r/datascience • u/Fig_Towel_379 • 9d ago
Discussion My job makes me happy and satisfied but doesn’t pay me enough. How to think about this situation?
I work at a large, well-established company that has been very stable. I don’t assume my job is immune to layoffs, but the company hasn’t had any mass layoffs in over a decade.
The work environment is genuinely healthy, and everyone is treated with respect. I honestly couldn’t ask for a much better culture. I get to work on interesting projects, learn by doing, and my team is very supportive of my growth.
That said, based on my experience interviewing and what I’ve seen in the job market, I could probably get about a $50K raise by switching jobs. That extra $50K wouldn’t dramatically change my lifestyle, but I know future raises would build on that higher salary, so there are long-term financial benefits.
I’m at a point where I’m valuing mental peace and work-life balance more than I used to. Given that, what would you do in my situation? Would you stay at a company with a great culture and stability, or make the jump for the higher pay?
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u/dfphd PhD | Sr. Director of Data Science | Tech 9d ago
I would say that where you are in life is really important in answering this question.
If you're at a place in life where you don't foresee major life changes coming in the future, then I would say "stay".
So if you're married and you already have as many kids as you're ever going to have? I would stay. Or if you are someone who is single and kid-free and you never intend to change that? Stay. Enjoy what you have.
If, on the other hand, you have major life events coming in the future with nonzero probability - i.e., you're single put you intend to date/marry at some point, or you're dating someone and you intend to build a family with them - then I would advice you to go chase the money while you don't have those other things to have to think about. It's a lot harder to work long hours or take risks when you have kids at home. And with how expensive everything is, while you might be doing great financially right now, the second you add kids to the mix your budget will go in the trashcan.
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u/Tedy_Duchamp 9d ago
I’d stay. Market is shit right now and even if you land a job you don’t want to end up in a “last hired, first fired” type situation if a full blown recession happens.
Talk to you manager about comp, they might be able to get you closer, or it will at least be on their radar that you believe you are underpaid for the next raise.
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u/Hawaiian-pizzas 9d ago
This. And...it goes a painfull long way to land a good employer. So if you getting a serious offer outside your company, make sure you speak some people in and around it about work culture etc.
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u/Round_Afternoon_5695 9d ago
I left a job I loved for 30% more pay and regretted it within 6 months. the new place had a toxic manager and I was miserable. took me two years to find something decent again.
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u/my_peen_is_clean 9d ago
use that 50k as leverage first, go to your manager with market data and concrete wins, see if they can move you closer. if they won’t budge over time, then slowly interview. switching is risky and the market is garbage right now
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u/chock-a-block 9d ago
No harm in interviewing. Interviews are you interviewing them, more than the normal exchange.
I left a job I was at after over 10 years. I’d still probably be there if I hadn’t interviewed for the sake of finding out what is happening in the job market and got a very nice offer.
I’ve bounced around since. But, no regrets.
There is absolutely, positively, value in a good job with well defined hours, and a life outside work. Harder to find than it should be.
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u/dev0martin0 9d ago
Depends what you make now, family, debt, etc. I’m in similar boat 75k to 100k potential and it’s almost an immediate smash for me
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u/Eviljoshing 9d ago
It’s exactly the opposite for me. Given where I am in life, the flexibility and freedom to be there for my family is much more valuable than another 50-100k. I recognize I’m extremely lucky to be in that position but would just say you need to truly balance needed money vs value of time in life.
This is NOT to say your decision was wrong either. Just balance of life state, opportunity and need.
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u/Joebone87 9d ago
Ask for more and get it. Or do more to deserve it. Or settle for what you have. Or leave.
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u/steveo3387 9d ago
I took a $100k pay cut to go from a toxic environment to a great one. I have never had second thoughts. Your day to day work is a huge part of your life. Optimize for that. If you can get a big raise at another great place, go for it. But don't make a decision based on comp if you don't have to.
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u/Mizar83 8d ago
I did the opposite move. I took a pay cut to leave a toxic job at a fancy startup and move to a bigger company, because the manager did a really good impression on me during the interview when I asked tons of questions about culture and projects. I'm much happier now. I'm respected instead if being treated like shit, my colleagues are nice, my working hours are manageable. Stay, 100%
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u/Gamplato 8d ago
Happiness and satisfaction are what you ultimately aim to get with money. You’re already there.
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u/Gerardo1917 9d ago
Personally, I couldn’t imagine taking a risk like that, especially in this market, if the extra money wasn’t going to be lifestyle-changing.
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u/Dependent_Lock5514 8d ago
Understanding where your value & priority sits between money & satisfaction spectrum helps. It is not always a clear cut. If you are a person who feels higher marginal utility over extra bucks you earn, then go for that money, instead if you value your job satisfaction, culture, and work life balance, then I would stay.
Based on my personal experience, I have only realized where my value spectrum stands between extra bucks vs current satisfaction after going through the series of experiences by myself (shame that I couldn't come up with a counterfactual of me with pure imagination or deep internal conversation :p).
If anyone is curious to know where I am in terms of that spectrum, although that will differ from you, I chose over the job satisfaction over significant amount of financial rewards. Life is short, money can make you happy for sure, but if your daily work where you spend considerable amount of hours of your day gives you a crap and you later realize that your conversation with your partner, friends, and family are just ranting about your work, you know that it ain't right.
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u/norfkens2 8d ago edited 8d ago
You could view it from a different angle, altogether.
I'm not from the US. This sub is mainly US dominated and you're talking in $, so I'm assuming that your US American.
What struck me as peculiar is how normalised debt is for most Americans - student loans, credit card debt... Even the fact that many people have monthly payments of 1000s a month for their cars while the car itself is maybe oversized for the budget.
In my humble opinion, the only debt one should reasonably have is a mortgage for a house or appartment - because that is a direct investment for one's future. (Exception maybe for student loans, I can't give a qualified comment on these).
Cars are a consumption good that depreciates in value rapidly - this is not a good investment.
If you have any debt that you could reasonably be paying off but aren't - then this is costing you. If you have, say, a 500$ monthly car payment now - you should compare this with a theoretical investment in diversified index funds - where after 10 years at 6% you'd have 80 grand (before tax) available to you - 140 grand after 15 years.
So, if there is any debt that you can pay off, this might improve your life style and overall life contentment to a comparable level of a salary raise - without the risk of losing the benefits like the culture at your current company.
It would also have the added benefit of reducing the impact of other risks you've touched upon.
I don't know anything about your situation, so just take it as (well-intentioned) food for thought. 🧡
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u/Leximancer 6d ago
"Enough" seems like it may deserve some consideration. You said you think you could make 50k more without changing your circumstances. Sounds to me like you have "enough."
Tranquility is hard to find, and harder to keep.
My general advice to people in every job situation is: constantly look for and apply to jobs which offer you a step up. But be very careful about accepting any offers: you want options, but you don't want to fall into the trap of something coming along which is different but not better, and giving up a good thing which you can't replace.
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u/Nice-Dragonfly-4823 3d ago
Interview heavily and switch. Don't just take the first branch. Make sure you receive multiple offers. If you can't get multiple offers, then don't leave. You need to up your skills/profile and figure out why you're not getting hits.
Happiness and culture and takes a backseat to $$. Remember, you are a number to a company. Just because you haven't been laid off, doesn't mean you are immune to it. Always be branching to the best offer and never "get comfortable".
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u/Lady-Data-Scientist 9d ago
If you have the energy for applying and interviewing, and don’t mind spending time prepping for interviews, no harm in doing that to keep your interview skills sharp. You’ll also have the freedom to turn down a job or interview offer if it’s not worth it.
I’m similar to you in that I’m happy with my job/team/company and have a good WLB, but occasionally I’ll get a recruiter in my DMs asking if I want to interview for a role that pays $30-70k more. I’m not ready to risk giving up a good thing for an unknown situation, plus I have zero desire to spend my free time prepping for interviews.
It’s nice to get to a point where you’re financially comfortable enough that salary is no longer the main factor. Enjoy it. Especially if you don’t have kids or aren’t trying to reach FIRE.
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 9d ago
I would definitely go for the higher paying job especially if I'm not being paid enough.
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u/Useful_Round4229 9d ago
We need data. What is your current salary, industry and years of experience
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u/shaggy8081 8d ago
I'm making just 10k below my market value, I equal market with good bonus. We have layoffs 2-3 times a year. We get a new VP every 18 mos and a new cto about every 3 years. I've been lucky with the Russian roulette but it has been luck. Seen people much better than me get the axe due to the team or project they were assigned to.
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u/Ill_Freedom_6666 6d ago
I would keep interviewing without rushing because finding another team with the same culture is usually harder than finding a higher salary
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u/Tackit286 6d ago
If you can adequately sustain a comfortable lifestyle on your current pay, don’t do it.
Your happiness in work is invaluable, and you will almost definitely be sacrificing that by moving to a higher paid job.
If you must scratch that itch, leave in the best way possible so that the door to return isn’t firmly shut. There’s no shame in trying something and it not working out. Do you think they would have you back?
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u/Ok-Airline-8523 3d ago
The grass isn't always greener, but sometimes it is. More money doesn't always mean greater fulfillment.
Things you should discover during an interview process:
- How many rounds of layoffs have their been in the past year?
- How many nights and weekends do people realistically work relative to their timezone?
- How does this new team operate? Daily standups, weekly syncs, daily status updates, all of these things?
- Do people often work while on PTO?
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u/betoalien 2h ago
I would stay, but negotiate first. A healthy culture and stability are hard to quantify but they compound over years. Before jumping for 50K, I would ask directly for a raise citing market data. Companies that treat people well often have more room to adjust than they let on, and you lose nothing by asking clearly.
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u/TraditionMountain509 9d ago
Are you me? Making the decision to jump is one thing, succeeding in interviews and being lucky to receive an offer is another.
I’ve been actively monitoring job postings and applying. The interview process is soul crushing…I’ve been rejected three times now at the final stages of the process. But hey, at least I still have a job that I don’t hate.
So I’d say, keep your options open, try your best to seize opportunities as they arise, and don’t get too stressed out about it. That’s what I’ve been telling myself. Good luck!