I’m also in LA and it does seem strange that pay has gone down, but that seems to be the case. I locked in a really nice salary during the tight employee market in late 2021. Now I have a bit of the golden handcuffs situation where I don’t think any other employers would offer me the same pay for a similar position. I keep my eye on job listings and haven’t seen anything at a similar rate for months.
I am riding it out. I’ve been wanting to move out of LA for other reasons for years. My husband works in film so it always made sense for us to stay. But between the slowness in the film industry and feeling a lil burnt out in fashion and not feeling like there is any room for growth for me, we are considering our options. My husband is actively retraining for the medical field. I’m not actively changing careers, but focusing on stacking cash and staying frugal so I can explore other options when the time comes. With the wildfires destroying LA right now, it might be sooner than later. Tattoo artist is my top choice for career change.