Am thinking of relocating to California, would it be possible for a registered nurse to be able to afford to live in the San Diego area? Thanks for any input.

No I am sorry you won't be able to afford a thing. San Diego currently has no nurses because of this.

Good luck!

what would your salary be approximately?

Your question is too broad for people to answer ... are you going to rent or buy a house? (You are probably aware of the extremely high prices of homes which would probably be difficult to manage with just a nurses salary unless you can swing a substantial down payment). Will your salary be your only incoming household income?

Try looking under Monster.com and go to MonsterMoving. You can then compare the cost of living in your area now with San Diego.

Also check out www.realtor.com, yahoo real estate and www.apartments.com to see what housing prices look like.

California, like most of the nation, is experiencing a nursing shortage, and I have seen hiring bonuses of $2000 and up for experienced nurses in certain specialties.

I skimmed through the want ads today of the San Diego Union-Tribune and there are staffing agencies advertising for RNs up to $57 an hour. Private duty nursing is being advertised for $30/hr. Hospital nursing pays less, but you get benefits. There are shortages there as well.

Yes, you can afford to live in San Diego on a nurse's salary.

Hey, Nolists , nice sarcastic answer, just checking things out , not intending to aggrevate anyone, recently checked out the area and really like it, would probably rent an apartment and just look around. Nurses do get paid well but it just looks like the cost of living in general would be a little higher than the midwest where I now live. Thanks to the rest of you for input!

I was just trying to point out the obvious that of course RNs live in the area. Like the others pointed out, much more info was needed for help and there are many better web sites for moving information.

try: www.uniontrib.com and www.sdreader.com for rental ads.

Also be aware the geographically San Diego is huge so that cheap apartment you find may be 30 miles (1 hour commute) from your job. I don't think you can find a decent 1 bedroom for less than $900/month.

I would think you could go anywhere with your medical profession and live. You would have no problem finding a decent position. HOW you would live and lifestyle is an issue. People love San Diego and often settle for less to live in S.D. Good luck. If you really like a place, then it is worth it in the long run to live in a location you like. It is a personal matter.