Start – very carefully – to make your move now. You are at the point where you realize you are being underpaid. You know the company can’t afford to pay you more. Start to make your move now. Make sure your reel is up-to-date, start focusing on your side work, and realize that this is The Beginning of the End.
I made the mistake of staying in my old job for two years after I realized I was being underpaid, and in the end we were all miserable. I was miserable about my low salary and long hours, my employers were miserable about not being able to pay me more and my waning enthusiasm for working late. Don’t make the same mistake I made. A paycheck is great, bennies are wonderful, but think about your quality of life and start planning your exit.