Worth mentioning that management vs. IC is not a decision for life. Charity Majors wrote about the opportunities and challenges when switching throughout one's career between management and individual contributor [1] and [2].

[1] https://charity.wtf/2017/05/11/the-engineer-manager-pendulum...

[2] https://charity.wtf/2022/03/24/twin-anxieties-of-the-enginee...