What was the biggest pay cut you ever took for a job?

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Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,999
1,396
126
50% cut to get out of a 60-70 hrs per week of work as a salaried position (no OT, no comp time, nothing). Couldn't be more happier.

Now at another company, 40 hrs and a lot better working conditions.
 

middlehead

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2004
4,573
2
81
I have yet to take a job that cut my hourly wage, but during college I left a job that had become nearly full-time for a job that was guaranteed not to cross 20hrs a week.
 

ggnl

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2004
5,095
1
0
I haven't taken a pay cut since I quit my pizza delivery job to do an internship.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
91
Originally posted by: brtspears2
Roughly $6500 a year.
Reduce commute time from 2-3 hours daily to 2-3 minutes daily.

$15k. 2 years ago.
Went from 3 hour round trip commute to 20 minute round trip commute
Went from temporary position to permanent position
Went from no possibility of advancement to good advancement opportunities (I'm getting a promotion in a few weeks)
Went from a company where I would learn nothing to a company where I am constantly learning
Went from a company where I was one of two developers to a company where I am surrounded by developers
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,679
11,023
136
1988, I gave up an average of $500/week when I quit working construction to go to work for a local electrical/irrigation utility.
I made about 1/2 of that back as I progressed through their "step-raises" over the next couple of years however, PLUS, the "new job" came with paid vacation, paid holidays, sick leave, and a VERY good benefit package. It also had a 40 hour/week guarantee, which construction doesn't have.
When I left there in 95, (I went back to construction) I went from about $45K/year to $80K, my benefit package actually got better, but I went back to having no paid time-off. (pretty good trade-off to me)
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
$10/hr... ALMOST. Had to decide between a dead end IT summer job for $21/hr or a job riding around the south end of the province, surveying highway culverts and drainage systems for $11/hr. I REALLY needed the experience from the low paying job as it's related to my field of study. However, because they screwed me over and the pay cut was too big, even for my minimal expenses. I went for money. I'm kind of thankful after looking at my credit card bills for the summer, but keep kicking myself for not taking it.
 

jupiter57

Diamond Member
Nov 18, 2001
4,600
3
71
Took a 50% pay cut once!
Union work, had us doing weird shifts, work 3rd Mon.-Fri., then come back on second shift Sat., then 1st. Shift on Sun.
I cannot sleep during the day, so 3rd. shift was killing me. I tried to get through it for 2 weeks, when I just could no longer handle the lack of sleep.
Found another contractor in a different local who needed Millwrights, but it only paid roughly 1/2 of what my local paid.
I quit, went to work out of the Louisville hall, and ended up staying until I retired(From the Union).
Even though the pay was less, there was more overtime, more work during the winter, and just a little less politics, so I believe I made as much money in the long run as I would have by staying in the Evansville local.
 

OpenThirdEye

Golden Member
Oct 3, 2004
1,154
1
0
I took a 7% paycut coming to the job I'm at now.

It was a no-brainer: be on the road 100% of the time and live out a suitcase or be a Senior level guy at a company in an area of IT that I'm passionate about and work a normal 8-5 job in an office.

I was done with traveling.
 

Xavier434

Lifer
Oct 14, 2002
10,377
1
0
Lots of people changing jobs to increase their free time at the cost of money. This makes me happy. It's refreshing to see so many people valuing time over money.

I have yet to have to take a cut in pay simply due to circumstance, but I am also lucky enough to have a comfortable job with a short commute, no overtime, good pay, and benefits. If I didn't have those things, I would gladly continue searching and take pay cuts to make my life happier.
 

Eos

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2000
3,473
16
81
I was driving long haul truck bringing home about $2800 a month, but gone 26-28 days a month. I accepted my current job for about $1500 take home, but I sleep in my own bed and take as many showers per day as I want.

My girlfriend and I had been together for 7 years and had spent about 6 months of that together due to 1) my work schedule when we met, 2) her moving to TN for grad school, 3) coming back to me working long haul...
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,207
66
91
Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
Originally posted by: Squisher
I just took a $45K/yr. pay cut for my new position which is to sit home and do nothing.

what made you want to go 'sedentary?' won't that get old fast....doing nothing?

It might, but I'm willing to wait it out.

Sendentary, really doesn't quite fit right now when I have a honey-do list a mile long.

 

kami333

Diamond Member
Dec 12, 2001
5,110
2
76
Lost 40k plus benefits and sick/vacation.

Now I make just over 20k with no insurance or vacation and more responsibility/more stress, if things go according to plan I'll make about the same for the next 9years, lol.
 

jdoggg12

Platinum Member
Aug 20, 2005
2,685
11
81
$50k - To live in a city i wanted to live in. I'd be making about 100k MORE than i am now if i had not made that decision. :(
 

thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
5,729
1
0
$9/hr -> $6.25/hr
Both helpdesk jobs, but one is on campus so I save lots of money in gas and such
 

GuitarDaddy

Lifer
Nov 9, 2004
11,465
1
0
I've done it a couple of times, but the first time in 1995 was the most drastic. Left a high pressure corporate finance manager job making $95k plus bonus to start my own consulting biz, and probably made $35-40k the first year:( Although it was a financial kick in the crotch it most likely saved my life. It took me a long time, but 12yrs latter I'm back to around the same wage or more and finally have a great work/life balance and am really happy.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
30,160
3,300
126
Potentially $5M/yr

Was offered tryouts for a major league baseball team. i turned them down because i was doing to Hawaii w/twins during that same time.

it was fun, but looking back i should have went for the tryouts.

SIGH...