Amazon facility coming to Lubbock

[Brad Johnson]

If you've every thought about moving to the southern Texas panhandle but were put off by the lack of larger national/international entities as potential employers, here's your chance.

https://www.kcbd.com/2021/02/01/new-full-time-jobs-coming-hundreds-lubbock/?fbclid=IwAR1PAtiIukHitmz2ly9kT5G9yMLR6PlvXzq6FmOpAOpupQz0w462rP8V8lQ

Looks like some kind of sorting center. Just off the interstate and about a mile from the airport. Pay seems to be decent enough. Full-time positions start at $15 and hour plus bennies. Decent money for entry level stuff around these parts.

Brad

[K Frame]

Does AOC know about this?

[charby]

What's average rent there? I'm just curious how far $15/hr will stretch.

[Brad Johnson]

Not sure about rent, but to give you an example of home prices, Feb a year ago I sold my home. 1640 sq ft, 3/2/2, with location, condition, and lot size about as average as you could get for the 1500-1800 sq ft family home market. $150,000 even. Rent for something like it would run in the $1350-1700 range, depending on area. What would be considered an entry level home will run you $110k-125k.

For cheaper home purchases, better to hit one of the small towns within a 30-min radius. Nice places for much less, but still conveniently close to the Lubbock metro area.

From what I'm seeing, 2/2 apartments with hookups are running 750-ish on the low end of decent (both condition and area) to over $2000 for an "executive" unit. 1BR generic units in non-dodgy parts of town will run $600-$800, depending on amenities.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

Cue local/regional news stations crying about how terrible it is to work for Amazon

[charby]

Not sure about rent, but to give you an example of home prices, Feb a year ago I sold my home. 1640 sq ft, 3/2/2, with location, condition, and lot size about as average as you could get for the 1500-1800 sq ft family home market. $150,000 even. Rent for something like it would run in the $1350-1700 range, depending on area. What would be considered an entry level home will run you $110k-125k.

For cheaper home purchases, better to hit one of the small towns within a 30-min radius. Nice places for much less, but still conveniently close to the Lubbock metro area.

From what I'm seeing, 2/2 apartments with hookups are running 750-ish on the low end of decent (both condition and area) to over $2000 for an "executive" unit. 1BR generic units in non-dodgy parts of town will run $600-$800, depending on amenities.

Brad

So a single person is going to spend about 50% of their take home pay on shelter if they were starting out at Amazon?

[Ben]

So a single person is going to spend about 50% of their take home pay on shelter if they were starting out at Amazon?

How is that different from a single person spending 50% of their $200k/yr salary to pay for shelter while they work for Google in San Francisco?

[dogmush]

So a single person is going to spend about 50% of their take home pay on shelter if they were starting out at Amazon?

According to Smartasset.com's take home pay calculator, $15/hr and 80 hr's per pay period gives you $991/check and $1982/ month take home.

Pulling the middle of the range from Brad's 1BR non dodgy apartment estimate of $700 you get 35.3% of take home pay on shelter.  Which seems reasonable.  Especially when you factor in I bet there is overtime available at an Amazon distro center (Oct-Dec at minimum).

No idea what Amazon's upward mobility is, but for a box slinger, or a someone starting out, that's a better deal then I had in the dodgy part of St. Petersburg 20 years ago.

[Brad Johnson]

So a single person is going to spend about 50% of their take home pay on shelter if they were starting out at Amazon?

You asked for averages, I gave averages. However, if your intent is to examine in context of the unskilled, entry-level worker this position was designed around, the numbers change accordingly, including the condition, location, and cost of reasonable housing expectations for that income range. You don't get a nice middle-of-the-road place if you have an entry-level job shoving boxes in a back room. You get a decent garage apartment or a clean single bedroom efficiency that shares a parking lot with WalMart. Figure $450-$550 with quality and quantity expectations lowered accordingly. Stepping up one level to a single BR with a bit more livability in a place with a pool and some amenities puts you in the $600-650 range. Figure another $150 to cover things like utilities, preferred parking (covered spots), and at-the-door garbage pickup (vs. hauling it down to the dumpster).

For an inexperience, unskilled, entry-level position that's inside, and for which qualifications are little more than the ability to show up on time and pass a drug screen, $31k a year is darned good pay in these parts. Throw in the substantial benefits and it's pretty much a king's ransom. It affords a much better lifestyle than most entry-level positions allow, especially if you budget and exercise a little self-control. Throw in a spouse's income and it puts you firmly in middle-of-the-road territory around here.

Brad

[charby]

How is that different from a single person spending 50% of their $200k/yr salary to pay for shelter while they work for Google in San Francisco?

They are already an idiot for wanting to live in San Francisco. :)

[MillCreek]

https://www.arlingtonwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4583/ATTACHMENT-F

A 2.5 million square foot Amazon fulfillment center is being built about five miles away from me. 1000 jobs, but no word as to what those jobs will be paying.

[Brad Johnson]

https://www.arlingtonwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4583/ATTACHMENT-F

...2.5 million square foot... 

That's... big.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

So a single person is going to spend about 50% of their take home pay on shelter if they were starting out at Amazon?

Because it’s a hell of a lot better than $9/hr and getting 20 hours a week in retail when it comes to low skilled jobs. Presumably there are also promotion and raise opportunities also.

[Nick1911]

Unfortunately, areas with increased economic opportunity are areas with higher costs of living.

Still, 150k for a decent 3/2?  That's very affordable compared to most of the country, including here in Kansas City.  Houses like that are well over 200k now.

[charby]

According to Smartasset.com's take home pay calculator, $15/hr and 80 hr's per pay period gives you $991/check and $1982/ month take home.

Pulling the middle of the range from Brad's 1BR non dodgy apartment estimate of $700 you get 35.3% of take home pay on shelter.  Which seems reasonable.  Especially when you factor in I bet there is overtime available at an Amazon distro center (Oct-Dec at minimum).

No idea what Amazon's upward mobility is, but for a box slinger, or a someone starting out, that's a better deal then I had in the dodgy part of St. Petersburg 20 years ago.

I was thinking after paying state income tax (forgot Texas doesn't have one) and employee share of health insurance.

Regardless,  $15/hr is a crap wage for the level of hustle that Amazon requires in their distribution centers.

[MillCreek]

^^^And within 20 miles of downtown Seattle, such houses are upwards of $ 400K.  They will be much more expensive the closer you are to Seattle.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Seattle_WA

[Angel Eyes]

^^^And within 20 miles of downtown Seattle, such houses are upwards of $ 400K.  They will be much more expensive the closer you are to Seattle.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Seattle_WA

... and closer to a million in Silicon Valley.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/San-Jose_CA

[Brad Johnson]

Unfortunately, areas with increased economic opportunity are areas with higher costs of living.

Still, 150k for a decent 3/2?  That's very affordable compared to most of the country, including here in Kansas City.  Houses like that are well over 200k now.

This was the Casa de Johnson for 27 years (1992-2019). Solid working class neighborhood. Nice side of town. Lots of families.

https://goo.gl/maps/SKJHZAM7qnVe6QqAA

Sold it to some newlyweds starting their first home. Nice younger couple. Turns out one of them works for one of SWMBO's best friends. Much older picture, though. The yaupon next to the street has been gone for years. Different garage door and trim color, too.

Brad

[K Frame]

"Regardless,  $15/hr is a crap wage for the level of hustle that Amazon requires in their distribution centers."

Well thank God that Uncle Joe will soon mandate $15 per hour for everyone and they can get a job at the local Gulp N Blow... same money for a lot less work.

[Brad Johnson]

Regardless,  $15/hr is a crap wage for the level of hustle that Amazon requires in their distribution centers.

Last time I looked, $31k a year was ballpark for the starting wage in a lot of places, including some skilled, and many involving a helluva lot more reposibility and not nearly so comprehensive a benefits package. $31k and full bennies for a position requiring little more than a heartbeat, high school diploma, and hustle is a pretty sweet deal for someone with no skills, experience, or higher education. Given a choice between that or digging ditches for ten bucks an hour with zero benefits, pretty sure which one I'd choose.

Brad

[charby]

Last time I looked, $31k a year was ballpark for the starting wage in a lot of places, including some skilled, and many involving a helluva lot more reposibility and not nearly so comprehensive a benefits package. $31k and full bennies for a position requiring little more than a heartbeat, high school diploma, and hustle is a pretty sweet deal for someone with no skills, experience, or higher education. Given a choice between that or digging ditches for ten bucks an hour with zero benefits, pretty sure which one I'd choose.

Brad

17.50 for entry level job here with Cargill Kitchens on the patty line running a machine. You can buy a move in ready 3/2 house in a neighborhood where you won't get your *expletive deleted*it ripped off for $80k

[Fly320s]

17.50 for entry level job here with Cargill Kitchens on the patty line running a machine. You can buy a move in ready 3/2 house in a neighborhood where you won't get your *expletive deleted*it ripped off for $80k

Damn, that is cheap.  I think my concrete foundation cost that much.

[Boomhauer]

Last time I looked, $31k a year was ballpark for the starting wage in a lot of places, including some skilled, and many involving a helluva lot more reposibility and not nearly so comprehensive a benefits package. $31k and full bennies for a position requiring little more than a heartbeat, high school diploma, and hustle is a pretty sweet deal for someone with no skills, experience, or higher education. Given a choice between that or digging ditches for ten bucks an hour with zero benefits, pretty sure which one I'd choose.

Brad

Plus I bet it’s a good way to work up into logistics, which can be a pretty lucrative field these days.

[K Frame]

Hell, I think in my neck of the woods most "starter" townhouses are well in excess of $300,000.

In my community, which is 15 miles outside of DC, the crapshack townhouses are going for $500,000.

I bought in 1993 for $154,900 and thought I was getting ripped off then.

[MillCreek]

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-minimum-wage-increases-did-to-mcdonalds-restaurants-and-their-employees-11611862080

McDonalds and minimum wage increases.