I did this and my take is yes it’s worth it but its highly variable. I was in a position and company where there was no where left for me to go. If I had stayed there for another 5 years I would have been doing the exact same thing with maybe different tools, but even then no guarantees. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my industry or position I had just already peaked at that company. So slightly different than your scenario. But this is always a very personal situation, so weigh everything carefully.
I have not, but I would not rule it out. It all depends on what that experience and the future marketability of that experience would mean in the long run.
Would I go from making 100K to 50K? No. Would I go from 100K to 80K and maybe down a tier in title if it meant I thought that experience could lead to a 150K job in a year or two? Maybe. Really all depends on the situation.
Yes. I wanted to break into a very niche sector of legal services and took an incredibly low rate of pay (like, it barely covered my base cost of living) for a horrible company. Four months later, I got head-hunted by their competitor and offered 44% more. I’ll probably upgrade from this position within another 10 months, vying for something that pays 30%-50% more than this.
If you’re very specific about the position, the industry, and how you want to progress, you can definitely take lower paying jobs with the intent to move up, rapidly. It’s basically professional upskilling.
Not a huge difference from my previous salary. I’ve only been working here for a few weeks but the overall team is nice and being able to interact with people face to face is huge for me. Having complete ownership in my work is gratifying and feels like I can finally fully utilize the skills knowledge I’ve gained over the past few years.
More by necessity than choice, I took a pay cut and a lower title years ago, which brought me to a more hands on role than I had had in quite awhile. I did not like the company or the job, the compensation was enough to keep me going but the work filled a critical knowledge gap for me that bore fruit: after much upheaval there, I was hired by a FAANG that materially altered everything. The SME I gained there wound up critical for the hire. So the gamble paid off.
I took a pay cut once but not to gain experience- they sold me on the org being one that did not care about tenure/nepotism/race/anything hut performance and so I was willing to take a lower salary to get in and prove myself (turns out was all talk).
Doing it to gain experience should only be entertained when changing industries, and only early in your career. A people manager in industry x is basically the same as a people manager in industry y, but the technicians are obviously drastically different in knowledge.
I have taken pay cuts several times and I’m about to do it again.
There’s a couple of things:
I have always been able to earn my way ahead and have my pay increased, I don’t mind a company expecting me to perform well to receive good pay or them realizing that I’m bringing more value than anticipated
At this stage if my life I really value quality of life above all else, that wasn’t true until this year - I’m older and I can’t sell my youth any longer so I need to step back into something accommodating. I feel like my next position won’t pay much and that’s ok with me completely as long as I’m living well.
I did and it was super fulfilling. I was making $72k as a social strategist for a home remodeling company. Moved and joined a major non profit as digital strategist along $57k. Gained a much broader skill set and it set me up well for making over $200k a few years later.
It’s very situational. Is the team and culture a place that will support you and your learning growth? If not, then no. Is the experience area something you want to level up in? Then yes. But both HAVE to be there in place for it to be worth it.
I made that call to give up money for experience. My team was a good one hit a lot of people quit recently and I was the one left holding ‘the bag’ I decided to stick it out because it put in as defacto lead for a lot of workstreams that otherwise would not have landed on my plate and I know I perform best when my back’s against the wall and need to step up for the team. I got a much faster promotion than normal because of it, and got time to settle into that higher role. From there I left for much higher pay at that higher title and the experience + confidence it gave me gave me momentum where I’m now two levels higher than that. I wouldn’t be where I am today career wise if I did not get those experience and grit through.
YMMV so definitely see if the right boxes can be checked
I have. With the idea that the experience would *eventually* translate into more pay. Just know that when you want to leverage that experience to get the better pay you will likely have to change jobs.
I took a slight pay cut to go from a fully in person job with little room for growth (manager did not like me). The job I took was fully remote, the money i saved in gas, drive time, or even going out to lunch was worth the change. My attitude also got better, and within 18 months I got a promotion and make a good chunk more than the job I left. Oh, and the manager that didn't like me is already gone from the position and the dept is in shambles. No regrets!
I have, a few times.
I work with animals. Specifically wild animals, and have worked in zoos and other facilities of ex-situ conservation.
I have taken a pay cut of paid work to unpaid to get experience in an area of species I wanted to love into (mammals to birds), I have taken a pay cut from management in a zoo to just normal tempbworker at a conservation facility so I could get some very specialised experience. I then turned down offers of jobs from people I know running teams in other zoos to volunteer in a tropical country and gain more specific experience in birds and breed to release programmes plus everything else it entails.
I am now about to start a job in another country earning over double what I even did as a team leader in a zoo before, and doing more work that I specifically want to do and find important.
However I am also the type of person to be happy to move around a lot, to not quite get the latest items and all that. I also believe strongly in doing what you enjoy.
It's a very specific industry where hands on experience counts for a lot but I can personally vouch for taking pay cuts or technical demotions when moving facilities can work out for the better long term for me at least.
I’m about to go back to my home country in Latin America because I can’t find a job in New York. Even if I find a job, the pay won’t be enough to afford living in New York City. So I’m going away to get experience for a few years and hopefully I can comeback and get a real job.
I didn’t do it for experience but did it to get away from toxic manager.
I was making 212k but was miserable and hated myself and my life. I left for a job that paid 185k.
It was the best decision of my life. I went from working with the third stringers to being on a A+ team. I did that for 2.5 years and learned a ton. I was then able to accept another position where I now make 260k.
Sometimes you need to take a step backwards so you can take two forward.
It's not exactly experience, but I think it still counts.
Was refused a flexible working contract by my high up gov employer. I was making 3k a month at the time. I really needed it so that I could care for my child, and it was only 1 day a week difference and only needed it for 12 months so we weren't in financial ruin paying 1300k a month for nursery fees.
I went for another role down the corridor doing the same thing but better hours, my supervisor caught wind and essentially refused to support my application because I "wasn't good enough for the role" even though I was doing the exact same thing. She'd even told me months prior that I was her best employee.
It was clear my boss had taken a dislike to me wanting to jump ship, and my application had hit a personal nerve for her. So I spent about 3 weeks speaking to my wife, who was due to qualify from university and be on 60k, meaning I would be in less of a financial choke hold after spending 3 years financially carrying my 5 person family unit.
I spent 3 years working my socks off, saying yes to the overtime, working late and in response to my financial worries my boss said "well we've all got financial worries" So my wife just said "fuck em"
So, I dropped down to the non supervisory level of the department I wanted to manage. Took a massive pay cut. My manager was stunned and made it out like It was a death sentence working with the people who essentially made the whole organisation what it is.
I grafted hard for about 4 months on the "shop floor," trained newer colleagues who didn't know the systems, and my workloads were always finished and on top of. Essentially, I was living the dream because the work was so easy, and I didn't even need managing, I knew more than the managers did who were younger and only wanted the title for further promotions.
It was so stress free that when my new boss asked me to step up as the supervisor, I thought for a millisecond to stay as I was.
Saw my old boss about 4.5 months in, and I just laughed 😅.
Sometimes, you have to move sideways to go forward. Classic chess manoeuvre.
Edit - I'm now the boss.
I did this and my take is yes it’s worth it but its highly variable. I was in a position and company where there was no where left for me to go. If I had stayed there for another 5 years I would have been doing the exact same thing with maybe different tools, but even then no guarantees. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my industry or position I had just already peaked at that company. So slightly different than your scenario. But this is always a very personal situation, so weigh everything carefully.
I have not, but I would not rule it out. It all depends on what that experience and the future marketability of that experience would mean in the long run. Would I go from making 100K to 50K? No. Would I go from 100K to 80K and maybe down a tier in title if it meant I thought that experience could lead to a 150K job in a year or two? Maybe. Really all depends on the situation.
Yes. I wanted to break into a very niche sector of legal services and took an incredibly low rate of pay (like, it barely covered my base cost of living) for a horrible company. Four months later, I got head-hunted by their competitor and offered 44% more. I’ll probably upgrade from this position within another 10 months, vying for something that pays 30%-50% more than this. If you’re very specific about the position, the industry, and how you want to progress, you can definitely take lower paying jobs with the intent to move up, rapidly. It’s basically professional upskilling.
I’m a similar position right now. Took a slight pay cut and went from purely remote to Hybrid for more experience and ownership in my field.
How are you liking things? Did the pay cut hurt you?
Not a huge difference from my previous salary. I’ve only been working here for a few weeks but the overall team is nice and being able to interact with people face to face is huge for me. Having complete ownership in my work is gratifying and feels like I can finally fully utilize the skills knowledge I’ve gained over the past few years.
More by necessity than choice, I took a pay cut and a lower title years ago, which brought me to a more hands on role than I had had in quite awhile. I did not like the company or the job, the compensation was enough to keep me going but the work filled a critical knowledge gap for me that bore fruit: after much upheaval there, I was hired by a FAANG that materially altered everything. The SME I gained there wound up critical for the hire. So the gamble paid off.
No.
I took a pay cut once but not to gain experience- they sold me on the org being one that did not care about tenure/nepotism/race/anything hut performance and so I was willing to take a lower salary to get in and prove myself (turns out was all talk). Doing it to gain experience should only be entertained when changing industries, and only early in your career. A people manager in industry x is basically the same as a people manager in industry y, but the technicians are obviously drastically different in knowledge.
I have taken pay cuts several times and I’m about to do it again. There’s a couple of things: I have always been able to earn my way ahead and have my pay increased, I don’t mind a company expecting me to perform well to receive good pay or them realizing that I’m bringing more value than anticipated At this stage if my life I really value quality of life above all else, that wasn’t true until this year - I’m older and I can’t sell my youth any longer so I need to step back into something accommodating. I feel like my next position won’t pay much and that’s ok with me completely as long as I’m living well.
Absolutely not. I’ve taken a lesser title or made a parallel move but always more money
I did and it was super fulfilling. I was making $72k as a social strategist for a home remodeling company. Moved and joined a major non profit as digital strategist along $57k. Gained a much broader skill set and it set me up well for making over $200k a few years later.
Depends on how much of a paycut. Are we talking 10-20%, or a huge 40-50% cut?
It’s very situational. Is the team and culture a place that will support you and your learning growth? If not, then no. Is the experience area something you want to level up in? Then yes. But both HAVE to be there in place for it to be worth it. I made that call to give up money for experience. My team was a good one hit a lot of people quit recently and I was the one left holding ‘the bag’ I decided to stick it out because it put in as defacto lead for a lot of workstreams that otherwise would not have landed on my plate and I know I perform best when my back’s against the wall and need to step up for the team. I got a much faster promotion than normal because of it, and got time to settle into that higher role. From there I left for much higher pay at that higher title and the experience + confidence it gave me gave me momentum where I’m now two levels higher than that. I wouldn’t be where I am today career wise if I did not get those experience and grit through. YMMV so definitely see if the right boxes can be checked
I have. With the idea that the experience would *eventually* translate into more pay. Just know that when you want to leverage that experience to get the better pay you will likely have to change jobs.
I took a slight pay cut to go from a fully in person job with little room for growth (manager did not like me). The job I took was fully remote, the money i saved in gas, drive time, or even going out to lunch was worth the change. My attitude also got better, and within 18 months I got a promotion and make a good chunk more than the job I left. Oh, and the manager that didn't like me is already gone from the position and the dept is in shambles. No regrets!
I have, a few times. I work with animals. Specifically wild animals, and have worked in zoos and other facilities of ex-situ conservation. I have taken a pay cut of paid work to unpaid to get experience in an area of species I wanted to love into (mammals to birds), I have taken a pay cut from management in a zoo to just normal tempbworker at a conservation facility so I could get some very specialised experience. I then turned down offers of jobs from people I know running teams in other zoos to volunteer in a tropical country and gain more specific experience in birds and breed to release programmes plus everything else it entails. I am now about to start a job in another country earning over double what I even did as a team leader in a zoo before, and doing more work that I specifically want to do and find important. However I am also the type of person to be happy to move around a lot, to not quite get the latest items and all that. I also believe strongly in doing what you enjoy.
This was super interesting
It's a very specific industry where hands on experience counts for a lot but I can personally vouch for taking pay cuts or technical demotions when moving facilities can work out for the better long term for me at least.
I’m about to go back to my home country in Latin America because I can’t find a job in New York. Even if I find a job, the pay won’t be enough to afford living in New York City. So I’m going away to get experience for a few years and hopefully I can comeback and get a real job.
I didn’t do it for experience but did it to get away from toxic manager. I was making 212k but was miserable and hated myself and my life. I left for a job that paid 185k. It was the best decision of my life. I went from working with the third stringers to being on a A+ team. I did that for 2.5 years and learned a ton. I was then able to accept another position where I now make 260k. Sometimes you need to take a step backwards so you can take two forward.
It's not exactly experience, but I think it still counts. Was refused a flexible working contract by my high up gov employer. I was making 3k a month at the time. I really needed it so that I could care for my child, and it was only 1 day a week difference and only needed it for 12 months so we weren't in financial ruin paying 1300k a month for nursery fees. I went for another role down the corridor doing the same thing but better hours, my supervisor caught wind and essentially refused to support my application because I "wasn't good enough for the role" even though I was doing the exact same thing. She'd even told me months prior that I was her best employee. It was clear my boss had taken a dislike to me wanting to jump ship, and my application had hit a personal nerve for her. So I spent about 3 weeks speaking to my wife, who was due to qualify from university and be on 60k, meaning I would be in less of a financial choke hold after spending 3 years financially carrying my 5 person family unit. I spent 3 years working my socks off, saying yes to the overtime, working late and in response to my financial worries my boss said "well we've all got financial worries" So my wife just said "fuck em" So, I dropped down to the non supervisory level of the department I wanted to manage. Took a massive pay cut. My manager was stunned and made it out like It was a death sentence working with the people who essentially made the whole organisation what it is. I grafted hard for about 4 months on the "shop floor," trained newer colleagues who didn't know the systems, and my workloads were always finished and on top of. Essentially, I was living the dream because the work was so easy, and I didn't even need managing, I knew more than the managers did who were younger and only wanted the title for further promotions. It was so stress free that when my new boss asked me to step up as the supervisor, I thought for a millisecond to stay as I was. Saw my old boss about 4.5 months in, and I just laughed 😅. Sometimes, you have to move sideways to go forward. Classic chess manoeuvre. Edit - I'm now the boss.