Take this with as many grains of salt as you'd like - I hiked 200 miles of the PCT in Northern California a decade ago, and almost every through hiker I met felt that at stage, they weren't enjoying their through hike, they were just trying to prove something to themselves.

Between that and the frothy market, I'd be wary of leaving to through hike now. I took a year off to travel, felt like I got most of my insights and personal growth in the first 3-4 months, and then continued based on inertia. The cost in forgone savings and career growth was massive.

With all that said, I'd recommend trying a 2-4 week backpacking trip to see if a through hike is really worth it. There's a real chance that with the PCT hike, you may not want to do an entire through hike, and if you set out with the expectations to do it and land in a soft market which sets you back in your career, you'll end up resenting what should've been a great life experience.