Can I get your thoughts and opinions?

[MelissaG]

My husband has been offered two jobs. One is with a program he knows very very well, with people he knows. It's not the company he's working at now but it would be a 20k a year raise with fantastic benefits including a 401k. It would bring him up to 65k a year and up to 50% travel. The benefits are a BIG deal to us since we're middle aged and starting to have medical things pop up. They pay hourly with a HUGE amount going into over time with the overtime paying literally twice the amount his hourly. Benefits start day one.

The other job was 95k a year. The benefits aren't nearly as good, travel is up to 50% a year.

He feels really good about the first offer. Its the third richest and most influential hotel company in the world. It's with the company itself, not with a contractor. The other company for the 95k a year is a contractor to the the fourth largest hotel company in the world and is salaried.

Here's the thing, he told the second company with the 95k that he was going to take the other job because he feels better for it. So the company came back with 100k per year to cover anything in benefits he isn't getting with them. But what about stress levels too? At 100k a year, they will be a lot higher than at 65k per year. Plus at the 65k a year, he has a complete foundational understanding of everything. At 100k per year, it's much more an unknown.

I've always said to go with your gut instinct. I've learned over the years that if something feels wrong, to pay attention. There are at least three jobs I'd have listened to that I shouldn't have taken but was seduced by the money.

But 100k a year is 100k a year. OMG. I don't even know what to tell him. That's a lot of money.

So I'm coming to you guys to ask. Heck, I even asked my sister, he's asked his parents, no one has an idea on what to do. But you aren't attached to the issue so I thought you might have some ideas.
Either one helps us so much and allows me to keep doing my business without worrying too. With the 100k a year, we'd be able to hire a housekeeper to come in once a month.
Help!. We don't know what to do.

 

[lsg]

I would go with my gut instinct and less stress.

 

[LynetteO]

My husband is/was in a similar situation. He chose to leave the spot that he knew everything at, for a job working directly with CTO & new technology. The stress of learning new stuff can be both thrilling & a challenge. I will say this salary isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. DH on salary & many days, especially during travel, are 10-16 hour days.

So my opinion, $$ not everything. Good Hourly wage with paid overtime, good benefits, with people you know, like & a have gut feeling of YES…well that’s the one I vote he go with. Good luck

 

[Megan]

Fantastic benefits would have me picking that one, even more so if you didn't have to pay in to the benefits from your own paycheck. Also, it makes me wonder if the second company is salary because they want to work him to death and not have to pay overtime...especially at that salary I think they will expect a LOT. At 65k, he has the option to work the extra hours and get paid more...it really could end up evening out in the end (the pay I mean).

 

[Babyshoes]

Money isn't everything. The first one sounds like a better balance between good money and bearable stress levels.

 

[AliOop]

Another vote for Job 1, for all the aforementioned reasons. If he didn’t pick Job 2 the first time at 95k, another 5k shouldn’t make a difference.

 

[TheGecko]

Why would being paid a $100k be more stressful than being paid $65k? I only ask because I make a lot more money than I did just four years ago, but I'm still doing the same job. But I do understand how going from $45K to $65 to being offered $95/100k can be really intimidating, but it's just zeros you know.

So break it down into Pros/Cons for both the job and the company.

Company A is hourly with double overtime. Company B is salary. First question I would ask is what kind of hours are we talking about? If both companies say a 50 hour work week, then the pay is about equal. But if the companies say 60 hours, you're making less money with Company B. But if you have 50 with Company A and 40 with Company B, then Company B pays more.

Tax considerations...the more money you make, the more you pay in taxes.

Both jobs require 50% travel so they are equal there, so what are the expectations on travel? Plane, train, automobile? Accommodations? Is there a per diem for meals? Company credit card or reimbursement? Duration...two or three nights or one or two weeks?

Benefit comparison; you need to assign a dollar amount. My company pays for my medical/dental/vision, I get six paid holidays,160 hours PTO, match on my Retirement and profit share. Given that I have Type 2 Diabetes, the insurance alone is worth its weight in gold.

Known vs unknown. Always a scary proposition. I've done it a few times in my life. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't...always an adventure. Like my current job...I took a huge chance; brand new firm, part-time, zero benefits. Those first two years were fairly rough at times...lots of ups an down, a couple of moves. I came close to quitting a couple of times; the first time because I was barely working 10 hours a week, the second time because I could no longer handle the commute (I had gone from a 20 minute to 75 minute). I have a job that I absolutely love, a much easier commute on the days I go into the office, good wage, good benefits...it'll most likely be the last job I have have.

 

[MelissaG]

Thank you everyone. My husband was up late last night trying to make the decision. He chose to go with the 65k one. The reason is the benefits. We haven't had benefits of any sort in 11 years. The health care would be $250 a month for BOTH of us together not individually. That doesn't include eye and dental but those are cheap. It has disability, life insurance, and the health care covers 80% which is better than we've ever had. Plus he starts with two weeks paid vacation and ten paid holiday days a year plus the whole week off between Christmas Day and New Years Day. All of this is available on day one. There's more but I can't remember it all.

You're right, money isn't everything but in the US, benefits can make or break a family. He's still worried he made the right decision. I've told him that I support him no matter what his choice. This impacts him more than me since he's the one working the job.

To answer some questions asked, both these jobs are up to 12 hours per day for ten days in a row. It's just the type of job. It's exhausting. Much of it can be done at home though, which means being able to watch tv and the like. We've had two to three hour a day commutes before, so being able to work from home is a HUGE deal.

I also reminded him that this is just a starting wage. If he can impress (and I know he will, he always does), he will get more than that. He doesn't give himself enough credit. All these people that he used to admire, are ones that he's now equalled or surpassed in knowledge. I have complete confidence in him.

A couple things on my part though... If he's going to be gone this much, I want a security system. We live in a safe area but you never know. My cat died in the summer, and I've had trouble being completely alone since then because I'm not used to it. I will feel better if we do. I also want to see if we can arrange for an occasional housekeeper but we will see about the cost of that.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

 

[Obsidian]

Its hard to turn down that much extra money but if the other job has excellent benefits and a 401, its probably the better long term job.
Plus, a salaried job can damn near work you to death with no overpay

 

[SoapLover1]

My husband has been offered two jobs. One is with a program he knows very very well, with people he knows. It's not the company he's working at now but it would be a 20k a year raise with fantastic benefits including a 401k. It would bring him up to 65k a year and up to 50% travel. The benefits are a BIG deal to us since we're middle aged and starting to have medical things pop up. They pay hourly with a HUGE amount going into over time with the overtime paying literally twice the amount his hourly. Benefits start day one.

The other job was 95k a year. The benefits aren't nearly as good, travel is up to 50% a year.

He feels really good about the first offer. Its the third richest and most influential hotel company in the world. It's with the company itself, not with a contractor. The other company for the 95k a year is a contractor to the the fourth largest hotel company in the world and is salaried.

Here's the thing, he told the second company with the 95k that he was going to take the other job because he feels better for it. So the company came back with 100k per year to cover anything in benefits he isn't getting with them. But what about stress levels too? At 100k a year, they will be a lot higher than at 65k per year. Plus at the 65k a year, he has a complete foundational understanding of everything. At 100k per year, it's much more an unknown.

I've always said to go with your gut instinct. I've learned over the years that if something feels wrong, to pay attention. There are at least three jobs I'd have listened to that I shouldn't have taken but was seduced by the money.

But 100k a year is 100k a year. OMG. I don't even know what to tell him. That's a lot of money.

So I'm coming to you guys to ask. Heck, I even asked my sister, he's asked his parents, no one has an idea on what to do. But you aren't attached to the issue so I thought you might have some ideas.
Either one helps us so much and allows me to keep doing my business without worrying too. With the 100k a year, we'd be able to hire a housekeeper to come in once a month.
Help!. We don't know what to do.

PRAY before making a decision and you guys will be led to right job for him! Money isn’t everything so NEVER make a decision based only in money! Blessings!!!