Yes, the “sunshine tax” exist, but it’s not nearly as bad as many thinks it is. You might not have the same amount of openings as SV down here, but look at the pay scale, SV are only paying 10-30% more. If you look at the cost of living, your net pay is actually less up there than down here. I’ve ran the number 2 years ago and I decided to stay put, even though I was getting ton of interviews up there. It’s just not worth it to get a net pay cut, just to be in an area that have a lot of jobs opportunity. It might sound like a RE cliche, but you really only need one job, not thousands. If you’re good enough and land that one job, I’m pretty sure your pay isn’t that far off after factoring in the cost of living and commute time.
