Should I Leave ~$280K Corp Dev for PE?

Is it worth leaving a Corp Dev/M&A Associate role paying ~$250–300k all-in to move into PE in NYC?

I’m currently a Corp Dev/M&A Associate at a large company in Houston. Total comp is ~$250–300k all-in (high base, mid-low bonus). Team is heavy on transaction execution (good deal exposure).

The job is typically 9am–9pm, with all-nighters during major deal crunches. During downtime (~2.5 months/year), it’s closer to 9–5.

I’m considering moving to a PE Associate role in NYC, and I’m struggling with the opportunity cost. I’d be giving up a "relatively" good lifestyle and no state income tax, so I’m trying to understand whether the move makes sense financially and from a career perspective.

A few questions for those who have made the Corp Dev → PE transition:

• How much higher would PE comp need to be for you to make the move? Given NYC taxes and COL, would I actually save more money than I do today?
• How different are the hours? If I’m already working ~9–9 in Corp Dev, is PE meaningfully worse, or could the higher comp make the tradeoff worthwhile?
• How much does PE experience change your long-term career trajectory vs. staying in a transaction-heavy Corp Dev role?
• If I ultimately want to be in PE/investing, is it important to make the jump now, or can I get there later? My current role has significant in-house transaction execution experience.
• For those who made a similar move, was it worth it in hindsight?

I’m less interested in maximizing next year’s comp and more interested in the 5–8 year career + financial tradeoff.