Might not make as much, but the cost of living is hella cheaper elsewhere also.
Here's an interesting tidbit on Huntsville, from one of the top resources for financial information:
http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/07/best-cities-2009-where-the-jobs-are.htmlTake a spin through our 2009 Best Cities to see which places have the right stuff in these tough times.
No. 1: Huntsville, Alabama
No. 2: Albuquerque, New Mexico
No. 3: Washington D.C.
No. 4: Charlottesville, Virginia
No. 5: Athens, Georgia
No. 6: Olympia, Washington
No. 7: Madison, Wisconsin
No. 8: Austin, Texas
No. 9: Flagstaff, Arizona
No. 10: Raleigh, North Carolina
Hate to always prop Huntsville, but it's a great area, especially if you're into engineering. Cost of living is cheap, especially in the surrounding towns, jobs are a-plenty, and we're full of government jobs that are pretty much as stable as you can get.
Gets hot as fuck, but, that's what air-conditioning is for. Crime is not insane.
BTW, I'm now making a little over $20/hr with a government contractor (which got me security clearance, beneficial for a majority of tech jobs here with governmental ties), not sure if that's good to you but I was told I could easily get a 150k+ home loan IF my credit score wasn't fucked. $150k will buy you a very nice home here (depending on the area). Friend just bought a brick, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, 2 car garage, 1 acre of land place about 20 min from the city, for $70k.
Oh, and I don't have a degree.