Finding a job

I really do not want to HAVE to leave Syracuse or NY for that matter. However I really need to go where ever someone wants to pay me a decent amount.
Ha ha thats funny tho, right? A decent amount. Basically I am looking at a starting salary of about $40,000 no matter where I go. However I would like a city the same size as mine so that I can live modestly and pay off my student loans as fast as possible.
As far as housing, I am fairly low maintenance. I would like my own room, a kitchen with equal rights, off street parking, internet and preferably washer and dryer either in the apartment/house or at least in the apartment building.
My goal is to remain here although my mother would really love it if I could move someplace where she does not have to take 2 or 3 planes to get to see me. However I still find that slightly laughable as I am the one who comes to her the most often. She drove me out here and helped me get established, however I have been home 3 times since then. Although not always for holidays, funny right?
She would also like me to move back to LA. This is not ever going to happen. As much as I love her and my fellow friends out there, I love the seasons here so much more. I like different things about each season and would much prefer to stay in the Northeast. Plus I love all the hiking I have been doing here. And I know that I have only been here for about 2 years, so I havent even found all the spots I have been wanting to find. But there are a lot of nice places out there.

I also feel the need to vent a little bit. Guys dont truly suck but they certainly keep me on my toes. There is a man that I am interested in, and for the life of me I cannot tell if he is interested in me as well. It would be really NICE if he were, however it is so hard to read him. I have talked to him on instant messenger. However it took him a month to add me on there. I am so confused by this one. It could be he just finds me interesting and wants to be friends. Either way I would just like to know. I do think he is nice, interesting, caring and cute; however if he just wants friendship then I have to know. That way I can get over him and move on.
And now also my next door neighbor thinks I like him. I am a naturally flirtaeous person and we got to talking on Sunday night about all sorts of stuff, he was over at my house for a get-together. My roommate basically had to kick him out eventually at like 10:45 at night. Even though he told us he had to be at work at 6:30 for a meeting. Now I know, and have accepted, that I have that girl next door pretty look. I am really ok with that! I like the way I look, but I didnt want my next door neighbor to ever like me. He is twenty years older than me and while I am not an ageist at all, I am pretty much an equal opportunity dater, that is too big of an age difference for me. GGGRRR. Like I said boys dont all suck, they just confuse the hell out of me!!!!!!