For me it is a balance. I had opportunities to earn significantly more (~3x) but it was work I despised and I'm not sure I would be happy right now if I was ret

For me it is a balance. I had opportunities to earn significantly more (~3x) but it was work I despised and I'm not sure I would be happy right now if I was retired but my life's work felt like a net negative. On the flip side, I had opportunities to work in organizations doing fascinating and world-changing work for low salary (~1/4x) and I've learned that I am not happy when money is a constant source of stress. Maximizing happiness for me means finding the right balance between having a positive impact and making enough money. (I'm not sure I've struck the right balance, but that is my mental model.)