Job markets in NYC/northern NJ, FL, TX, and AZ

ElectricTech · 07-12-2008, 03:11 PM

I want to move to one of these states in the future and I wanted some advice on the job markets. I'm looking into civil engineering jobs and I want to know which state/city is the best to move to for my career.

blackeyedsusan · 07-12-2008, 03:31 PM

Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin are hot cities right now for jobs. See the Forbes article: Best Cities For Jobs In 2008 - Forbes.com

curmudgeon · 07-12-2008, 04:35 PM

ET. There is no place hotter job-wise then the area of Texas called the Fort Worth Basin (which includes Ft. Worth, Arlington, and the Denton area). Billions of dollars are chasing a unconventional "Shale Gas" play that is turning some locals into the 2008 version of Jed Clampett. Anyone conversant in technical matters can pretty much write their own ticket. Just think creatively as to how your experience and education translates to the Barnett Shale. Urban drilling, pipelines, compressing stations, the issues are complex and right now. Lots of work for engineers.

Good luck.

p.s. In the not so distant future the same thing will be happening along the PA/NY border and a few other places. Google "Marcellus shale". I'd still head to Ft. Worth.

curmudgeon · 07-12-2008, 04:38 PM

Here's a Marcellus link. Marcellus Shale Gas: New Research Results Surprise Geologists! And a Barnett link. Barnett Shale Natural Gas - Fort Worth Basin | GEOLOGY.COM

Good hunting. The season is open.

And anyway, the more qualified folks, the faster they'll get to me.

northeastmom · 07-12-2008, 10:31 PM

Don't know about how good the job market is, but NYC and northern NJ are high cost of living areas. It would be tough to buy a first home in these areas, IMO, unless one has a lot of savings like a family trust fund, LOL.

zoosermom · 07-12-2008, 10:39 PM

Things are damn hard in NYC right now. Banks, brokerages and law firms are laying off. Things aren't so hot in hospitality either. Hopefully things will improve soon.

ElectricTech · 07-12-2008, 11:07 PM

As a high cost of living area, would you say that it would be hard for a person in their 20s to work there and rent an apartment/condo?

ldmom06 · 07-13-2008, 12:36 AM

Oil industry recruiting grads even before they enter college | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Nice article about the 'lost generation of engineers' in the oil and gas industry due to the oil bust in the '80s. Some companies have taken to recruiting for internships, talented high school students intent on majoring in engineering or math.

Great opportunities for engineering majors in this industry, and can't beat the great pay and low cost of living here in Texas.

northeastmom · 07-13-2008, 08:47 AM

Electric, rents are very expensive in NYC and in northern NJ. I guess it would depend upon your income, and what your living expectations are. Also, the more you spend on rent, the less you will be able to save for a downpayment to purchase a home for yourself.

I know several people who have transferred south from the NY area, and their incomes did not decrease. This allowed them to purchase large homes for less money, and they are also paying less in property taxes.

marny1 · 07-13-2008, 09:18 AM

It ain't easy to rent/buy an apartment in NYC unless you are making alot of money. We're at that stage with d# 1 as wants to start looking for an apartment. What I've learned over the past few weeks from my friends who have gone through this with their own kids-- (and I live in NYC area- so trust me I know alot of people going through the process)

-landlords have strict income guidelines before they will rent so certain extreme measures are in place-
1) income must exceed 40 X rent. Best way to describe that- If rent is $1,000/month, you need to be making at least $40,000. Also rent share of $1,000 is considered cheap in NYC. And landlords do not combine roommates income. So if sharing 2 bedroom costs $3,000, someone in household has to make $120,000 (not a combo of 3 kids making 40,000 each). If that isn't in the cards, some parent has to co-sign for the group. (told my kid, that ain't happening).
2) Many landlords do not accept personal checks from 20 something kids. I believe they will accept check from parent or bank check/ money order.

Things are so much different now in NYC than when we got our first apartments in NY area. Life is just much more complicated and expensive for our kids.

also just to pass along. My d had alot of Engineering friends from Cornell. Most seem to be starting jobs out of NYC area. They are going to upstate ny, boston, mid west but not in metro NY/NJ area. Maybe because of our cost of living.

Curm- I actually read about the marcellus shale in either newsday or NY Times. So the info is being written about in the "local" media.

ken285 · 07-13-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

1) income must exceed 40 X rent. Best way to describe that- If rent is $1,000/month, you need to be making at least $40,000. Also rent share of $1,000 is considered cheap in NYC. And landlords do not combine roommates income. So if sharing 2 bedroom costs $3,000, someone in household has to make $120,000 (not a combo of 3 kids making 40,000 each). If that isn't in the cards, some parent has to co-sign for the group. (told my kid, that ain't happening).
2) Many landlords do not accept personal checks from 20 something kids. I believe they will accept check from parent or bank check/ money order.

1. That's the general rule, though you might be able to get some exceptions if you have guarantors. During college, I lived in one apartment for 2 years, and another for one year, and neither me or my roommates had a steady income. We did, however, have guarantors who met the 40x rent criteria (parents). If I'm not mistaken, they have to be in New York state though. EDIT: oops, didn't see the last sentence, which basically says the same thing I just said

In any case, it won't be a problem for you if you're living in Northern Jersey. You'll probably have a starting salary between $50k and $60k, which would be good enough to get you a $1250/month apartment.

2. That's probably true, though for my first apartment, the landlord did accept personal checks from us... 18 year old college students with no income.

Buying is pretty difficult, especially in Manhattan. Last year, I had worked on a luxury condominium in Manhattan, and last week, I saw that a tenant is already reselling a penthouse for $80M. Ridiculous what apartments are going for nowadays!

Treetopleaf · 07-16-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

There is no place hotter job-wise then the area of Texas called the Fort Worth Basin (which includes Ft. Worth, Arlington, and the Denton area). Billions of dollars are chasing a unconventional "Shale Gas" play that is turning some locals into the 2008 version of Jed Clampett.

Ahh - So is that why T. Boone Pickens is promoting his plan to get off foreign oil - is this new emphasis related to the shale gas?

curmudgeon · 07-16-2008, 11:16 PM

T. Boone has his finger in everything.

His company is not presently a significant player in the Barnett. (Edit: It appears I misjudged him. He's there , too.LOL.)

miktau · 07-16-2008, 11:44 PM

Its not gonna be that bad in certain parts of norther nj if you like ghetto's and chemical waste.

anitaw · 07-17-2008, 09:26 AM

The average age of petroleum engineers (American that is) is 52. For many, many years the majority of grad students in the US grad schools in this area have been non-Americans. I think this has less to do with the cycles of the industry, and more to do with the upswing in high tech careers which a like minded student might prefer.

The OP is a civil engineer, which is not as integrated with the O&G industry and the DFW area has more going on that that industry. I think many civil engineers are riding out the very tough residential development downswing at the moment in many parts of the country....