I do marketing for a mid-sized engineering consulting firm. My base salary is about $61k, and last year I received a $3k bonus. We also have fairly generous medical ($2100 in an HSA/year) and 401k (8% match with me maxing out my contributions). My firm likes me, has been consistent with raises, and is clear that there is a path for growth for me here.
I probably average about 45 hours/week, but about 2-5 days/month I'm here until 10PM or later for a special project (largely because technical staff have conflicting deadlines and don't get to my stuff until it's due NOW). I realize this doesn't seem like a ton of hours to a lot of people, but I am someone who needs a lot of down time. My husband will wander in to the living room some nights to find me staring at a wall because I just cannot process anything anymore.
On Monday, after getting fed up with the constant barrage of unreasonable deadlines, I applied to a job at the local university. I have always wanted to get back in to an academic setting. The happiest I've ever been has been while I was in school, and I'm hoping that I can pick some of that feeling back up. I thought it was a long shot, but they called me back right away. I had the interview yesterday, and it was amazingly pleasant. The job is within my wheelhouse, I clicked with the staff, and best of all, even on salary, you're only
allowed to work 37.5 hours/week. We did not discuss salary, but I know what "step" I would be, and the range is anywhere from $48-$82k. I plan on asking for $80k. The problem I am having is deciding how low I would be willing to go given that:
- The University is technically on a hiring freeze due to budget issues, so I know they are not in a very stable position and there could be layoffs.
- Also because of budget issues, they have reduced benefits to an HDHP health plan with no HSA assistance (but a lower deductible than my current plan) and a straight 5% match on 401k contributions.
- There is no clear path for growth. I would probably be in this position for a long time unless I actively sought other opportunities within the University.
Besides the hours ceiling, the other very attractive benefit of this job is tuition reimbursement. I could take undergraduate classes for free or pursue another graduate degree and only have to pay taxes on the tuition. Like I said, I love school, and have already been browsing programs that I would love to take classes from.
If it's relevant, the husband and I are on the "slow and steady wins the race" retirement plan, and are on track to FIRE in 14 years when we'll be in our mid-40s.
Any advice? WWYD?