Should I stay at my entry level job if it offers me fantastic benefits but promotion is not on the table?

Submitted by BaronDelecto t3_10o7epa in personalfinance

I've been at my entry level job in market research for almost 3 years now (joined right after graduating from college). It currently pays me $58k yearly with my bonuses ranging from $8k-$19k depending on company performance, as well as yearly inflation raises, decent insurance, flexible remote work, and 4 weeks PTO a year. I also have zero college debt due to a combination of financial aid and scholarships, so I'm able to reap the full extent of my paycheck.

I've been planning to move to North Carolina to live with my long-distance S/O. My bosses have said that they're fine with me moving to the east coast while continuing my current role, but there wouldn't be a path to promotion for me due to the nature of our clients that would require me to be on the west coast.

Many of the jobs in my field that I've looked at in NC (market research/public policy/social sciences) pay worse and have poorer benefits than my current one. Fully remote companies I've looked at are also mixed -- occasionally better than NC but still not quite as great as my current benefits.

So here's my dilemma:

Should I stay at a job that has made it clear to me that I won't advance in the company beyond my entry level position, but gives me opportunities to have a fulfilling life outside of work (i.e I can vacation and travel 4 weeks a year) for several more years? Would that hurt my career if I try to move on in the future and it's apparent that I've been at an entry level role for more than what's "normal?"

Or should I try to find a job that will move me up the ladder and give me more responsibilities that make me feel like I'm having a direct impact on things I care about? Because right now, I'm essentially an assistant to senior members of the team.

Additional info that could be useful: my s/o makes about 2.5x my salary so both of us would be fine for the next few years even without a promotion salary bump.

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Apfelsaft159 t1_j6cxt4h wrote

Depends on where you see yourself in the corporate ladder.

Do you want to keep a decent job and enjoy your free time? Stay where you are. Enjoy the drama of the senior management you get to learn about.

Do you want to climb the ladder? Look for a job that matches your wants and needs. Or talk to your boss. Maybe he/she supports you in finding a role with more responsibility inside the same company.

From my experience i can tell you it's easier to climb the ladder upwards instead of downwards when you're priorities might have shifted.

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JaKr8 t1_j6d17rz wrote

Quality of life is important, especially if you can pay the bills.

Is your col going up or down in NC?

Will you be able to comfortably live on your own in NC? If things don't work out and you move out on your own will you be able to afford it? I'm not hoping that will happen but something like that is always a possibility.... At least strictly from a financial standpoint you have to be able to handle that..

Also consider, will you have the same quality of life overall if you move to North Carolina and things don't work out? Will you enjoy living there verses where you are now?

Once you are Out there you can Always jump ship to a new job if $$ is an issue. But then your work/quality of life ratio could change .

But with a potential recession looming I'd stay with your current employer, you can always bail a year from now.

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tobyflenderson93 t1_j6d0pzd wrote

Think about your short and long term goals. If you value your time then your current situation is great! If you want to move up the ranks, increase your income, etc then you should look seriously at some of those local or remote options with more growth opportunities.

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polkawombat t1_j6dqwcq wrote

Your immediate opportunities are the most valuable comparison, and from what you described they are worse than what you have now. Keep your current job and find ways to improve your skills either on the job or during your free time, that'll open up more opportunities later

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bingbangbio t1_j6d9yfk wrote

I find it hard to believe that the choice is so binary. I’m sure there are/will be opportunities that offer career and compensation growth. You don’t have to decide to stick around forever right now. You can stick around until you find something better. Just be sure to take a look around a few times a year.

Overall, one of the best ways to accelerate your career along all dimensions is to switch jobs. You fall behind when you’ve only known one way of doing things.

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russ257 t1_j6dpsu0 wrote

Move and work remote. Advancement for the sake of it is t a big deal. If they call you a manager but you make less it isn’t worth it.

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shadow_chance t1_j6e5kso wrote

Given the move, I think you should keep the current job and get settled. Then you can more freely explore roles in NC or ideally, remote jobs that have more growth potential.

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