Thx Confetti! As far as setting of practice, I'm open to either retail, inpatient, am care, etc. I'm not really going to be picky at first, especially when moving to a new location. I would prefer non-retail if possible but I have the most experience in retail, so that's likely where I would have the greatest opportunity in landing a job.
As far as nursing, my SO currently works in Med-Surg at a respectable hospital in NYC. She would be open to med-surg, labor & delivery, surgery, etc. Mainly an issue of Nurse-to-patient ratio.
As far as moving with her income, she's already working somewhere right now, whereas I just have a retail job lined up in NYC for now. I've considered:
a) working for a while to save up some first before moving
b) looking for work in CA straight out of school and getting set up first and then having her come over when she secures work as well
c) both moving out at the same time (with at least one of us having a job in the new location)
Okay, here we gooooo....
First, you gotta stop calling it "Cali." It's a dead giveaway that you're not from around here, if I hear/read it, it's usually someone from Oklahoma trying to sound cool. That aside...
Second, you have to ask yourself, what about California did your SO really like? If she answers sun/beach/sand, you'll want to narrow your search specifically to Southern California. Technically speaking, yes, we're the same state; functionally speaking, we act like different states...no...different countries. Completely different culture, economic bases, language, recreation activities, driving habits, and other proclivities. Someone seeking sun/beach/sand will be sorely disappointed relocating to the SF Bay Area (aka "The Bay") behind the fog line like Cloud City in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; likewise, someone hoping for a bohemian and liberal/progressive haven will be utterly disappointed moving behind the Orange Curtain of Newport Beach, CA.
Someone who fell in love with the bucolic hills of Napa Valley while admiring the way a deep cabernet sauvignon swirls around a wine glass will curl up and cry in the Los Angeles urban jungle.
Okay, with that aside...I'll focus more on Northern California since that's what I know and where I'm at. As a new pharmacist/new graduate, your options are MUCH more limited than your currently employed SO. Oh, by law, nurse ratio cannot exceed 1:5 in California for Med/Surg (1:2 for critical care). Just eyeballing this situation, it's going to be
much more likely that she will establish FT employment first and you will come along for the ride and contribute income on a per-diem/locum basis.
Put it this way, PM me and I can get your SO's resume in front of a hiring manager and, assuming she's got about 6 months of experience, is generally competent, and has a BSN, get her hired and started within 2-3 weeks. You on the other hand, without a PGY-1 or at least 2-3 years of inpatient/clinical experience, I'd direct you to one of my recruiter friends that helps fill retail or closed door pharmacy spots.
Very unlikely you will get an am care position (those aren't particularly plentiful, even w/ residency), retail will be most abundant, followed by inpatient jobs if you have at least some experience.
Picking a Location
Setting your employment prospects aside (for now), the #2 driver of housing costs in a particular area are going to be school district rankings. Top tier districts will, by my estimation, add about $200,000-$250,000 in price to a similarly sized/appointed house in a lower performing district. This is tricky to tease out, as the #1 driver of costs = proximity to job centers in San Francisco or San Jose.
If you're shopping on school district alone - have a look at Alameda County along the I-680 corridor (San Ramon, Danville, Pleasanton) or the eastern part of Contra Costa County (Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill). These are roughly 35-45 minutes outside of San Francisco, extremely desirable, and extremely expensive.
Your next "out of the way" spot for school district would be Marin County along US-101 north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's woodsy, quaint, and full of damn anti-vaxx ******* moms. Also very expensive, but pharmacist job opportunities here tend to be a little better. Cities include San Rafael, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, Novato). Further north is Santa Rosa, more out of the way, cheaper, and better job opportunities there. It also rains more there in the winter, oh well.
The peninsula is expensive, located between SF and Santa Clara County (aka Silicon Valley). The I-280 corridor runs by Stanford University and through some of the most expensive regions in the state. I like it because, if you drive along 280 at the right time, the fog rolls over the hills like a giant cauldron and engulfs the entire area within an hour or two just before sunset. It's pretty stunning. Areas include San Bruno, Woodside, and San Mateo through Daly City.
Staying out of the Bay Area
If you got depressed looking at costs of living in these areas, don't worry... I have a third option. Stay out of the Bay Area and head east. Start in
Solano County (Vallejo - Fairfield - Vacaville) and progress east toward
Sacramento along I-80 and branch toward the foothills a bit along I-80 and US-50, and go north/south on I-5....Roseville, Rocklin, Folsom, Elk Grove, Natomas... Sure, these places don't have the cachet of their proximity to San Francisco, but your costs of living are
MUCH better out here.
Sure, it's much hotter in the summer (100's, vs. 55 degrees in SF, 75 along the bay), and yes, the schools aren't as high-powered (as in....dual-immersion Mandarin and computer programming are
NOT standard out here vs. in San Jose), but if you do some research and/or are open to Catholic education, your future kids will be fine. Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, and surrounding areas in particular are havens where people cashed out of SF and planted roots. You'll find lots of like-minded professionals with big houses on big lots here. The restaurant scene is also seeing an influx of SF/Oakland ex-pats seeking lower rents. The schools in these 3 cities/areas are pretty good.
Also, I will contradict the post above and state that the job market in Sacramento for pharmacists is much better than in the Bay Area. I say this because all of my recruiter calls/emails are for positions in the Sacramento area.
Additionally, there are many areas in Sacramento that I would not recommend you set foot in. That's a whole 'nother post, but look before you leap. The added bonus here is you can get settled pretty well and then contemplate a move closer to the Bay Area if that's your bag of chips later on. Kids here usually don't start pre-school education programs until age 3 or so, so you have some time.
The Fringes
You might see a lot of postings for jobs way out in the fringes. Be careful, these are freaking far from civilization. They're practically not even in California anymore.
Extreme far north - Eureka, Crescent City, Redding.... this is practically Southern Oregon. Be aware also that these areas are actively trying to secede from the rest of the state. So if you see state flags with two "X's" in a seal that says "State of Jefferson," that's what that is.
Central Valley - Anything south of Stockton is going to be difficult to recruit for. It used to be no one wanted to work there, but things have changed, so they're getting picky (lots more grads to choose from). You'll see ads for Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield. It's hot, dusty, and just...too far from anything to be worth it. Housing is cheap, though. Can't speak for the school districts.
At least in Bakersfield, you're only 2hrs north of Los Angeles...definitely an easy drive if you want to decamp for the weekend.
