A Los Angeles Therapist Plans To Move His Family To Alaska For A $6K Pay Bump. Dave Ramsey Reminds Him It's Cold And There Are Bears
A Los Angeles Therapist Plans To Move His Family To Alaska For A $6K Pay Bump. Dave Ramsey Reminds Him It's Cold And There Are Bears
Adrian VolenikSun, March 8, 2026 at 3:01 AM UTC
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David, a marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles, is considering a major life change: moving his family thousands of miles north to Alaska for a modest pay raise and what he hopes will be a better quality of life.
The decision sounds simple on paper as the new job pays about $6,000 more per year and comes with lower living costs, but the therapist worries that accepting the role could hurt his long‑term career because the title is technically a step down.
Does A Job Title Really Matter?
David called into “The Ramsey Show” recently and said that he currently works as a clinical director at a treatment center in Los Angeles. The Alaska job would give him the title of clinical manager.
Even though the title is lower, the responsibilities are nearly identical.
“Responsibilities are essentially exactly the same,” the caller said. “I’m still running the place. I still have the same oversight, just about the same amount of employees.”
The job also appears financially appealing. Alaska's lower taxes and lower living costs would allow the family to keep more of their income.
“I don’t think there’s two people on the planet that will notice your title change,” personal finance expert Dave Ramsey said.
He said that in his decades of experience working with professionals across many industries, titles rarely matter as much as people think.
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If two candidates had done the same job but one held the title “director” and the other “manager,” Ramsey argued that most employers would focus on the responsibilities, not the wording on the business card.
“I’ve never been someone that collects titles,” he said. “I collect the ability to get things done and get paid for it.”
However, Ramsey jokingly reminded him of what comes with the territory. “It’s cold though,” Ramsey said. “And there’s bears.”
Ramsey Suggests Negotiating The Offer
While Ramsey thought the job itself sounded promising, he encouraged the therapist to ask for more money before accepting the offer.
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Because Alaska can be a difficult place to recruit workers, companies often offer higher pay or additional incentives to convince people to relocate.
“Alaska generally pays a premium to get people to live there,” Ramsey said.
His suggestion was simple: ask politely whether there is room to improve the offer.
“Is this the best you can do?” Ramsey suggested saying, as even a casual question can sometimes result in a better offer. The employer might increase the salary, offer a signing bonus or provide relocation support.
“The worst thing they can say is, ‘Yeah, that’s the best we can do,'” Ramsey said. But if the company is flexible, that one question could increase the pay significantly. “You might be blown away with how much they add to that 6,000.”
In the end, Ramsey believes the opportunity could be positive for the therapist's family.
The move would result in higher take‑home pay, lower expenses and more time together. And if it doesn't work out, the family can always move again later.
“Nobody said you had to stay there for 25 years,” Ramsey said.
Image: Imagn
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