Eventual PM transition as a ME

I need some help figuring things out. I’m currently a ME working in the bay. I’ve talked to 3 PMs over the phone in the last 2 weeks about their role and to get a better understanding if I want to do PM work. The more I talk with PMs, the more I am seeing that Product Management is a path I would like to go down. I currently enjoy product design and manufacturing and find it pretty cool. My dilemma is when, if ever, to switch to PM. I find both my current role and PM roles pretty intriguing. Important factors include WLB and overall TC. My team and WLB is great. Work is cool too. I feel like I’m getting underpaid though and could have something similar elsewhere. I have worked at Apple in the past for a yearlong internship and turned down return offers due to my boss wanting me to leave a new job I had recently started and extreme stress in my past Apple role (60-70 hour weeks and intense pressure from my manager). Pretty confident I can get a role on another team at Apple or perhaps FB/Microsoft/etc as a ME. One issue is that my average tenure at a company post college has been 1 year with some gaps in my resume. I’m not sure if that will be looked at unfavorably. I’m also trying to travel for a couple months after I leave my current job, which adds another 2 month gap (at least) between the end of this job and my next job. My general options I see are: 1. Stay as a ME with currently company Flex. Probably make TC 150 K within 2-3 years. Leave to travel after 2 years. 2. Transition to hardware Product Manager role here for 2 years then travel. After coming back I would move companies to a better paying option. TC will be kept around my current TC (110K) 3. Move to Apple/Snap/FB/Google/etc. and remain as a ME. TC will likely be 160-200K. 50+ hour weeks, guessing TC of 200-230K in a few years. Probably 300 or so in 10 years, unless a move to ME management is made. 4. Move to Snap/FB/Microsoft as ME (TC 120-200K) for 2 years. Transition to PM at this company (assuming 130K+ starting salary as PM). Would likely have to forego traveling in this option From an overall salary increase, WLB perspective, and “time lost” due to developing a different experience skill set with ME vs. PM, what should I choose? Side note - my division may split from our Parent Company and IPO. CEO has said “there might be stock options coming”. I doubt this would happen before we go public though since no talk of stock has been mentioned when I was hired. TC: 110 K, 2.5 YOE