Sports page designer/writer, Martinsburg, WVa.

Obviously some great fringe benefits in Martinsburg. Still, it's a shame the pay's so low, especially with virtually nothing else available on the entire East Coast right now.

 

I've got a buddy from HS who writes for the Journal-News. I have to imagine the cost of living is pretty low in Martinsburg, and that $25k would stretch a bit further than in a bigger city.

 

You've been in the biz for almost 10 years and you're high to work in Martinsburg for $25K?

I might be high on the opportunity to work alongside Rick "The Koz" Kozlowski!

 

i really doubt that martinsburg is paying as much as $25k. it's an ogden paper.

 

Sorry. I left off the blue font. I suck.

 

I've been in the biz for 11 years and $25K would be a raise. A small one, but a raise nonetheless. Small papers don't pay well and never have. If money were that important to me, I obviously would've chosen a different career.

 

I've been told pay is starting at $25k with the possibility of negotiating slightly higher. As whatwoulddamondo said, though, don't get greedy with an Ogden paper. Any more than $25k should be considered a victory.

 

yeah, money sucks.

 

Which is why you take your pittance over to Charles Town and blow the rest on horseys and nickel slots until you're completely broke.

 

yeah, money sucks.

That's not where I was going with that. It's just that there are other factors to consider, such as location, what you're covering, etc. I've just resigned myself to not getting rich doing this. Would I jump at $35-$40K if it were offered to me? Damn right. But when you apply for those jobs, there's 50-60 resumes sitting in the same pile as yours. So for now, I'll just count myself as extremely lucky to still be working in this business. A lot of people at much bigger papers haven't been that fortunate.

 

yeah, money and competition suck.

 

Actually, competition DOES suck when you're finishing second all the time. Coming close doesn't pay the bills and there's plenty of papers who will overlook someone with more experience because they couldn't POSSIBLY work cheap...could they???
Look, all I'm saying is we all have different reasons for doing what we do. I used to work with a guy who walked away from a sweet gig at Business Week to be the city editor at a 14K. His wife's family lived nearby and he was looking for a cushy place to land for a few years before retiring.
Bottom line, unless you're a young journalist looking to make a charge up the career ladder, there are other things to consider. I took my present job for about $4,000 less than I was making up north because of location. I won't settle for less next time, but location is still #1 on my list.