is it worth driving 20 miles to work to get paid 6 dollars more?

Published

hi all

i need your opinion on this. currently my work is only 2 miles away from my home. when i searched for more jobs, i located a job that pays 6 dollars more an hour than my current job but its 20 miles aways from my house. do you think its worth driving 20 miles more to get paid that more money or do you think the money is going to be wasted on the gas? what would you do?

user_online.gif edit.gif

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Well, it looks like I'm in the minority here, but I'm going to say this anyway: NO amount of money is worth changing jobs for if you're happy in your current situation.

About four years ago, I allowed myself to be lured away from a job I loved by a 'headhunter' who offered me $10,000 a year more for a similar job in another city about 15 miles away. The commute wasn't the problem---it was only about 10 miles further than I was used to driving---the workplace itself was the problem. The staff, and the type of residents, and the administration were also the problem. The place drove me halfway around the bend within a few short months, and then they had the audacity to fire me when our state survey came back with poor results........even though 90% of those results were from lackadaisical practices that predated me by months, even YEARS.:madface:

Now, if you're not happy where you are, and you've researched the prospective employer thoroughly and found them satisfactory, then go for it. But don't do it just for the money.......there may be a reason why they're offering so much. Look at their turnover rate, talk to some of the people who work there, get a sense of how it would feel to be an employee BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. That 20-mile commute is only a factor if it means sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic at rush hour or dealing with dangerous roads (in fact, I've come to prefer some commuting time, because it gives me time to decompress before I walk through the door and find my husband and sons screaming at each other and no dinner made.....:angryfire ). What this is really about is the extra $6 an hour, and the answer is, it depends on a lot more than just the extra driving time.......and only you can determine if it's worth it.

Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

20 miles is nothing around where I live. Most drive MINIMUM 30 miles to work. The closest wal-mart is 40 miles. I would absolutly do it, unless you live in a huge city and there are always traffic jams which would make your ride over an hour each way. For my area, 20 miles is around 20min-25min drive. I would want the extra money. I used to drive 80 miles each way to the hospital I used to work at. I didn't mind it too much other than when there was bad weather. Thats what made me leave. (It snows a lot in NEPA)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How much is your time worth? You can always switch if it does not work out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

no problem with me

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Endocrine (Diabetes), Pediatric Psych.
20 miles in nothing. I would do it.

I drove 40 miles one way to high school (from the age of 16, 15 if you include the learner's permit year) and college every day, grand total of 6 years, in Atlanta traffic!! What can I say, the road and I are great friends...20 miles is nothing - go for it!

~Adria :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry.

Having time to unwind before and after work is fabulous!:wink2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

Well the money does sound good... and if the commute is the only thing holding you back, that is, you know that benefits, management, and other working conditions are as good at the new place, then go for it for sure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

Hmmm...well, I live 5 minutes from a hospital that pays a base pay of $28/hr plus night and weekend differential. But I drive 25 miles (which takes me 35 minutes from my front door to the parking garage at work) to work at a hospital that pays $25/hr base pay with NO weekend differential and a 10% night differential. Why do I drive farther for less money? Because of the facility, staff, supervisors, and experience.

As long as the two facilities are comparable (meaning the one that pays more doesn't suck more), I would drive the 20 miles for the $6 more an hour. That adds up to a lot of moolah per year!

Melanie = )

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would be more concerned about the time involved than the money. How long is it going to take you to drive that 20 miles? Are you going to be in rush hour traffic so that it takes you forever to get there? Are you going to have to get up much earlier to avoid the traffic so that you get to work much earlier than the start of your shift? That will add to the length of an already tiring day.

Agreed, and don't forget the wear and tear on your car. Tires sooner, brakes sooner, lease miles up sooner, etc. etc. It is NOT just gas

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion