Looking for some advice

[Uncle Goonie]

Politics and gun laws are dumb with likely even dumber futures but the LEO's in CA are making some real good money right now and benefits/retirement are excellent in some areas. I work Fire in the Bay Area and a lot of the LEO's are making commutes into the area from other areas of the state (north state and gold country, both have good outdoors access and hunter friendly environments). Access to the the western states is a day's drive or less. Taxes suck and home prices can be ridiculous but you could make some good money and retire early.

 

[Davyalabama]

Healthcare --- learn the front end of back end of payments, credentialing, insurance providers, billing, etc.

Fireman, paramedic ---- followed by nurse --- you can go through all those and maybe have some paid for.

HandyMan, it's not always steady money at the beginning, but it will be great money if you know how to do a lot of different things. Those western states are getting plenty of people with money that don't live there. They need someone reliable to fix things, look after places, etc.

Places, my suggestion, use your vacation time and travel to some areas, nail these down first, big town, medium, big city, country.? Pray, seek His advice on where He wants you. He's not a genie, you're going to have to get into a relationship with Him, get quiet and listen.

TaperPin and Corbland, go back and read their posts, good advice.

 

[7mm-08]

Before you wade into that Conservation Officer/Game Warden gig, check salaries. Jon Heggen, the retired head of enforcement at Idaho Fish & Game used to say: "We pay in scenery, not dollars."

 

[Maverick1]

What’s going on everyone, I’m looking for some advice and figured here was a good place to start. A little background, I am 25, currently live in NJ and I am getting married at the end of 2025. Me and my future wife rent an apartment, no kids and no debt, just a well trained dog and a cat that rely on us, so nothing really holding us back. For years I have wished to move to the west, and I feel as though I am the luckiest man on earth to have a woman who is willing to follow me anywhere and is just as eager to get off the east coast and move to the mountains. Here is where my dilemma comes in.

I currently work in LE, been in for a couple years now. While I like my job, I feel as though it’s time to make a change due to political climate, inconsistent schedules etc etc. I wouldn’t change my time in the field for anything, but as I am looking to start a family soon I feel it’s time for a change. So here I am, with a girl who’s willing to move with me anywhere in the country, a 4 year degree and the desire for a career change. The prospect of leaving LE and searching for something new has been daunting, so with that does anyone have any advice on what I could be looking for? Some top contenders for the move are Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah, but again anywhere is open. Colorado is probably the leader at the moment as it’s the only place off the east coast we have some friends and family already residing there.

Thanks for reading and any responses I get on this thread.

Do it now. Waiting until later in life - with more commitments - just gets harder and harder the more claws and talons that life sticks into your soul.

Some typical life developments are nice - but make the uprooting process much more challenging.

• Buying a house is nice for storing your gear and personal belongings. Once you fill it with stuff, much harder to move. Transporting your belongings, selling the house, finding another one to replace it....
• Starting a job is nice, but then you have to sever ties with all the work "acquaintances" you have made if you ever want to move any distance away.
• Getting married "can be" nice - for a bunch of reasons - but doubles all the strings and attachments.
• Having kids is great if you are blessed with the little monsters, but transplanting them becomes much more challenging when they get into school age and you have to be concerned with school districts, bussing, sports, activities, their friends, etc.

And don't stick around in an area for "family" just because they happen to be close by - unless it is people that you will actually see on a regular basis and want to spend time with. Have family members less than 2 hours away and I see them less often than family that is on the other side of the USA.

 

[DapperDan]

Best advice is never get married during hunting season. Also, make sure no pregnancy during Sept-Nov time frame. Nothing else matters.

I got married in June and just gave birth to our first kid (a little girl) on January 5th.

Both dates were planned out!


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[LongWayAround]

Cops in northern Colorado seem to get paid pretty well.

If you care less about money, I would look for a game warden job.

 

[rogerdoger]

I would look for a caretaker position, lots popping up all over. Get a salary and a place to live. This will buy you some time to figure out your next career move and get whatever training.

 

[DapperDan]

Cops in northern Colorado seem to get paid pretty well.

If you care less about money, I would look for a game warden job.

They pay well in Alaska. Just saying!


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[MThunter2025]

Move to Bozeman everyone else is! But good hunting opportunities as well are lots of career options

 

[Pony Soldier]

A move, a marriage, and a job change. Sounds like three strikes to me. Go at this carefully. That's a lot of uncertainty/ stress.

Find out where you want to be and then adjust into the rest cautiously.

 

[Boarmaster]

What’s going on everyone, I’m looking for some advice and figured here was a good place to start. A little background, I am 25, currently live in NJ and I am getting married at the end of 2025. Me and my future wife rent an apartment, no kids and no debt, just a well trained dog and a cat that rely on us, so nothing really holding us back. For years I have wished to move to the west, and I feel as though I am the luckiest man on earth to have a woman who is willing to follow me anywhere and is just as eager to get off the east coast and move to the mountains. Here is where my dilemma comes in.

I currently work in LE, been in for a couple years now. While I like my job, I feel as though it’s time to make a change due to political climate, inconsistent schedules etc etc. I wouldn’t change my time in the field for anything, but as I am looking to start a family soon I feel it’s time for a change. So here I am, with a girl who’s willing to move with me anywhere in the country, a 4 year degree and the desire for a career change. The prospect of leaving LE and searching for something new has been daunting, so with that does anyone have any advice on what I could be looking for? Some top contenders for the move are Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah, but again anywhere is open. Colorado is probably the leader at the moment as it’s the only place off the east coast we have some friends and family already residing there.

Thanks for reading and any responses I get on this thread.

Figure out what kind of job you will enjoy and then find a place where you want to live where you can do that job. It can be sort of the chicken and the egg dilema. If you can’t find a job you enjoy and can make a good living you’re not going to be there long. You might try finding your location and staying in LE temporality until you can find your dream career. What ever you do. Do it now. LE is something I would think you could make a lateral move to about any place in the country.

 

[bozeman]

It was mentioned earlier, but I will re-iterate. This is ALOT of change in a short period of time. I'd layout a plan in writing with time lines for you and your lady to review/discuss.......best of luck!

 

[timekiller13]

Quite honestly, something in healthcare is going to offer you the most flexibility, best job opportunities and pay, without having to spend lots of time or money in school.

Respiratory Therapists are in high demand. Nurses are always in high demand.

MRI/Rad tech make good money as well. You can get into any of these fields with a 2 yr degree and make double what you would in LE.

Other than, maybe a trade job of some sort? Welding, HVAC. All make pretty good money, but the hours might not be as flexible.

 

[wind gypsy]

Quite honestly, something in healthcare is going to offer you the most flexibility, best job opportunities and pay, without having to spend lots of time or money in school.

Respiratory Therapists are in high demand. Nurses are always in high demand.

MRI/Rad tech make good money as well. You can get into any of these fields with a 2 yr degree and make double what you would in LE.

Other than, maybe a trade job of some sort? Welding, HVAC. All make pretty good money, but the hours might not be as flexible.

This.

A buddy in college was the only dude i knew in the nursing program and he worked 3 or 4 12 hr shifts right out of college and had 3-4 days of hunting/fishing a week.

I'm in the construction industry and people with a brain willing to learn/work will make a decent income if they look for the right trades/roles. Project management positions can be pretty lucrative.

Finding a place out west with affordable housing and decent accommodations/jobs is probably the hard part.

 

[2ski]

I haven't read any of this thread so don't know if it's been suggested yet. Game warden. In demand and needed. You have the prerequisites.

 

[AdvntrSeekr]

I came from a very similar situation that you're in. I grew up in the Detroit area. When I was 24, my young wife and I (no kids) moved out west to Montana for a job I took in LE. There has been plenty of times I wonder if I made the right choice, but in the end it was probably one of the better decisions I have ever made. So to your question, I would take a hard look at Wyoming. No income tax, and from a purely outdoors perspective one of the best in my opinion. After 17 years, I am pretty rooted here in Montana, but if I were in your shoes, I think Wyoming may be where I would look (or AK). And, while this is pretty controversial, there is tons of "wilderness" area that only residents can hunt by themselves. (NR's can hunt if they have a "guide") I will say, I don't think you'll ever regret leaving the east coast and coming out west. If you're an outdoorsman, this is by far superior to anything the midwest or east has to offer. Wyoming is where it's at in terms of hunting opportunites, without incredible NR pressure like you get in CO or MT. Utah is another great option as well and a beautiful state. Just not quite as consistent tag opportunities as you'll find in Wyoming. From everything I hear, I would stay away from Colorado. Becoming a mini California, and too many people! Wyoming may also have some good job opportunities in the oilfield business.

 

[timekiller13]

This.

A buddy in college was the only dude i knew in the nursing program and he worked 3 or 4 12 hr shifts right out of college and had 3-4 days of hunting/fishing a week.

I'm in the construction industry and people with a brain willing to learn/work will make a decent income if they look for the right trades/roles. Project management positions can be pretty lucrative.

Finding a place out west with affordable housing and decent accommodations/jobs is probably the hard part.

Nursing has amazing flexibility and there hundreds of different areas to work in.

Just don’t get sucked into middle management like I did. That’s where you lose all flexibility. I was working 80-90 hrs a week.

Walked away from that and couldn’t be happier.

 

[def90]

Colorado is a great place to live as far as having a wide variety of modes of recreation available at hand but a shitty place to live as far as cost of living and the worsening political situation goes.