I worked in a remote Account Management/Business Development role in the Gov Tech sector for six years. My job involved minimal responsibilities, mainly attending a few team calls each week and attempting to prospect for new clients, but I never really hit my KPIs. Management didn’t seem to mind, which was strange. My salary was $100k, but it felt more like $65k since a significant portion of my pay came from bonuses tied to company performance. With a wife and two kids, plus managing an autoimmune disease, my expenses were higher than average. I decided to leave for a role in a field I was passionate about, where I secured a base salary of $130k and a $26k annual bonus. Unfortunately, I was laid off after just nine months due to restructuring by Private Equity. I returned to my previous company, taking on a similar role with the same salary. The job security is great, and I can spend a lot of time with my family, witnessing my kids' milestones. However, I’m starting to feel the need for a higher salary and worry that my skills in account management and BD are stagnating since my current role doesn’t challenge me. I’m at a crossroads: should I stay and try to negotiate a pay increase, or should I seek a higher-paying opportunity, knowing I might not be able to return here?