Is it ever worth taking a lower paying job? Sometimes.
As a composer, a freelancer, or even just someone looking to make a career shift, it can be difficult to determine what to do when you're given an opportunity of any sort, especially when opportunities are scarce.
The temptation is to jump at the chance to do any kind of work and as someone from the 10th poorest city in the country, I get that. But the important thing to do when you're making those kinds of choices is to consider the grand scheme of what you're doing with your life. Maybe the compensation is lower right now, but you're in a position where you need some work and any work will do. Maybe this is something that'll look great in your portfolio or on your resume and you're in a position where that's incredibly worth it. Maybe there are other opportunities that you can build off of this one that will get you closer to where you're trying to go.
In any case, it's important to do those calculations and make those choices wisely. Even if you feel like you don't have a choice now, there are always alternatives, and there's always a brighter future that you can build towards.
This lovely croissant filled clip is from our GDC talk, From Intermediate to Advanced: Charting Your Career in Game Audio. Catch the whole thing, featuring myself, Ryan Ike, Katherine Tole, & Akash Thakkar streaming online at the GDC vault!