Gurugram Techie Turns Down ₹45 Lakh Job Offer Over 'High Workload', Sparks Debate Online

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Reddit post by a software developer has sparked a discussion on the trade-off between work-life balance and high pay in India's tech industry.

The user, posting under the handle Hunter3911 on the subreddit r/developersIndia, revealed that he recently turned down a lucrative offer of ₹45 lakh per annum (LPA) from a top OTT platform. The reason? Relocation to Bengaluru and the prospect of high work pressure. Instead, he chose another offer of ₹38 LPA from a multinational company (MNC) based in Gurgaon, where he currently resides.

“Did I do the right thing leaving 45 LPA, which is 7 LPA more than my current offer?” he asked fellow developers, admitting he was feeling“guilty” about prioritising stability over money.

The post, made just two hours ago, has already drawn attention as professionals weigh in on whether job satisfaction and personal well-being should outweigh salary differences.

See the post here:

The Redditor also shared a detailed snapshot of his professional path so far:

• Campus placement: Service-based MNC at ₹3.8 LPA (4 months)
• EdTech startup: ₹8 LPA (11 months)
• Product-based MNC: ₹21 LPA (joined during the 2022 tech boom, 200% hike; laid off in a year)
• Product-based startup: ₹26–28 LPA (2 years; quit due to toxic work culture and constant weekend work)
• Current role: ₹38 LPA at a product-based MNC

Despite a strong background in the MERN tech stack, he admitted he has never pursued Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) beyond the basics, highlighting a common debate within India's coding community about whether advanced DSA is essential for career growth.

The bigger question: Money or stability?

The dilemma resonates with many professionals, especially in India's booming tech sector, where salaries often rise sharply but long working hours, burnout, and relocations remain significant concerns.

A user wrote, "You did the right thing."

Another user commented, "38 itself is quite a big amount. So you did the right thing by choosing peace over high workload. You ll get another opportunity next year to take a shot on 50."

"I think after a certain LPA, work culture and WLB plays a higher role in selecting offers. Everyone have that benchmark LPA. Mine is 20-25LPA, once I reach there, I would try to focus on "settling" rather than hustling for the higher CTC, because after certain point, it's not worth it risking your peace of mind for money," the third user wrote.

The fourth user wrote, "7 lacs extra. Taxes would be 2.1, so it is 4.9 lacs. So after deduction, it is almost 35k per month. It is not a small amount, but at the same time, it is not so huge that you will sacrifice your peace. Just manage your expenses a little better, and the delta will be even smaller. Goodluck!"

"You will be losing more than 7L per year going to banglore. so, it was good decision," the fifth wrote.

For now, the developer seems to have chosen peace of mind over a bigger pay cheque.

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