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Original poster

Would you take a 23k salary drop aged 31?

56 replies

30something2 · 27/06/2024 19:29

So without going into too much detail here… I currently work in one occupation, but what I really want to do is something completely different.

I have an interview for an entry level role but it would be going right back to the beginning and starting again. And that means taking a big salary drop. I don’t know if it’s worth it.

I feel really depressed tonight as I feel like my career is currently going nowhere and I don’t particularly enjoy it… but I don’t know if the grass will necessarily be greener the other side…

Any advice would be much appreciated!

OP posts:
curlyteapot · 27/06/2024 20:29

I'm 10 years older than you and I made a very similar decision earlier this year. I was earning £65k in London (commuting in about once a week as I live outside London), but I hated the organisation. It was dysfunctional, had lots of politics, poor leadership and rampant toxicity. I took on a local role in a totally new sector for me and it's been amazing, despite the £25k pay drop.

My view is life is too short to be stuck in a job you hate as it can end up creeping into other parts of your life. If you can afford the pay cut and you want to venture out of the sector you're in, it's definitely worth considering. All the experience you've gained so far isn't lost, you'll be adding to it in your new role. Plus you'll climb your way back up if you have the drive and ambition to. Only you can make the decision though. It sounds cheesy, but I also think you'll know in your heart what the right choice is for you in your own circumstances. Good luck!

NoSquirrels · 27/06/2024 20:30

What’s the new career, OP?

NoSquirrels · 27/06/2024 20:31

Bollindger · 27/06/2024 20:15

Starting this month. Put the extra into a savings account . Do not touch it.
Make yourself do 3 months on the lower pay.
Then see how you feel.

This is an excellent plan.

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leeverarch · 27/06/2024 20:33

If you're single with no family responsibilities, and can manage on that reduced income, then there is no time like the present.

Cheesecakelunch · 27/06/2024 20:33

No way. Look at it like this - every job has ups and downs. Take the pay cut and a few months in when the novelty wears off (along with the relief of having left your old job) you'll still be working the same hours for MUCH less money. Why on earth would you undersell yourself?

In your situation I would make the most of your job now and see how you can adapt and cope in the meantime whilst looking for another job on the same or more pay.

alesl360 · 27/06/2024 20:34

I wouldn't do it
You would be starting from scratch so it would be a lot of graft to get where you want to be while facing more financial challenges- you would have to cut back on leisure activities and other things that you are able to do now outside of work
I did the opposite and jumped up by the same amount, and while the job is more stressful, I have way more opportunities to do the fulfilling things that I love outside of work
I think you would regret it!
Why not find another job in your field that has better opportunities to side-step or progress in a different direction?

tiggergoesbounce · 27/06/2024 20:39

I would never work in a job again that I didn't enjoy or that made me not want to go in - if I could help it.

But you do have to be sure you can still live on the lower salary, and not then be so skint you are stressed about paying the bills, so I think it depends on circumstances.

But as a general, life is way to short to spend the large portion of it doing something you dislike

SpindleyDindley · 27/06/2024 20:41

You have another 30+ years working life ahead of you. If you can afford the drop then do it. Working until retirement in a field you no longer enjoy is not a good plan.

Better to make the change when you are still young.

PoppyCherryDog · 27/06/2024 20:43

I’m 31 and I wouldn’t no. But it depends on your situation tbh. We’ve got a big mortgage and just had a baby. But if we didn’t I may consider it.

OhcantthInkofaname · 27/06/2024 20:47

30something2 · 27/06/2024 19:36

Going from 50 to 27k
live in London!

No. You can't live in London on 27k.

Baddaybigcloud · 27/06/2024 20:52

If you’re ever going to do it, do it now. Once you get in a settled relationship and have kids, it is so much harder. Do it now if you can afford it - take risks whilst you can.

Missrosie123 · 27/06/2024 20:53

I did something similar about your age nearly 20 years ago. I had a good stable job that paid reasonably well and was a 5 min walk from home. I was miserable. My life was narrow. When I envisaged myself doing it for the next 30-40 years it was soul destroying. I used all my savings and remortgaged my house to use some equity to fund a years study and then subsidise a low training contract salary for two years. I knew it would take me 5 years to get back to earning what I did originally. However I then had greater earnings potential. My wider family thought I was crazy to do so. It was the best decision I could have made. It opened up a whole new world to me. It has been challenging but so rewarding. Career wise I’ve now reached a point I never could have envisaged. I feel more fulfilled. I also met my husband along the way and now have my amazing son too. Following that ‘what if’ was the right decision for me.

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 27/06/2024 21:02

There's a lot to be said for being happy at work.

27k won't go far in London. But if you can pay your bills and live in a way that's acceptable to you, then don't stay miserable just for extra money.

Bear in mind how quickly prices of everything can rise too. Will your salary match it or in 5 years time will you be miserable for a different reason?

Original poster
30something2 · 27/06/2024 21:04

Thanks everyone. I currently work in HR.

Just compare myself to my peers and feel like I am so behind everyone. I know 31 is still young but I can’t help but look at people I went to school with who are married, having babies, have great jobs that pay 80k plus. 😭

OP posts:
DoingJustFine · 27/06/2024 21:13

I just went on the take-home salary calculator and it’s a big drop. You’d be going from around £3200 a month to £1900.

it’s hard to say without knowing more. If you’d be going from (say) an uncreative office job that pays well, into your true vocation, you’d be daft not to. It will also change other things in your life. You might have to move, you’ll make new friends, you’ll meet new potential partners… everything will change,

DoingJustFine · 27/06/2024 21:14

I’d do the interview and see how it goes. I’d also probably try to negotiate a slightly better salary if I hit offered the job. I’d follow my gut feeling.

RawBloomers · 27/06/2024 21:28

30something2 · 27/06/2024 19:41

The problem isn’t my work/life balance. It’s more that I don’t enjoy what I do - but I think a lot of that is down to the organisation I work for. Arghh feel so down in the dumps. I am also single too.

It would probably make more sense to try finding a new HR position elsewhere (ideally on a higher salary) than getting an entry level job doing something different. (Edited to add: At least in the first instance).

If your career seems to be stagnating, moving jobs is often the way to remedy that too.

How long have you worked for your current employer and how many other companies have you worked for?

mynameiscalypso · 27/06/2024 21:31

I did a bigger drop in my 30s but the big difference was that I had a DH who could make up the shortfall. I'm not sure I'd be able to have done it by myself or, at least, not without making some major changes in my lifestyle.

Wigtopia · 27/06/2024 21:33

OhcantthInkofaname · 27/06/2024 20:47

No. You can't live in London on 27k.

Show quote history

🙄try telling that to all those in London earning for less than this.

averythinline · 27/06/2024 21:37

What is the role you are thinking about? If you've wanted to do it for a while and you think you'll enjoy it then now is a good time to do it? Does it have potential to grow and you too increase your earnings?? Have you investigated it fully??
Is it going to get you to an 80k job?! And how important is that to you really
Write a pros and cons on the roles.. and then think about your options..

I took a massive risk at your age and had took redundancy as i hated my working environment and travelled for a while.. i never did find the job that was me but it did really put work into context for me ...
If you have no other ties its probably the best time

And maybe think

Goingasteady30 · 27/06/2024 21:37

Nope. Money is king in your 30s to build for the future. There's no guarantee you'll get fulfillment in this new job either.

eedie135 · 27/06/2024 21:40

I think you are making a mistake as you don't understand what is motivating you in the change of job and lower pay. Is it just that your current company is toxic but the skills you need and motivation for a role suit you? Don't let the immediate need to escape a horrible situation overwhelm any thoughts about long term strategy. Find out what you really want to do and what suits you

Dontletme · 27/06/2024 23:00

Why don’t you look for a role in a different organisation before you do anything drastic? Also how long have you been in your current workplace? I find you have to give a job a good year or so to settle in.

Also what is your living situation?

whiteboardking · 27/06/2024 23:54

Yes. Life is short. Happiness beats money unless you can't pay bills

KatPurrson · 28/06/2024 00:14

About fifteen years ago I took a £13k salary cut to make a similar move. I went from £45k in Glasgow to £32k in London, so the drop was bigger than it appears in terms of standard of living.

I did enjoy the new role. It was probably the most satisfying job of my life. And it did open doors for me. Afterwards however I didn’t particularly like the sector and I ended up leaving.

That said, it helped me make some moves in my personal and family life that worked out spectacularly well over the following decade and that would never have happened without the career change.

And the original sector I changed from didn’t pan out too well either I. That time frame in terms of general salaries, pension provision, terms and conditions and progress. So I don’t think staying would have been much different, career wise.

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