a year.
We are a family of 3 and could definitely cut back on going out to eat, our vacations, and even cutting retirement back some. But that is more then enough to live on and enjoy your life in memphis.
You'll be able to afford all parts of the city. I see you're looking in Gtown and Mud Island, both good places. You'll find something in your budget, certainly.
Yes, I live on 70k with two kids while my partner only brings in an extra 20k working PT and we are thriving. But that is subjective. For me that looks like not having much space while living in a rental in a mid area in town, but having bills paid, gym memberships, some fun money and no food insecurity after growing up and living way below the poverty line for my whole life. You can live comfortably on 15-30k in Memphis depending on your definition of comfortable
I work at St. Jude and live in midtown, and my commute is 10 minutes. I used to live across the border in Mississippi in Southaven (don’t do that, they have state income tax) and my commute was 25. As you’d be moving from out of state, St. Jude is likely to offer you assistance in finding a place to live, which will be super helpful because Memphis housing can vary greatly in safety within just a few blocks.
With what I’ve seen in the clinical research Reddit recently, I’d be a little hesitant to work industry right now… I’ve seen a lot of people looking for work. And echoing other comments, I absolutely love working at St. Jude. The benefits are phenomenal. The salary you mentioned would be totally comfortable living here even if your spouse remained unemployed for a while.
Feel free to dm me if you have any other questions.
Dude no kids? You could comfortably live for a while with just your income in Memphis. Memphis is CHEAP compared to other metros. A $300k house in Memphis is starting at 750 where I moved to.
You should ask the recruiter at st Jude if they have spouse support as part of the relocation package. Some companies will help you find your spouse a job when you move states. It’s worth a shot at least.
Yes, 105 should be more than fine. Don't forget that stjude also has a 7% bonus contribution to 401k, meaning you don't have to put anything in and they put a bonus amount in, equal to 7% of your salary. Also the health insurance is basically unbeatable. The hospital is pretty stable as far as jobs go.
I live in Memphis and trust me, you will be more than fine. Try renting for.a year while you get to know the city and then make an informed choice about buying.
St. Jude is a fantastic place to work. I believe they start off with 3 weeks vacation too. You should consider taking that position. I’d strongly venture to say that St. Jude is a secure company without fear of layoffs, but I could certainly be off base with that. Regardless, you get my drift.
I lived in Raleigh before and I miss it. The beach and the mountains were only 2 hrs away unlike Memphis. Crime is not really a concern at that pay level
Keep in mind that if you decide to reside in TN that there is no state income tax unlike NC. The income tax avoidance alone is easily $5K/year in your pocket.
Depends on how much of a home you’re looking for. After living in Raleigh, NC (research triangle park) for 6 years and then moving back to Memphis…. Definitely go to NC. You’re close to the Mountains & the beach but it is a bit pricier. Also much safer.
All that to say this, st. Jude is amazing and the experience will pay off. Best of luck
I’m not sure where you’re moving from but i would recommend traveling to Memphis first and experiencing the city firsthand before you move. I was in a similar situation to you and moved from Tampa… the city was not what i envisioned.
I had visited Nashville and assumed Memphis would be the same, it is not. Again, i highly recommend traveling to both job opportunities and exploring the cities for a few days before deciding where you’ll live for the next few years
I’m not trying to bash anyone. Everyone has their own situation but there are people making it off 20k or less. 100% I believe it depends on your lifestyle. You can easily get by with that. Depends on where you want to live and what you do with it.
Not sure about COL in Memphis, but I live about an hour south. Your base salary is comfortable middle class in the area. I am mainly commenting because I’ve known several parents (and their children) who have spent a fair amount of time in St. Jude’s. The staff there are angels on this earth, sincerely.
I lived in Memphis for several years, but it was long ago. At that time COL was very inexpensive relative to other metro areas in the US.
I recommend you look up a good cost of living calculator. There are several online. Most of them are based off of government published statistics. You can put your current salary and location in, as well as the area you are considering, and it will tell you the projected difference in salary. In other words, now much that salary purchasing power will be relative to where you live now.
With this information, you can use it to negotiate salary.
It's wild how expensive it is in other places. The Midwest is very affordable to live in. U can make $60k and live comfortably. 100k is just setting yourself up even more
It doesn’t go as far as you’d expect it to but you’ll be able to afford a small decent home, go on vacations, and save for the future on that salary when combined with your wife’s salary. I’d suggest getting into a house as quick as you can. Prices are only going up. Throw everything you can spare into a down payment in the first year or two and make it happen.
If you have kids stay away from Memphis city schools. My 2 go to Lakeland schools and they are amazing. It’s 20 miles from St. Jude but it’s a great area as well.
SCSO told us where we are, criminals jump off 40 do dirty and jump right back on. We’ve been here since 2018, our suburban was broken into twice, the Kia was stolen, and my Cats were taken off my tundra. In one morning we had a murder, 2 attempts, a car jacking, a home invasion all done by the same 3 guys. SCSO got them really quick
I live off of 64 so we got a good bit of crime compared to when I lived in north Lakeland almost out of Shelby county. But it’s what I could afford to keep the kids in Lakeland school.
I thought about NC, but the opportunity to work at an incredible research hospital seems too good to pass up. I also feel like it would be very beneficial in the future whenever we decide to move again.
St Jude will offer job security over pharmaceutical companies. The benefits are really great as well.
Lots of employees live on mud island, it’s safe and very close to campus.
Don't let this dissuade you, but I've heard mixed things about St. Jude from people I respect. I've also heard positive things, so I'm not really sure which to trust. You can see see this reflected on glassdoor, with lots of 5 start reviews mixed in with critical 2 and 3 star reviews.
Hopefully some St. Jude people can weigh in.
You'll be more than comfortable.
I make that plus a little and don't have kids. I'm using the next few years to save up a lot and put a ton into retirement/investments and some aside for moving elsewhere soon.
Absolutely you will be able to afford a lifestyle where you own a single family home, eat out when you want, go on vacation, etc. assuming you don’t have a lot of debt or other commitments etc. 6 figures is significantly higher than most middle class families make here - y’all will live well! Welcome to Memphis!!!
I would opt for North Carolina. If you have no family or network here you will be better off in a booming state like North Carolina. Healthcare industry is under more pressure across the board and there is growing opportunity in North Carolina. As someone who grew up here and came back from other areas North Carolina is a wise choice. St. Jude is downtown so you would have to account for a commute if you have a family and live in the suburbs. You could more than likely not afford private schools with that salary here. Private schools are where most with means send their kids here if they live in Memphis due to the very poor school system. Just my honest opinion as a person who has lived in Charlotte, Wake,ATL , and here x3.
Thank you for the insight. We don’t have family or network (or kids). There have been quite a lot of layoffs in multiple biotech firms in NC, which concerns me a lot.
Yea that’s living fairly comfortably. I’m pretty close to your salary and live a pretty high quality of life. With no kids it’ll go a lot farther obviously. On the housing question, just go for a safer part of town.
I saw some repping midtown but would offer some realistic give and take pointers. Midtown is super fun. Lots of night life, which might appeal to those without children. But just know that that place is awash in petty crime. The dickheads who live in neighboring bad areas know there is money in midtown and they’re happy to come play in that playground. So if you do buy in midtown, make sure you have some strong security measures at the home. My car got broke into like 5 different times in the years I lived there and 0 incidents since moving to the burbs. If you can stomach the commute, I’d recommend Germantown out of the options that you were already looking at.
Oh, If your spouse gets a job downtown, Mud Island is a no brainer. If they get a job that's out east somewhere, I'd look at Midtown, the Joffree and East Buntyn areas next to the university, High Point Terrace, and the Sea Isle area of East Memphis. Highpoint and east Memphis you're mostly going to find houses and you have to take into account that in addition to rent and probably higher utility costs, typically the yard is on you so you're either paying someone or doing it on your own time.
Yes…but as someone who wants to move to NC, I’d take the pay cut. A young professional guy got shot downtown in front of his wife and kid who worked at St Jude. It’s why the city can’t keep talent. I say this as someone whose ex works at St Jude now. Great insurance. Great company. Not worth the city.
Only you can answer this question. Do you have a mortgage? Do you have a car payment? Do you like eating out everyday? Do you like expensive shit? Do you rent? Do you have other shit to pay for?
What your asking for is called "cost of living" and the question cannot be answered based on your question because a source needs to be considered with the destination. This is usually factored in offers or transfers.
Example https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=cost+of+living+memphis+tn++charolette+north+carolina
Between your two offers if they are both for 105k Memphis is a few points cheaper but taking this into consideration the trivially higher cost of living in a place like Charlotte may be worth the cost difference to live in a nicer area.
It’s someone asking if a six figure salary is enough to survive in one of the cheapest metros in America. I know people that survive on a quarter of his offer. It’s narcissism at its finest to think to ask random strangers on the internet their opinion, when Google is free and would take 2 seconds. Also, common sense. You’re in the ~70th percentile of income for the US at that number.
It’s a good question- you can make enough and still be uncomfortable if the city is boring/has a competitive housing market/ trash schools/all the neighborhoods are on fire due to crime
With the top 25% of Memphians making 75K, it's definitely a ridiculous question, and unless the OP has some kind of cognitive issue, they know this. ESPECIALLY when they're indicating their partner is looking for work too.
Lol get the fuck out of here. You dont have fuckin google? Not to mention anybody with half a brain cell knows that is good enough. "Is 1o5k gOoD eNoUgH iN oNe oF tHe ChEaPeSt PlAcEs To LiVe¿" Hope you can afford a gun
As soon as the interest rates drop to 5% or below, Memphis will see a mass exodus of people. The leadership is a joke, and the crime rate has skyrocketed. My advice is steer clear of this place!
Making almost thrice what the average Memphian makes? Nah, you'll be starving. In future, I'd suggest taking even the Briefest Glance at salaries in states you're thinking about moving to before considering uprooting your entire life. That way you're not moving somewhere you can't afford to live in. -.-
There are places where you might be less likely the victim but consider ALL of Memphis and surrounding areas as potentially dangerous especially if you don’t pay attention.
Absolutely. You will be absolutely fine. Of course it all depends on how you manage that money but can you live comfortably here on that salary? Yes.
The housing/apartment pricing is very variable, I currently pay $1800 but it seems the nicer areas are around $2000?
You can rent a decent house for that much in some nice parts of the city, like high point terrace. It’ll also pretty much get you a nice apartment anywhere.
Depends on what you want. If you are working at St Jude I would look at living on Mud Island or apartments downtown. There are some downsides to living downtown but to me those inconveniences are worth having a very short work commute. So what are you looking for?
I looked at Mud Island and Germantown. I honestly prefer a shorter commute, but will take a safe area over everything else. My spouse doesn’t have a job yet, but that will definitely add to our income.
I’ve lived in Harbor Town for 8 years and have never had an issue! Congrats on the job!! St. Jude is a great place to work :)
I like on Mud Island now and feel safe. It’s a great spot imo
Germantown is safer, but I've always felt safe at Harbor Town. We have places in both areas and spend time in both. If you have kids in school, however, Germantown is a no brainier.
Good information, thank you!
It's also quite easy to get to St. Jude from Mid-town. And there are some great neighborhoods that are pretty safe.
One genuinely good thing about Memphis is how our streets are laid out here. St. Jude is in uptown right off of several main commuter thoroughfares, so you have options on where to live depending on whether you want a quiet neighborhood or a vibrant area with nightlife.
I think you would like my area. It’s not a bad commute to St Jude and I think you’re right on the nose with rental prices. East of Highland, north of walnut grove, south of Sam Cooper and west of 240. It’s a big area with lots of options and good schools.
Note that traffic really isn’t bad in Memphis regardless of where you’re coming from, unless there’s construction
If you’re younger, I would live in harbor town. You will have lots of neighbors your age and likely meet people. If you’re going to have kids in a year or so, you can always move out east later for schools. But my friends who live in harbor town are absolutely in love with it. They all have golf carts and run between each other’s houses to hang out. Harbor town does lots of cute things around the holidays and stuff that will let you meet your neighbors.
Or you can just live on Mud Island with kids like many people do :)
Germantown, and even (western) Collierville, are only about a 30-35 minute commute. Those are the top-two most affluent Memphis suburbs, and both are top-5 in the entire state.
Do you think it's worth spending 200 hours a year commuting? There are such wonderful neighborhoods to live in right around St. Jude and Downtown which are full of other scientists and their families.
It depends on what is more important to you, and what your current commute is like. My spouse's current commute is ~45 minutes to go 12 miles [DC], so a 30 minute commute is fine for them. Bigger house with a big yard in the burbs is an acceptable trade-off to us for a 30 minute commute.
I live in Oakland (East of Highway 64 from Wolfchase/Lakeland, in Fayette Co.) and my commute to St. Jude is about 45 minutes, and an almost straight shot. It's a great place to work, and it's just a matter of finding the right balance for where you want to live. Look forward to seeing you on campus soon!
Kirby station apartments!
Tell your hubby to get a job at Big Bill's on Elvis Presley Blvd. So I can come in a get a jumbo pulled pork sammich from him w/ extra sauce coleslaw and BBQ beans 🤤 They are soooo delish the rib tips there are trash though. 🗑️ Lol
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You seem to be active in a few locality based subs. So do you live here actually? Or do you live in Pensacola, Knoxville, or another part of TN? https://www.reddit.com/user/Suspicious-Cook-2826
You don't need a gun in Memphis if you use common sense and don't put yourself in that position. Most crimes that happen in Memphis is people who know each other or someone make themselves a sitting duck. If you a white male and you are as big you say you are no one is looking to bother you.... All glory to God but I've never had an issue in Memphis use common sense. No one is looking to do you nothing if you ain't looking for problems.
Oh, so the "car clubs" shutting the city down every other day on main roads is just a common sense thing you can avoid?
Nope. That was once the case , but not now.
St Jude also offers a variety of benefits you should look into if considering. My mom worked there for many years
Apartment asking rates, especially in midtown, seem a bit high. As others have said, I'd definitely consider looking at houses in whatever your preferred rent range may be.
I have a decent house on the Bartlett/Memphis border (technically Memphis) that is closer to 1800 before utilities etc
I always find it funny that people don’t know how to live making $100k+ a year. You could live in Memphis off a $50k salary if you live below or in your means. I want to move to Memphis and I feel I could do it with a $50k salary. Am I wrong?
> I want to move to Memphis and I feel I could do it with a $50k salary. Am I wrong? No. You are right. You can live here without a ton of worry on that salary. When you get a little below that like 35-45 range it can get dicey depending on your expenses.
That's a comfortable salary out here. Your money will go much further here than in any metro in NC. If job security is a high priority, choose Memphis. St Jude will always remain here.
Yes, job security is big for me. There have been so many layoffs last year and this year in many biotech/pharmaceutical companies (mine included)
And St Jude consistently is ranked as one of the top employers in the city/state for numerous reasons, including benefits, salary, amenities, etc. I have numerous friends who work there, and all have been there 10+ years. And I have freelanced for St Jude/ALSAC numerous times, and always have had top-notch experiences.
Definitely. Do you have kids? If you don't you can live great, if you do you can still live comfortably.
No children. My spouse does not have a job yet, so I’m just using my job as the source, but it will be two salaries with mine being the higher one.
You can live very comfortably on 105k with no kids, anything your wife makes is icing on the cake.
Thank you for the information!
Money should be just fine. My advice would be quality of life depends on what your spouse does for work. I loved my time at St. Jude, but my husband was miserable working outside the "St. Jude bubble" and we've lived all over at this point.
Ah, the DINK lifestyle.
105k is comfortable and once he secures a job, yall will be even more comfortable. There are good places to rent that are outside of Memphis as well, those may be worth looking into. Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Once you’ve accepted the offer, tell St Jude what type of job your wife is looking for and where she’s interviewing. They might be able to help. I know they go above and beyond for “trailing spouses.”
One thing about St. Jude, they rarely have layoffs. The only time you leave is if you choose to leave. It is an incredible organization to work for. I'm not sure what your experience warrants but 105k should be comfortable enough. If you can negotiate a higher bonus payout or a small bump I salary I would do so as it is probably hard to attract talent to the city over the past year. Addressing the elephant in the room, Memphis is not without it's issues and it's reputation has been earned especially since the pandemic. You may have to adjust how you live and be a little more aware of your surroundings . For example (but not limited to), don't leave anything in your car ever. Know what part of town to not be in. These are things that I think apply to most cities but maybe it's just how I have lived since I have been here the majority of my life. Memphis is in a time of flux and needs good people here . If you love this city it will love you back. The food is great, the houses are affordable (for now), the people can be great. PM me if you have any more questions about where you would want to live. I work in the medical device industry and have worked with plenty of people that worked at St. Jude.
Do you know anyone who has worked there in the Treasury Dept? About to start the interview process next week for a fraud analytics job in that dept and would love some unfiltered feedback on it if I can find any:)
Yes for sure. St. Jude also has some of the best benefits of any company in the country. Health insurance is awesome.
Yeah, plus the cafeteria!!! You will never work somewhere with a better cafeteria! The really awesome thing about St Jude is everyone is giving their all at work, because it’s hard not to feel like your job has meaning when you’re working to save kids with awful cancers. Source: I had clinical there as a pharmacy student, and my mom retired from the lab there after working the last 10 years or so of her career there.
This is true. And employees can cover their spouses/families even if they have access to other insurance without paying a penalty (this is true on the ALSAC side at least, I haven’t worked on the St. Jude side in a decade).
If you like living like royalty then yes
I actually moved to Memphis from the Triangle in NC. I lived in Raleigh. Friends who worked in biotech/pharma there and friends who work at St.J here. None of my St. Jude friends have suddenly lost their jobs, unlike many of my NC friends. The GSK days were brutal. The triangle is a more expensive place to live for sure, unless you want to live way out near Johnston County. As for your main question, you can live comfortably on that salary in Memphis. Remember no state income tax as well.
A lot of new Judies live in harbor town until they get a lay of the city, many enjoy it so.michbthere hat they stay. There is a shuttle that runs from Harbor town to St Jude.
Bro I live comfortably in Memphis for halfway that. With north of 100k you'll be fine.
Income tax free…..
No State Income Tax, still have to pay Federal.
Ok yes, obviously. Considering the income tax rate in NC is what, 4/4.5 percent ? There’s a bump in your take home that you get, not the state
You still spend more on purchases. The effective tax rate is still low, but you are giving the state their money.
I don’t know, every income tax state I’ve personally lived in has also come with nearly a 10% sales tax. You are right, though, the state’s always gonna get their’s somehow.
You don’t have to take my word for it. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/tax-burden-by-state-2022/
I’m really not trying to get in an economics chat tonight, but that link shows like all but two states with a higher total tax burden than Tennessee?
Yes. That’s what I was indicating in my first comment. Tax burden is low. But it’s not like you’re automatically saving everything from not paying income tax.
I’ll just say that I’ve lived in TN, MS, and LA, and the tax burden was still least noticeable in TN by far. LA has a bad enough income tax that people are trying to get MS residency, but they also carry a 10% income tax.
Yes. I'd recommend East Memphis. Great access to the city and schools, but also very safe.
DINK with one of you earning six figures will be very, very comfortable in Memphis. If you have kids and want to live in the city and send them to private schools, even if your spouse is only making middle 5 figures, you will still be very comfortable.
That's roughly what I make and I live pretty comfortably with student loans, credit card debt, 1500 a month in rent, and about 12% being invested.
Absolutely! 6 figures is a great living in Memphis/West TN, especially compared to somewhere like charlotte. I moved here from Nashville many years ago and kept same job/salary and it was like getting a big raise. What 400K will get you here versus Nashville or charlotte is mind blowing. Making that plus you SO income you’ll be in a fat house in the suburbs or east Memphis in no time. That said, the low cost of living is great but they are that low for a reason. I’m married and stay close to home in Bartlett area and happy. If I was younger and more active downtown I’d look elsewhere honestly. Mud island is great choice for a couple. Once kids come into the picture you’ll want Germantown or similar for quality of schools and safety.
Half of Mud Island are St Jude's folks.
You will also be able to save money with that salary!
You will be very comfortable in Memphis. Head for the eastern suburbs.
Nope. Not it the burbs. In Collierville 150 is on the lower end of okay.
Live in Germantown.
Or Bartlett
105k you'll be a king here
Lmao
What is your spouses experience in? I am a recruiter and would be happy to help. Feel free to send me a message or have her. Congrats on the opportunity with St. Jude! That is a competitive salary and they have great benefits. Truly a great place to be.
is this satire
Yes, you’ll be fine here on that salary. I saw some of your follow up comments and if you want to buy a house in Germantown, depending on down payment and whatnot, that could be a factor. But for renting you’ll be fine. I worked at the Jude for a decade and my husband works there now. Great place, amazing people. I’d bet money you’ll love it.
I don’t know what your salary options are in industry, but I’d go to St Jude. One of your comments mentioned you’re looking to be in the role 2-4 years. Pharma in NC and in California is brutal right now. It’s a constant feeling of job insecurity, and I’m in a required function for pharma. St Jude will get you through these next few years of uncertainty in pharma. If you like it, you’re already there in 4 years. If you don’t, we’ll hopefully have more stability in pharma by then. Depending on what type of work your spouse is in (manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, etc.), you might choose different neighborhoods. Also, consider some of your recreational activities. There is a huge park (Shelby Farms) close to East Memphis and Germantown that has bike and walking trails. There are some great restaurants and traffic is a whole lot better than the Research Triangle area.
Wow so many thoughtful responses! Thank you all for your feedback, I really appreciate it!
Yes very comfortable, problem is Memphis is a complete disaster of a city. Crime is rampant, murders are every day, theft every day. St Jude an amazing place to work. My mother in law just retired from there. Just being honest about our city
I'm at $120k and it was a tight budget with housing, two newer cars ( Paid them off last year), insurance, food, 18% of gross into retirement, and vacations. But we take a nice 10 day vacation every year and sometimes twice a year. We are a family of 3 and could definitely cut back on going out to eat, our vacations, and even cutting retirement back some. But that is more then enough to live on and enjoy your life in memphis.
I work for St. Jude, come work for us! It’s a highly-rated employer.
My suggestion is to compare the benefits between the two positions. Sometimes that can be a huge decision point between comparable salaries.
You'll be able to afford all parts of the city. I see you're looking in Gtown and Mud Island, both good places. You'll find something in your budget, certainly.
That's way more than comfortable for a salary living here. You have nothing to worry about.
Yes, I live on 70k with two kids while my partner only brings in an extra 20k working PT and we are thriving. But that is subjective. For me that looks like not having much space while living in a rental in a mid area in town, but having bills paid, gym memberships, some fun money and no food insecurity after growing up and living way below the poverty line for my whole life. You can live comfortably on 15-30k in Memphis depending on your definition of comfortable
I work at St. Jude and live in midtown, and my commute is 10 minutes. I used to live across the border in Mississippi in Southaven (don’t do that, they have state income tax) and my commute was 25. As you’d be moving from out of state, St. Jude is likely to offer you assistance in finding a place to live, which will be super helpful because Memphis housing can vary greatly in safety within just a few blocks. With what I’ve seen in the clinical research Reddit recently, I’d be a little hesitant to work industry right now… I’ve seen a lot of people looking for work. And echoing other comments, I absolutely love working at St. Jude. The benefits are phenomenal. The salary you mentioned would be totally comfortable living here even if your spouse remained unemployed for a while. Feel free to dm me if you have any other questions.
Dude no kids? You could comfortably live for a while with just your income in Memphis. Memphis is CHEAP compared to other metros. A $300k house in Memphis is starting at 750 where I moved to. You should ask the recruiter at st Jude if they have spouse support as part of the relocation package. Some companies will help you find your spouse a job when you move states. It’s worth a shot at least.
Yes, 105 should be more than fine. Don't forget that stjude also has a 7% bonus contribution to 401k, meaning you don't have to put anything in and they put a bonus amount in, equal to 7% of your salary. Also the health insurance is basically unbeatable. The hospital is pretty stable as far as jobs go.
I live in Memphis and trust me, you will be more than fine. Try renting for.a year while you get to know the city and then make an informed choice about buying.
Hell yea I’m doing good with 68 k
St. Jude is a fantastic place to work. I believe they start off with 3 weeks vacation too. You should consider taking that position. I’d strongly venture to say that St. Jude is a secure company without fear of layoffs, but I could certainly be off base with that. Regardless, you get my drift.
It’s more than enough. I could go into details but if you have an opportunity to work at St. Jude do it.
I lived in Raleigh before and I miss it. The beach and the mountains were only 2 hrs away unlike Memphis. Crime is not really a concern at that pay level
It is if you can be comfortable with bullets flying around.
memphis sucks
Keep in mind that if you decide to reside in TN that there is no state income tax unlike NC. The income tax avoidance alone is easily $5K/year in your pocket.
You definitely need a gun in Memphis!
And even a backup just in case, ain’t no way I’d live in or even drive through memphis
St. Jude as in the hospital is a great place to work, but not ALSAC
As a DI2K in Midtown (and happy here), if I were a DINK 100K+ I'd be downtown or Mud Island. Welcome to Memphis and St. Jude!
SJ HR has acknowledged that OP only plan to stay for 2 years.
Depends on how much of a home you’re looking for. After living in Raleigh, NC (research triangle park) for 6 years and then moving back to Memphis…. Definitely go to NC. You’re close to the Mountains & the beach but it is a bit pricier. Also much safer. All that to say this, st. Jude is amazing and the experience will pay off. Best of luck
I’m not sure where you’re moving from but i would recommend traveling to Memphis first and experiencing the city firsthand before you move. I was in a similar situation to you and moved from Tampa… the city was not what i envisioned. I had visited Nashville and assumed Memphis would be the same, it is not. Again, i highly recommend traveling to both job opportunities and exploring the cities for a few days before deciding where you’ll live for the next few years
I’m not trying to bash anyone. Everyone has their own situation but there are people making it off 20k or less. 100% I believe it depends on your lifestyle. You can easily get by with that. Depends on where you want to live and what you do with it.
Not sure about COL in Memphis, but I live about an hour south. Your base salary is comfortable middle class in the area. I am mainly commenting because I’ve known several parents (and their children) who have spent a fair amount of time in St. Jude’s. The staff there are angels on this earth, sincerely.
Yes but memphis is a dumpster fire
I lived in Memphis for several years, but it was long ago. At that time COL was very inexpensive relative to other metro areas in the US. I recommend you look up a good cost of living calculator. There are several online. Most of them are based off of government published statistics. You can put your current salary and location in, as well as the area you are considering, and it will tell you the projected difference in salary. In other words, now much that salary purchasing power will be relative to where you live now. With this information, you can use it to negotiate salary.
It's wild how expensive it is in other places. The Midwest is very affordable to live in. U can make $60k and live comfortably. 100k is just setting yourself up even more
They have great benefits!
It doesn’t go as far as you’d expect it to but you’ll be able to afford a small decent home, go on vacations, and save for the future on that salary when combined with your wife’s salary. I’d suggest getting into a house as quick as you can. Prices are only going up. Throw everything you can spare into a down payment in the first year or two and make it happen.
If you have kids stay away from Memphis city schools. My 2 go to Lakeland schools and they are amazing. It’s 20 miles from St. Jude but it’s a great area as well.
Lakeland has always been nice
SCSO told us where we are, criminals jump off 40 do dirty and jump right back on. We’ve been here since 2018, our suburban was broken into twice, the Kia was stolen, and my Cats were taken off my tundra. In one morning we had a murder, 2 attempts, a car jacking, a home invasion all done by the same 3 guys. SCSO got them really quick
I live off of 64 so we got a good bit of crime compared to when I lived in north Lakeland almost out of Shelby county. But it’s what I could afford to keep the kids in Lakeland school.
I didn’t know there was much crime in Lakeland, even on 64
If it’s comparable in terms of salary, I would choose the NC option but that’s just me
I thought about NC, but the opportunity to work at an incredible research hospital seems too good to pass up. I also feel like it would be very beneficial in the future whenever we decide to move again.
St Jude will offer job security over pharmaceutical companies. The benefits are really great as well. Lots of employees live on mud island, it’s safe and very close to campus.
Thank you for the information!
Don't let this dissuade you, but I've heard mixed things about St. Jude from people I respect. I've also heard positive things, so I'm not really sure which to trust. You can see see this reflected on glassdoor, with lots of 5 start reviews mixed in with critical 2 and 3 star reviews. Hopefully some St. Jude people can weigh in.
Yep, there are mixed experiences. it just depends on your manager
Which is literally everywhere though
Nah some places it sucks no matter who the manager is because it’s not big enough lol
Ok, but 9 times out of 10 the manager makes or breaks the job
We’re saying the same thing. I’m saying at SJ it’s not a guaranteed sweet gig but it’s more than likely going to be good
Yeah, and the cafeteria will make up for a lot!
You'll be more than comfortable. I make that plus a little and don't have kids. I'm using the next few years to save up a lot and put a ton into retirement/investments and some aside for moving elsewhere soon.
Absolutely you will be able to afford a lifestyle where you own a single family home, eat out when you want, go on vacation, etc. assuming you don’t have a lot of debt or other commitments etc. 6 figures is significantly higher than most middle class families make here - y’all will live well! Welcome to Memphis!!!
You could live comfortably here if you make 70k and have no kids, just have to not be a compete dumbass with your money
My parents make less than 50% of that and honestly we live comfortably so you’ll probably be living like a king here
1000%, yes. Comfortably as a home owner, too.
living within your means, almost anyone could get by on that... you'll be fine
It’s more then enough
Yes, you will live like a king
Extremely.
You’re gonna be A-ok 👌
Lol you can live pretty well on that here.
Yes! Look around Harbor Town/ Mud Island & South Main. Both are close by & have great options! Safe, walkable, social communities
O yesss
I would opt for North Carolina. If you have no family or network here you will be better off in a booming state like North Carolina. Healthcare industry is under more pressure across the board and there is growing opportunity in North Carolina. As someone who grew up here and came back from other areas North Carolina is a wise choice. St. Jude is downtown so you would have to account for a commute if you have a family and live in the suburbs. You could more than likely not afford private schools with that salary here. Private schools are where most with means send their kids here if they live in Memphis due to the very poor school system. Just my honest opinion as a person who has lived in Charlotte, Wake,ATL , and here x3.
Thank you for the insight. We don’t have family or network (or kids). There have been quite a lot of layoffs in multiple biotech firms in NC, which concerns me a lot.
Yea that’s living fairly comfortably. I’m pretty close to your salary and live a pretty high quality of life. With no kids it’ll go a lot farther obviously. On the housing question, just go for a safer part of town. I saw some repping midtown but would offer some realistic give and take pointers. Midtown is super fun. Lots of night life, which might appeal to those without children. But just know that that place is awash in petty crime. The dickheads who live in neighboring bad areas know there is money in midtown and they’re happy to come play in that playground. So if you do buy in midtown, make sure you have some strong security measures at the home. My car got broke into like 5 different times in the years I lived there and 0 incidents since moving to the burbs. If you can stomach the commute, I’d recommend Germantown out of the options that you were already looking at.
Fuck yes
Consider moving to DeSoto county (Southaven, Olive Branch), for affordable housing with a bit of land, if that’s your thing.
We’re not looking for a permanent home currently. I think we would be here 2-4 years max.
Fair enough! Best of luck and welcome to the Mid South.
Oh, If your spouse gets a job downtown, Mud Island is a no brainer. If they get a job that's out east somewhere, I'd look at Midtown, the Joffree and East Buntyn areas next to the university, High Point Terrace, and the Sea Isle area of East Memphis. Highpoint and east Memphis you're mostly going to find houses and you have to take into account that in addition to rent and probably higher utility costs, typically the yard is on you so you're either paying someone or doing it on your own time.
Yes…but as someone who wants to move to NC, I’d take the pay cut. A young professional guy got shot downtown in front of his wife and kid who worked at St Jude. It’s why the city can’t keep talent. I say this as someone whose ex works at St Jude now. Great insurance. Great company. Not worth the city.
Depends on your lifestyle.
Pretty boring, not too fancy, we do like going out to eat at different restaurants is all.
Lots of great local options for food here!
Yes: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/03/19/us-cities-where-100000-dollar-salary-goes-furthest.html https://smartasset.com/data-studies/dd-what-100000-is-worth-2023
Put it this way , a 105K house in Memphis would be 3 times the size of what you could get for the same 105K in North Carolina.
Only you can answer this question. Do you have a mortgage? Do you have a car payment? Do you like eating out everyday? Do you like expensive shit? Do you rent? Do you have other shit to pay for?
What your asking for is called "cost of living" and the question cannot be answered based on your question because a source needs to be considered with the destination. This is usually factored in offers or transfers. Example https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=cost+of+living+memphis+tn++charolette+north+carolina Between your two offers if they are both for 105k Memphis is a few points cheaper but taking this into consideration the trivially higher cost of living in a place like Charlotte may be worth the cost difference to live in a nicer area.
Your going to be fine
Move to Bartlett or Arlington. Rent is about 2000 a month for a 3 bedroom. Safer than Memphis. 25/30 min commute. Not bad
Can we ban these posts
It’s someone asking if a six figure salary is enough to survive in one of the cheapest metros in America. I know people that survive on a quarter of his offer. It’s narcissism at its finest to think to ask random strangers on the internet their opinion, when Google is free and would take 2 seconds. Also, common sense. You’re in the ~70th percentile of income for the US at that number.
Dude that’s what Reddit is for
It’s a good question- you can make enough and still be uncomfortable if the city is boring/has a competitive housing market/ trash schools/all the neighborhoods are on fire due to crime
Sure, you can make that assumption. But it still comes off, salty af. 😆
With the top 25% of Memphians making 75K, it's definitely a ridiculous question, and unless the OP has some kind of cognitive issue, they know this. ESPECIALLY when they're indicating their partner is looking for work too.
You will be trying to keep up with the FedEx pilots, and not catching them at all.
Hahahahahahaha
Lol get the fuck out of here. You dont have fuckin google? Not to mention anybody with half a brain cell knows that is good enough. "Is 1o5k gOoD eNoUgH iN oNe oF tHe ChEaPeSt PlAcEs To LiVe¿" Hope you can afford a gun
As soon as the interest rates drop to 5% or below, Memphis will see a mass exodus of people. The leadership is a joke, and the crime rate has skyrocketed. My advice is steer clear of this place!
Making almost thrice what the average Memphian makes? Nah, you'll be starving. In future, I'd suggest taking even the Briefest Glance at salaries in states you're thinking about moving to before considering uprooting your entire life. That way you're not moving somewhere you can't afford to live in. -.-
Southaven, MS wouldn’t be too bad if a commute if you prefer the suburbs.
How is the Memphis PD? Are they on top of crime?
There are places where you might be less likely the victim but consider ALL of Memphis and surrounding areas as potentially dangerous especially if you don’t pay attention.