Should I quit my demanding job for a simpler, lower-paying one?
High-stress careers can cause severe burnout, depression, and deteriorating mental health, forcing people to consider stepping away despite the pay cut. This leaves them torn between protecting their well-being with a simpler job and figuring out what to do next.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 8 people.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Taking a simpler job with lower pay to reduce mental strainDid this help you?
- 2Focusing on starting an outside website or businessDid this help you?
- 3Exploring other tradesDid this help you?
- 4cruising along working low hours and keeping the job low stressDid this help you?
- 5focusing on learning new things or taking pride in current tasks without seeking promotionsDid this help you?
- 6doing the bare minimum at work and going homeDid this help you?
- 7Trying out the new job to learn new skills and looking for another job if it doesn't work outDid this help you?
- 8building personal checks and checklists for detailsDid this help you?
- 9working harder through itDid this help you?
- 10seeking therapy or career counselingDid this help you?
- 11moving to smaller firms working on less complex tasksDid this help you?
- 12transitioning into management or a different roleDid this help you?
- 13Applying to alternative jobs outside of auditingDid this help you?
- 14Accepting the top 10 firm audit internship for better pay despite long hoursDid this help you?
- 15Leaving the current non-profit position without a replacement lined upDid this help you?
- 16Venting frustration on online forumsDid this help you?
- 17Switching industries from high-stress fields like hospitality or retail to office environmentsDid this help you?
- 18Focusing on the financial stability and benefits of a job rather than personal fulfillmentDid this help you?
- 19looking for jobs elsewhere in the community and applyingDid this help you?
- 20Factoring in the extra commute hours to calculate the true hourly rate of the new offer.Did this help you?
- 21Asking the current employer for a raise or title bump using the new offer as leverage.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Don't particularly have any ambition to "move up" either which feels worrying.”source ↗
“This came up during another discussion where I told him I had no desire to move up and take over for my immediate supervisor when he leaves.”source ↗
“I’m not detailed oriented for the job. It’s been my Everest. My fear is being 50 and not able to find a job.”source ↗
“I feel like a total fraud.”source ↗
“Honestly I can’t really tell what the deal is here.”source ↗
“Half of the posts I see are people excited about their first job or promotion, and the others are just people complaining about how bad everything is and it’s all going to shit and we’re all doomed, or telling that person who’s excited to just strap in and wait to hate their existence.”source ↗
“The amount of people bitching just makes it hard to visualize.”source ↗
“im not pursuing any CA or any tax related jobs but still need to learn those too,Should i continue in this firm or move?”source ↗
“I need help deciding what’s best.”source ↗
“I don’t like the environment or the pay. Auditing isn’t bad but I wouldn’t say I enjoy doing it.”source ↗
“Even in terms of job duties I don’t know if auditing is what I want to do forever.”source ↗
“To be honest I have been trying to find another job because I don’t know if I do want to go to the job starting January. But I have had no luck.”source ↗
“I just cannot any longer. I need to leave in January as is a friend of mine who also retired once already in another state as have I. I just don't know what comes next.”source ↗
“On the downside, this job is extremely draining. Student behaviors have shifted drastically within the past 10 years, and admin is either completely unsupportive or micromanages to the point where I’m questioning every little thing.”source ↗
“My issue is I don’t know if I want to do this long term. I don’t know if the good parts outweigh the bad parts, or vice versa.”source ↗
“All I know is I don’t want to get stuck doing something that will make me unhappy for the rest of my life.”source ↗
“Teaching now is strictly stick to the curriculum, fidelity to the curriculum. It’s boring to teach and boring for the kids to sit through it.”source ↗
“I’m a one person marketing team and my nonprofit is huge , so I’m a one person marketing team for 6 different programs and am expected to get content and manage their accounts while still doing my regular everyday tasks. I’m getting paid less than 25 an hour. I’m feeling drained. Is this job worth the ROI or should I go ???”source ↗
“I’m not sure if I wanna have a career in automotive.”source ↗
“I worked at Toyota before and I was just depressed doing that job.”source ↗
“I want a more simpler job doing oil changes for a little less money (FOR NOW) so my mental state isn’t deteriorating over time.”source ↗
“I’ve been in my head about this for weeks now any feedback would be great thank you and god bless.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 19Is teaching still a realistic option for me?
- 6Why is corporate industry accounting so boring after public practice?
- 21Is giving up a secure pension job worth it?
- 4Is it a dumb idea to quit your job in this economy?
- 2How to choose a career when you have no passion
- 2Should I take a higher-paying job if money is going to be tight?