Hello,
I haven't seen many responses to this question so i thought i'd give you my two cents worth.
I moved in-house after 2 years of practice and i've been in-house for a year plus now, so i'm at PQE 3+. My annual is now at 98k including bonus. I'll probably hit 100k in the next year or so.
Benefits are great and work life balance is even better. I can literally count with one hand the number of times i've stayed in the office past 6pm in the year+ i've worked with this company. Health, dental and insurance are also beyond generous (and extended to cover spouse and children, if it matters).
If you are at a big4 or international firm, this will most definitely be a pay cut. No question about it.
I advice you to consider carefully before taking the leap in house. If money is something that is extremely important to you, this may not be the route to take. I don't mean this in a judgmental way but more like if i were the sole breadwinner and had 4 kids to raise, i would not consider this option until very much later in my career (like when i have enough to pay off all my kids' uni tuition).
On the other hand, if you want a short break from life or to settle down and spend more time with your children, this is actually a pretty good option.
The down side is that work can be really boring at times. Going from practice to in-house is akin to your brain being on ten thousand cans of red bull to suddenly going back to normal again.
Happy to take questions!
