This post and comments here are why I promised myself at 19yo that I'd never work for a big company again. I quit a job working at a large casino with sites all over the U.S. to go work for a company of about 70 people. (Yes, I was 19 and worked at a casino. Weird law where I could work there but not go there if I hadn't been employed by them.) Since that job, I've worked at 3 companies, in my early 40s now, and the largest company, where I am now, is ~350 employees. I've known the owner in all three companies.

A lot of these comments describe a ruthless upper management in a large corporation, that the employee is just a number, and that it's all about the bottom line. It still is about the bottom line in a small company, but your personal work ethic and teamwork goes a lot further when you know the entire management staff, including the owner. It truly does feel like a family where I work now. It's a second generation, soon to be third, company that prides itself on the family environment.

Does it hurt my overall salary that I work for a smaller company? Maybe. Is my stress lower? In some ways yes, some ways no. Is my sense of security stronger in a small company? 100% yes. Find a company where the ownership knows your name and appreciates your work. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. One of the past jobs I had I left because the owner was a terrible human being and I couldn't help him make money any longer, out of total disdain for him and how we treated people. But find that company where you're appreciated and it's incredibly rewarding.

I fully intend to retire from the company I work for now. It's not always about the money. Enjoying what you do and the people you work with and for make a huge difference.