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I am a recent licensed attorney but worked as a paralegal throughout lawschool. I now work as an associate in insurance defense with a 1900 billable. The pay is in the 90s and overrall I like my firm but am not too keen on the actual eork not to mention I absolutely do not aspire to becoming a partner.

I recently interviewed for the States Attorney General office doing work that I absolutely know I will find fullfilling, problem is, its about 15k paycut......For the record, I do have a family so I do need to consider the drop in income....I hate that all the jobs I have looked into that I find fullfilling are poorly paid.

i would only take a 16% paycut if i was more-or-less certain that i would be substantially less miserable there or work 16% less hours

I think this is an entirely personal decision that only you can make. What’s the potential for raises at either job? Or for long-term work at either place (you’ve already said you don’t want to make partner)? Or will the state’s attorney job put you in a position to move to something more to your liking/better paid a few years down the line? What would the material impact of the paycut actually be - would it materially affect your housing/current standard of living or would it just mean you’re not saving as much as you’d like?

Also, how much do you hate your current work? I think it’s definitely worth 16% less not to be miserable, but I don’t know if you’re miserable now or just would like the SA job better.

Personally I’d look hard at what the long-term payscale for the SA’s job is and also the benefits (do the benefits outweigh any of the paycut?) and think about what I want to do long term and which job will get you there, but I don’t know the answers to any of those things. I do think it’s worth a lot to find your job fulfilling, though.

I interned at an AG office and it was very chill, the ppl there liked their jobs and worked 35 hour weeks with good benefits and pensions. But yeah, pay is low. It's your life, your decision.