TORN: Stay in comfy remote job or take an in person role with a massive pay raise right as my kid starts Kindergarten?
Hey everyone, I’m facing a major career crossroad and would love some outside perspective from other parents, working moms, and people in the data analytics field.
I’m currently in a fully remote role, but I have a strong potential offer lined up for an in-person role that would completely change my financial situation. Here is the breakdown:
Job A: My Current Role (Fully Remote)
The Good: 100% WFH. The schedule flexibility is amazing. My kid is starting Kindergarten in a week, and being remote makes drop offs, pick ups (shared custody 2 or 3 days my week), and attending school events (Halloween, Valentine's parties, etc.) super easy and stress free.
The Bad: The pay is pretty low for my field , been here 4 years and make 73k. The work itself is fine, but it’s mostly routine maintenance and administrative reporting. It’s not something I feel super passionate about. My manager has vaguely promised a title upgrade/raise "eventually" after I finish a major dashboard, but there's no set timeline or written guarantee.
Job B: The New Opportunity (In Person / Local Travel). Massive pay bump (looking at around $95k, which is a life changing step up from where I am now). Building out a brand new strategy department. It involves heavy spatial mapping analytics upfront to build their core data architecture, which is my actual passion and exact skill set. High visibility directly with C suite leadership. The catch is it’s in person (with some regional day travel for field strategy). They mentioned the culture is output-focused results-driven ("work late one day, head home early the next") and occasional remote flexibility, but day to day it is an office job.
My Dilemma & Fears:
- My daughter starting Kindergarten is huge for me. I really want to be present for her classroom events, parties, and school drop offs on the days I have her. I’m terrified that taking an in person role will mean missing out on these core childhood moments or struggling with logistics.
- I want to give my daughter a completely different financial life (better savings, trips, zero money stress). Moving to $95k resets my lifetime earning baseline, but I'm scared of losing the remote routine I've grown accustomed to.
- They mentioned this new department is growing and will likely build out a team underneath this role eventually, so the long term career growth is massive compared to my current company.
For those who have given up 100% remote work for a huge salary jump, did you regret it? How do you balance in person high visibility roles with young kids starting school? Is the pay jump worth the loss of WFH comfort? Would love to hear honest thoughts!