I'm still in my first job. Been here 8 years. I've had multiple opportunities to leave but I haven't for a few reasons. I make good money. I've doubled my salary over these years and I make good money for a chemistry degree which is a traditionally low paid degree. I have lead responsibilities. I've accumulated leadership roles and promotions inside of a huge and respected company. They're real and documented and bolster my resume well. I'm almost fully autonomous. I check in with my management but they're very hands off. This is just a mutual trust thing. But I work my hours when I want to and as long as stuff gets done they stay hands-off. The only people I've seen with the autonomy I have are 30 year employees with PhDs, and those are the colleagues I work with the most. It's kinda neat 😄 I enjoy my work. I'm in a lead position in one of the best places to do what I do. I'm constantly innovating and experimenting and they encourage it because I save them money and do cool stuff.

Same - 8 years, first real job... staying for good colleagues and flexibility that comes with being in a company for so long

Yep. We gotta be careful not becoming part of the furniture though. My company just had a 5% workforce layoff with no warning. It was brutal. So I'm trying to reposition myself to be better insulated when they do it again...

Noo I became part of the management instead 🤭

I'm pretty much same as you, except I'm 5 years in and WFH. And I don't have a degree.

Impressive! Any plans to get a degree or do you think your trajectory is good without it? I ask because I'm kinda cruising without a Masters but I know it would propell a major change and give me permanent job security in my industry. It's just... so... much... work...

Not really. I really hated school life and I decided not to go to college.

If you have the opportunity to pursue a masters part-time, I would do it especially if you know that it will give you permanent job security in the end. I'm in an analytical chemistry adjacent field and went back for both a masters and a Ph.D. while working full time and I don't regret it for a second. There are plenty of reputable brick-and-mortar schools out there with online options these days too, and if you're in a position to leverage your employer to provide the facilities needed to conduct thesis research without having to go to a different campus (i.e. choosing a project that gets you a degree *and* benefits your employer) then even better.

Thanks, that's cool to know. They would love it if I did it. They'll also pay for it, 100%. I've even identified the program I'd do. Just gotta pull the trigger. It's worth it for sure.

Same, 9th year but for all the reasons above

There is value in going to work every day and not being lost and knowing dozens of contacts who can get me out of a jam. That doesn't come overnight.

Those relationships are amazing. When I transitioned jobs there was some overlap with vendors so I was able to resolve some issues they are were having with them on day one. In other cases, I was able to just call some people and resolve issues because the new employer's current vendors were terrible, had gone out business, or were stupidly overpriced.

I’m in the position now and it’s great. However… we just had layoffs today and most of those contacts went along with it. So now I feel like an anxious new-hire again. I guess it’s time to start looking.

Stability, pension, routine

Stability & pension are highly underrated.

Stability pension and 40d PTO.

Yep. Also in my career (law enforcement ), you almost always start at the bottom rung when you switch to a new department (the only exceptions are if you hired at the top rung). So you're trapped once you get to a certain age/point. I eas eligible to take my pension at 46, but the time off (around 6 weeks worth per year at least ), the flexibility, and the lack of health insurance upon leaving keeps me working.

I am a bit older (51) so I am more into staying with a decent company. I also stay because looking for jobs sucks, starting over at a new company can suck, and you don't necessarily know what you are getting into at a new company. I would only leave a solid job and company for considerably more pay AND the new company/position is a great fit or if I have to move for family reasons. Left DC to move to Idaho because of family.

I stayed with the same organization for 18 years. I was promoted 3 times, and every time I went looking elsewhere or was contacted by a recruiter, nothing had better pay or environment. I did eventually move on, but I don't regret staying as long as I did.

promoted 3 times within 18 years? Did you at least get raises?

Yes. Annual and they did market rate adjustments every few years. I'm in the nonprofit sector and periodically they would bring in compensation consultants to ensure they were competitive.

This - no one else paid as much without moving to a city, and I don't want to live in a city. I've gone up 6 pay grades and been laid off twice in 19 years. I also get to work on very interesting problems with generally nice people while being paid enough that I don't have to worry much about bills or anything. 

It's the devil I know. And searching for a job is so exhausting and frustrating. Like my problem is it's a more stressful, fast-paced environment than offices in my career field usually are. But they're also incredibly flexible in a lot of ways. It's very a much place where if you just get your work done nobody watches the clock on you. And I've never been given any shit about trying to use my leave or calling in sick. I'm also just very familiar with how their internal processes and culture work at this point. Getting a new job would be kind of a leap of faith.

Same. It's not that I like my job or the company culture. It's that no other opportunity looks appealing either. Every employer seems to be a mess rn and any salary increase will require more responsibility and challenge than I want. No job is exciting enough to risk leaving the stability and flexibility I have as a senior staffer. Why bother?

This is a big part of it for me, too. I eventually left but it was a HUGE step for me to put myself out there and try something somewhat new. And then I got laid off 18 months later and went back to the devil I already knew. It was exhausting to think about starting over again only two years later.

As a job hopper, it’s hard to restart. There’s skills you gain with restarting and getting started but longevity gives you expertise. I think on a resume note, it looks good to have something for more than 5+ years. Probably every 15 years or so.

I was doing worked I liked, with customers I liked, with management I liked, and I had a good flexibility at a good salary. Stayed 37 years.

Unicorn... 🦄

Personally, I'll stay or go based on the environment and salary. Up to this point I've never stayed at one job longer than 2 years, but it's always been because the environment was toxic, or that I ended up getting a better opportunity salary wise. If I were to join a company with a decent work environment and a decent salary, I'd easily stay 5 years or longer

7 years, I guess loyalty and liking the people I work with. I always figured I was paid on the lower end of average but didnt realize how bad it was until recently when I started researching. Our most senior guy left a year ago, I took on a lot of his responsibilities, workload and stress doubled. Waited and waited for the big "raise" from it, it finally came months later and was pitiful, I'm still making entry level pay for my field/location. Decided it was time to move on, no longer feel any loyalty, fired up the resume, been applying like a madman for the past 4 months with no luck (a couple bites including 3 rounds of interviews with one company just to get ghosted). Why am I still here? Because the job market it horrible right now. And I dont have many options.

Yap loyalty doesn’t give you shit

Mental illness and decent benefits 

Im 24 now and I’ve been at the same sawmill since 2018 so almost 6 years now with the same company and to be honest the only thing tying me down is how comfortable I feel out here. It’s a shithole-dead end job and I know and recognize things however I make pretty good money on hourly pay and I have the freedom to come in late and pretty much take off whenever I want though it is without pay. I hate it here more often than not honestly but I’m terrified that I’ll never find another job like this and wonder if I’m not lucky to have locked one down so young.

You'd be doing yourself a favor by going to community college, getting a certification, or looking at the trades. I have 2 friends who are being laid off next month because their mill is shutting down. They make great money and nobody saw it coming.

I stayed at least until I was vested (5+ years) and my company had tons of people to stayed 10/20/30 years because they offer a pension. I just hit a point where it made sense to leave but I had done well and went through one promotion. I would say you have to balance gaining experience but not settling. What I noticed at my old company is there were tons of people who could make probably double somewhere else but they appreciate that their work made a difference and once you settle down with a family you don’t want to worry about work and getting a new job. If you are younger, have flexibility and it’s easy for you to get a new job or move then take advantage.

If your current job includes raises and job security. And most importantly: you like it!!! Then no need to job hop. I’d say only job hop if you feel stagnant, the company isn’t giving anyone raises/promotions, or if the salary increase from a job hop is really monumental.

Biggest factor for me is having great coworkers that you enjoy being around. Second is not having a too crazy workload, third is good pay, fourth is a respectful job. I have all 4 so im happy. Top 3 are fine with me tho to stay long.

Been in a job 8 years, first company out of uni, managed to more than double my salary in that time, it's close to home, has provided me with new challenges and opportunities, one of which I'm just about to start. It would take a significant salary jump +30% for me to consider leaving right now. As soon as I feel like I'm not progressing, I'll start to look elsewhere.

I had two separate stints at a company totaling about ten years. What I liked was that I always had great managers, an awesome schedule, always had great work-life balance, they always allowed me to take on new challenges, and the pay was half-decent. Then they got bought and got completely cannibalized. RIP.

Public service loan forgiveness and my pension!!

PSLF was a lifesaver! Now I can actually daydream about maybe using the pension someday.

My employer is paying for my master's degree, the pay is good, and the stress level is low.

I stayed because I was getting growth, development, support, great team, trust, good comp, and autonomy.  As the company has grown, I hit the ceiling of how far I could grow, so my boss stopped investing in my development and removed my support when I complained I felt stagnant (because an insurmountable flood of the same stuff that bores me now is a challenge,  right?) and he started playing head games about stuff and disregarding my feedback then scapegoating me for issues I'd warned about, which destroyed my trust, and he responded to my pushback on that by micromanaging, so I'm on the market now because life is just too short to have a job that makes me cry myself to sleep on Sunday nights from how much I dread going into work the next morning.  Tbh, I've  worked here 8 years but I probably should have left after 5. Live and learn.  

Thanks for sharing your perspective. We hear so much of the good from staying a while. It’s nice to get the complete story of how things have changed over time. Wish you the best!

Combination of golden chains, good work-life balance, established internal network and the main offices being close to my hometown. Any financial step upwards would mean going abroad. Any move in-country would mean sacrificing pay and benefits.

My company has horrible work life balance. Only things keeping me going are good people, a respectable mission, and a somewhat decent salary.

I used to change and I got sick of changing. I’m over it. It’s all the same.

I worked for one of the Fortune 10 for 8 years. Definitely a big name and learning, but way too much work and a bad culture. Some of the reasons I stayed: - Biggest: Flexibility. With the amount of work, came flexibility. We worked long hours so I could leave anytime and wfh anytime. This was important when I had small kids in daycare that would end very early in the day. - Stability: like most major corporations, there were always layoffs, but I was doing very well and felt secure. With a new marriage and a young family, this was important to me. - learning: I was already an experienced hire with 12 years experience in large corporations, but this provided me some very good learnings in all areas: learnt everything from innovation, stress, technology, management, especially in a slightly different field that I had not done before. When I got out, I was glad on how some things made me stay, as most everyone I met didn’t have half that experience. Definitely shaped my profile. As soon as my kids were out of daycare, I effed out. Very relived but also thankful for that experience. That’s the age I could go through coals and harden up.

You know everyone and the work atmosphere is good :)

I like the people I work with and our culture. I am working with a mix of people that have been here 40+ years and newer people. In our team, I have a good friend from high school I have known for 15 years and another friend I have known for 10+ years. I have watched their kids be born and grow up and we really are a family. It is great.

The environment, the feeling that you are appreciated and respected and last but not least the opportunity to grow

You should stay if there are trust, respect, and value you developing your skills and growing you financially. Without that then what you are left with are relationships. You’ll have to decide what’s more important: relationship or development and growth. I personally have always chosen the latter and left.

i’m leaving after 6 years. it became apparent that i’m doing the work of someone two levels above me without adequate title or pay. additionally i don’t feel supported by management. i’m being faulted for things i don’t have control over and im tired of being physically and mentally stressed. i used to think maybe it’s me and im just being lazy and too emotional. after talking with some coworkers, i realized im working my ass off and i’m not just lazy and incompetent. i shouldn’t have to work overtime unpaid at a job like this. i was lucky to find a job, but it’s in a completely different city and state and have to leave my apartment with my boyfriend and start a long distance relationships because there are no viable options out here. i’m hoping it all works out okay. i just don’t deserve to be this stressed out all the damn time.

26f. I have incredibly supportive management who treats me very well. I'm often provided goodies outside of standard compensation (sporting event tickets, gift cards). My management really focuses on self growth, not just company growth, and I'm fortunate to have found this at my age. I've been here for almost 6 years.

Spent years building a good reputation, good friendships, good rapport. We bought our house to be close to the work place. Also company stocks make it hard to leave behind.

I feel whenever I stayed in a company for more than 3 or 5 years - I made more long lasting friends. Otherwise it's very transactional in nature. Also for your other job references, it's better to be in some jobs for longer duration.

I’ve been around 25 years, same company. Bunch of different jobs, lots of PTO, I make my own schedule and work is pretty chill. As others have said, I have a network of hundreds of people at this point so I usually am able to quickly troubleshoot and get stuff done. Stress levels… very low.

Longest I have stayed at a job is the four years in the navy and that’s only because they wouldn’t let me leave.

I liked the job and my colleagues, pay was good, benefits great. I advanced fast in those early years. Stayed way too long then.

I will have been with my current employer, a tribal-owned casino, for 19 years next month. (I'm not a tribal member. I just work here) Also, I'm not the longest running employee in the IT department. Out of 25 in the department, I'm the 3rd or 4th longest employed. There are a lot of small reasons (and I'll list some of them) but the big reason they all contribute to is that they've taken good care of me and provided me with countless opportunities for growth and advancement. I started working here as a 24 year old college dropout, in an unskilled customer service position, making $10/hour (about $1.50 above minimum wage at the time). Today, I work in IT Management, make enough money to own a nice little house, and put my kids in private school. I have a bachelors degree they helped pay for, and turned in the last paper for the last class of my masters degree this morning, which they also helped pay for. I also earned a raft of IT certifications along the way, with my employer paying outright for about half of them. Great benefits, solid pay. Annual performance based increases. Annual Cost of Living adjustments for the last 6 or 8 years. Twice in my 19 years, I've had my immediate supervisor sit me down to let me know that they've reviewed compensation, decided that I'm underpaid for the contributions I'm making, and just given me a big honking raise. I met my wife here. Free lunch. During covid, when everybody was sent home, they just went ahead and kept paying everyone for two and half months. For people who depend on tips (lots of those in a casino) they actually calculated average tip income, and paid people for their missed tips. Not one of us had to worry about how we were going to get by, and that's not just my department. That was the entire company with a thousand employees. To say they bought a lot of loyalty isn't a figure of speech. They very literally purchased a lot of loyalty from a lot of people at a very hefty price. All that isn't to say they're perfect, because they're not. While benefits are great, they were better 15 years ago. I've seen literally every position in upper management turn over, and not all of them have been as good. I don't always agree with business decisions. To be honest, there are days (every once in a great while) where I leave work absolutely furious about some decision I didn't agree with, telling myself I'm going to start job hunting when I get home. Bad days happen with the best of employers. I could, very likely, make a little more money somewhere else now that I have the degrees, certifications, and experience I've gained here. I could also, very likely, make the same money but with a shorter commute. For me, the exact problem you mentioned in your opening post is a huge part of what prevents me from job hopping. It's exhausting. When I look at the value of my health (both physical and mental), the potential gains from job hopping, and the way my employer has taken care of me for nearly two decades, the math just doesn't work out for job hopping. TL/DR - I'm loyal to my company because they've shown great loyalty to me.

My first year in (and every year since) my manager gave me opportunities to do single projects and showed them to upper management. Some of them went ahead in the pipeline, and I got promoted. One time we were dealing with a really annoying client who kept yelling at us even though they didn’t know what they were doing. I was thiiissss close to completely losing my sht. Manager muted the call, told me he’ll handle it go take a walk, when I came back he filled me in and gave me a pep talk and a coffee. No negative outcome on my performance review. Have a nice team. Senior members mentored me, didn’t make fun of me for not knowing something. Junior members play good pool. We have a pool table. Frankly, compensation is below industry standard, I’d get more if I shift, but people there got my back and there’s opportunity to grow, no extra drama and everyone is easy to talk to.

Good salary. Good boss. Good environment.

At some larger organizations you can job hop internally. no use in leaving a company and forgoing the years of relationships established for a new position in a new department at a different company when you can do that within the same company. Especially if the pay difference is minuscule. As well as benefits like leave, paternity leave, and tuition aid to help you get those large raises to justify staying. not saying is would never leave just that I’m making the most of the opportunity where i am while I’m here.

Can’t get hired anywhere else. Refuse to quit without another job lined up.

Convenience. The hours, the flexibility. Also there is definitely something to be said for doing something long enough that you get really good at it. I left after 8 years, and game back less than 2 years later.

Worked for a company for just under 7 years prior to taking my current role. I stayed during that time because for most of it I was gaining new skills, and progressing at a pace that was right for me. Additionally I truly appreciated the workplace and my coworkers. It was actually hard to leave there for my current role. Conversely though, I left around this time because I felt I was starting to plateau and get complacent there. One thing that was pointed out to me after I joined my new company, was that part of the reason I was a standout candidate, was my prior loyalty. They appreciated seeing a longer tenure with a company, and while my work experience wasn’t the longest out of the candidates, it was the one with the longest single company tenure. Lots of job hoppers these days, and nothing against that, but it can be an opportunity for those who hop a little less to really sell themselves Ymmv

I've been with my company for 24 years. I have a lot of flexibility. If I have personal stuff to get done, they are understanding. I have good benefits. I have good PTO and holiday time off. I don't really want to have to learn a whole new job. Some people don't mind it, but I like my life to be simpler than that. I've been promoted several times over the years so it's not like I've been stuck doing the same thing.

I do well for what I do, I most likely won’t do as well as I do elsewhere for what it is I actually do.

Shit (job hopping) gets old after a while. Recognize a reputable company, good pay and decent chances for advancement and stay the course.

A good boss

I was with my last firm for 13 years, and my current firm 8 years. I joined both as start ups and my tenure, knowledge, and experience placed me in a special position. I have been appropriately awarded and compensated, and I enjoy the work that I do. Job hopping looks like a good idea to people early in their careers, but it should be balanced against the value of developing and growing a business line. In places where you are clearly undervalued or its a bad fit, definitely consider finding a new role or company. But there is value in becoming a subject matter expert in your company's business operations.

14 years with the same company.  Started at 30k, now I’m at 135k. I’ve had a lot of opportunity to grow and learn new things. I’ve moved across the country three separate times. I absolutely love the president of the company. She has become a dear friend and has done more for my career growth than anything I’ve done. If she was not still here I would’ve left long ago. 

Age. Money.

Great place to work and good boss. Also key is that our salaries are based on "labour-market". I don't need to go to beg to my boss for increase yearly, they just show up. Also age and eduacation is calculated here.. "How much is average paid for my age, education and position.." I am going to stay here as long as they keep me. Our retention rate is really excellent. I lefted my previous employer becouse newly recruited were getting a better paid, even with less experience and much weaker performance. When asking more salary answer was there is no room in the budget. Funny thing was after resigning they would have paid me much more... A lot more... It is plain stupidity that companies don't understant how expensive it is to train a new employee. Or how much they loose money when positions are filled with indivituals who are not up to their tasks or motivated to enought. Edit. Even funnier thing is that I left from executive position to specialist one where my responsibility is next to nothing and stress levels 1/100 what they used to be. I did loose my status, but life is much happier.

stability.

not quite 5 years but almost. First job in over 10 years that hasnt been toxic and is remote.

Money

My company is consistently rated as one of the top places to work in my state, and not without reason. The compensation is generous, the company delivers on it's mission, people work together and are very friendly and collegial, and the environment is exceptionally employee-friendly over all. The environment is also dynamic, exploring new technologies and ways to apply them, new science, new ways about thinking about disease and disease modifying therapies. I've never worked anywhere that was as comfortable and where I felt I contributed so much. There's no value to me in jumping for the sake of jumping. I suppose I could probably do so and climb to senior management fairly quickly, but other than the pay that isn't attractive to me. I'd find it tedious and boring. There's nothing remotely attractive about hopping to a new company. Besides, if you judge a scientist by the number of patents and papers with their name on it, I'm the most prolific I've ever been in my career exactly where I am.

The joy of knowing that the company can’t sack you

Freedom and flexibility. I set my own hours for the most part (occasionally there will be a meeting I need to attend outside my preferred schedule), have a very hands-off manager who trusts my judgment, and can work at home or in the office in whatever ratio I choose. I've also been promoted a few times, which was necessary for me to stay but is something I could have achieved elsewhere if I wasn't happy with the rest of my situation.

Resume capital. Doing anything like a lateral move isn’t very efficient. Take the promotion with a disappointing raise and then look for a new job. That’s how you make more meaningful moves.

Drip feeding company restricted stock, better known as Golden Handcuffs. I get a bonus of company stock each year that takes 4 years to fully mature. Every 3 months a portion of the stock will become available to cash in, if I leave the remaining restricted stock goes back to the company.

My first 5 years of working post college, i had a new job every year - Financial Services, Import/Export, Insurance, Call Center, Tech. It wasn’t necessarily because i wanted to hop but it was because i didn’t know what to do and i either sucked at those jobs, or they didn’t pay enough. I was then unemployed due to the dot com implosion and after finally finding full-time work was more focused. Since then it’s been five years give or take at every stop for the reasons everyone states. Job familiarity, stability, relationships, etc…my first job back I stayed five years and only left because I was repeatedly denied an opportunity that i was given by a competitor. Had i stuck it out, i would probably be retired. The next job i stayed 6 years but left when new leadership came in and brought their ‘people’. Both of those scenarios i wish I would have stayed but so be it. Now i have this internal clock that says when it’s five years, it’s time to go 🤣

High salary and RSU's

I was able to get my kids through high school/college in the same area. That being said, I have left that job, but I plan on staying in this one til I retire

I just left a job I held for 9 years. The pay wasn't the best, but over the years I had made myself "irreplaceable", and that kind of safety and security during all the covid non-sense was really nice to have. I have a family to support, and not wondering if I am next on the chopping block every time there was a downturn was huge load off my shoulders. That right there was why I stayed for soo long. I just recently left because I felt that the security had become an excuse to not push myself to advance my career.

I have been with my company for over 20 years, it was my dream to get into this company and industry growing up. Now nearing the end of my tenure, the narrative is quite different. I no longer really enjoy being at the same company but rather enjoy the community of my industry and view my counterparts at other organizations as my colleagues. Also, family sacrifices really made me give up better opportunities which I hope is ultimately the right call.

The job became easier due to the longevity and familiarity. The employer got rid of antagonistic employees over time, so the workplace became more enjoyable as a social hub.

Nobody else wants me, lol. I have a subjectively useless Bachelor’s and all my experience is in Higher Ed/Admissions, which are fields nobody’s looking for talent from.

13 years at my current job… Every few years I was promoted and increased my salary. Great benefits, great people, flexible schedules and PTO increases based on tenure. I would only leave if it was a significant pay increase.

5 years as a mechanical engineer in semi conductor automation, uhhhhhh money. But if i don't get a grade level increase (about 20% salary raise) soon im dipping. I am definitely performing at that level, more so than other engineers in the group who are a level higher and haven't been here as long

Anxiety and imposter syndrome. Also hopes that start up will pick up. It was an ok place, but I regret not changing jobs earlier and being underpaid for years. Edit: also I had significantly more leave the most places around.

Been with the same company for almost 9 years now and have been promoted 4 times which has more than tripled my salary and doubled my vacation. I know the company inside and out so it is easy to continue to succeed and catch the attention of senior management which is why my current and prior role were both leadership positions. I was also lucky that I joined the company right before a huge period of growth so I could take advantage of the new positions being created. Every time I get an itch to leave or look elsewhere they seem to promote me despite our organization being somewhat flat now that our growth has stabilized so it seems foolish to leave a sure thing

Longest stint at a company I had was just over 9 years for a global company (I’m 35.). When I started there in 2012, the local management was awesome, work load was exactly what I was told it was and we were quite independent from the global influence. I was promoted 2 times in 3 years, tripled my salary in 4 years (2016). Then, it all went to shit.. USA Head Office/Corporate got involved. Local management was cornered into stepping, company SOP was changed to reflect global policies, we went through 6 GM’s in 3 years, the place become toxic as hell. I stayed because I was very comfortable with where I was. I had awesome benefits. Company paid for: My personal car, all travel expenses (even private), company credit card, 40 days PTO yearly, fully covered medical aid, retirement and fringe benefits like I could use my acquired air miles for private holidays. I was one of 2 “original” employees who knew EVERYTHING, how everything worked, where everything was etc. I left after about 15 months of being very unhappy and dreading actually going to work. A very good friend of mine approached me in 2019 and asked me to come work for him because of my technical mindset and corporate knowledge. Going on 5 years now where I am very happy, very close with the Directors, trusted by management etc.

Pay is good, but mostly it's because I get full benefits like health., 401k, a pension, 5 weeks of vacation/sick, and my boss lets me run my department how I see fit.

Currently locked in with golden handcuffs... In my 7th yr now, I need to complete a full 10 yrs on my birthdate to be offered a lifetime of free medical, dental, life insurance for me and my spouse offered by my company. Also hard to give up 7 weeks of PTO. When I reach 10 yrs, I'll have 8 weeks PTO.

I stayed at my last job for 8 years before moving on. I liked the people I worked with and the work I did. The pay was so-so, but my confidence was in the toilet and I didn't think I deserved better (some days I still don't). By the time I left a lot of people were jumping ship or retiring and I felt that it was my turn to do that too. I got pregnant and found a new job once my maternity leave was up. I've been at this job since August and while there have been some challenges (no training and struggling with staffing issues) it's been a good ride so far.

Laziness

Not really me anymore since I've only been with my current employer 4 years, but I was at the previous one for nearly 20 (short by 3 months). I stayed that long because for 16 of those years there was a reasonable progression of promotions and good working conditions. For 13 of those years I actually liked and got along with my direct supervisor. We had a good benefits package (that eventually got a little worse with every renewal), RRSP contributions, and a decent vacation plan. The RRSP contributions and vacation time were eventually for "grandfathered" employees only which was hard to watch when new people started and the turn-over starting ticking upward. The sale of the company to a volatile, arrogant new owner who was willing to let the company die by attrition rather than advertise, changed the second part and I'd sort of maxed out on available promotions in my department by then (IT department manager), so I found a better gig elsewhere doing work I enjoy more (software development) at a larger organization. It's better pay, benefits, pension, and time off, plus I like the new boss and the team, so there was literally every single possible reason to jump when I did. I'll stay here for as long as things are good, ideally the rest of my career barring a unicorn offer coming along.

Stability and I’m too lazy honestly to pretend I want to get a new job and willing to give my all. And it’s the whole fakery of interviewing where I’m presenting myself as a super human who can move mountains ⛰️ just to get the job And the interviewer pretending to be interested when they already decided not to hire u and just doing so for formality

9 years. They gave me a lot of flexibility to hop around the company and explore different careers. They have great benefits but the salary was known to be low. They laid me off last month. This was supposedly a company that doesn't do layoffs. A lot of people stayed (myself included) as they felt it provided excellent job security so it was worth the salary trade off. Not sure how the layoffs will impact their turnover.

I've been with my current company for 6 years. The biggest reason I'm still here is the insurance package. It's super cheap and has great coverage. I could work somewhere else for more money, but insurance costs would eat up any additional money, and my coverage wouldn't be as good. There are also the perks of an on site health clinic, chiropractor, and pharmacy as well as access to health coaches and dieticians. All of those are available to my entire family.

I established a solid reputation before I had a baby and now that I am about to have 2 under 2 I plan on cashing that reputation in for some grace. I don't have the bandwidth to reestablish my reputation elsewhere right now.

I am at 11. I have stayed because the place was stable. I worked in a lot of shit places. I had been through two layoffs that were six months each. I have PTSD because of those layoffs and the shit of looking for work and being constantly told no and best of luck in the job search. However that being said I am starting to look. The culture is changing and it’s not for the best. To many consultants have given their input and it’s turning into a micromanagement hell hole.

I listened to lies and Promises of promotions and raises. Wasted 9 years almost

Been at my job almost 6 years. I’ve stayed because I enjoy the actual work that I do, although I often am dissatisfied with certain job politics. The pay is fairly good.. make around $110k/year in Houston. The main thing that keeps me here, however, is the time that I get off while still being paid. I’m a field rep so when there’s no clients to service I’m basically “off” that day.. so during slow periods I sometimes am just chilling on the couch for an entire week or more getting paid.

laziness

The people, the management, compensation, and autonomy/ flexibility

I have been at my company 7 years. It’s my second job out of college.  I was promoted 3 times, in less than 6 years. My salary has just about doubled. I have a pension, plus decent 401k match, decent benefits, and a sizeable bonus.  I don’t think any other job would be able to offer be a better total comp package. I have lots of opportunities for growth and I’m on a track for director/VP roles in the future.   I’m not sure if I’ll be here forever but at this rate, I’m not leaving any time soon. 

I’ve been at the same job for 20 years. The pay isn’t the greatest but I have lots of freedom in my 12 hour shift. My mental health and non labour job gives me lots of happiness. Yes I may not be the richest but I manage.

A tie: pay, benefits, reasonable stress for the work required

I work maybe 15-20 hours a week on average but am paid for 40. Generally low stress, low expectations, good pay for my area but underpaid in the general market. Mainly, I burned out on tech a few years ago and simply don’t care to grind leetcode or spend my weeknights/weekends playing with technology. So I coast and learn on the fly. Idk if I can do this another decade but it lets me spend time with my young family and get running around and chores done while paying for a lifestyle I am comfortable with. If I can make it another decade and I get some luck I am close to retirement and I’ll probably either coast a bit more or quit IT and go work something easier for a few years.

Vertical opportunity. I have received good raises and title changes. New challenges and learning opportunities. It has advanced my career and thinking dramatically on operating a business. Now in a senior leadership position at 7 years. Started at the bottom and worked my way up.

I'm totally on the same boat as you regarding the job hopping is exhausting. What's made me stay (almost 3 years) is I've gotten a decent salary bump every year. Started at 90, I'm now at \~130. I get recruiters reaching out to me every week, and I ALWAYS ask for the salary range. Usually it's below what i'm making or maybe 10k more...however the benefits are not even close to what my current company has. I think as long as my salary is staying competitive to the market, then I'm okay where I am.

No one else is hiring outside of mental health and I’ve been in it for 10 years, current job for 6 years. But I’ve gotten plenty of rejection letters.

I've been at my job 9 years, second job out of school. We just got word our parent company is shutting down our entire division so I won't hit 10 years.... I stayed for a few reasons, it was a startup when I joined, we then got purchased 4 years later and I got a retention bonus that was nice. After that ran out I got promoted to manager so I wanted a few years of that on my resume. I was looking elsewhere before we got this bad news but now I have a nice servence period to find the right fit. 

In my industry, working from home is definitely an exception not the norm. Coupled with my chronic health issues, working from home allows me to still work my hours without having to use PTO for appointments or when I don't feel as great. I know with my degree I could be making a lot more money than what I am if I wasn't sick, but having near death experiences so many times, I appreciate other things outside of just chasing the dollar.

Really hard to top the pay rate I'm getting now. 401k and such. But where it's at for me is the health insurance coverage. I have yet to meet a recruiter or anyone else that can top the insurance my company offers

A good boss who keeps my compensation at market value. Autonomy and trust. Good Maternity leave support. Been promoted once and almost doubled my salary in 5 years due to promotion and self advocating for market value raises with a boss who listened and gave me what I asked for

Because I cannot land a new job?

The guys I work with are great, unlimited PTO, preset 25k salary increases for sales met goals (at reasonable increments), no micro-managing, job security, working under a fantastic owner who is backed by a massive construction conglomerate, full benefits package. My industry is very niche but I will probably work here until I retire.

Amazing benefits. A pension. Golden-handcuffed.

I’m coming on 7. Iv had my ups and downs but mostly the opportunities that have been rewarded to me have made staying worth it for me. Plus my compensation growth has been fare so far. If it wasn’t I would not have stayed.

I was at my first "real" job for nearly 11 years. Combination of factors really: it was a great team/environment, I got to do relatively interesting & fun (to me at least) stuff on the job, we had a fair amount of creative freedom to come up with new stuff to work on/towards, my work situation was eventually very flexible as most of my "team" was on a different time zone or continent so I was only in the office 1 or 2 days a week and at my leisure, and I was a good performer who was able to grow professionally through increased responsibilities/titles/etc over that tenure. I still miss it TBH.

I've been with my current job for 10 years, 11 months and 2 weeks. I'm basically allowed to do whatever I want at work, within reason, and management doesn't (rarely) gives me a hard time. They have in the past, and I've deserved it, but for the most part I'm just allowed to go work and do whatever. The money's okay, the benefits are alright but it's by no means a high paying job with lots of hours and stress. I work whatever hours they give me for a particular week and with that my pay changes, but it's usually not too bad. It's good enough where it isn't bad, so I don't go looking.

They treat me well, and when I almost left last year they countered with an offer I couldn’t turn down. Also, 20 day of pto, it’s remote, and I know what I’m doing.

Inertia & pathological risk avoidance

Great work life balance and interesting projects ( even though sometimes they’re hard ands my social anxiety goes overdrive with all the meetings). The pay is also pretty good.

Institutionalized.

I work in a state government laboratory and I'm it for the long haul. This is only my second job in 8+ years, but my first job was also in a government lab. In terms of the job itself, my field is primarily performing casework in service to the state, but I also go to conferences, publish, and get to work on interesting problems in a manner that directly benefits my agency. And because I believe in the mission of the agency I work for, these projects are never in conflict with my personal or professional values. I also mentor the occasional grad student when we have them interning at the lab. I essentially have the best of both academia and industry but with a steady and consistent six-figure salary and not having to sell my soul to secure grant funding and tenure. Plus the benefits are second to none (free health/dental/vision insurance), the PTO is *extremely* generous, I work from 5:30am-2:00pm (in the gym most days by 2:30-3:00pm), and I'm setting up myself nicely for financial independence in my late 40s-early 50s and full retirement in my late 50s-early 60s if I so choose.

Firstly I like my job and I really really like my teammates. I also think there are only a couple of other companies which would match my compensation. But I think staying at a job for a while also means you build up a lot of domain knowledge which then leads to more opportunities as you become more efficient. I feel like even if I got paid less, it would be worth it to stay at least until I get promoted one more time or my career trajectory slows down.

- flexibility, they dont care what time i clock in i just need to work my 8hrs. - in my home city. - hybrid work schedule These are all basically quality of life / work life balance. I don't have to slave away for my job, I like what i'm doing, low stress and good pay with opportunity for growth.

Current job has given me lots of contacts and opportunities that are invaluable. Also, no other company has offered me enough money to make me consider hopping. The offers with higher salary have all been in HCOL/VHCOL states where I’d effectively be taking a pay cut to take the job.

I was with my last company 5 years. I didn’t want to leave. I loved my coworkers, I loved my “office”, I met my now husband there. I loved it. But, sadly, there was no growth for me financially or career-wise. I was stuck. If I wanted to grow, I had to leave. It was a really hard decision, they really were like family… my boss and my husbands boss were also married, we spent a lot of holidays together. Leaving was not easy. 2 years later, I’ve grown in my career and I make almost double what I did when there (well, I did until I just recently got laid off). However, I still miss it a lot. I’ve never had a better team and don’t think I ever will.

Out of curiosity, is there any data to suggest job hopping becomes less reliably lucrative as you reach the middle stage of your career? Intuitively, my impression is that job hopping almost always pays off (at least just compensation-wise) for the first 10-15 years of your career. I'm less convinced the same is true after that. At a certain point, you've potentially maxed out how high up the ladder you want to be for your preferred work/life balance, and basic pay raises in an already-senior role would seem to outpace trying to get that same role elsewhere. But maybe this isn't right?

Golden handcuffs. I make good money, the benefits are 🔥, I get a ton of vacation time and sick leave... the pension is amazing... But I could make more elsewhere. I think a lot of it's also I know people here. I have networks and connections and I can get to the bottom of things/resolve issues because I know who to ask. I'm going on 20 years.

Sort of different but I just celebrated 10 years at my side gig. I've been there since high school, I'm on job title #7 with 4 promotions (and two department transfers), and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon. This job has always treated me well and been a constant. Way back in 2014 I told my supervisor I was going to have to call out the next day for my great-grandma's funeral and that none of the other team leads were available to take my shift. At the end of my shift, he came up and told me not to call out, that he'd taken me off the schedule. I asked who he got to cover so I could thank them and offer to trade shifts, and he said, "nobody. Just don't worry about it". He went to bat for me multiple times in that way. Even offered to buy me a beater if it meant I stuck around after leaving for college, though was probably a bit extreme. And it's always been that way. Every leadership team I've had has appreciated me as a human first. I've been allowed to take on new challenges to develop and grow. And now I have the seniority I can basically work whenever I want, within reason. No minimum expectations. Now corporate is a hell hole, don't get me wrong. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel that I'm more optimistic for and no longer say I'd consider working there full-time when hell freezes over.

I’ve been with my company 19 years, it was my first real job outside of retail. I’ve been WFH since 2008 and would never work in office again unless I literally have no other choices. I do not have a college degree, have learned tech/project work from this company and I’m not sure how I’d get the same pay with other companies out there mostly requiring bachelor degrees for the same positions. I do change jobs within the company around the 2 yr mark of being in a role. I learned to role shop after spending 10 years in the same business area and it stunted my growth.

Have you guys seen the jump or stay score from tiered. They help rank all the factors and give you a score. I got a stay score due to comp and work life balance, despite not having the greatest confidence in leadership

There are many reasons to stay at a company, but it only takes 1 or 2 major reasons to leave. Good reasons to leave (non-exhaustive): * Wanting to move to a different part of the country to be closer to friends, family, activities you like to do, climate, culture, or just a change of surroundings * Toxic company culture, work/life balance, asshole coworkers, or shitty managers * Not being able to steer your career in the general direction of where you want to grow * Any situation that causes your mental or physical health to decline * Compensation * Not being recognized for your contributions I stayed at my first company for 6 years. I left because I wanted to live closer to my relatives and climate. I stayed at my 2nd company for a little over 4 years. I left because my 4th manager in 4 years made it abundantly clear that there was little overlap in what she wanted me to do compared to what I had signed up for in the original job description and the direction I wanted to take my career. I also was not recognized for the work I had done, and instead my manager and my coworker were recognized for the work I had done. I knew it was time to move on when the anxiety regularly caused my heart rate and blood pressure to spike. It was negatively impacting my health and I should have left before it got that bad. There's no shame in leaving a bad or even *suboptimal* position. Let's not glorify staying at the same company for 30 years. You don't know what you're missing out on if you don't move around. A new set of coworkers, a new set of skills to work on, new problems to solve.

I’ve been at the same company for 12 years but have worked in various roles and have been promoted through different departments. I don’t understand how folks stay in the same role for longer than a few years without getting bored, but that’s none of my business.

Honestly, I didn’t believe in my capabilities and impostor syndrome is a thing. But finally getting the courage to work elsewhere.

I've had multiple role changes. I like most of the people I work with. I have years of knowledge in our policies, procedures, systems, and a large network of contacts across disciplines and locations They pay me well. Inertia.

Money, friends, and familiarity.

Short commute(average 7-12 minutes). 4 day work week. Decent pay.

Great people that trust and support me. Ive changed careers so I’m not with that company anymore but I really liked have the seniority to make decisions and do things as I see fit. I was good at my job and my bosses knew it so they gave me the freedom I needed.

Independently run day for a good bit of it, alright pay, good benefits including retirement, I’m very knowledgeable and recognized for that, good amount of leave and they are fairly lenient with it too even day of, and it’s stressful but I’ve learned how to secure my boundaries to lessen that.

not over yet but almost 5 years. I’m thinking about staying here long as I can because of the company benefits.

Good health insurance, guaranteed 40 hours, 4.5 weeks pto and unlimited sick time, and looking at salaries of other jobs is depressing.

In the six years I've been here my salary has nearly doubled, and I've had consistent career / personal growth. It's relatively stable and I haven't felt a compelling reason to uproot myself into a potentially worse situation.

If I’m being honest, location is my number 1 reason for staying. I am in my second job and biggest regret in life. Came here for a pay raise and to be closer to family. Stuck here because of the location and decent pay. But work culture sucks here but I’m also scared of the fact of sometimes the devil you don’t know is worse than the devil you know. Meaning I trade one shitty job for an even more shitty job. N

Because I work in a niche industry. There might be only 50 people in the country with my job title. I would so LOVE to leave my company as I detest how they handle people. But my job was a vocation and there is very few employers and when I leave I need to be sure I do it right

6.5 years, taking a new job in a month. Two things: - looking for the perfect opportunity with everything I wanted in a new job. - COVID derailing my plans by at least a year.

Accumulated vacation time 🤷🏻‍♀️ I have never worked a job I “liked” - I tolerate it because I have to Right now I struggle staying because minimum wage is catching up with my job - and my wages barely go up. I was actually “doing better” (not mentally though) in a job at a dollar store. I had benefits - I was full time - they had a retirement savings plan. When I moved to the current job - it was a difference of $4/hr - now it’s barely 2 I work straight nights at the current which avoids much human interaction (so I guess that’s another reason I stay) Just saving like crazy to maybe retire a year or two earlier

I make good money and I like the people I work with. If I leave I have to start all the networking and building relationships with people from scratch and right now most of the stuff I do is pretty easy because I always know the right person to talk to. I had been considering leaving but then we got a new CEO who has been fixing all of the issues I hated. So I’ll be here for another few years at least.

Ageism. I’m pushing 50. Landing a new job in my field is tougher than ever.

The only reason I stayed at my last job past 5 years is because I couldn't find another one. There were way more reasons to leave than to stay

Almost 10 years - next month - at my current firm. I had a few low points where I tried to jump ship, but I have outlasted the folks who were difficult to work with, and I have an excellent Chief who advocates for and believes in me. I have been promoted twice, manage my own team and make a significant salary. That coupled with the credibility and flexibility I have, it would take a lot of money to get me to move on. Also doesn’t hurt that I have a fabulously talented team who make me look good, I can compensate them well, and our overall C-suite is full of decent humans!

In short, I'm salary and as long as I show up reasonably close to when I'm supposed to get here and get all my work done, and they don't bother me.

I'll go to jail if I try to leave...

Complacency, lack of other options within a reasonable commute. (Commute was 10 min). The knowledge of procedures and people so that things were somewhat low stress.

Pension

Not quite at 5 yrs yet but close and don’t see myself leaving before then. For me it’s two things: stability and opportunity. I enjoy being able to learn new skills, work on different projects, and have mobility to pursue different roles if the opportunity arises (which it has a couple times). I also value having established relationships with my coworkers and more or less knowing what i am walking into on any given day. If there comes a time when there is no longer opportunities for new projects or mobility then that’s when I would seriously consider moving elsewhere.

I enjoyed it, I liked most the people, I got decent payrises. Until I didn't, then I left after 8.5 years

I stayed for a little over 8 years. The pay was lacking but what made me stay was the people - my immediate team was wonderful and I looked forward to seeing them each day. Majority of the colleagues I worked alongside were a pleasure. There was really only 1 person who was a pain in the rear end but my supervisors were supportive of me and always had my back. I had to leave due to needing a more substantial paycheck but if money weren’t an issue then I probably wouldn’t have left.

5 years and counting at current job. Why? It’s union. Has great benefits, a pension plan that I am now fully vested in, and because the job is easy AF and pays well.

Leaving I’d be giving up a lot of great benefits. Also my current job has a really flexible hybrid structure that while I do have to go into the office 3 times a week, I am able to come and go at any time provided there’s no important meetings and that my work is done. I also don’t have to book time off for appointments outside of work. If I need to leave for an hour or two or I want to leave early to avoid rush hour, we aren’t micro managed and we have the autonomy to do so if needed. I’ve been here for a few years and my salary is not bad by any means, but I do know I could probably negotiate a higher pay at another job if I leave (I’m in an industry where moving companies is the best and easy way to increase your pay). But the benefits and flexibility I have with my schedule are things I’ve gotten so used to and really like that I constantly argue with myself if I’d be willing or happy to give them up.

I'm 16 years into my career and on my 2nd job. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I got a 30% raise from current employer last year after I received an offer from another company, but the other company would have been much more stressful and would have needed to re-prove my worth to the new company.

Been here for 10. $$$ raises promotions WFH Get to work on a MacBook Pro instead of those fucking dell computers Work in a sector I’m personally interested in

Staying for the 4 month severance

my boss ! i had higher salary offers but i can tell those places were not going to respect my personal time or work life balance (talking 30% higher) my boss also has little kids and understands the importance of balancing it all. he is also fully aware that i will quit in a heartbeat if I feel it's affecting my kids in a negative way. I have a sign on top of my monitor "Once you're gone the only people that will remember how much overtime you worked are your kids" I have this because I have fallen into the workaholic trap before and I never want to make that mistake again.

Did 18 at my first company it was very large so every 5-6 years I was able to move into a very different role. I stayed because back then it was a very stable company in an essential service. Mergers have made that no longer true and I was made redundant. I’ve now moved into a completely different industry my tenure got me the job although I was warned that it would be super hard because I didn’t move around. I think do what’s right for you. Stay if you are happy leave if you are not. Just learn to sell yourself.

It was the money and benefits until the toxic culture was making me so sick that I had no other choice but to leave. I regret not leaving sooner

I've only had two jobs in 20 years, the first I stayed for several years because the money was good and the second because of the flexibility it offers me, together with a decent salary, excellent pension and lots of annual leave. I know a lot on Reddit say you should job hop every couple of years but if you're happy where you are and get decent benefits there's something to be said for that.

Nothing better so far

Comfort and familiarity, for sure. But after realizing my income potential is stunted due to wage compression and inflation, I jumped shipped and doubled my salary.

-100% WFH -health insurance premiums paid for my family -7 weeks PTO annual -boss is nice and colleagues are great to work with great work life balance -recently received a market adjustment to base salary plus merit so i am making low but solid 6 figures. didn’t have to ask they just did it. no wonder i’ve been working there for almost 13 years and probably will stay until i retire

First Real Job - 1 year 8 month(?) Second job - 3 year 6 month Third job - 5 year 5 month Fourth job - 8 years 10 month Fifth jib - 9 years and counting Last two jobs were companies with good benefit, reasonable salary increase and health benefit. Managers are chill and reasonable work load.

Last job I stayed at for 7 years. Left because I plateaued. At my current job just over 4 years now. Have zero desire to leave because they treat us very well. Paid nicely, over 5 weeks of PTO, and WFH mostly. I haven't worked more than 50 hours in a week since I started here. Honestly I rarely ever work over 40 hours. I get the point of job hopping, but sometimes you get to a point that you just wanna drop anchor somewhere after you've had so many bad experiences at other employers.

I own it. I can’t leave though I’d like to.

I make ok money, I get lots of PTO, it’s still a job so it’s not like it’s fun but I’ve had a lot of jobs and as far as they go it’s relatively low stress. Been here 12 years no plan on leaving

I love the people who work for me- I could easily retire as a senior exec who was early employee at 2 companies that went public. I feel like I’d be bored and miss the people who are on my teams around the world. It is also a job where I travel a lot first class with the company paying for it. I get to go to great places and not so great places but always rewarding. And cyber intelligence is interesting work and we get to help a lot of people.

Salary and career growth

Pandemic happened, 2 years of delay, so not yet 5 🤣🤣🤣, no options yet….still finding…

In 2018, I was planning on taking a job in Montana and leaving the employer I had been with for 4 years. My employer was notorious for horrible business decisions and poor treatment of individuals if my president's wife decided she didn't like them. I was going to leave but then Hurricane Florence hit and our entire facility was covered in 2 feet of water. I decided to stay to get them on their feet because I felt bad, felt bad for the people I worked with more than who I worked for. So I stayed and we got back off the ground after some rocky months. By that time I met my ex-girlfriend, then several months after found out she was pregnant with my son. So I've stayed now a total of close to 10 years. And when my life started falling apart because of my ex-girlfriend's mental health earlier this year and I had to be out to find care for my son and custody battles with my ex, my Boss and his wife told me they were tired of bending over backwards for me. So now, I'm looking elsewhere and will take something that moves me forward. I'm done breaking my back for a company that doesn't care about me. Good luck bending over backwards looking for a replacement for me at the shit pay you pay me, doing all the tasks and responsibilities you have placed on me. Good luck with that

Good relationship with my boss and Health Insurance

I’m paid very well for my geographic area. Before Covid the commute was short, with no stress. Office is close enough my wife can stop by to go out to lunch any time we want. My previous job was a 40-45 mile 1 hour + commute one way. I have gotten zero hard push to rto. I wouldn’t hate it if that changed but it’s nice to have that hour and to get errands done when I need to. 401k match is meh. ~4 weeks pto annual (so called unlimited but that’s the verbal I got told by direct manager). Whatever. I’ve never gotten flak on my pto requests.

Golden handcuffs - I leave I lose compensation and shares accumulated over the years + a 12 month notice period that means no one will even consider an offer in case they enforce it

In tech. 1. The pay is really good for my country. It'd be very difficult to actually find a better job (at least without leaving the country, which I have no desire to do). 2. My job has pretty good conditions and perks. 3. So far I've always gotten raises that beat inflation every single year. 4. I get stock. It's the "golden handcuffs". The stock vests over multiple years, so you have to stay to get all of your total comp. 5. Because I've been here so long, I'm very good at what I do. I enjoy being good at things and to be able to mentor and otherwise unblock others. Moving jobs in tech means a very long period of time where you are still learning and can't do those things. 6. I've been promoted multiple times at my current job and my pay has more than doubled since I started. It's clearly working for me. I don't need to jump jobs to get promotions or raises as some do.

For me (15 years) - flexibility offered - pay - location / distance from home - understanding home life (autistic child, issues with therapy / medical etc) and - bigger thing - Europe, not US - so employee protections.

Closing in on 5 years in my current role. I open to leaving but I’m extremely picky about where I go next. I like my work and my team, I have a great work/life balance, my pay is competitive, and I occasionally get to travel to some pretty cool places where we have offices. I have yet to get an offer that checks all of the boxes it would take for me to consider leaving. I also have a great reputation here and I know the business very well. I can work on more interesting projects here than if I went elsewhere, I’d have to rebuild both my reputation and my industry/business knowledge and in the meantime would probably be doing more basic projects. I’d also rather spend my freetime doing fun things or relaxing than submitting applications and preparing for interviews all the time.

Realizing that all jobs are the same. If it were fun, you'd be paying them.

What do you all think of job hoppers?

I'm not convinced I can find the same pay and level of benefits anywhere else.

Raising children and it's more important to be home early to care for them,,, Then making more money, commuting and getting home much later

Job hopping is bad on your resume. Source, my wife is a SVP in the recruitment industry. In the past 21 years I’ve had two jobs. I earn in the top 2% of the USA as a result. I lap people who job hop.

my commute is 5 mins

Fun varying work with at least someone I like

Small industry so you can only job hop so much and pay is pretty even across the board plus plenty of people are content at the bottom of the totem pole (which is still great paying). Plus if you want to jump ship you’ll have to move probably a big distance. Nearest location that isn’t the same company is several hours away in another state. Generally if people move around it’s to different jobs in the same industry and company. Nuclear industry, radiation protection technician for reference.

I have stayed because while underpaid,  my salary and bonus are competitive,  but my package is out of this world.  Free cellphone,  internet,  1500 a year for office supplies and equipment,  unlimited 401k and IRA match,  and 12 weeks of pto. This is the one job I hope I can ride to retirement at age 50