I [28/M] don't know how to discuss careers and finances with my [31F] LD girlfriend of 1 yr without hurting feelings

We've been together for a year and just both recently started our long-awaited careers, but with very different objectives. I got lucky and got a job in IT that skipped probably about 5-6 levels of experience people usually get before getting this job. She did a training program for dog grooming and now has a grooming job.

I like my field because I'm great with tech, but money and wanting to be able to support myself is about 80% of why I wanted to get into this field. She doesn't care at all about money, and loves her job because she loves working with animals.

In the next year or so, we're going to have to figure out a living situation that ends the distance. Because she cares very little about money, she views our situations as equal. I'm of the position that it would be crazy for me to leave this job before I have enough experience for the fact that I skipped a bunch of "levels" to not matter anymore, especially considering it's a career path with a very realistic potential of 6 figures- I want to be able to support myself and her.

I'm super proud of her for accomplishing her biggest goal and I don't want to be belittling or hurt her feelings in any way. But if I give this job up and go back to what I was doing, we'll be living paycheck-to-paycheck regardless of where we live. From what I know, with a bit more experience, she can get the job she has anywhere. But she wants both of us to be on equal terms and both be willing to give up our jobs and move. I don't know what to do.

TLDR: Long distance GF wants us to both be willing to give up our jobs to move, but I would be giving up a high paying job I lucked into and our financial situation would suck. From a financial standpoint, my job is more "important" but I don't know how to talk about that without hurting feelings.

Submitted September 30, 2021 at 05:18PM by cj832 https://ift.tt/3B20SKU