academic library job hunt: inquiring about retirement contributions
I'm early-mid career in academic libraries. I've been at my job for several years and am looking for a new challenge at a different academic library. I found several job postings that look great - great areas, universities, and salaries. However, I'm curious about whether employees are required to contribute to social security on top of the university/state retirement plan. I live in a state with no income tax and my institution doesn't require us to contribute to social security. Moving to a state with income tax, state retirement contribution, AND social security contribution could easily negate a salary increase. This information isn't always readily available on university websites. Would it be weird for me to cold-email their university HR department and ask while my application is still pending in their system?
I was always told not to talk about finances until you get a job offer, but the mental labor of customizing application materials and going through 2 interview cycles seems like a lot just to get to the end and realize I can't afford to take the job. Any advice?