£40k or £80k job

[Justice4Friend]

This shouldn't really be an issue - £80k for the money alone should swing this decision.
But I am undecided.
£40k is a low wage but I'll enjoy the company, the job, the people and the day to day of what the role entails.
The £80k is just salary - not too enthused
About the job, manager, company or the team. Can see myself getting down in this role.

Am I being stupid to even have this dilemma?

You're already taking a drop in wage going to £80k.

I would also think about your mid to longer term career. When you move jobs, most employers will look at your previous role, level and salary, and use that as a basis to decide what level of role you can take on and how much to pay you. Once you're on £40k it's going to be a struggle and take several years and several job changes to get back to a salary close to £80k. So you're not just taking a one off hit. Your salary is going to be lower for many years.

It sounds like you've been burned by the previous job. Been there :( But be careful you're not over correcting by going for the 40k.

Is there a part time option for the 80k role? Even 3 days a week would be £48k and when you applied for new roles in the future, you would be assessed as a candidate who's previous employer valued her as an 80k salary.

Is the 80k one in management?

I took the higher paid role (am on approx 90k now) but I manage a team so day to day I can delegate the work as long as I manage the team effectively (easier said than done).

I still don't LOVE my work, but it's such a high salary and still gives me time with my daughter. So because it's not long hours I feel like I can put up with the stress and dissatisfying work

@MsCactus
The £80k one has 2 people to manage.
Can't be bothered to manage people either.

If the £40k one has less autonomy then that can be very stressful in itself.

Is it the same job? If so the nice people are badly underpaying you.

@Justice4Friend I think you shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking lower pay = easier and less stressful job.

Lots of people in lower paid roles are madly stressed and worked off their feet. Ditto in lots of high paid roles you can delegate the work and have a relaxed time. The hardest jobs I've ever worked have been lower pay

If I was you I'd weigh up everything each role gives you - money, flexibility, family time - and make a choice on all that

Don't assume lower wage = less stress. I've always found the higher the pay, the workload is less and stress lessens with having more autonomy

Having said that it might be worth running the figures through a take home pay calculator. You might find the difference in net pay is not as much as you may expect

Maybe neither of the roles are the one for you. Reality is you'll probably be frustrated in the £40k role and it can be tricky to move back up should you want to in the future, but in the £80k it sounds like you'll be miserable and so that's not good either! I took a lower banded job thinking it'd be less stress, which it was, but not having as much autonomy, having to work under people who knew less was actually really irritating and stressful in a different way. Can you apply for anything else?

I've already done this higher up the thread. The take home pay is £31,771 for £40K and £56,203.40 for £80k so 77 % higher. That's assuming no pension of course, which is a very attractive option currently if paying higher rate tax.

Can you live happily on 40k?

I've taken the £80k job.
Going to put the majority into pension pot and have it reduced to £25k taxable.
So, if I am miserable at least my pension pot will make me smile.
Thanks for the advice.

OP how's your decision suiting you now? In a similar boat

Would also love to know how you’re getting along @Justice4Friend

Surely the answer is neither. I'd roll the dice again.

You never know what a job is actually like until you’re in it. I’d take the higher one and see how it goes, if not it should be easy to find about 40k role from there