I'm not sure what relevance the school holiday calendar has, as presumably this is a job that is independent of students. But I agree that this is probably not a very wise way to be work hunting. A weekly commute for any distance that makes sense (under two hours) is going to cost several hundred dollars a week. So better part of $1,000. Add to that your rent, and I'm guessing that the higher wages offered in different states begin to thin out a bit.