I took a pay cut out of necessity. I lost my job when the company I worked for abruptly closed in 2011. I had a wife, a 2 year old, and a 4 month old. I needed a job and needed it immediately to pay medical bills.
Was it the best choice to make? No. If I had more time to plan for it, I would have opted for a better paying job.
However, fast forward to today, and I’m at the same company making a salary I want with plenty of options for the future within the company, including partial ownership. Sometimes decisions you make end up working, even though they’re not right for you at the time.