I work full-time in the public sector. Bachelor is in liberal arts like Art History / English / Classics. No grad degree. No student debt. My pay is alright; could absolutely be better, but I'm still saving at a decent rate each month. I started poking around because I have a skillset that I heard is valuable. Really just poking around; not particularly desperate to leave. Went through some interviews. Got an offer for almost twice my current salary… in the private sector (adjacent/lateral position, but not moving up). How much? Higher than the post-grad salaries of professional programs like law or nursing.
Based on my interviews and extensive research of the company, I'm convinced it would be a noticeable increase in hours and stress. I'd also pay 50-60% more in rent due to the city it's in. Also, worse benefits. Higher tax bracket. I did the math and the post-tax, post-expenses, per-hour rate of take-home pay doesn't seem to be that much better than the amount I make on a post-tax, post-expense, per-hour basis now. It would be more money, but mainly at the trade-off of more hours and stress.
Meanwhile, my current position does have a very comfortable hybrid WFH setup. Very chill supervisor. Low stress. Amazing benefits. Never work a minute over 40 hours. Flex scheduling. I wear (almost) whatever I want. Will qualify for tuition reimbursement soon. They even let colleagues attend classes in person and work around class times… No job is perfect, but now i'm realizing my current position ain't all that bad. Certainly not in a rush to leave.
Yet, some of my close friends think it's unwise to turn down an offer for twice my current pay (even if it means giving up WFH, working more hours, giving up work-life balance, etc.). But what does reddit think?