What career move would you make? FAANG Contract or steady work

[dfrecore]

I personally wouldn't leave a regular gig for something, even something that pays more, unless it was very exciting. Instead, I'd just start actively looking for another FT gig somewhere. You have a lot of time to do this, and are getting your master's, so I don't think I'd rock the boat right now.

Finish your master's degree, which will probably open up some more doors
Move to the city you want next summer
THEN, start looking for a job once you've gotten settled in there

With this job, worst case is you're bored and can look for satisfaction outside of work; plenty of people have done this through the ages, most people chose jobs that provided security and a roof over their heads, and looked for meaning and joy in their "real" lives. Not saying that you stay at a job you hate forever, just that you choose some other priorities now, focus on those, get to where you want to be, and worry about finding a more meaningful/challenging/better job later.