<p>dominated by california schools.</p>
<p>The cost of living is very low in Atlanta. I wouldn’t expect to see any southern schools on the list.</p>
<p>It really depends on what you major in and how well you do in that field. If it were highest engineering salary rates, I bet it would be a whole different ranking</p>
<p>Most gt graduates choose to work in georgia, georgia is cheap,i guess that’s the reason why gt doesn’t make the list,the ranking is almost proportional to the average income of the state.</p>
<p>Rural Georgia is cheap, but Atlanta really isn’t anymore (except maybe housing, but even then there are much cheaper places)… the metro is supersaturated with college degrees and professional degrees now. One report said only San Fran has a higher percentage of Masters+ degrees for large metro areas, and NYC and SF are the only ones ahead of ATL in terms of folks calling themselves “professional” in their field (meaning 10+ years experience or something along that line). Competition has grown fierce as of late. It used to be people came to Atlanta to get a job, but it’s definitely become harder, and people are still moving here in the six digits per year. However, starting new businesses is still easier than in other states due to lower barriers of entry.</p>
<p>Also, engineering shouldn’t be looked at as “lucrative” per se as much as financially comfortable (high five digits to low 6 digits) if you’re working for someone else. If you want to become rich, start a business or go into IBanking, plain and simple. GT like other engineering schools provides for a high starting salary and decent midlife salary if you stay in the field and update your skill-set along the way. Enough to save money for a rainy day, retirement, and to buy a decent house, but working for a standard firm, it won’t be pouring money. However, “getting rich” is really more upon the person than anything. GT happens to attract many with an entrepreneurial spirit, and truth be told, many of them DON’T graduate. Like I’ve said, it isn’t the degree but the person who gets the riches.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Atlanta has incredibly affordable housing. Unless you plan to live on Tuxedo Road or Mt. Paran, houses run around $200,000 for a 2000 sqft to $400,000 for an upscale home. Compare that to $800,000 - $1,000,000 for most houses in the SF area.</p>
<p>Sure there are cheaper places to live, but we’re not comparing that. We’re comparing CA salaries to GA salaries. When you pay $60,000 / yr less in mortgage in GA, employers don’t have to pay you as much.</p>
<p>I saw a long time ago that getting “rich” has more to do with what you do with the money you make than how much you make. Generally, living beneath your means is not the American way, but it is the way to build savings. I’ve seen plenty of high tech professional couples that were more broke than the mom & dad working at WalMart.</p>
<p>AVHS, I totally agree!!</p>
<p>200,000 - 400,000 seems very unrealistic. I live in Sandy Springs, which is a fairly affluent area. My house is pretty upscale and it cost about 2 million. You’d be hard-pressed to find a 4br home in the area in livable condition for under 500,000.</p>
<p>Oh please. I can find you plenty of 2000 sq ft homes in Smyrna, Marietta, etc. for $200,000. I can even find you 4000 sq ft homes off West Wesley (i.e. in town) for under $1 million with river front property.</p>
<p>Obviously there are gated communities scattered around where houses cost $10 million and are an hour from downtown, but that doesn’t mean that every house costs $10 million.</p>
<p>totally agree with G.P.Burdell</p>
<p>G.P. Burdell is definitely right. Atlanta housing is very cheap compared to somewhere like SanFran. I know people who live in decent North Cobb County, 5-bedroom houses, 4-bathroom, about $300,000 home…</p>
<p>A 2million dollar house will SHOCK most residents of metro-Atlanta (as in thats expensive as hell)</p>