Job promotion can be a trap, but the OP makes a poor case for it. I've seen this work out three ways. First, I've seen people who were very happy and productiv

Job promotion can be a trap, but the OP makes a poor case for it. I've seen this work out three ways. First, I've seen people who were very happy and productive in pure hands-on roles promoted into positions with more and more of a focus on "leadership" where they seemed inept and unhappy. Second, there can be an earnings trap. If the salary bands are close (some even overlap) and bonuses are large, a string of good reviews at the lower level can bring in more money than a string of ho-hum reviews at the higher one. Third, being at a higher level will usually affect how you're interviewed and evaluated at your next job, and if you're "over level" that effect can be negative. The result can be that someone who has been over-promoted will fare poorly when they interview for their next job. The employer sees someone who is not particularly strong in their role, with reviews reflecting that, and who might lack enthusiasm. Then they look at the unpromoted person who has excellent reviews and plenty of enthusiasm. Seems like a good person to take a chance on, right? Oh, and BTW, they've been making more so let's make a higher offer. The moral is: don't pursue promotions and titles for their own sake. Think about if you want the job, including all of the parts that might actually be worse than what you already have, and not just the title. Remember, titles are free for the employer to give. Some will take advantage of their psychological/cultural importance to give titles instead of anything meaningful, and that's when it's likely to be a trap.