Being overworked and underpaid isn't a feeling — it's a measurable condition with a structural fix. 77% of workers report burnout symptoms, and employees who stay at one company 2+ years earn up to 50% less over their careers than strategic job switchers. This guide gives you a diagnostic framework to figure out whether the problem is pay, workload, or both — then walks you through three concrete paths: negotiate, set boundaries, or leave strategically. Includes a ready-to-use conversation script and a 30-day action plan.
This article was researched and written by the Careery team — that helps land higher-paying jobs faster than ever! Learn more about Careery →
Quick Answers
What should you do if you're overworked and underpaid?
First, diagnose the problem: is it the pay, the workload, or both? Then use the Stay/Fix/Leave Decision Tree. If the company values you and the pay gap is fixable, negotiate using market data. If the workload is unsustainable, have a boundary-setting conversation with a specific scope reduction proposal. If neither is fixable, start a strategic exit — quietly building leverage while planning your next move. The worst option is doing nothing and hoping it changes.
How do you know if you're underpaid?
Compare your total compensation against market data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and Levels.fyi for your exact role, experience level, and location. If you're more than 10% below the 50th percentile, you're measurably underpaid. Loyalty employees — those who stay at one company for 2+ years without negotiating — are the most likely to be underpaid, because internal raises (3-5%) consistently trail market rate adjustments (10-20% via job switches).
Is it normal to feel overworked and underpaid?
Statistically, yes. 77% of U.S. workers report experiencing burnout at their current job, according to Deloitte's workplace burnout survey. The average American works 1,811 hours per year — more than workers in every other developed nation except a handful. Feeling overworked is not a personal failing. It's a structural condition of modern work. But 'normal' does not mean 'acceptable' or 'permanent.'
Should you quit a job where you're overworked and underpaid?
Not impulsively — but possibly strategically. Quitting without a plan trades one source of stress for another. The better approach: confirm you're underpaid with market data, attempt to fix it through negotiation or boundary-setting, and if neither works, begin a strategic exit while still employed. Having a job while searching gives you leverage. Being desperate does not.
You're doing the work of two people for the salary of half a person. Your weekends aren't yours. Your inbox never empties. And every time you check Glassdoor, the number you see for your role is higher than what hits your bank account.
This isn't a motivational article. There are no "just be grateful" platitudes here. What follows is a diagnostic framework, real scripts, and a 30-day plan — because frustration without a plan is just suffering, and you've done enough of that.
The suspicion that you're overworked and underpaid isn't paranoia. It's pattern recognition.
American workers put in 1,811 hours per year — more than workers in Japan, the UK, Germany, or France. That's not a cultural flex. That's a structural failure dressed up as "hustle culture." And the compensation hasn't kept pace: real wages have barely moved in decades while productivity has climbed 60%+ since 1979.
Here's the number that should make you angry — and then strategic: employees who stay at the same company for more than two years without a market correction earn significantly less over their careers than those who switch strategically. The loyalty penalty is real. Companies budget 3-5% for annual raises but 10-20% for new hires. The math punishes staying.
That doesn't mean every person reading this should quit tomorrow. It means the frustration is valid — and the next step isn't venting. It's diagnosing.
Being overworked and underpaid is not a personal failing — it's a measurable, structural condition. 77% of workers experience burnout, and loyalty employees consistently earn less than strategic job switchers. The fix starts with diagnosis, not resignation.
But before you can fix anything, you need to know exactly what's broken.
Most people lump "overworked and underpaid" into one feeling. It's actually two separate problems — and each has a different solution.
Getting underpaid $15K but loving the work requires a different move than earning market rate but drowning in a 60-hour workweek. Misdiagnosing the problem leads to the wrong fix: quitting a job that just needed a raise, or negotiating more money for a role that's destroying your health.
- Pay check: Your salary is 10%+ below market rate for your role, experience, and location (verify at BLS.gov, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi)
- Pay check: You haven't received a raise above 4% in 2+ years despite expanded responsibilities
- Pay check: Colleagues in similar roles at other companies earn noticeably more
- Workload check: You consistently work 10+ hours beyond your contracted schedule
- Workload check: You've absorbed the responsibilities of a departed colleague without additional compensation
- Workload check: You can't take PTO without anxiety about what piles up — or without working during it
- Both: You've been told 'the budget isn't there' for raises while watching the company hire externally at higher rates
- Both: You feel resentful, not just tired — a sign that effort and reward are fundamentally misaligned
If most checks land on pay — the problem is compensation, not workload. Solution: diagnose exactly how underpaid you are, then negotiate or switch.
If most checks land on workload — the problem is boundaries, scope creep, or understaffing. Solution: have the workload conversation (scripts below) before making any career moves.
If both columns are full — the company is extracting maximum value at minimum cost. That's not a fixable problem. That's a business model — and you're the product. Solution: strategic exit.
- The Overwork-Underpay Diagnostic
A two-axis assessment that separates compensation problems from workload problems. Pay issues are solved through negotiation or job switching. Workload issues are solved through boundary-setting and scope reduction conversations. When both axes are broken simultaneously, the optimal response is a strategic exit — not incremental fixes to a fundamentally misaligned role.
"Overworked and underpaid" is two problems, not one. Diagnose which axis is broken — pay, workload, or both — because each requires a different fix. Applying the wrong solution wastes time and energy you don't have.
Now that you know what's broken, the question becomes: what do you do about it?
Every overworked, underpaid professional faces three paths. Not five, not ten. Three. The decision tree makes the choice concrete.
Before choosing a branch, run your market value check. If you haven't confirmed whether you're actually underpaid by the numbers, start here: Am I Underpaid? How to Find Out. Emotion says "everything is wrong." Data tells you exactly what's wrong — and by how much.
Branch 1: Stay and fix (internally). Choose this if: the company has budget, your manager is reasonable, the pay gap is under 15%, and the workload issue is scope creep rather than systemic understaffing. The fix: negotiate a raise + have the boundary conversation. Timeline: 2-6 weeks to resolution.
Branch 2: Fix by leaving (strategically). Choose this if: you've already tried negotiating, the company won't budge, or the culture itself rewards overwork. The fix: start a quiet job search while employed, targeting roles that pay market rate with sustainable workloads. Timeline: 2-4 months to new offer.
Branch 3: Stay temporarily while building leverage. Choose this if: you can't leave immediately (financial obligations, visa, market timing) but the situation is unsustainable long-term. The fix: set hard boundaries NOW to protect your health, while building the skills and network that make your next move possible. Timeline: 3-6 months to exit-ready.
- The Stay/Fix/Leave Decision Tree
A three-branch decision framework for workers who are overworked and underpaid. Branch 1 (Stay and Fix): negotiate compensation and boundaries internally when the company has budget and the manager is reasonable. Branch 2 (Fix by Leaving): execute a strategic job search when internal fixes have failed or the culture is structurally broken. Branch 3 (Stay While Building): set protective boundaries and build exit leverage when immediate departure isn't possible. The decision depends on three variables: company willingness to pay, manager reasonableness, and your current constraints.
The Stay/Fix/Leave Decision Tree removes the paralysis of "should I stay or should I go." There are only three branches. Pick the one that matches your situation — then execute with the scripts and timelines below.
If you chose Branch 1, two conversations are coming — and both require preparation, not courage.
The money conversation
Negotiating a raise when you're already underpaid isn't asking for a favor. It's presenting a market correction. The framing matters: this isn't "I want more." It's "the data shows a gap, and here's the case for closing it."
The full playbook for building an airtight raise case — including how to research your market rate, document your impact, and choose the right timing — is here: How to Negotiate Your Salary. Don't walk into this conversation without the data.
The workload conversation
This is the one most people avoid — and the one that matters most for sustainable careers. Setting boundaries isn't saying "no." It's saying "here's what I can do well within these constraints."
"[Manager name], I want to make sure I'm delivering the highest-impact work possible. Right now, I'm handling [list 3-4 major responsibilities], and the volume has grown to a point where I'm concerned about quality on all of them. I'd like to propose we prioritize. Of these responsibilities, which 2-3 are the highest priority for the team this quarter? For the remaining items, can we either delegate them, defer them, or adjust the timeline? I'm committed to doing excellent work — and I want to be honest that the current scope makes that difficult across everything simultaneously."
This script works because it does three things: signals commitment (not laziness), frames the problem as quality-driven (not complaint-driven), and puts the prioritization decision back on the manager — where it belongs.
That's not an answer — it's a refusal to manage. If your manager can't or won't prioritize, that's data. It tells you the overwork isn't a temporary crunch — it's the operating model. Move to Branch 2 or 3 of the Decision Tree.
Negotiating pay requires market data, not emotional appeals. Setting boundaries requires a prioritization proposal, not a complaint. If the company won't adjust either, the situation isn't fixable from the inside — and the Decision Tree points you toward exit.
But what if fixing it isn't possible? What if you've tried — or you already know the answer?
Quitting in frustration feels cathartic for about 48 hours. Then the panic starts. A strategic exit — planned, deliberate, executed from a position of strength — feels uncomfortable for 2-3 months. Then freedom starts.
The difference: one is a reaction. The other is a career move.
If you're oscillating between "I should tough it out" and "I can't take this anymore," use a structured assessment: When to Quit Your Job — A Decision Framework. It removes the emotional noise and shows you where you actually stand.
Strategic exit rules
Rule 1: Never leave without a destination. "Away from here" is not a career strategy. Define what you want more of — not just what you want less of. More money, more autonomy, more sustainable hours, a different industry — get specific.
Rule 2: Search while employed. Having a job while searching gives you the single most powerful negotiation tool: the ability to walk away from a bad offer. Desperation destroys leverage.
Rule 3: Don't burn the bridge. Two weeks' notice, professional handoff, grateful departure. The professional world is smaller than you think, and your current manager may be a reference for the next 20 years.
When you leave, the salary you negotiate at the new company becomes your baseline for every future raise. Get this number right. How to Negotiate Salary at a New Job walks through the full strategy — including how to counter-offer without losing the offer.
A strategic exit is a career move, not a retreat. Search while employed, negotiate hard at the new company, and leave professionally. The salary you negotiate at your next job sets the baseline for the rest of your career.
Whichever branch you chose — fix it or leave — the next 30 days determine whether this article changes anything or just made you feel heard for 9 minutes.
Frustration is fuel — but only if it's channeled into action. Venting on Reddit might feel good. Updating your LinkedIn actually is good. Here's the plan that turns "overworked and underpaid" from an identity into a phase.
- Days 1-3: Run your market value check — BLS.gov, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi. Know the gap in exact dollars.
- Days 1-3: Complete the diagnostic checklist above. Identify whether the problem is pay, workload, or both.
- Days 4-7: Choose your branch on the Stay/Fix/Leave Decision Tree. Write it down. Commit.
- Days 4-7: If Branch 1 (Fix): Schedule the raise conversation and prepare your market data case.
- Days 4-7: If Branch 2 (Leave): Update your resume and LinkedIn headline to reflect your highest-impact work.
- Days 8-14: If fixing — have both conversations (pay + workload) using the scripts in this article.
- Days 8-14: If leaving — apply to 5-10 roles that match your target salary and workload expectations.
- Days 15-21: Evaluate responses. If fixing worked — document the agreement in writing. If leaving — prep for interviews.
- Days 22-30: If the fix held — set a 90-day check-in to verify the changes stick. If leaving — push toward offers.
- Day 30: Reassess. Are you on a different trajectory than 30 days ago? If yes, keep going. If no, escalate to the next branch.
The professionals who never end up overworked and underpaid share one trait: they're visible beyond their immediate team. Visibility creates inbound opportunities, competing offers, and negotiation leverage — the permanent antidote to being undervalued. Start building that leverage now: How to Brand Yourself Professionally.
A 30-day plan turns frustration into trajectory change. The worst outcome isn't staying or leaving — it's doing neither. Pick a branch, execute the plan, and reassess at Day 30. Motion beats meditation every time.
Overworked and Underpaid: The Escape Plan
- 1Being overworked and underpaid is a structural condition affecting 77% of the workforce — not a personal failure. The loyalty penalty means staying without market corrections costs you up to 50% in lifetime earnings.
- 2Diagnose the real problem first: is it pay, workload, or both? Each requires a different fix. Misdiagnosis leads to the wrong move.
- 3Use the Stay/Fix/Leave Decision Tree: (1) Fix internally if the company has budget and the manager is reasonable, (2) Leave strategically if internal fixes fail, (3) Stay temporarily while building exit leverage if you can't leave immediately.
- 4Negotiation requires market data, not emotion. Boundary-setting requires a prioritization proposal, not a complaint. Both require preparation.
- 5Execute the 30-day escape plan: diagnose (Days 1-3), decide (Days 4-7), act (Days 8-21), evaluate (Days 22-30). Motion beats meditation.
- 6Build professional visibility so you never end up in this position again. Professionals with strong personal brands attract opportunities instead of begging for raises.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you tell your boss you feel overworked and underpaid?
Separate the two conversations. For pay: present market data showing the gap between your compensation and the market rate for your role, then request a specific number to close that gap. For workload: propose a prioritization discussion where you list current responsibilities and ask your manager to rank which 2-3 are highest priority, with a plan to delegate, defer, or drop the rest. Never frame either conversation as a complaint — frame it as a proposal backed by data.
Is being overworked a reason to quit?
Sustained overwork without recovery is a valid reason to leave a job, but quitting impulsively is rarely the best move. The better path: attempt to fix the workload through a boundary-setting conversation first. If the company cannot or will not adjust, begin a strategic job search while still employed. Having a job while searching gives you leverage and eliminates financial pressure from the decision.
How do you know if you're being taken advantage of at work?
Three signals: (1) Your responsibilities have expanded significantly without a corresponding increase in title or compensation. (2) You're consistently asked to cover for understaffing or departed colleagues as a permanent arrangement, not a temporary crunch. (3) Requests for raises or workload adjustments are met with deflection ('the budget isn't there,' 'it's a tough time') while the company continues hiring externally or growing revenue. Any two of these three signals indicate exploitation, not temporary hardship.
What percentage of workers feel underpaid?
According to multiple workforce surveys, approximately 56-65% of U.S. workers believe they are underpaid relative to their market value. The perception is often accurate: employees who stay at one company without negotiating tend to fall 10-15% below market rate within 2-3 years, because internal raise budgets (3-5% annually) consistently lag behind market rate adjustments available through job switching (10-20% per move).
Can burnout from being overworked and underpaid affect your health?
Yes. The American Psychological Association's annual Work and Well-being Survey consistently finds that workplace burnout is associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, insomnia, cardiovascular issues, and weakened immune function. Chronic overwork without adequate compensation adds resentment to exhaustion — a combination that accelerates burnout faster than overwork alone. Addressing the structural cause (the job) is more effective than treating symptoms (stress management techniques) without changing the source.
Researching Job Market & Building AI Tools for careerists since December 2020
Sources & References
- Workplace Burnout Survey — Deloitte (2025)
- Hours Worked — OECD Data — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2025)
- Wage Growth Tracker — Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (2025)
- Work and Well-being Survey — American Psychological Association (2024)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024)