Pay cut for better job

Jhncf

Has anyone taken a pay cut for a better long term job? Currently a factory worker, have been for 3 years and am paid £7.90 p/h with shift allowance on top of that. Been offered a job as a trainee lift engineer at £7.50 with no shift allowance, but long term I'll start to make a good bit more money and gain qualifications. Would be taking approx a 25% pay cut in the beginning and with me currently renting a house and saving to buy with my other half,it means we will have to cut back on things until i start to make more money. My current job has no real prospects or opportunity to progress. Any opinions?

TELLIT01

It looks as if you are making a sensible long term choice, and have thought through the short term problems that it will create.
My nephew did something similar, leaving a reasonably well paid job in order to train as an electrician. Wage dropped a lot but once he completes his training later this year he will earn far more than he did in his previous job.

Diamandis

If you can afford it in the short term then I would do it. I was in a job I hated but paid well, left for a lower paid job that was more enjoyable and was quickly promoted anyway. Good luck.

welshbookworm

I left one job for a lower paid job to keep my sanity and self respect. 3 years later I do not regret it at all.

Katapolt

yup i did the same, went from £18500 to £14500 when i retrained, and now im on more than about £23000! long term sanctification beats short term comfort

Alarae

I took a paycut to go into a complete different sector. Two years later I'm on £7000 more and from August will be on £12,000 more :beer:

fraserbooks

I took a pay cut to get a job with less stress nearer home. My husband was a lift engineer and over the years he had a good steady income as even during a recession lifts still need servicing or repairing. He enjoyed the work.

Fireflyaway

My husband re trained. He took a job that wasn't much change in pay but had more downsides, involved having to work nights and weekends etc. That enabled him to gain skills to get promoted then move to a better job and so on. A bit of short term struggle (about a year) and now 12 years on he is paid more than 3 times his original salary.
I'd say go for it. It will be a temporary drop and you will thank yourself in the future.

Moonshine14

I’d say go for it if the long term prospects are better.

Pay_me

I did something similar a few years ago.

I got a job in the field I wanted on a relatively low wage, went back to uni to get a job specific Masters then completed a further 2 years professional portfolio building to register with a Chartered Institute. In 2017 I was promoted to my current position with a basic starting salary of £11,000 more than I was originally on.

I say, sounds like you have a plan, it sounds like a career choice that will give you options so I'm in the camp of go for it.

suki1964

Don't forget, NMW goes up to £7.83 this year so it's a no brainer, it's only going to be the shift allowances you will really be losing. Also as you earn less, NI,,tax and pension contributions will be less so the difference may well be negligible