Most people leave too late — not too early. And the cost is staggering: BLS data shows employees who switch companies earn 10-20% more than those who stay, meaning every year you delay a strategic exit could be worth $8,000-$15,000 in lost salary. This guide gives you a 10-factor scoring framework to evaluate your situation with data instead of feelings — plus the pre-quit checklist that protects your finances, reputation, and career trajectory.
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
How do you know when it's time to leave a job?
Three categories of signals: financial (comp below market, no raises, equity dried up), growth (no promotion path, you've stopped learning, skills stagnating), and cultural (values mismatch, toxic management, constant reorgs). Score yourself on the 10-factor matrix below. 16+ means it's time to start looking. 23+ means it's past time.
Should I quit without another job lined up?
Almost never. You don't go shoe shopping barefoot — your current job, even a bad one, is the leverage that lets you be picky about the next one. Searching while employed eliminates desperation and keeps you selective. The only exceptions: a genuinely unsafe environment, a health crisis directly caused by the job, or you have 6+ months of expenses saved with a clear plan and active interviews.
How much more will I earn by switching jobs?
10-20% on average. Federal Reserve data shows job switchers consistently outpace stayers in wage growth. Over 10 years, two strategic switches can add $100,000+ in cumulative earnings compared to staying at one company. That's not a perk — it's a structural feature of the modern labor market.
How long should you stay before leaving?
18-24 months minimum to avoid 'job hopper' optics. Sweet spot: 2-4 years — long enough to show impact, short enough to capture the salary boost from switching. Staying 5+ years without a promotion is a bigger resume red flag than leaving at 2 years with a clear upward trajectory.
You've googled "should I leave my job" at least three times this month. You've mentally drafted a resignation letter in the shower. You oscillate between "I should go" on bad days and "maybe it's not that bad" on good ones.
Here's what you're actually doing: you're using your mood as a decision-making tool. That's like using a coin flip to decide whether to buy a house. Your feelings are real — but they're terrible data.
This guide replaces mood with a framework. By the end, you'll have a score that tells you — with uncomfortable clarity — whether to invest more in your current situation or start building your exit.
LinkedIn and Gallup data consistently show that most professionals stay in roles 12-18 months past the optimal switch point. Not because they're being strategic. Because of four psychological traps:
Loss aversion. What you have feels more real than what you could have. The certainty of your current paycheck feels safer than the uncertainty of a new role — even when the math says otherwise. Your brain is wired to fear loss more than it values equivalent gain.
Sunk cost fallacy. "I've invested 3 years here — I can't just leave." You can. The 3 years are spent regardless. The question isn't what you've put in — it's what you'll get out of the next 3 years.
Golden handcuffs. Unvested equity, an upcoming bonus, the pension milestone at Year 5. These feel like chains — but run the math. Is $15K in unvested stock worth $20K/year in lost salary for 3 more years? Usually not.
Comfort misidentified as stability. "Things are fine." Fine is the most expensive word in career management. Fine means you've stopped growing. It means your skills are aging. It means your market value is quietly eroding while you scroll through the same meetings every week. Fine is a slow decline that feels like a plateau.
Not all signals are equal. They fall into three categories: money, growth, and environment. Each one earns a 1-3 score.
Money signals
1. Your compensation is below market — with no plan to fix it.
You've done the research. BLS, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi all confirm: you're 10%+ below market. You've asked for a raise. The answer was vague or negative. Every month you stay is a month of subsidizing your employer.
2. No meaningful raise in 18+ months.
"Meaningful" means above inflation. A 2% raise when inflation is 4% is a pay cut with a thank-you card. If you've gone 18 months without any adjustment — or only cost-of-living increases — the company has made its position clear without saying a word.
3. Your equity is underwater or fully vested.
If your stock options are worth less than toilet paper, or your 4-year RSU cliff is behind you, the golden handcuffs are off. The financial anchor that justified staying no longer exists.
Growth signals
4. No clear promotion path — or the path keeps moving.
You asked what it takes to get promoted. The answer was vague. Or you hit the criteria and got passed over anyway. Once is a data point. Twice is a ceiling.
5. You've stopped learning.
You do your job on autopilot. Meetings feel like reruns. Nothing has challenged you intellectually in months. This feels comfortable — and it's the most dangerous signal on this list. Because while you're coasting, your peers at other companies are growing. Your market value has an expiration date.
6. Your skills are becoming obsolete.
Your company uses tools and processes from 2018. The industry has moved on. Every month you stay, the gap between what you know and what the market demands widens. And that gap gets harder to close the longer you wait.
Environment signals
7. Values mismatch.
You fundamentally disagree with how the company treats people, makes decisions, or defines success. No amount of salary compensates for working in a place that makes you feel like a worse version of yourself.
8. Toxic or checked-out management.
A Gallup study found that 50% of employees who leave cite their manager as the primary reason. If your manager takes credit for your work, plays favorites, avoids hard conversations, or has clearly checked out themselves — the ceiling isn't the company, it's the person above you.
9. Chronic reorganization.
New org chart every 6 months. Leadership revolving door. Priorities that change quarterly. This isn't agility — it's chaos. And your career stability isn't served by an organization that can't decide what it's building.
10. You've mentally quit already.
You browse LinkedIn during standups. You don't care about the team's OKRs. You've stopped suggesting ideas because "what's the point." When your emotional investment hits zero, your performance follows — and that eventually shows up in reviews, skip-level conversations, and your reputation. The longer you stay after checking out, the more damage you do to the thing that matters most: how people remember your work.
Score each signal from 1 to 3:
- 1 = Not really an issue for me
- 2 = Somewhat true — it bothers me sometimes
- 3 = This is a major, persistent problem
10-15: Normal friction. Every job has rough patches. Invest in improving the situation — have the raise conversation, take on a stretch project, rebuild the relationship with your manager.
16-22: Yellow zone. The problems are real and recurring. Start building options: update your resume, reactivate your network, explore the external market. Set a 90-day reassessment deadline.
23-30: Red zone. You should be actively searching. The cost of staying is compounding faster than the risk of leaving. Every month at this score is money, growth, and mental health you're not getting back.
The purpose of this matrix isn't to give you permission to leave — you don't need permission. It's to force a data-driven conversation with yourself. When 6+ of these signals are real, staying isn't loyalty. It's neglect of the most important asset you have: your career trajectory.
Feelings aside. Let's look at numbers.
You earn $85,000. You've been here 3 years. Annual raises average 3%.
Gap at Year 10: $13,466 per year — from a single job change. That's not a one-time bonus. It's a permanent salary lift that compounds for the rest of your career.
Two strategic switches in a decade? The gap exceeds $200,000 in cumulative earnings. And that's before counting signing bonuses, equity, and the faster title progression that typically comes with external moves.
For the complete data on switching frequency, see: How Often Should You Change Jobs.
Impulse quits feel satisfying for about 72 hours. Then reality arrives. Protect yourself first.
- Emergency fund: 3-6 months of expenses saved and accessible
- Next role: secured or in late-stage interviews (offer in hand is ideal)
- Documentation: saved your wins, work samples, and performance reviews to personal storage
- Personal files: anything personal off company devices and cloud accounts
- Legal review: checked non-compete, non-solicitation, and IP clauses in your employment agreement
- Financial audit: calculated unvested equity, bonus clawback, PTO payout, and health insurance gap (COBRA timeline)
- References: identified 2-3 people who will speak for you (and told them before announcing)
- Resignation plan: prepared a brief, professional conversation — no grievances, no dramatic exit email
Resignation mistakes that follow you for years
- Telling colleagues before your manager — this leaks in hours and nukes trust
- Writing a bitter farewell email — it lives in HR systems and forwarded inboxes permanently
- Quitting before negotiating your exit package (PTO payout, bonus timing, insurance extension)
- Burning the bridge with your manager — you will need the reference, probably sooner than you think
- Posting 'excited to announce' on LinkedIn before your last day — let the transition happen first
The biggest fear about leaving is the unknown: What if the new job is worse? What if I can't find something?
The professionals who switch jobs with the least stress share one trait: they built options before they needed them. They're not scrambling on LinkedIn at month 3 of hating their job. They have recruiters in their inbox already.
This comes from three things:
- An active professional network that surfaces opportunities before job boards
- Industry visibility that makes recruiters come to you, not the other way around
- A clear, current understanding of your market value — so you recognize a good offer when it arrives
Professionals with a strong personal brand report 3-5x more inbound recruiter messages. That's not just nice for the ego — it's a safety net that makes every career decision less scary. When you know alternatives exist, "should I stay or go?" becomes a strategic choice instead of a terrifying gamble.
When you do get that next offer, make sure you negotiate it: How to Counter Offer a Salary.
Key Takeaways
- 1Most people leave too late. The cost: $50,000-$200,000+ in lost earnings over a decade.
- 2Use the 10-factor matrix: money, growth, and environment signals. Score 16+ means start building options. 23+ means start searching now.
- 3Switching yields 10-20% salary increases vs. 3-5% for staying — and the gap compounds every year.
- 4Never quit on impulse: complete the 8-step pre-quit checklist first (emergency fund, next role, documentation, legal review).
- 5Don't burn bridges. The resignation is a 2-week performance — and your reputation lasts decades.
- 6Build professional visibility before you need it. Options are the antidote to career fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it bad to leave a job after 1 year?
One short tenure is a story, not a problem. 'The role was misrepresented,' 'the company restructured,' 'an unexpected opportunity came up' — all acceptable. Three consecutive short stints is a pattern that concerns employers. If you have one, make sure the next role is 2+ years.
Should I stay for the money even if I hate the job?
Short-term (3-6 months to hit a vest or bonus): maybe. Long-term: no. Hating your job leads to burnout, which tanks performance, which reduces future earning potential. The golden handcuffs corrode over time — and the damage to your health, relationships, and career trajectory compounds silently.
How do I leave on good terms?
Give standard notice (2 weeks minimum, more if senior). Have a brief, professional conversation with your manager — no complaints, no 'I always felt...' grenades. Offer transition support. Send a personal thank-you to people who helped you. This costs 2 weeks of professionalism and buys decades of goodwill.
What if I leave and regret it?
Post-switch regret is normal in the first 30-60 days ('shift shock'). Give yourself 90 days to fully adapt before judging. Most regret fades once you acclimate and the benefits — higher pay, new challenges, better environment — start compounding. If the role was genuinely misrepresented, that's different — address it early.
Is it better to quit or get fired?
Quitting gives you narrative control and timing. Firing (outside of layoffs) creates questions in every future interview. If you sense termination approaching, resigning first is usually the better move — but consider the unemployment benefits trade-off and consult a career advisor for your specific situation.
Researching Job Market & Building AI Tools for careerists since December 2020
Sources & References
- Wage Growth Tracker — Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (2025)
- Employee Tenure Summary — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024)
- State of the Global Workplace — Gallup (2025)