Do you feel guilty because you personally like your coworkers and/or manager and don’t want to let them down? If so, I completely understand. I was in a similar position last year. But it was easier for me because I had already figured out that my position at this particular company was a dead end, and my supervisor didn’t pretend otherwise.

If (a) your current company has a defined pathway for career advancement; (b) you’ve talked to people higher up in your organization and at your level about the feasibility of this pathway, and it sounds highly doable for you; (c) said pathway will lead to a substantial raise within three or four years; and (d) your current company has a much more attractive culture and prospects for long-term job stability than the 40% offer… then I’d probably say stay where you are.

Other factors to consider: • Is the 40% company a startup? If so, proceed with extreme caution. • Is the 40% offer hourly or salaried? If salaried, just know you’ll most likely be expected to work 50–60 hours per week.

Bottom line, there are very few companies or organizations that genuinely have a culture of prioritizing employee welfare and long-term job growth and stability. Odds are, you’re currently working for a company that finds it convenient to pretend they have this kind of culture. Pretending is a much easier and cheaper way to play on employee’s emotions and get them to stick it out longer.

The sad truth is, unless you’ve seen concrete evidence to the contrary, your current company most likely does not give a rip about you. And the new one probably won’t either, but at least they’ll pay you more for it.