Is moving up to hierarchy really worth it?
I am really looking for an honest suggestion. I am in my mid 40 and haven been a Sr developer/Architect for most of my life. I have been earning around 350K and really enjoy my job and WLB. I kept hearing (Since last 15 years) that I have to go up the hierarchy otherwise my salary will not increase or I will not be able to find a job. However it never happened in the last 15 years. This profile (Sr developer/Architect) gave me H1b, GC, USC, Peaceful sleep, Fancy New Home, Cars, Reputation, Vacations, Kids parenting, and surely an excellent WLB. So I just wanted to know whether it is really worth moving up to hierarchy? What additional benefits are there which I might be overlooking? Any input please? --------------------- EDIT: Guys: Thanks for your reply. A quick request from those who are in 50+ yrs. Is there any suggestion you want to give so that I don’t regret for not trying moving up in the hierarchy
seems like u should be retired by now instead why keep rat racing, unless u want shoot for power and mega bucks but with no guarantee it’ll happen
350 at Intel for senior dev?
Im in about the same situation… I’m just trying to get to Principal Engineer then I’m done
Principal Engineer in which company? Because levels differ across companies.
Principal Engineer archetypes also differ. Some are heavier in leadership, others in architecture, etc. Given the importance of understanding exactly how each Principal Engineer is best utilized, companies spend a lot of effort in analyzing these different "components". There's even a whole field around it, called Principal Component Analysis.
not worth it if I were you. my plan is also to start coasting at senior level for wlb and decent tc lol
Just keep the skills up and keep learning and coast. Don’t burn the engineering card if you’re happy. That’s what I’m trying to do myself.
I think it would only be worth it to climb up the ladder if you would enjoy working in those higher positions. Personally, I wouldn’t enjoy going higher than architect unless it’s my own company.
Ok, so a lot of people talking about this are very junior and for Jr devs it really is up or out. Sr level is terminal for 90%+ of developers, those of us who go higher often do so because we want a different job. As staff Eng I write very little code but spend a ton of time mentoring and figuring out what problem my team should tackle and how. I hate debugging. I’ve paid my dues but I hate it. Some people love it and hate doing cross-functional alignment. Depending on which one you are Sr may be a great spot.
Thanks for your reply. I got it that you wanted a new profile that’s why you moved up. In addition to this any additional benefits like Financial, WLB, Job Security……etc ?
WLB is worse, money is better but incremental utility goes down (I don’t spend any more than when I was Sr making 300k now that I make twice that, sure I’ll retire a bit earlier but only a couple of years), not sure about job security I think you are most secure doing what you are good at.
My advice is this - chase happiness, as opposed to another job title. Unless a job title gives you happiness. If you're already happy/content at work, it may make sense seeking happiness and contentedness outside of work to improve the quality of your life.
It sounds like you're in a happy place. Don't chase money just because others say you should.