Unique-Ferret-612's journey

I'm currently at a remote job making around $103k, and I've received an offer for an in-person role that pays $130k. However, I'm weighing my options carefully. My current job has faced layoffs for the past three years, and I've been here for almost three and a half years, so I'm familiar with my role. Staying remote means I have fewer expenses and no commuting costs, plus I'm living with family, which helps financially. My current employer wants me to get an AI vendor certification, which I find pointless since I haven't seen many job listings asking for it. They seem to want it to enhance their service offerings in my consulting role for cloud migrations. On the other hand, the new role would be as an in-house SRE for a manufacturing company in Birmingham, and I'd have to relocate from Georgia. The new company is spinning off, and while the hiring managers claim it's due to growth, I can't help but feel uneasy about it. Their Glassdoor rating is 3.3, and I've heard mixed reviews about layoffs, with some saying they only let go of underperformers. The recruiter insists that the new role is more stable than my current tech consulting job, but I worry about the lifestyle changes, like commuting and adjusting to a new city. After taxes, the difference in salary might only be about $6,000, which doesn't seem worth the added expenses and stress. I'm torn between the comfort and familiarity of my remote job and the potential growth of the new position. Should I stay remote or take the leap for the in-person role?

Today, I'm reflecting on a big decision regarding my career and living situation. I've been working in a fully remote role for about six years now, making around $103k while living rent-free with my family in Georgia. Recently, I received an offer for an onsite position in Birmingham, Alabama, which comes with a salary of $130k. However, this would mean moving out, paying rent, and covering all the living expenses that come with it. I'm trying to figure out if the extra $30k would be worth the costs of living in a new state. My current job is focused on cloud migrations, while the new role is a DevOps SRE position. I have concerns about how much I'd actually keep after taxes and living expenses, especially since my current company has been laying off employees annually. I also worry about job stability in general, as I've only received about three job offers in the last three years out of around 200 applications. Most of those offers came from smaller companies that seemed unstable and offered salaries significantly lower than my current pay. On top of all that, I'm considering the social aspect of moving. Living with family has been great financially, but it's not ideal for dating, and the local population feels a bit cliquish. I wonder if moving to Birmingham would improve my dating prospects or if I'd just end up commuting to work and back home without much of a social life. I'm really torn about whether to leave my $100k+ remote job for this new $130k position. It feels risky to leave a stable situation, especially if I could end up getting laid off again and not have a safety net. I'm looking for advice on whether this move would be financially beneficial in the long run.