I took a 30% pay cut to move to Spain. I made budgeting mistakes when adjusting to my new salary, but it was worth it.
A recruiter shares his personal experience of taking a 30% pay cut to transfer from Ireland to Spain for a better quality of life. Despite initial financial struggles and budgeting mistakes, he views the move as a successful life decision that ultimately led to career growth.
Why it matters
This reflects the growing trend of professionals prioritizing lifestyle and location over immediate salary gains in a globalized job market.
Damien Monel says he made trade-offs to live the life he wanted. Damien Monel Damien Monel took a 30% pay cut at his Amazon job to transfer from Cork to Madrid. He started spending half his paycheck on rent and made some budgeting mistakes, but has no regrets. Monel has more than doubled his salary since moving to Madrid and says following his gut was the key. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Damien Monel, a 28-year-old recruiter based in Madrid. It's been edited for length and clarity. I moved from my home country, France, to Ireland at 19 for a technical support role at Apple, only to burn out in my second year. I was staying at home in bed in the dark, not seeing friends, and I thought, I'm too young to feel this depressed.
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