While my job is not exactly high paying, I'm pretty much at the max salary for my role ($115k, teacher).
My skills are not really transferrable, so whatever I pick next will undoubtedly be a big pay cut, heading back to a junior level.
Been thinking about switching out for a while and it got me wondering who else has left a job to take another role with less money.
Let's hear your stories!
Thinking your skills aren't transferable is an indicator of your own closed mind.
The DoE must have an EAP (all the other state gov't departments do). Get some career counselling. They'll be able to point out transferable skills.
Yeah, I left a 6 figure salary to work in hospitality in the middle of covid. Always looking forward, will live life, and die broke. Never have a broke life and die rich, lucky I don't have children.
What industry did you leave?
I used to enjoy working at Subway when I was in uni.
Like you, government. Former middle management position - Covid made me realise I was trading my time for money and going through the same monotonous daily motions which I knew I would regret one day. So I made the choice to change completely!
From a salary to an hourly wage was a shock to the system but everyone in my circle of friends supported my choice and believed it was perfectly aligned to my lifestyle and what I was passionate about, except my father who thought I was crazyyyyyyyyy giving up $ and comfort, to work rostered hours and much less pay.
In my view, those jobs will always be considered more real jobs than a lot of white collar jobs :)
Thanks for the comments so far. There were a few stories of people having done it that were interesting and lots of kind advice for how I might want to progress.
Of course 115k isn't a bad salary (I also pay couple of hundred a fortnight back to HECS), but compared to other people with a 4 year degree and 10 years experience it isn't exactly a high salary…I also factored in my progression to senior teacher which I haven't quite got to yet.
Still looking forward to hearing from more people and if they feel like they made the right decision.
'Still looking forward to hearing from more people and if they feel like they made the right decision'
I moved from a cushy public service job where I didn't see or feel any impact of anyone's life - to teaching where every day I could feel I was having a direct impact on my students' future life potential.
in that way teaching can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling careers - as long are you don't feel crushed under the weight of work demands or aggressive students threatening to physically attack you, etc.
Are those HECS payments voluntary or do you mean the payments coming out of your pay each fortnight?
If they're voluntary payments you should pay them in a lump sum in May because HECS gets indexed 1st of June so you're better off keeping the money in a bank to earn interest over the FY rather than paying $200 a fortnight where it'll essentially do nothing to the indexed amount.
Solid advice for anyone making extra payments!
I just mean my compulsory ones.
I have thought about telling payroll to stop deducting them and then just pay a lump sum at tax time.
Most places will refuse. Not sure it they’re legally prohibited or just obstinate.
@miicah: whatswrong with it though? The hecs portion doesnt actually get paid off my account until all at once in…July?
Get into middle management in teaching (HoLA, DP, etc.). Most other roles (apart from very technical ones) in other industries will require this to break 120k and above.
Become AP, from what I've seen (depending on the school) there's barely a cushier job in any industry that pays 160k+
Most APs don't get paid 160k though
Take a long career break (couple of years if you can afford it) to reflect and explore what you like and how to manage without the income/with the reduced income.
Come back to work with new energy/strategy, maybe in lower paying role but one you enjoy more.
Consider part time work, early retirement, if you can afford it.
This is exactly what I'm gonna do, probably 6 months break. Just get a breather. Too stressed in IT sector
I left a ‘dream job’ to retire and my wife left her job at the same time below retirement age. Both were senior PS level jobs. We worked out that we had enough to live comfortably and wanted to do our own things before we slowed down.
Worth reading John Naish’s book Enough.
Thats what im aiming for. 5 more years of saving/investing and i think ill hit my goal. Im looking forward to working if i want to and when i feel like it.
Teaching skills are highly transferable to corporate training roles and not just leading the face to face training. Development of training materials, course content etc. These are skills that I imagine you have that most in private industry have not developed.
The average salary in Australia is about $78,000? (2022) and $100,000 would put someone in the top 20 per cent of income earners in Australia.
Im sorry come to the real world $115,000 is a high salary. There is a lot of people out there in the $60,000 range.
It took me a 4 year degree and 10 years experience to get to this level.
I don't think it's a massive amount for the effort I've put in compared to other roles, but I acknowledge that it's a liveable salary (only cos I bought a house pre covid). I have 3 young kids.
I think it can be rough being a teacher, but with 3 young kids perhaps there is a more conservative option - find a better school to work for?
That said at my workplace there is a former teacher who became a landscape architect. However I suspect that AI will be running that field soon enough.
Another thing you could consider is a project manager role for the design and construction of commercial and public projects. They are in demand big time.
$100,000pa (600k borrowing capacity) won't buy a leaky 1 bedroom apartment in Syd/Melb where the real work keeping this prison running is done. By the time you pay minimum cost of living in Sydney/Melbourne you are going backwards into debt unless you earn 120k+.
You would be better off in prison… at least you are guaranteed 3 meals and a stable roof over your head.
The people in the $60k range are boomers claiming the pension after dumping their $1m Super lump sum into housing to hide it from tax office. There is 5 million of them. Of course they drag the average down.
People could (shock, horror) choose not to live in syd/melb.
Good luck finding a decent permanent job that can pay off a mortgage outside Syd/Melb.
@field1985: Lol I already have one? Plenty around, and the houses are cheaper than they are in those hell holes as well.
People who think Syd/Mel are the be all and end all in the country are delusional as hell.
@field1985: There are quite a few. If you look at average salary by area, it isn't that much lower in regional areas.
Don’t leave a high paying job. You’re not going to scrape by with 100k+.
I worked a few jobs that paid 180k to 220k for about 15 years. At the end I got to the point where the project goals and expectations were based on the money but the roles responsibilities and seniority didn't allow me to make much of a difference to the outcomes. There was a particular technical aspect of the work that I really enjoyed and could see a demand for (though the work in general was all pretty interesting). Left and took a job that paid 120k at a place that was prepared to let me work PT while I did some further study on the technical part I enjoy. I get to do more technical stuff and now I just re-scope work before I agree to take it on to match the resources (money/time) they give me for it, not to fit their expectations (which are usually more faster cheaper).
When I was looking to leave I talked to a half a dozen senior people I'd worked with over the years, people who'd changed industries, moved to different roles, retired etc most of them had hit the same frustrations at some stage and dealt with it differently. A few toughed it out, making the most of the money until the company broke, some bailed to high paying roles elsewhere. People like me were more likely to leave for a lower seniority technical role that allowed them more freedom in what they did or worked a part time technical consulting gig on the side. One guy I talked to went from senior management / executive to a senior technical position and moved back to his home city as a step before retiring.
If it's less money then does it pay for it in other ways? Things like more opportunity or potential for growth and promotion, better lifestyle, lower stress/mental health. You'll never be out of work as a teacher and a steady income until your ready to retire beats the uncertainty in lots of other jobs that often comes with higher pay.
they say no-one on their deathbed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at the office
regrets are always about not spending time with loved ones - that's the most important in life.
How do people survive on under 200 in Sydney?
(not joking)
If they've paid off their home, it's very easy to do it for much much less. Even renting doesn't require this. Probably easier if 200 was spread over 2 people.
OzBargain
Anywhere close to the CBD the question is how do people survive on under closer to 300k..
That is still having some sort of social life and travelling the world as well.
Yeah travel is out completely, particularly if there are kids.
1) $115k is not high paying in Melbourne or Sydney. A IT security grad after completing its initial rotation and two years in is worth $120k in IT.
So remove that fear.
2) Your skills are transferable. Most people learn nuances on the job. Heaps of niche jobs that would take anyone with knowledge (via coursework) and life/corporate skills. Data analyst, Business analyst, IT cybersecurity are lucrative and anyone with a good head on their shoulder can crack it. Less so with IT security but give it 5 years and you are set.
Also, My solar installer became an apprentice at the age of 43. He is raking in $$$ now at 49.
Roofing and solar installations is hard dangerous work, as are many
Trades
I left teaching into a much better career - as a retiree on half salary. Recommended!
'Been thinking about switching out for a while and it got me wondering who else has left a job to take another role with less money'
I switched from a federal public service office job with great security, flex time to start and leave at times of my choosing between 8-10am and 4-6pm (as long as total hours per fortnight or something), choose my own holiday dates, sitting all day in a comfortable ergonomic chair in an air-conditioned office, with hardly talking to anyone so nice and quiet
to a state college teacher with allocated class hours not of my choosing, no flex time, fixed holiday dates (school holidays most busy/expensive/difficult to travel), rarely sitting down, with an unheated/uncooled office, and talking to people all day long - almost the exact opposite in most ways
I retired when budget cuts 'work reforms' (do more with less) with demands to do increasingly ridiculous amounts of paperwork made it less and less attractive. And a friend also recently retired for the same reasons.
I don't read any negative reasons pushing the OP to leave ? Grass is greener ? If you're happy where you are, then money is not the most important thing in life - how's the home life relationships, and how might that change if you went to a less secure or no employment - any dependants ?
Just curious what public service office job were you doing? It sounds like the dream.
Left my relatively high-paying job in teaching to end up on half the salary doing some odd jobs for a few years (lifeguard, swim teaching, retail). Then got a government job and have clawed my way back up to a decent living, and decided I'm happy at the level I'm at, but want to keep trying new jobs as soon as I get tired of the job I'm in. In the last 7 years, I've had 5 government jobs, having settled into my current one for the last 3 years.
Yes I left my job in a food lab in Sydney CBD to work as a baker/rep for a well known bakery company. Salary went from $150K down to $120K but it was well worth it.
I absolutely hated 9-5 office jobs; the waking up to play dress up every morning, followed by peak hour traffic twice a day, and when you get home it's already dark and most shops are closed. Not to mention sitting in a chair all day made me fat around the tummy lol. The traffic especially made it so miserable.
Now my hours are 3-11 although most days I'm done by 10. I wake up and just head out in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Travel time is now 10 minutes each way with almost zero traffic. When I'm done it's still nice and bright and the shops are still open, I can just bum around looking to try somewhere new for lunch. Not wearing a suit constantly makes everyday feel like a day off, it is absolutely fantastic. I have not dealt with peak hour/school hour traffic in years.
Job-wise it doesn't feel like work; feels like I'm being paid to hang out and talk shit all day. This job has made me very fit and strong as well; I look and feel fantastic, the beer belly is gone. Don't even have to go to the gym, I already feel like I'm working out for 8 hours a day. Building up lean muscles and practical strength instead of moulding fat and gaining only gym strength.
My position also requires me to travel to other warehouses in other countries to train people/inspect production. So I basically get to take paid overseas holidays every 3 months.
I'm now 11 years into this position. ABSOLUTELY worth taking a lower salary. I will NEVER even consider going back to a 9-5 office job ever again.
"Not to mention sitting in a chair all day made me fat around the tummy lol"
I think it is the food lab that made the fat around the tummy
Roll Tide
9 years ago i left a high paying IT job of 17 years at a very high profile commercial bank/stockbroker to become a firefighter. I always wanted to be a firey and i hadnt been enjoying IT for several years, so i decided to take the leap. I went from $150k+ to around $50k overnight, over the last 9 years i have progressed through the ranks and my salary is now much better but i have not got near my old salary.
I was lucky in that i was fairly financially secure when i changed but it was still tough dropping that money. I love being a firefighter (most of the time), and i have never once regretted my decision to change careers. It all depends what your motivation is for leaving i guess. By the way, there are heaps of ex teachers that I work with now.
I'm in IT too, 2 decades in, thinking of leaving, the mental stress is not worth the 100k i'm getting…but not sure where to go next, i don' t have any other skills other than limited software development.
very low new acceptance rates for a firey (at least in NSW when i looked), especially more so with the 'diversification preference' I believe it quite common for firey's to trade/contract work on the side due to the amount of free time they have.
Dont know about nsw, and not suggesting to the guy to become a firefighter, just to find something you love doing and are passionate about and have a go if you can.
Took a 50K pay cut and gave up long service benefits to start anew in a different company in a different industry. Needed the change for my sanity. From experience i think jumping to something else means lower dollars (at least in the short term) and the more senior the roles, the more its going to need someone you know to give you that chance.
I quit a different career and went into nursing. I was able to do graduate entry, which cuts a year off the degree.
Many people try something else than decide to do nursing instead. I love my job but honestly cannot recommend it at all. The hours are crap, and the pay is absolutely not worth it, especially in NSW (pay is 9% less than QLD).
Entry level nursing isn't great. But it can get a lot better, so can the hours!
You can train up to be CNCs or CNEs or NPs which will increase your earning potential. Nursing is hard work but stable, relatively decent income with room to improve with further training
NDIS nursing is ludicrous atm. Nothing but first aid required, low care clients, 15 hour shifts (8hrs paid to sleep over), casual loading and overtime rates through the nose. Pretty much just sit there and watch TV with clients. Over 130k a year.
Probably the cushiest non-degree job out there if you can do the hours and don't have kids.
Anything ndis related is a rort
They are reworking the NDIS system in 2025. Lot's of mates companies are preparing for layoffs and retraining.
Don't go into this with a guarantee.
yeah and same as teachers- go into management/admin/etc policies/ ….easy to do once you have had experience in a hospital
People who choose teaching expecting to create real wealth and being disappointed only have themselves to blame.
It's a lifestyle choice.
If you wanted to move up socioeconomically and set your kids up, should've done law or med or climb the corporate ladder.
Be a teacher if you want to raise kids, get pregnant 3 times, be the nurturing parent etc.
Teaching isn't that bad, I've got 2 siblings in leadership roles making 110-120k from memory. They're both very comfortable and manage their workloads well and get a heap of holidays.
They're happy with their choice both lifestyle wise and financially. If you stay as a regular teacher your salary tops out a lot earlier but it's far from terrible.
This is in Melbourne though, I've heard it varies state to state?
They're both very comfortable and manage their workloads well and get a heap of holidays.
Don't say that too loudly, lots of teachers here are just itching to jump in and say how poor they are and work 100% of their holidays etc etc
I have a few teacher friends that are like this, they all complain about work, working after hour and are then quick to defend that they work over school holidays.
Could not deal with this BS anymore and just bookmarked this reddit post where they exposed themselves:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianTeachers/comments/ppyxk9/…
I respect the work teachers do, but they need to acknowledge that it isn't as bad as they say for the pay they get. Plenty of jobs require work after hours and face difficult people everyday. But no other industry will have allocated blocks of leave like that.
Once ensconced in the embrace of a high-paying mining job, I found solace in fleeting 30-minute city lunches with a friend. Amidst the meandering crowd, I voiced my discontent: "What are we doing? I hate this." His whimsical proposal, "Yeah. We should become primary school teachers," elicited shared laughter.
In the next breath, I stood in my boss's chamber, declaring my departure. Anticipating a move to another mining company, he sought details. When I revealed my odyssey toward teaching, silence draped the room, broken only by his eventual admission, "Good for you. If I could, I'd do the same."
I often pondered the fate of that bloke in the corridors of industry. Ascending the corporate ladder may be the common course, but veering off to pursue one's authentic desires is a voyage marked by challenges, fear, and perhaps, a rare authenticity.
Good for you indeed, a brave leap not many people can make. I'd considering writing too if you ever get bored of teaching
English teacher?
I currently run a very small IT business (just me with occasional contractors), make good money and do probably 2 hours of work at the most days. I spend 1-2 days per month doing onsite work at the very most and the rest is from home. Sometimes shit hits the fan and you're flat out though.
Sounds good right, but in reality those 2 hours of work need to be attended to at any moment during business hours and sometimes after, if something breaks those 2 hours can turn into rushing and not stopping till it's resolved. See a notification that something failed or went offline after hours? I'm gonna fix it then and there to avoid the stress in the morning. It gets stressful and I can never really shut off, and to hire someone to take the load off I'd basically need to double my client load prior.
Moneys good as I said, I'm comfortable but not being able to turn your phone off or take a holiday and not work in some capacity is shit house. Sure I use contractors when I'm away, but you're never completely "off".
I think I'm also just burnt out, been doing the same shit for too long.
I figured I'd take the opportunity while I'm making decent money with a fair bit of free time around it, so I've gone back to uni full time to study Osteopathy now and I should be finished in a year. I know I'll get some hate for the pseudoscientific nature of the profession, in all honestly I would have preferred to study physiotherapy however the way the course is structured meant that I wouldn't have been able to keep the business while studying and the entrance requirements basically meant I needed to undertake another bachelor or the stat test to even have a chance of getting in.
I'll be taking a pretty sizable pay cut, however hopefully it's worth the difference in work life balance. Not entirely sure how my career will pan out going forward and what will happen with the business (in talks of selling off the clients or the entire business), so I may end up in both industries to some extent even if it's just a bit of IT contracting for the guy who buys me out or a few other businesses I subcontract to.
I'm burnt out too, but not sure what industry I can move to, tired of working in IT software development. Maybe fork lift operator on something.
Yeah I get the appeal. Doing something physical for a change would be nice.
Do it. I got sick of sitting on a chair all day and started doing gardening work, and now I am much fitter and the benefits for mental health are profound. It is not healthy sitting in a chair all day at a computer.
I would consider reflecting on what it is about your current job that makes you 'want out'. Could you look for a different type of work? Public vs private/ NFP, private tutor and/or supplement income through other side-jobs such as publishing/writing/tutoring/online courses etc
I went from $120k-ish working in construction industry to $80k working in a public service when I was about to become a dad. Chose for long term career and work-life balance. Wouldn't change it.
I've done my time in APS. Very flexible, you can get to ~103k without a degree (Eg. team leader) or even if you're mildly switched on step into El roles at 130k.
Skills in interviews are more important than actual skills though, worked with alot of EL's that shouldn't have been there.
Left my bank job to start my own business. Life is much better now.
What's your business, if you don't mind sharing?
Dropped by half from 160 to 80. Work is still hard but enjoyable now. I wouldn't have left if I was not already fairly secure already. Trying to climb back up now but at least enjoying myself more than what I was before.
But the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I know a lot of people who have regret moving.
I don't mind getting a big pay cut if it meant I can enjoy life and work and get excited waking up in the morning again to go to work. I hate my job, and i'm starting to hate my life…
Meh, change your frame of reference for your job. I don't love my job but I enjoy some aspects of it. I don't let it control my life anymore, I don't worry about moving up or comparing myself to others, just do a passable job, be on time, be pleasant, be nice to the people that are nice. Surprisingly I'm doing better than ever at it when I decided to stop obsessing over it and my station in life.
Not really high paying but more like high skill job in a multi-national advertising bureau.
After 15 years, I left & got a job at a distribution centre as pick-packer. About the same pay but way less stress. No need to think overly creative.
Being sole bread maker for the family, being a aussi who lives from paycheck to paycheck, being a average person with homeloan and credit cards, and finally being a member of ozbargain. I will never throw the bone in my month by looking at a reflection of it which looks bigger.
I just left my job that pays 160k per year, to start my own business. Although the job and business are in the same industry, the job was secure, whilst my business isn’t. It is an extremely risky decision, but I couldn’t handle my roster/working hours any longer.
Do you work in traffic management???
I as a senior analyst earning over 130k. Before covid I was planning a business, quit the job and started business and then bang COVID hit. I had a little nest but with no income coming in, I couldn’t retain the business. I went back into accounting on contract (I dictate my own hours), earning over $80 an hour. I pickup and drop off kids, and enjoy family time. Best decision made.
Some clients make me do data entry, I’m like ok if you really want me I pay me.
Data entry job that pays 80/hr? where is that, I want that job!
Why not work part time while you dip your feet into something else? At least you will have less financial insecurity and make the job more tolerable? I have cut down to part time work to try to pursue a business idea.
I'm in a $100k IT job, too stressed, not sleeping too much, thinking of leaving forever but nowhere else to go. This is the only thing I know. So I might take a 6 months off to reset my brain and get my motivation back. I would want to retire early but has mortgage to pay.
Open up a business, the government bend over backwards for business owners.
During COVID, they all got $10,000 cash handouts, as long as you they could demonstrate they were impacted by COVID.
They also choose to declare cash or not, I went to a Thai Massage at the Central Coast and they had a big sign at the front "5% Discount for Cash"
Went to a panel beater for a bumper repair, he said 'how you paying cash card'? I said well I got both (as im opening my wallet) he said 'I prefer cash'.
Had Chinese Food at a well known Restaurant in Circular Quay, we were told we get 10% off the bill if we pay cash.
So yeah…
Yeah if your business had been operating like 12 months before COVID hit you literally got handouts for just existing! Friend of mine who's business was struggling was laughing once he got all those COVID support payments.
When people post a salary figure on Ozbargain, are they typically including, or excluding, super?
I'm guessing it's the later but would love some grizzled Ozbargain veteran to share their experience.
It's excluding for me.
Suggest joining Life after teaching - Exit the classroom and thrive. Also, get your resume rewritten in a way that’s targeted for other sectors. Also, in education and burning out I think. I would love a chance to get my foot into an admin mining role or even a traineeship of some sort.
6 years into my career and pushing the upper 100k's and a sabbatical is looking mighty appealing rn.
However cost of living, mortgages etc keep me locked into being a slave.
In the top bracket, want to start a new in a different industry with a higher ceiling but initial drop in pay is really scary.
Change in lifestyle for potentially 2-3 years is a real hard ask once you're in your 30s.
Wish I did it in my 20s when i was earning half, heck even a quarter.
are you in IT?
@lilyesp: Strip club for pets?