Is making three-thousand to four-thousand dollars a month a good salary?

Salary and regional cost of living are too closely-tied to make an assessment of this type.

Depends where the job is some states that would be comfortable. But other that would not be a living wage.

Lets say its New York City.

Single person? With roommates? What about college debt?

Not a good choice, an apartment could cost that much.

Single person, no roomates, no college debt….but have a degree though.

Net after taxes would be $1900 to $2500 per month. And you would need a Work Visa, which not easy to get.

I think that you are in Canada, right?

I’m not sure what the average rent for a small apartment would be in NYC, but it seems that the average rent is $3k/mo. So, that would be more than your net salary.

Even here in suburban Boston area, unless you had everything line up pretty perfectly (purchased a home prior to the year 2002, no college debt, no other debt, live pretty frugally, etc), that kind of money wouldn’t be comfortable.

$2000 a month is good here in southern Idaho!

So how do you guys make it? Is it safe to say that you make much more than 3–4 thousand? I would like to own a car in NYC, live in a house.I am currently holding a bachelors degree in education( which is equivalent to a U.S degree) and I am thinking of pursuing a masters degree then moving up there. I have thought about this move since I was 17 years old and I cannot stop thinking about it. I have a sister up there whom I am very close with though, but I know I cannot live by her forever.

I live in MD, and I would love to make that much!

Where is MD?

Maryland…in the US.

Cool, do you live comfortably??

Living in a house in Manhattan is almost not possible, there just aren’t many except in the outer boroughs of the city and in the suburbs outside the city.

Most people here live in apartments. While it’s true that rent can be expensive, plenty of people share an apartment. Take a look at craigslist for shares possibilities.

Having a car in NYC is hardly cost-effective unless you use it a lot. Insurance can be high but the kicker is parking which is a complete nuisance on the street or expensive in lots/garages (a few hundred $ a month).

My sis lives in NYC and she pays over $1800 per month for a studio. She lives alone.

It also depends on the person’s lifestyle. Do they want to go out a lot? Do they want extra money for travel and stuff like that?

If you want to have a car in NYC, it’s almost impossible. People park their cars in NJ or Westchester and then have to travel 1–2 hours when they want to take the car out, because the cost of long term parking in NYC is prohibitive, unless you want to play the game of constantly running out, searching for spots, and dealing with the risk of getting towed away or ticketed.

You could spend $1000 a month on parking in a lot, not just a few hundred.

This person you are asking about could get an apartment in Westchester or NJ and commute to NYC, if they work there. You could get an apartment in Westchester for about $1200 and live alone, but spend a few hundred a month on train to NYC. Still, it’s more do-able than living in NYC. It’s for this reason that many people choose not to live in NYC, or live with roomies if they do.

No, @Eggie…I struggle more and more with everything going up in price lately…but I don’t make $3000—$4000/month. And no, I won’t tell you what I make, sorry, but it is less than that.

As others have mentioned, living in NYC has a very high cost of living… everything costs more there. The safer the neighborhood – whether in the city or in the suburbs – the higher the cost of living. One could ‘get by’ on a salary that you suggest, but only if they are willing to have several roommates and live in a less-desirable area.

I live about an hour outside of NYC when there is light-to-moderate traffic. Rents this far outside of the city are still near $1000.00 per month for a small one-bedroom apartment and the daily commute in rush hour takes 3–4 hours out of your day on average, so you are out of your home ~12 hours a day.

Depending on what field you work in, someone with a college degree and little experience probably won’t make half that, and the competition for jobs is very tight. With a Master’s Degree and 22+ years experience, I make about what you propose, but choose to only work 4 days, so 32–35 hours per week instead of 40+. The reduced hours is only an option because I live with my fiancé, who makes more than I do but has been with his company for 20 years. Were I on my own, I would have to work 40+ hours and still would struggle to make ends meet – my job is not in the city, though. I travel further distance but in the opposite direction, so I am on the road ~2 hours a day on average and the cost is less than public transit into the city would be.

A recruiter contacted me the other day about a job in one of the boroughs of NYC that was full-time but only paid about what I was making. I scoffed and told her they’d have to offer well over $100,000/year for me to even consider dealing with that hassle.

As @jca said, a car in NYC is ridiculously expensive. I know people who make $150k a year who don’t own a car. Public transportation is plentiful.

Most people I know live with roomates when they first start out in NYC. Rents are very high. However, in an average suburb in America you would need a car, car insurance, pay for gas, maintenance, repairs, and that can really add up. In NYC I think the monthly transit card for subway and bus is $112. Way way cheaper than owning a car, even if the car is given to you. So suburbanites get cheaper rent, but have to add in the costs of transportation.

$4k a month is a good starting salary, but it partly depends on the job. Are you working as an administrative assistant? That salary sounds good. Are you working as a nurse? That salary sounds low.