#PianistJobOptions #ChurchPianist #CareerChoices
Hey fellow music lovers! 🎶 I need your input on a tough decision I have to make. I have two job offers as a pianist at two different churches, and I can’t decide which one to choose. Can you help me out? Here are the details:
– Church A:
– $20,000 per year
– 5 minutes away from my place
– Minimal responsibilities
– One rehearsal/church service a week
– Small church with little drama
– Church B:
– $28,000 per year
– 45 minutes away
– More responsibilities
– Two rehearsals/church services a week
– Bigger church with potential for growth
I’m torn between the convenience of Church A and the growth opportunity at Church B. Share your thoughts – which job would you take and why? Let’s discuss! 🤔🎹
I’m leaning towards Church B for the growth potential, but I’m worried about getting caught up in church politics again. Let me know what you think! Your insights could really help me make a decision. 😉
A
Do you need the money? Are you confident you can fill the extra time with either work or anything else valuable (practice time, time off if you’re lacking that, etc)? Job B is at least double the time commitment (more like 3 or 4 times including travel?) for up to 1.5x the pay. A sounds better unless the money itself is a higher priority.
Edit: I missed the full-time job bit! Gotta be A, surely!
If you’re not dependent on it for ur whole income, do the smaller one. It seems to offer a little peace. If not and u need to build income u gotta go with church b. But also – I don’t know a thing about how church and music work😂
If I was working full time already, I would likely take the less time commitment and commute for the less money position at church A.
40 minutes away three days a week = that is about 240 minutes of commuting, or 4 hours ish of commuting… and three work sessions.
5 minutes away once a week (plus the pastor meeting 1x a month)….
Is that much more commuting and time worth an extra 7k over the other gig?
Lower pay time is money.
The 5 min. It’s less work too. Overall you make more money per hour of work
Seems like you would enjoy option A a lot more and the hourly salary for A might actually be higher than the hourly salary for B. You will be working longer in Sundays and have the extra rehearsal day each week and its commute.
If this is a second, fun, osud activity, A seems like the easy choice. If yiu want to turn this into a full-,time gig, then maybe B would lead to more opportunities. But that is a big maybe.
B is double the work and 8x the commute for only 8k more. Go with A!
For a second job I usually value time more so I would go with the shorter commute for sure
20k one. Do it because you love it. 28k sounds like a proper job, so you’d be doing two jobs and get burnt out quicker..
Also, I was a piano teacher. I would love to know which part of the US/world you are from and your journey that allows you to get this much for church. I have worked for very little.amounts, thinking of giving it up. Would you be interested to connect on DM?
5 min commute no doubt
$20,000 /52 times a year (once a week) = $384/session.. 5 min commute each way, so your commute for the year would be rough 8.5 hrs a year
$30,000 /104 times a year (twice a week) = $288.46/session.. 40 min commute each way, so your commute for the year would be roughly 69 hrs.
In my opinion, the decision is time vs. money, which is more important to you. You would be wasting 61 more hours of your life commuting to the higher paying position, or you could spend the additional 61 hrs per year commuting and get paid about $200 per week.
What is more important to you at the moment?
I think even considering option B in your position is baffling, and I’ll go as far as to call it an indictment of the vastly overinflated importance we put on money at the expense of time/sanity. Take option A and don’t even think twice
Steinways are cool, make sure they haven’t put on aftermarket hammers.
Some questions you should ask, since this is a part-time either place.
“Do you want more money, or more fellowship?”
“Do you want to be stuck in traffic when the 35-45 minute commute has a semi-trailer on it’s side and your commute turns into 1hr 35 to 1 hr 45 minutes?”
“Which church has more people your age?”
“Which church is more closely aligned with your beliefs?”
Big isn’t always better, more can be less, and less can be more.
No question, the 5-minute job. You don’t want to have anything get in the way of your enjoyment of the piano.
5 min job For sure
Do church B
I said that because no one in the comments has. When you read that, how did you feel? Was it the right decision? Or did seeing that make you want church A.
Honestly reading your comments you seem to already have chosen church A for various reasons but need validation
5 minute commute
. After spending extra fuel and 1.5 hours of your time on commute, you will lose money if you go to option B.
All in all, I would say Church A is 5-10 hours a week, and Church B is 15-20 hours a week, not including the commute.
It really comes down to one question? How much do you value your time
Church A definitely. Church B is not even worth it; you’d lose out pay via time and gas money.
A
The longer commute can make your side job feel full time
So this is just a 2nd job?
1000% the 5 mins away job!
A
A – I think this was a pretty easy decision.