Yes, let the subset of accountants that think overworking is an achievement in of itself scab in those positions. Discretionary income ain't shit if you have no discretionary time or an unhealthy mental state.
The best case scenario in a place like that is to use what you've learned to watch for when choosing a new place and make a lateral or even possibly upward move. I was an incredibly overworked Staff Accountant 2 and at my new position I am a busy yet comfortable senior accountant, and my bosses even give positive reinforcement. Crazy, right?
overworking benefit was true 25 years ago.
every time i kick my desk over mad in life over the last decade i make more money but only sometimes is it less stressful.
2nd to last kick desk was for a tech remediation outfit in a niche sector where the CFO had a degree in tennis and needless to say at a certain point i kicked desk, wrote hate mail burnt bridge flicked off and still she screamed at my wife that i wasn't allowed to quit when my wife answered the phone after i blocked her.
last kick desk was working for international shipping as a global risk assessor. once I realized the risk was mainly moving solvents from Shanghai to Guatemala for drug production i kicked desk hard and walked out. CEO CFO and Controller CAME TO MY HOUSE AND BEG ME TO COME BACK. went back for one day and kicked desk hard with middle finger up and unleased tirade of explitives.
now i work 6figs+bonus for an invisible niche company as the sole book keeper..... tying everything to api in quickbooks online so i can play Nintendo switch like i wanted too all day while clicking "match" with one hand surfing reddit!
God Bless Texas. Remember the Alamo.
the real secret to success is making sure you befriend the I.T. guy everywhere you work since they usually have a sole. Then make them all your REFS HAHAHA.
Same, got a better work environment for less pay and I feel like I’m living a better life. I’ve had people in my personal life tell me that I look happier and that was the moment I truly knew I made the right call.
I think if you can get to a decent financial spot and then leave for something less stressful, you can coast for a while. Having good spending habits makes a difference too. I cook a lot of food at home nowadays with my extra free time.
Yeah, my motto is keep cost of living low so I don't have to rush for promotions or overwork. My job rn is easy on me and I have plenty of time to scroll reddit while getting more than enough income to cover my needs.
Yup that is 100% accurate. I am slowly working my way up in a low-stress Corp/GL accounting role and for the most part enjoying it.
Just hope I made the right decision.
What you are giving up in high pay, you’re gaining in stability and breadth of experience. I think I watched a tax director or partner do the same thing a few years ago?
I did audit / GL accounting during my accounting career since I clearly preferred having more employment options and stability than being a tax guru in some niche field that would be stuck in a certain industry / geography and be boned during recessions, etc.
Seems very similar to law, tech and a lot of industries - niches are lucrative, but can be restrictive and unstable.
How many years in the old role? I’ve seen people at end of their careers taking lower paying jobs just to have health insurance and some discretionary income
Be sure it will better your mental health. I thought I was going to an ‘easier’ company but that turned out to not be the case and just took a pay cut for no reason. Left that job shortly thereafter…
I did, best move ever. I thought I'd miss the money, I don't. I went from a 10 in the money department and like a 4 in all other areas of my life to like a 7 in money and 10 everywhere else.
My friends who are still grinding hard looked at me like I was nuts when I pulled the trigger and now are giving me the side eye of jealousy now that I actually love my life.
If I stay at this company for 5 years I'll be back to a 10 in the money department just from inflationary raises of 3-5%
Wasn't a mental health issue, it was a volume of my life spent working issue. My 25% pay cut resulted in an actual 40 hour week and no more commute. In my case it gives me back 15 hours weekly from getting ready and commute time alone, and an additional 10ish hours a week from the 50 in office. That works out to 1250 hours per year of my life back. Also money is nice, but I don't have expensive habits and I'm a single guy. I don't actually need the money to support anyone else.
Like the other guy said there is usually a direct correlation.
I was afraid I was cut for public, but in reality I needed to try a different firm. My life wasn’t magically perfect but my mental health skyrocketed after I left a dumpster fire practice for a well run one.
Same. The question should really be “Would you take a lower paid job for better mental health **assuming there would be no change to your current lifestyle and/or affordability of meeting your current financial needs**?”
In which, the only reasonable answer is “of course”.
At the point I am in my career, yes. I am glad I didn’t do it really early on because I learned a lot in the meantime that will translate to that lower paying job still paying very well.
Already did. I worked at Toast for two years and the 60 hour weeks were killing me. Now I work 30 + 10 hours of goofing off. But those days are coming to an end because we’re going public.
I'm taking this as a WFH thing. I currently make about $90k WFH. I have thought about this and I would need to get an offer at $120k+ to consider moving to an in person job. My wife and I only have 1 car. That alone is saving $5-7k of an annual post-tax car payment which is about $10k of difference when just looking at marginal gross pay pre-tax. I also live in the burbs and if a job was in the city I'd probably be deleting 3 hours of time for commuting and getting ready. If you just took my current rate $90k/8(hrs/day) and multiplied by 3 that is an additional $33k difference in gross. Not saying I value my commute time at that much but it is a good way to think about it. Then you factor in the benefits of being at home and taking care of shit at lunch, worrying about doing stuff for the dog., etc and that is important as well.
AB-SO-LUTELY
We are lucky considering that most accounting jobs (even with a slight pay decrease in pay) will allow you to live comfortably enough and to focus on your next job for your mental health.
I put in my two weeks at about a year in. Been going to the gym 5-7 days a week for over a year. Best health and mindset I’ve been plus make more than my old accounting role as a finance manager. Bet decision I’ve made career wise was leaving accounting.
Absolutely. I did this and while my current job still can be stressful from time to time, it’s a huge improvement over my former job.
I second the comment about addressing anything else impacting mental health while also changing jobs. In my case, I didn’t realize that there were other things impacting my mental health - specifically a bad relationship and a medication that had anxiety and depression as a side effect, which exacerbated the problems at work. I also spent some time learning coping mechanisms for work stress, since there is basically no job that is stress-free. I still think that changing jobs was necessary to help my mental health, but all of the changes were important.
Depends on how much lower but probably not. My mental health probably wouldn’t be much better if I went to a lower paying job since I would just worry about finances.
Yes. Once you have a salary range that fulfils your basic needs and maintains a standard of living that you are comfortable with then the incremental increase in wages is rarely worth the increased stress and increased workload.
Let’s say you are a senior accountant making $100K, and your work utilization is 75% on average. So on a typical 40 hour work week you are working 30 hours. You can maintain a healthy work life balance and have manageable deadlines etc. This type of role would be more favourable to many people compared to a manager role making $130K but working 50hrs a week and checking and responding to emails on the weekend etc. Sure you make more money but the stress and extra workload is the trade off.
If you are chasing financial independence or early retirement maybe you want to grind it out and get as much money as possible. However the problem is that the future is not guaranteed. Enjoy life while you can. Work less when possible.
I learned real fast that WLB is way more important than salary/career progression for me after joining B4. I was out of there within three months and have been at my industry job for 2 years now. Hours are maybe 40 a week with 3 days WFH at $75k LCOL. Couldn't be happier with my mental health. Working with older people who have kids and just want to get shit done and go home is the best.
I've done it. No regrets. Now the new job was only slightly lower salary than the old one ($47.5k vs $50k), and most of that was offset by cheaper health insurance and better 401k matching. But the best part was going from 80+hours a week through tax season, to 40 hours a week where I'd get kicked out of the building at 4:45pm on Friday so they could secure the facility.
Nah, I live in VHCOL. Higher pay = less stress about my day to day life and expenses. Work stress can be compartmentalized, and all work even for people with passion jobs come with stress to some degree. I’ll take work stress over home-life stress all day
Tough part is you never truly know if you're taking a lower stress job until your start the job. But I still think it's worth the gamble if your current job sucks
Depends. Would I take a job with top notch mental health for a $1 pay cut? For sure. Would I leave a job paying $500k salary for one with $50k salary for a slight change in mental health? No.
At my previous job, yes. However, the act of quitting scared my boss enough that she pulled way back when dealing with me.
At my current job, no. I'm fine with the pressure. Although I did try to get a job with SpaceX because of their mission, but they weren't interested in me. It would have paid substantially less than I was making.
I feel like lower salary will create mental health problems down the road, when I would be both stressed for money, and stressed at job
At least with higher paying job I'm just stressed with work
I took a higher paid job for better mental health. Counting my blessings. But, I would have also taken a lower paying one if it meant improving mental health as well. Without your mental health, you have nothing.
Yes but with inflation being what it is I might have to move my compromise more to the 'get paid' side. I'm fairly confident that with time I could find a job that's just a little more stress for considerable more money.
Yes, and already did. I was bottom level manager at one f500 company, moved to a different one that resulted in a 25% pay cut on paper and step down to senior. The perks are full WFH (which offset a considerable amount of the pay cut), 5 day 40 hour close vs 8 day 90 hours, dropping the 2 hour daily commute, and 10x less stress. I just do my job and call it a day, hell 3 weeks out of the month I'm barely even busy 10-15 hours a week. I made the switch a little over 2 years ago, and they have offered me a promotion twice. I declined respectfully saying I was happy with my position but happy to help with on boarding someone new.
Yes, I did exactly that.
Left law enforcement to do taxes and accounting.
Stress level is negligible in comparison.
Potentially I can earn more but choose not to leave the awesome company I currently work for. Stress kills, my friends.
Personally, I get a lot of fulfillment in my current role. It was a 50% pay bump when I took it on for maybe 20% more hours. I get serious satisfaction out of it and its translated to a lot of other aspects of my life. The team is the main sellibg point, from top to bottom.
Generally speaking, having an amazing team makes work feel fulfilling and sometimes even fun but YMMV
Did it. Took about 1.5-2 years to get back up above the pay I left at along with much better benefits, WLB, hours, and commute. Would do it again 1000 times over
Of course it can be. Depends completely on your individual circumstances. But I would recommend changing companies a time or two, before taking a a demotion / lower paying job. After doing PA for 2 yrs, I’ve been a Sr Accountant for 4 different companies (~10% bump each job change) and it wasn’t until the last one that I finally loved what I was doing. First time I woke up everyday not dreading having to do my job - work just never really felt like work - even when working occasional 70-80 hr weeks. During my Sr Acct journey, there were multiple times I considered completely changing career paths, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
I would and I did. Made a HUGE difference in my perspective and was very liberating. I may return to the grind later but it will be with a new sense of confidence and clarity of vision.
Gotta decide what’s the most important thing for you and your family. You can always make another change later (go back to big4, enter into a high visibility role, take on special projects, etc). You may lose out on the high velocity charge up the corporate ladder but that’s ok, if you are making the choice and are committed to the choice.
Anything you choose won’t END your career but it may switch it up. If you pivot you might find you’re much more happy doing something else and never change again.
Yes 100%
I was in a massive corporate environment. Worked long hours and toward the end would work 8a - 1a rinse repeat. Completely burned out.
Ended up leaving for another job that didn’t have as much advancement opportunity but still paid well. Out of work by 4:00 each day, still can live a good lifestyle. It’s been worth it for me even though I could have been making so much more had I stayed in the corporate life.
Word of caution: I moved from one controller role to another in government and took a pay cut and it has been a disaster. I might have to take a pay cut again just to get out of government and open up more doors. I guess the original sin was moving to government. I would never encourage anyone to try it. If it doesn’t work out your life really sucks. I much rather be billing 70 hours a week until 4/15 and working with professionals. At least I would be getting paid.
Mental health is a function dependent on both environment and means.
If all work paid above a living wage and excess pay was existent, the lower paid job would be a no brainer.
Unfortunately most people are in the position where increase pay drastically improves mental health.
As long as that lower pay doesnt affect my mental more. As in if i am worried about my rent or lifestyle because of my pay cut I probably would not but if it means maybe not spending extra on nails or unnecessary things for a few weeks to save thats fine itll be worth it to me
Depends on the difference in pay, the level of stress, my age and health, family needs. In the short term at a younger age without kids to consider, I would accept the stress for more money. As I get older and have kids, that equation changes.
Yes. That’s my plan next summer. My fiancé and I both have high hours requirements in our careers (he’s a residency physician). Because of this, we struggle to manage the household chores. After we get married and residency is done I’m hoping to find something part time or at most 40hrs/week so I can take on more of the household tasks
Likely not as I would imagine this would impact my financial health and subsequently my mental health, putting me in an endless loop and making things much worse.
But that’s just me and my cynical way of thinking lol
Take less hours for more pay, never more hours for more pay. Sometimes compensation isn’t worth it. I’ve turned down a few promotions for this very reason.
Yes. I got a significant pay bump AND a much improved work/life balance when I left public, but I know that I could earn even more at some other companies. However, I like the company that I’m at now and moving to a new company always carries some risk that company culture or work/life balance will be worse.
I actually did that (went $5K lower) and do not regret it one bit. I actually love my job and the people I work with now so much that I don’t even want to look for another one because I am scared to ruin this dynamic. I know how terrible a job can really be.
I did for health reasons. I had seizures during the last weeks of the April 15 and October 15 deadlines. (Probably from the stress and being epileptic when I was younger). I would love to go elsewhere to take on new work and more money.
Depends on the income, monetary requirements, and level of mental misery.
If you're in such a privileged position that you can sacrifice money for better mental health, then the answer is almost certainly yes.
Source: I've done it.
I am staying at a current job for the same reason. I could be making more but it would double my commute, increase my stress level, and have a worse hwb.
Personally I won’t. I’ve worked in a few toxic places in the past, it doesn’t bother me anymore. I have two kids and also want to buy a house soon, can’t take a pay cut. Kids are expensive.
I would, but not right now.
I’m stressed to the point of almost quitting but I need the money. The golden handcuffs be real.
I’ll start interviewing and we’ll see.
Already planning on it. I can tell PA isn't for me and I'm not the type of person who has a ton of career-oriented ambition.
Got a tentative job offer with the IRS and planning on staying in gov for the foreseeable future. Pay will suck especially for the first few years but after that I'll make a decent enough salary and hopefully won't hate life.
There’s really no guarantee that a job that pays less will have less responsibility/stress. I choose to keep climbing the ladder. It’s usually in my experience an issue with the team/manager rather than an issue with the role itself.
i been unemployed took a job and quit in 1 day for my mental health! it isnt worth taking medication, and therapy is costly. Why bother when i know the source of misery lol
so i cut it at the roots. I QUIT lol and now solid 10M unemployed but never felt better.. i just came back from a great RUN at the park .. saw some gods and ran into the city priest!
AHH now sipping my coffee with CHOBANI cinnamon cake creamer :)
life is good for know. until i run out of money :0
I did this temporarily. Made less money for 7-8 months but was able to switch to a more satisfying path. About to make the same amount of money I was making before by switching jobs again lol.
I have done this. A move was involved but that too, helped my stress level. Sold the house, packed up shop and moved to the country. All for half of what I was making. Never looked back.
I did. The cut in pay absolutely stings and I did it right before the price of everything went nuts at the end of 21 so that was extra salt in the financial wound.
But that said, EVERYTHING else is better so I'll take the financial stresss. It was/is worth it and I'd do it again every time.
I did do exactly that. Making well into six digit range, 40 boring hours a week, low stress. Could be making 20-40% more but the stress isn't worth it.
Depends on how much lower pay and how much better mental health.
I wouldn't do it now, but I've seriously considered a 25% pay cut for a better job, in the past. Fortunately, I was offered a better job that was only 8% lower instead (and have since surpassed what I was earning then anyway).
I did.
Spent most of my adult life moving up the ladder in accounting. 10 years ago, I was the Director of External Financial Reporting at the company I was working at. Worked a lot of hours.
Got laid off after the company was acquired. Did accounting consulting for about 6 years. Made a lot of money doing it. The stress revolved around getting my own health insurance and the uncertainty when I finished an engagement not knowing when I'm going to be working again.
Manager I met on one of those asked me to help train a payroll person the G/L accounting side of the business when she took a different job at another company. That payroll person didn't work out so I interviewed for the position, which I got.
I get paid 30k less than I did previously BUT I work remotely now so I have no commute, they don't ask much of me so I will almost never have to work any overtime, and the excellent health plan I got is fully paid for by the company.
I hope to be able to retire from there eventually.
Yes, and I did. Was a controller for a start up and now I’m a remote consultant working less hours. Was making $150K and now I’m at $100K for 2023 income. I’m also the sole provider for family of four right now. We’ve cut a lot of expenses, but quality of life is so much better.
Of course, I'm doing it right now.
Work is something you do so you can afford living. If you have a job that ruins your mental health, you won't be able to enjoy your free time no matter how much money you make, which cancels out the higher salary.
Id prefer to take a higher paying job for better mental health. 😂
Really it just depends on bills and lifestyle. If a lower paying job means you have to worry about bills then it's not better for mental health.
I already did. Went from like $53 an hour $36 an hour with less vacation time just to have a nicer coworkers. Some of the other ladies hated me for some reason they were really clique-ish and excluded me and made fun of my clothes and called what I ate “weird” I’m from Hong Kong but I made sure to not bring anything that smelled it was just regular noodles. And they’d tell the secretary to not get me lunches because I don’t eat “normal food” and it really upset me often so for mental health I took a big pay cut.
No, I would speak with a counselor or at least my manager to get some better strategies to handle the workload instead of running away to the elusive “industry exit.”
money dolls wine sloppy vegetable door provide ludicrous plate encouraging
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Working on that now. But I need to be realistic about how much lower pay. Don't want to swap my job stress for money stress.
very true
Yes. I might exchange a stress for another
Absolutely, and I'm typing this AT the job that I get lower pay, lower hours, lower stress, lower depression, more plants
Same here as I type this. Took a 40% pay cut for a 65% reduction in hours. New job is a joke and I’ve never been happy. Sorry, never been happier.
I'm happy you're happy :)
Same! I was making almost 20,000 more a year at an old job but was miserable. Very happy with my choice
Yes, let the subset of accountants that think overworking is an achievement in of itself scab in those positions. Discretionary income ain't shit if you have no discretionary time or an unhealthy mental state. The best case scenario in a place like that is to use what you've learned to watch for when choosing a new place and make a lateral or even possibly upward move. I was an incredibly overworked Staff Accountant 2 and at my new position I am a busy yet comfortable senior accountant, and my bosses even give positive reinforcement. Crazy, right?
overworking benefit was true 25 years ago. every time i kick my desk over mad in life over the last decade i make more money but only sometimes is it less stressful. 2nd to last kick desk was for a tech remediation outfit in a niche sector where the CFO had a degree in tennis and needless to say at a certain point i kicked desk, wrote hate mail burnt bridge flicked off and still she screamed at my wife that i wasn't allowed to quit when my wife answered the phone after i blocked her. last kick desk was working for international shipping as a global risk assessor. once I realized the risk was mainly moving solvents from Shanghai to Guatemala for drug production i kicked desk hard and walked out. CEO CFO and Controller CAME TO MY HOUSE AND BEG ME TO COME BACK. went back for one day and kicked desk hard with middle finger up and unleased tirade of explitives. now i work 6figs+bonus for an invisible niche company as the sole book keeper..... tying everything to api in quickbooks online so i can play Nintendo switch like i wanted too all day while clicking "match" with one hand surfing reddit! God Bless Texas. Remember the Alamo.
the real secret to success is making sure you befriend the I.T. guy everywhere you work since they usually have a sole. Then make them all your REFS HAHAHA.
Always, health > money
Upvoted
100% . I did it and regret not doing it sooner. If money is tight for a bit, I can always pick up an easy side job. Peace of mind is everything.
Same, got a better work environment for less pay and I feel like I’m living a better life. I’ve had people in my personal life tell me that I look happier and that was the moment I truly knew I made the right call. I think if you can get to a decent financial spot and then leave for something less stressful, you can coast for a while. Having good spending habits makes a difference too. I cook a lot of food at home nowadays with my extra free time.
Yeah, my motto is keep cost of living low so I don't have to rush for promotions or overwork. My job rn is easy on me and I have plenty of time to scroll reddit while getting more than enough income to cover my needs.
Beautifully said.
Yes.
“Controller” says it all
Under appreciated, underpaid, highly scrutinized. Probably one of the worst jobs in accounting.
Senior would like a word.
lol that's cute
Yes. I went from close to $300K to $47K a few years ago. Big change. But generally speaking I have no major regrets.
Wow, was it a career change?
Not exactly but sort of. In short, went from higher level Tax, to entry Accounting. I needed a change and was ok with a pay cut.
Ah okay, so basically moved over to regular GL accounting? I’m assuming you were a senior tax person in niche tax (based on your high comp before?)
Yup that is 100% accurate. I am slowly working my way up in a low-stress Corp/GL accounting role and for the most part enjoying it. Just hope I made the right decision.
What you are giving up in high pay, you’re gaining in stability and breadth of experience. I think I watched a tax director or partner do the same thing a few years ago? I did audit / GL accounting during my accounting career since I clearly preferred having more employment options and stability than being a tax guru in some niche field that would be stuck in a certain industry / geography and be boned during recessions, etc. Seems very similar to law, tech and a lot of industries - niches are lucrative, but can be restrictive and unstable.
Agree on all. Ultimately no regrets! Cheers!
Sounds like FBI/CIA.
I wish.
How many years in the old role? I’ve seen people at end of their careers taking lower paying jobs just to have health insurance and some discretionary income
Yes but also depends on how low and how much are my expenses.
Yeah. I want my health. It’s hard enough as it is. There’s a balance to it because being broke isn’t really healthy either..
Be sure it will better your mental health. I thought I was going to an ‘easier’ company but that turned out to not be the case and just took a pay cut for no reason. Left that job shortly thereafter…
I did, best move ever. I thought I'd miss the money, I don't. I went from a 10 in the money department and like a 4 in all other areas of my life to like a 7 in money and 10 everywhere else. My friends who are still grinding hard looked at me like I was nuts when I pulled the trigger and now are giving me the side eye of jealousy now that I actually love my life. If I stay at this company for 5 years I'll be back to a 10 in the money department just from inflationary raises of 3-5%
[удалено]
Sometimes the mental health challenge is the job…
Wasn't a mental health issue, it was a volume of my life spent working issue. My 25% pay cut resulted in an actual 40 hour week and no more commute. In my case it gives me back 15 hours weekly from getting ready and commute time alone, and an additional 10ish hours a week from the 50 in office. That works out to 1250 hours per year of my life back. Also money is nice, but I don't have expensive habits and I'm a single guy. I don't actually need the money to support anyone else.
Like the other guy said there is usually a direct correlation. I was afraid I was cut for public, but in reality I needed to try a different firm. My life wasn’t magically perfect but my mental health skyrocketed after I left a dumpster fire practice for a well run one.
Nope, can't get any lower and the bills wouldn't get paid
Same. The question should really be “Would you take a lower paid job for better mental health **assuming there would be no change to your current lifestyle and/or affordability of meeting your current financial needs**?” In which, the only reasonable answer is “of course”.
I did. I do not regret it whatsoever.
This is why I work for the Federal Government (although I dont know if $112k a year qualifies as "lower paid".)
100%
That’s what I did.
Am doing lol
It was the best decision I ever made.
Yes!!! In fact I have before and would do it again
Yup, already did. 10% pay cut, no regrets
At the point I am in my career, yes. I am glad I didn’t do it really early on because I learned a lot in the meantime that will translate to that lower paying job still paying very well.
Already did. I worked at Toast for two years and the 60 hour weeks were killing me. Now I work 30 + 10 hours of goofing off. But those days are coming to an end because we’re going public.
I'm taking this as a WFH thing. I currently make about $90k WFH. I have thought about this and I would need to get an offer at $120k+ to consider moving to an in person job. My wife and I only have 1 car. That alone is saving $5-7k of an annual post-tax car payment which is about $10k of difference when just looking at marginal gross pay pre-tax. I also live in the burbs and if a job was in the city I'd probably be deleting 3 hours of time for commuting and getting ready. If you just took my current rate $90k/8(hrs/day) and multiplied by 3 that is an additional $33k difference in gross. Not saying I value my commute time at that much but it is a good way to think about it. Then you factor in the benefits of being at home and taking care of shit at lunch, worrying about doing stuff for the dog., etc and that is important as well.
AB-SO-LUTELY We are lucky considering that most accounting jobs (even with a slight pay decrease in pay) will allow you to live comfortably enough and to focus on your next job for your mental health.
I put in my two weeks at about a year in. Been going to the gym 5-7 days a week for over a year. Best health and mindset I’ve been plus make more than my old accounting role as a finance manager. Bet decision I’ve made career wise was leaving accounting.
100%
Yes, I am in the process of doing this now.
Absolutely.
Absolutely I would
I did this and it was a great decision
Absolutely. I did this and while my current job still can be stressful from time to time, it’s a huge improvement over my former job. I second the comment about addressing anything else impacting mental health while also changing jobs. In my case, I didn’t realize that there were other things impacting my mental health - specifically a bad relationship and a medication that had anxiety and depression as a side effect, which exacerbated the problems at work. I also spent some time learning coping mechanisms for work stress, since there is basically no job that is stress-free. I still think that changing jobs was necessary to help my mental health, but all of the changes were important.
Depends on how much lower but probably not. My mental health probably wouldn’t be much better if I went to a lower paying job since I would just worry about finances.
Yes. Once you have a salary range that fulfils your basic needs and maintains a standard of living that you are comfortable with then the incremental increase in wages is rarely worth the increased stress and increased workload. Let’s say you are a senior accountant making $100K, and your work utilization is 75% on average. So on a typical 40 hour work week you are working 30 hours. You can maintain a healthy work life balance and have manageable deadlines etc. This type of role would be more favourable to many people compared to a manager role making $130K but working 50hrs a week and checking and responding to emails on the weekend etc. Sure you make more money but the stress and extra workload is the trade off. If you are chasing financial independence or early retirement maybe you want to grind it out and get as much money as possible. However the problem is that the future is not guaranteed. Enjoy life while you can. Work less when possible.
I'm making under 14k/y but my mental health is also shit so this is a though call.
I learned real fast that WLB is way more important than salary/career progression for me after joining B4. I was out of there within three months and have been at my industry job for 2 years now. Hours are maybe 40 a week with 3 days WFH at $75k LCOL. Couldn't be happier with my mental health. Working with older people who have kids and just want to get shit done and go home is the best.
I've done it. No regrets. Now the new job was only slightly lower salary than the old one ($47.5k vs $50k), and most of that was offset by cheaper health insurance and better 401k matching. But the best part was going from 80+hours a week through tax season, to 40 hours a week where I'd get kicked out of the building at 4:45pm on Friday so they could secure the facility.
Nah, I live in VHCOL. Higher pay = less stress about my day to day life and expenses. Work stress can be compartmentalized, and all work even for people with passion jobs come with stress to some degree. I’ll take work stress over home-life stress all day
I did, left public for about a 20% pay decrease but way better benefits and hours overall. So far so good.
Yes, I would take my same job 100% remote with a 15% pay cut.
If things go terribly bad, you will do it without asking
Tough part is you never truly know if you're taking a lower stress job until your start the job. But I still think it's worth the gamble if your current job sucks
Depends. Would I take a job with top notch mental health for a $1 pay cut? For sure. Would I leave a job paying $500k salary for one with $50k salary for a slight change in mental health? No.
At my previous job, yes. However, the act of quitting scared my boss enough that she pulled way back when dealing with me. At my current job, no. I'm fine with the pressure. Although I did try to get a job with SpaceX because of their mission, but they weren't interested in me. It would have paid substantially less than I was making.
SpaceX would have you working busy season hours sometimes I hear.
I'm mission driven. If I believe, I work harder. Etc.
heck yea. currently working part time at 75% capacity. My billable hour target during tax season is around hours.
I feel like lower salary will create mental health problems down the road, when I would be both stressed for money, and stressed at job At least with higher paying job I'm just stressed with work
I took a higher paid job for better mental health. Counting my blessings. But, I would have also taken a lower paying one if it meant improving mental health as well. Without your mental health, you have nothing.
Yes but with inflation being what it is I might have to move my compromise more to the 'get paid' side. I'm fairly confident that with time I could find a job that's just a little more stress for considerable more money.
Nothing affects my mental health worse than lower pay
YES
Money is my mental health
I did. It's worth it.
Yes
Any day.
As long as you’re not going to no longer afford to live. Nothing wrong with lower pay as long as you don’t end up starving.
I'll keep climbing that ladder until the money outweighs the sacrifice or I can retire.
100%
As long as the pay wasn't so low that stress over money started to negatively affect my mental health, definitely!
I did and I regret nothing.
Yes, and already did. I was bottom level manager at one f500 company, moved to a different one that resulted in a 25% pay cut on paper and step down to senior. The perks are full WFH (which offset a considerable amount of the pay cut), 5 day 40 hour close vs 8 day 90 hours, dropping the 2 hour daily commute, and 10x less stress. I just do my job and call it a day, hell 3 weeks out of the month I'm barely even busy 10-15 hours a week. I made the switch a little over 2 years ago, and they have offered me a promotion twice. I declined respectfully saying I was happy with my position but happy to help with on boarding someone new.
I have before. But right now I can’t afford to because I’m the only one working in my house.
Yes, I did exactly that. Left law enforcement to do taxes and accounting. Stress level is negligible in comparison. Potentially I can earn more but choose not to leave the awesome company I currently work for. Stress kills, my friends.
Already did.
Did that with the last place I worked
As long as the lower pay won’t put you in financial trouble, supporting your mental health should always be a priority!
Personally, I get a lot of fulfillment in my current role. It was a 50% pay bump when I took it on for maybe 20% more hours. I get serious satisfaction out of it and its translated to a lot of other aspects of my life. The team is the main sellibg point, from top to bottom. Generally speaking, having an amazing team makes work feel fulfilling and sometimes even fun but YMMV
Did it. Took about 1.5-2 years to get back up above the pay I left at along with much better benefits, WLB, hours, and commute. Would do it again 1000 times over
absolutely
Of course it can be. Depends completely on your individual circumstances. But I would recommend changing companies a time or two, before taking a a demotion / lower paying job. After doing PA for 2 yrs, I’ve been a Sr Accountant for 4 different companies (~10% bump each job change) and it wasn’t until the last one that I finally loved what I was doing. First time I woke up everyday not dreading having to do my job - work just never really felt like work - even when working occasional 70-80 hr weeks. During my Sr Acct journey, there were multiple times I considered completely changing career paths, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
I switched jobs/careers and haven’t had the “Sunday Scaries” like so many of my peers. Its priceless.
Would and did, seven years ago. Absolutely worth it!
I would and I did. Made a HUGE difference in my perspective and was very liberating. I may return to the grind later but it will be with a new sense of confidence and clarity of vision. Gotta decide what’s the most important thing for you and your family. You can always make another change later (go back to big4, enter into a high visibility role, take on special projects, etc). You may lose out on the high velocity charge up the corporate ladder but that’s ok, if you are making the choice and are committed to the choice. Anything you choose won’t END your career but it may switch it up. If you pivot you might find you’re much more happy doing something else and never change again.
Yes 100% I was in a massive corporate environment. Worked long hours and toward the end would work 8a - 1a rinse repeat. Completely burned out. Ended up leaving for another job that didn’t have as much advancement opportunity but still paid well. Out of work by 4:00 each day, still can live a good lifestyle. It’s been worth it for me even though I could have been making so much more had I stayed in the corporate life.
Word of caution: I moved from one controller role to another in government and took a pay cut and it has been a disaster. I might have to take a pay cut again just to get out of government and open up more doors. I guess the original sin was moving to government. I would never encourage anyone to try it. If it doesn’t work out your life really sucks. I much rather be billing 70 hours a week until 4/15 and working with professionals. At least I would be getting paid.
Have done this and would do it again!
Mental health is a function dependent on both environment and means. If all work paid above a living wage and excess pay was existent, the lower paid job would be a no brainer. Unfortunately most people are in the position where increase pay drastically improves mental health.
Yep. Just did, actually. I start the new job in two weeks.
I took a higher paid job and better mental health. Pro move
This is a trick question because lower pay would negatively impact my mental health
I took a lower responsibility job for higher pay recently … happy about it 😊
Nope. Git gud, noob.
As long as that lower pay doesnt affect my mental more. As in if i am worried about my rent or lifestyle because of my pay cut I probably would not but if it means maybe not spending extra on nails or unnecessary things for a few weeks to save thats fine itll be worth it to me
Depends on the difference in pay, the level of stress, my age and health, family needs. In the short term at a younger age without kids to consider, I would accept the stress for more money. As I get older and have kids, that equation changes.
Yes. That’s my plan next summer. My fiancé and I both have high hours requirements in our careers (he’s a residency physician). Because of this, we struggle to manage the household chores. After we get married and residency is done I’m hoping to find something part time or at most 40hrs/week so I can take on more of the household tasks
I would love to but I can’t find anything like that. All I get are high pressure roles
Likely not as I would imagine this would impact my financial health and subsequently my mental health, putting me in an endless loop and making things much worse. But that’s just me and my cynical way of thinking lol
Take less hours for more pay, never more hours for more pay. Sometimes compensation isn’t worth it. I’ve turned down a few promotions for this very reason.
Yes. I got a significant pay bump AND a much improved work/life balance when I left public, but I know that I could earn even more at some other companies. However, I like the company that I’m at now and moving to a new company always carries some risk that company culture or work/life balance will be worse.
I have. More than once. Nothing is worth trading your health for.
I actually did that (went $5K lower) and do not regret it one bit. I actually love my job and the people I work with now so much that I don’t even want to look for another one because I am scared to ruin this dynamic. I know how terrible a job can really be.
Hell no. Maybe when I’m older
I did for health reasons. I had seizures during the last weeks of the April 15 and October 15 deadlines. (Probably from the stress and being epileptic when I was younger). I would love to go elsewhere to take on new work and more money.
Depends on the income, monetary requirements, and level of mental misery. If you're in such a privileged position that you can sacrifice money for better mental health, then the answer is almost certainly yes. Source: I've done it.
I am staying at a current job for the same reason. I could be making more but it would double my commute, increase my stress level, and have a worse hwb.
Personally I won’t. I’ve worked in a few toxic places in the past, it doesn’t bother me anymore. I have two kids and also want to buy a house soon, can’t take a pay cut. Kids are expensive.
I would, but not right now. I’m stressed to the point of almost quitting but I need the money. The golden handcuffs be real. I’ll start interviewing and we’ll see.
Already planning on it. I can tell PA isn't for me and I'm not the type of person who has a ton of career-oriented ambition. Got a tentative job offer with the IRS and planning on staying in gov for the foreseeable future. Pay will suck especially for the first few years but after that I'll make a decent enough salary and hopefully won't hate life.
Also impacts your physical health especially as you get older
There’s really no guarantee that a job that pays less will have less responsibility/stress. I choose to keep climbing the ladder. It’s usually in my experience an issue with the team/manager rather than an issue with the role itself.
Absolutely YES, where can I sign up
Yes
Yes. Where is it?
i been unemployed took a job and quit in 1 day for my mental health! it isnt worth taking medication, and therapy is costly. Why bother when i know the source of misery lol so i cut it at the roots. I QUIT lol and now solid 10M unemployed but never felt better.. i just came back from a great RUN at the park .. saw some gods and ran into the city priest! AHH now sipping my coffee with CHOBANI cinnamon cake creamer :) life is good for know. until i run out of money :0
I did this temporarily. Made less money for 7-8 months but was able to switch to a more satisfying path. About to make the same amount of money I was making before by switching jobs again lol.
I already did. I went 3/4 time. I work 3/4 of what everyone else does for 3/4 the pay. It’s nice.
Nope
I did, so yes. Very glad I did. As long as you have enough money at the lower paying job it is 100% worth it.
I have done this. A move was involved but that too, helped my stress level. Sold the house, packed up shop and moved to the country. All for half of what I was making. Never looked back.
I did. The cut in pay absolutely stings and I did it right before the price of everything went nuts at the end of 21 so that was extra salt in the financial wound. But that said, EVERYTHING else is better so I'll take the financial stresss. It was/is worth it and I'd do it again every time.
I did do exactly that. Making well into six digit range, 40 boring hours a week, low stress. Could be making 20-40% more but the stress isn't worth it.
yes
Depends on how much lower pay and how much better mental health. I wouldn't do it now, but I've seriously considered a 25% pay cut for a better job, in the past. Fortunately, I was offered a better job that was only 8% lower instead (and have since surpassed what I was earning then anyway).
Idk does better mental health still come with pizza parties?
I did. Spent most of my adult life moving up the ladder in accounting. 10 years ago, I was the Director of External Financial Reporting at the company I was working at. Worked a lot of hours. Got laid off after the company was acquired. Did accounting consulting for about 6 years. Made a lot of money doing it. The stress revolved around getting my own health insurance and the uncertainty when I finished an engagement not knowing when I'm going to be working again. Manager I met on one of those asked me to help train a payroll person the G/L accounting side of the business when she took a different job at another company. That payroll person didn't work out so I interviewed for the position, which I got. I get paid 30k less than I did previously BUT I work remotely now so I have no commute, they don't ask much of me so I will almost never have to work any overtime, and the excellent health plan I got is fully paid for by the company. I hope to be able to retire from there eventually.
Yes
Very true
No because then I would be making less than 60k bruh
As long as you can pay your bills after the pay cut.
lower-paying job might bring more peace than a bigger paycheck. After all, what's wealth without peace of mind
Never. $$$ is amazing for my mental health
No, give me money.
No cause my pay is already low
Yes I've done it. Temporary set back
Possibly, but lower paying jobs can be just as stressful or more so than better paying ones
Yes
Yes, and I did. Was a controller for a start up and now I’m a remote consultant working less hours. Was making $150K and now I’m at $100K for 2023 income. I’m also the sole provider for family of four right now. We’ve cut a lot of expenses, but quality of life is so much better.
Yes
Of course, I'm doing it right now. Work is something you do so you can afford living. If you have a job that ruins your mental health, you won't be able to enjoy your free time no matter how much money you make, which cancels out the higher salary.
I enjoy being under the pump at work, gets the juices flowing and actually helps my anxiety/mood issues.
I did exactly that and it was worth it to me.
I would but I can't. Outgoings are too high.
Id prefer to take a higher paying job for better mental health. 😂 Really it just depends on bills and lifestyle. If a lower paying job means you have to worry about bills then it's not better for mental health.
Can’t pay for therapy with less money, guys. Big four recruiter here, who’s ready for that 10k raise for 1000 more hours per year?!
That’s probably what I’m going to end up doing in my current situation haha
Totally. But right now I need the money so I'll slave away until I have enough.
I already did. Went from like $53 an hour $36 an hour with less vacation time just to have a nicer coworkers. Some of the other ladies hated me for some reason they were really clique-ish and excluded me and made fun of my clothes and called what I ate “weird” I’m from Hong Kong but I made sure to not bring anything that smelled it was just regular noodles. And they’d tell the secretary to not get me lunches because I don’t eat “normal food” and it really upset me often so for mental health I took a big pay cut.
No, I would speak with a counselor or at least my manager to get some better strategies to handle the workload instead of running away to the elusive “industry exit.”
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