(Upstate New York) EM PA considering VA Orthopedic PA position — would you take the pay cut for benefits/lifestyle?

Current EM/UC PA here with 2 years of experience. Current compensation is around $150k/year with OT and differentials. I recently applied for a VA orthopedic PA position because I liked the idea of ortho, benefits, and potentially a better long-term lifestyle.

One major factor is that I currently commute about 45 minutes to 1 hour each way for work. The VA position would be much closer to home, which is definitely appealing.

Initial offer came back around $96k, which I declined. They then increased it to $115k. I told them I’d realistically need around $120k–125k to seriously consider leaving my current role.

The VA keeps emphasizing the benefits package — pension, 5% match, job security, federal holidays, etc. They also mentioned loan repayment, but I only have a small amount of student loans left, so that’s not a huge factor for me personally.

I’m trying to figure out if I’m being unreasonable or if the pay cut is just too large to justify. The ortho position would likely be lower stress and more sustainable long term than EM, but it’s still hard to walk away from a significant income difference this early in my career.

Would you take the VA job in this situation? For those in the VA system, do the pension/benefits actually make up for the salary difference over time?