My husband and I moved to the west coast of Canada two and a half years ago for my work. I absolutely adore the people I work with, have a ton of flexibility, and find the work challenging and rewarding. We are closer to my family, and have enjoyed the milder climate and wider range of outdoor activities.
The only downside of my job is financial. When I started, I was (unknowingly) offered 10% less than the set wage because HR would not recognize one of my degrees to be relevant to the position. I was willing to stick it out for a while because I was initially on a temporary maternity leave. After the leave was finished my supervisor created a position for me doing the same work (good) but could not, despite his very best efforts secure more fair compensation (bad). Soon after, the provincial government instituted a wage freeze. Since, I've been working alongside a colleague who has less overall experience than I do, most certainly is less committed to the work (takes frequent sick days, "works from home" but is totally unreachable), who makes 27% more than I do. This colleague recently took a sick leave so I have twice the responsibility and no prospects for a wage increase any time soon.
After we moved out here it took my husband several months to find work. The company he eventually worked for was ok for a while, but he got increasingly frustrated with the culture of the shop and felt quite undervalued. Last fall, he submitted a request for a raise and was effectively fired. He has been unemployed since and we are currently living on my income and savings (argh, I know).
A position in (my very specialized) line of work has opened in another province with people (who I like, but perhaps not as much as my current colleagues) I have worked with before. The kicker is that this job pays 70% more than what I make now. My husband also has contacts in this city which make it likely that he will be able to find work he likes reasonably easy. AND, this city is a little less expensive than the area we live in now.
Leaving my family and this milder weather would be hard enough, but I'm most concerned about my current colleagues. If I leave, I'm afraid they will be in quite a bind which would not only be difficult for them personally/professionally but could also affect the larger organization we're a part of. My current supervisor has been a long time mentor so I feel that I owe him a lot and would not want to create a big mess for him to deal with. I have been very open with him about the prospect of leaving and while he has been supportive, he has also made it clear that this could be extremely problematic for the organization if I do.
In some ways, the answer seems obvious, but I'd be curious to hear some other thoughts from a group of folks who obviously think carefully about their own life choices. If I get the job (which I've been told is likely) do I accept? Am I too concerned about how my current department will fare if I leave?