The short answer
Compare the change in take-home pay, not gross salary alone. Then add pension contributions, bonuses, health cover, insurance, leave, commuting, childcare, tax credits and future earning potential. A pay cut can still be a sound decision, but the full cost should be visible.
A lower salary may buy something valuable: time, health, flexibility, a new career path or work that fits a different stage of life. That value belongs in the decision. So do the financial consequences.
Compare the complete package
Net monthly income.Estimate the actual change after tax, USC, PRSI and pension deductions.
Benefits and protection.Compare employer pension, bonus, health insurance, income protection, death-in-service cover and paid leave.
Costs that may change.Include commuting, childcare, professional fees, meals and unpaid time.
Household resilience.Check whether essentials, debt repayments and emergency saving still fit if another setback arrives.
The next three years.Ask what the move does to experience, progression, pension and future earning power.
Run a trial month if possible: transfer the expected reduction into savings and see how the household operates. It will not recreate every effect, but it can reveal pressure points before the decision becomes permanent.
Sources and further reading
Money, Just For Her provides financial education and coaching. It does not provide regulated financial advice or personal product recommendations.