My first question would be: what is your other job and is your family situation conducive to the long-term sacrifice of absence (that’s personal so no need to answer). At 50, let’s say, you have another 15 years of far better pay but once again, as you are living it now, the reserve/commute lifestyle can really take its toll. Personally, I find it harder to tolerate the things today which I so easily did at 24 (I’m your age btw). So all in all, the sacrifice can truly be worth it if you land a job with a legacy of your choice in even less time than predicted. If not, and if your alternate job offers more stability and better cumulative pay, I’d say drop it like it’s hot.