Living in So-Cal?

I have asked this on different sites and have got different answers, what are welding job salaries out there, as in aerospace,exotic alloys or tool and die welding? How do you guys cut down the cost of living, since the insurance rates are the highest in the country, the price of housing,etc. , and still be able to build trucks? One guy said, that most people in so-cal live off of wel-fare and if you are willing to work you can make it pretty far, any truth to this? Later