Would you turn down a £38k job offer to stay on £32k closer to home? Just did the maths on my commute...

[AlexCarter88]

I'm really torn at the moment and could use a sanity check. I've been offered a new role paying £38,000, which initially sounded like a great step up from my current £32,000 job. The catch is that the new office is a 50-minute commute each way by train, whereas my current workplace is only 15 minutes from home.

I sat down this morning to work out how much better off I'd actually be each month. Once tax and National Insurance take their chunk out of the extra £6k, and I subtract the monthly rail season ticket and extra travel costs, the £38k job literally leaves me with about £45 a month more in my pocket — in exchange for losing nearly 40 hours a month sitting on a train.

I actually ran both postcodes through the take-home pay and commute calculator on jobbri.co.uk just to double-check I wasn't going mad, and seeing the net monthly pay next to the door-to-door travel time really put me off accepting it. I'm now leaning towards turning it down and just looking for direct local employers closer to home.

Am I being silly turning down a higher salary on paper for the sake of a short commute, or would you stay put on £32k?

What are the longer term prospects with either organisation? And have you negotiated on the £38k?

No I agree, unless there are other elements of the new role that make it more attractive - pay isn't always the only thing that matters. For example good benefits, opportunities for progression, culture, flexibility etc . But if not, I wouldn't take a longer commute for £45 a month!

No way.

How happy are you with your current job? And when is your next review with your line manager?
It is not in your best interests to take the higher paying job, but it is a very good thing to have in your pocket if you feel like asking for a salary increase with your current employer.

I agree with other posters is is it a stepping stone to better things and permanent, do they increase the salary in line with inflation every year, what is the pension like, could you request to work from home some of the time, is the holiday allocation the same as where you are? Is there a bonus? Private health care etc. Hard to judge without all the facts. Where are you in your career, slowing down, ramping up, do you have children?

I'd go back to the job with this info and ask if there is any movement on salary. Won't hurt to ask, esp if you were going to turn it down

That would not be enough for me to make the move. The pay rise isn’t huge, and the cost and time of the commute cancel out the benefit.

A pay rise would have to be dramatic for me to consider swapping those commutes. Especially with the price and state of trains.

edited to add: if you can negotiate wfh days and a bigger salary, then it could be an option!

On the face of it, it is definitely not worth it. Commuting is horrible and rarely makes life better unless there is a significant advantage (financial or otherwise.) But there are other things to consider.

Can you use it as a reason to negotiate a higher salary?

Will the new role allow you to work remotely, at least 3 days a week?

Is the role more senior? Or could it lead to a more senior and well paid position than your current role?

Will being on a higher salary mean you are better able to negotiate a higher salary in your next role?

Do you actually like your current job and are you happy to stay? If there were reasons outside salary that led you to look around, how will that change?

Is the new workplace better for you and your career?

It may be that you have thought all this through, but if not, I hope the above helps. Choosing a new job is not just about money in your pocket, it is also about the future.

Before I declined I’d be:

a) telling my current job I have an offer and seeing if they can pay me any more if I stay.
b) seeing if the new job can go any higher.

But with the figures you’ve given I wouldn’t move.

This. I'd be thinking long term about whether it was the better option.

Though it also depends on how likely you are to get a similar job offer nearer to home. If this job is a rare opportunity - take it. If you are confident another opportunity will come up soon, despite the dire job market, closer to home, don't take it.

Also depends if you have kids, if you are single its easier to suck up the commute.

You could also ask if your commute time could count as you working hours if you can work on the train. Also could ask if home working a couple of days a week is a possibility.

I would not just be looking at the £45 increase but be thinking much wider and long term. If this job can lead to something better in a couple of years, its worth sucking up the commute, especially if you don't have young kids.

You'll probably spend that extra £45 on coffees while waiting on delayed trains and factor in shoes needing replaced more often and winter coats etc.

I wouldn’t, it’s not worth it.

I wouldn’t consider a job with a 50 minute commute by train full stop. A ten grand pay rise wouldn’t make me consider it.

In this job market telling your current role you have an offer is a very dangerous game.

For the money v hassle I would not take it. They would have to make worth your while by a whole lot more.

Things to also think about if you want to negotiate with them - more salary, is the pension better, what are your WFH options, what is the career progression like?

Another thing to consider with the current market is job security, if you've been somewhere more than 2 years that's worth something imo. I know a couple of people who have lost jobs due to restructures within the first year of employment who would have had reasonable redundancy packages if they'd been made redundant in the job they left.

Unless it was an amazing, dream job scenario and a stepping stone to better opportunities I would stay put on the £32k. It's not worth it for £45 a month and ten hours a week commuting!

It depends , do you have young children? If so I'd turn it down.
If you don't will it help your future career?
Is it a role you want?
Are you unhappy in the current job?
Is there a chance if promotion where you are now?
How reliable is the train service?
Could you use the journey to do something you want to do so not wasted the time?
I think the answers to those questions will help you decide what to do

It depends what the job prospects are. Is this a job where the salary will go up and you will progress? Can you progress in you current post? Do you want to? Are you bored in your job? I certainly wouldn't move for that amount if I was happy where I was and I havd some prospects of growing my career. I might if I was wanting to step up and better prospects.

It doesn't sound worthwhile to me. I'd stay put for a better work/life balance.

Definitely not. Unless there are significantly better benefits at the new employer, or much better progression? Or you are being made redundant. You'll also inevitably spend more money on food and drink with a train commute.

remember you are also turning down bigger pension contributions so make sure you factor that in

and think about your next step after this

I've just turned down a £49k to £60k increase as I worked out I'd spend almost the entire extra on travel, extra childcare, and probably having to get a cleaner/use more convenience food - as 3 days in London vs working locally now. Plus I'd never see my toddler!

Definitely not worth it - especially when you factor in delays too - it makes your day longer.

Do what you say and find a job paying that salary closer to home.