In April 2023, Emily Hayes faced a grueling Saturday morning, working overtime to prepare for an important trial after leaving her Los Angeles office just the night before at 11 p.m. Months of stress and exhaustion had taken a toll. That morning, as she sat in front of her computer, Hayes broke down. Overwhelmed with emotion, she began “sobbing,” lamenting that she was stuck at work while someone close to her was navigating a difficult situation, wishing she could be there to support them.
That moment marked a turning point for Emily Hayes.
Fast forward to today, the 32-year-old has left her high-paying legal career to transition into the tech industry, prioritizing her well-being and embracing “a fresh start in an exciting new field.” Although the move came with a significant pay cut—from her $370,000 (approximately Rs 3.1 crore) annual salary as a lawyer to $220,000 (around Rs 1.9 crore) in her new role—Hayes believes it was a small price to pay for a better quality of life, as reported by CNBC Make It.
“Working at a law firm can make your life so unpredictable. You can never count on free time in the evenings or logging off before 10 pm. I think you really have to love the work you’re doing to make that trade-off of your time feel worth it,” Hayes shared with the publication.
Reflecting on the demanding work-life balance at her former job, Hayes explained, “It felt like I had to choose between showing up for my job in the way that was expected of me and showing up for the people I love in the way that I wanted to. I panicked about the tension between the two.”
However, transitioning to a lower paycheck brought its own hurdles. Hayes admitted to CNBC Make It that adapting to the six-figure salary reduction was “much harder” than she had anticipated. With her previous income, she could “spend without much thought or stress,” but now, sticking to a budget has become a necessity.
“The biggest change with this pay cut, if anything, has just been shifting my mindset around money — I realized I had to think hard about my purchases even when they didn’t seem extravagant,” she shared.