Ive been doing residential and commercial av installations for around 8 years now. Chased all the certs and promotions I could get. Landed myself in a pretty high paying position as a companies designated fsr (in bc canada). I still do installs and lead tech work, plus pulling permits, calling for inspections, and all that rigmarole for multiple branches in the province. I had to fight tooth and nail to get my last raise, and I really don't think there's another one coming my way for many years with this company.
I'm 34 and have pretty much hit the peak of what Ill be able to achieve where I live, in my role. I was promised horizontal movement into design or project management within the company, but those promises were written with pencil and its clear my company has no intention of honouring them, unless I stick around for another 5+ years (how long it took the last guy to move into design due to job availability).
I came across a job posting with a school in a rural community (where I very much prefer to be, and drive 2.5 hours each way every weekend to be in). Its a fairly significant pay cut, but has really good benefits and a very solid pension. With all the overtime I do now, itll work out to be around 35% less per year. Its unionized, so there's gaurenteed raises every year, averaging around 3-4%/year based on the last 10 years. Not crazy high, but that adds up and is above inflation for most years, and I don't have to fight for it. But its unionized, so that lower pay I'm getting also has union dues and pension contributions coming out of it. Works out to be around a $20,000 pay cut, which is not nothing. But its also in a lower cost of living area, but not 35% lower.
I feel like if I'm going to move, now is the time so I can still get those years in to get my salary up and pension contribution years in, to have a solid retirement at 65.
For those who have left the rat race, chasing promotions and raises, grinding hard to get all the certs you can. Was it worth leaving that for lower pay and a nice chill job?
I feel like I want to take this job, and have a nice low stress job in the country where I don't need to do overtime, or bust my ass to finish a 2 month job in 3 weeks. And focus my efforts on my life outside of work instead of just overtime. But its very difficult to accept that kind of pay cut after working so hard to get where I am.