I'm close to finishing up my PhD in epidemiology in the US, and I'm trying to decide whether or not to do a postdoc. I am lucky to have a few really wonderful postdoc options at top universities in my field- at each place, I'm excited about the research I'd do, skills I'd learn, and network I'd gain. But I don't think I want to become a professor. I can't see myself constantly grinding for grants, I don't think I have it in me.

Has anyone done a postdoc then left academia and can speak to whether or not the postdoc was worth it? Is postdoc-level training valued outside of academia? Is continuing to build my professional network in academia worthwhile if I'm just going to leave anyway?

Any thoughts would be really valuable, I'm spending way too much time agonizing over this!