equity research career move? move, experience, currently, research

genuinecfa

looking for guys on SS E/R to weigh in.
I’ve got a CPA and big 4 audit/advisory experience. I have also just passed CFA Level 3. I’m not even sure i’d necessarily pursue equity research, but a couple things i’d be curious about would be:
(1) Comp - what sort of paycut would i be looking at to “start over” - i’m currently over $100k base but bonus is a joke (usually less than $10k)
(2) Work/life - i have some really busy hours at times, but there are peaks and valleys. During the valleys, if i want to scram at 5 to get home & see my kid, i have the freedom to do that. I know ER doesnt pull IB hours, but how bad are they?
Exit opportunities - accounting is stable - there are always opportunities out there for people with my background, even during downturns. Whats job security like in ER.