I have been at my current job for about 18 months. I like it a lot - I have a lot of autonomy, the work is interesting, the environment is casual, and I work with a lot of nice people. I also have a relatively short commute in a town where terrible commuting times are the norm. The big downsides is that it can be extremely stressful, the pay isn't stellar (state government), and I work with a population that is in crisis so there are safety concerns (two recent incidences have brought this to the forefront of my mind). There is also no career growth potential for me. Basically, I am a the highest point I will ever be.
A position has opened up in our headquarters, and I have been considering allying for it. The job itself has a lot of positives - this would be a huge step-up careerwise for me, the work would be a lot less stressful, the safety concerns would go away, and the pay would be a minimum of 25% more than what I am making now. The big downsides would be that my commute would double. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact my husband works in the same general area a few days a week so we could ride together and I can take public transportation for free on the other days (can't do this with my current position because there are no stops in that area). I would also be moving from a fun, casual environment to a more "corporate" environment which kind of scares me. I also think the job itself won't be as interesting. Right now, I feel like my work makes a difference because I am on the frontline, but I am not so sure if I will feel that way in an environment that is more removed from the agency's mission. Also, this job would involve travelling several times per year (which I am fairly neutral about).
On a further note, I tend to not be extremely motivated by money, but I also don't want to be stupid. The pension I receive from this job will be based on my thee highest years of pay. If I stay where I am at, it will be close to 10 years before I would match what this job pays (and that is assuming we get approved for an increase every year).
Writing this out helps a lot. I have so many misgivings about making a change, but I think the things I am fearing most are the unknowns about the job. Any thoughts or advice?