
Ask HN: How much of pay cut would you take for a more fulfilling job? - x32n23nr
I&#x27;m at that point where I&#x27;m considering changing jobs. After a string of trampoline-like moves from one place to another, I quite frankly feel I&#x27;m only doing it for the money. As I search for options, I realised jobs I would find more fulfilling typically pay between 30-40% less. Still have not decided what to do.<p>What pay cut would you accept to do something you like?
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frompdx
> I quite frankly feel I'm only doing it for the money.

I think this describes everyone's relationship to work. If your current
employer stopped paying you would you keep showing up? If the more fulfilling
job stopped paying you, would you keep showing up?

Usually if I decide I want to change jobs I am looking for something that is
both more fulfilling and higher pay rather than one or the other. If I did not
have to work, I wouldn't.

~~~
bruce511
Alas this does not describe everyone's relationship to work.

Huge communities of people work really hard for zero money to get job
satisfaction. You need look no further than many open source projects to see
this, not to mention armies of volunteers at any charity shop etc.

While it is rare to find that perfect job, where you are both fulfilled and
paid well, it is certainly something to hang into when you find it.

For me, I programmed for free long before anyone paid me, and I'll program for
free when they stop paying me. In between I have earned dramatically lower pay
working for myself, on projects I enjoy, with minimal oversight, than I would
have gotten working for some corporate as a cog in the machine. I don't envy
my rich Google compatriots - it would kill me to do their job.

The old cliche says if you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in
your life. That's bogus. Work is still work, and I work harder than most,but
the work is meaningful, satisfying, and fulfilling. (_and_ I get paid :))

To answer your question though I dug out this story I read a long time ago
[https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31077/when-his-
project-w...](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31077/when-his-project-was-
canceled-unemployed-programmer-kept-sneaking-apple-finish-job)

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non-entity
I probably wouldn't take a pay cut at my current salary, but I would
definitely settle for a lower salary ceiling. I find people have a different
definition of fulfilling though, it seems to most people to he defined as work
having some sort of positive impact on society, but I really just want to work
on domains / problems I'm interested in.

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shoo
> the primary goal for many [new professionals] becomes, in essence, getting
> compensated sufficiently for sidelining their original goals. Robert H.
> Frank, a Cornell University professor of economics, tried to find out
> exactly how much compensation people deem sufficient for making this
> sacrifice. He surveyed graduating seniors at his university and found, for
> example, that the typical student would rather work as an advertising
> copywriter for the American Cancer Society than an advertising copywriter
> for Camel cigarettes, and would want a salary 50% higher to do it for the
> cigarette company. The typical student would want conscience money amounting
> to a 17% salary boost to work as an accountant for a large petrochemical
> company instead of doing the same job for a large art museum.

\-- Schmidt's book Disciplined Minds, p 131

~~~
cm2012
I'd personally consider it more moral to work at a petrochemical company than
an art museum.

Petrochemicals - Creating energy, necessary for modern life and society.

Museum - Playground for the rich and tourists.

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gshdg
I already do something I like, so not much.

That said, a FAANG or bank would pay twice as much, at least. And I’ve
deliberately avoided that out of preference for startups. So perhaps in that
sense I’ve already taken a 50% cut.

And only regret it when looking at time-to-retirement projections.

~~~
decafninja
What bank would pay close to a FAANG? Goldman is the only one that I think
could come close at the junior levels, but once you reach senior or above, I
doubt any can.

Maybe for some elite (and pretty rare) roles in niches like algo trading, but
I doubt the typical bank developer job pays as well as FAANG or other top tier
tech companies.

Some elite hedge funds or prop trading shops could match or even vastly exceed
FAANG comp, but then again, those jobs are both pretty rare, and their
interviews can be difficult enough to make FAANG interviews look easy.

~~~
gshdg
For management roles

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askafriend
Depends on my asset base.

These days, I have a comfortable base of assets that generate growth/cash.
Because of that, I can afford to take jobs that index better on qualities
other than just pay.

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sloaken
I would do 20%, but each persons number is based on how much they feel they
are paid beyond their need / want level.

Like you I do not care for my current job, but for a variety of reasons I am
stuck for the next 2.

There is an old saying 'Enjoy your job and you never work a day' (because you
are having fun). But if you are not meeting yours needs, then they become the
golden handcuffs that keep you working because you need the gold.

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bryan11
What parts to you find fulfilling? One approach would be to assign a value to
aspects of a job you find fulfilling. This could include things like a short
commute, casual dress, flex hours, remote work, low politics, good/smart
coworkers, and challenging projects. For some challenging projects may be
worth a lot, for others remote work to be with family could have the highest
value.

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decafninja
I work at an investment bank as a senior SWE. I'd take a paycut to work at a
FAANG or other upper-mid to top tech company. In fact, I'd be ecstatic to join
such a company as a junior or mid engineer - and the paycut (if there would be
any at all) would probably be very minor. Meanwhile the long term benefits
(monetary, skill, and career) would probably be far superior.

~~~
throw51319
In what ballpark are you making? I'm at an IB as a mid-level engineer and my
all-in compensation is at least half of what I could get a FAANG. In NYC.

~~~
decafninja
Ballpark TC of 150k, as a "vice president" individual contributor, team works
with the front office (trading desk). I'm in NYC too.

Probably could have made SVP/D/ED (the next level up, I think it's referred to
differently depending on bank) if I actually cared and made more of an effort.
Instead I choose to use that time and energy to do more leetcode.

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oldsklgdfth
I wouldn't take a paycut currently. However, I would take a job without a
raise. I have found my personal equilibrium for effort vs income. I could make
more money, but it would be with significant more work and time spent.

30%-40% sounds like a lot. But it depends if you are sacrificing luxury or
saving and retirement.

The equation I used is: income = monthly expenses + savings + retirement fund.

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trykondev
I'd happily take a 60% paycut if I could instead work full time directing my
independent game development company.

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cpach
I would probably be willing to settle for 0.75x, if needed, and depending on
other benefits/ factors (e.g. if I would receive multiple job offers at the
same time etc.).

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bedhesd
This is to assume you have the pay to cut!

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giantg2
I have a family to support, so I can't afford any pay cut.

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pryelluw
Why are you treating this as a financial problem?

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corporateslave5
Just stack the money and invest it.

~~~
giantg2
I'm betting my retirement account in the market. Either I can retire someday
or i will be in the bread lines.

