To build off of what @Kerri said, I think in general there are two types of industry jobs. The first kind is the one that Kerri holds, which mimics a lot of the positives of being in academia without the negatives. However, I would argue that these jobs are rare, or, are often based on contracts. I've worked multiple contract industry jobs; where I am brought on as the bioacoustic or field work specialist. I am contracted for a few weeks or a few months to complete the contract, and then I have no commitment to the company afterwards, nor do they have any commitment to me. Often companies would re-hire me for similar work as it came up, but nothing consistent.
These types of jobs can be very lucrative. Your hourly charge is well above anything you would get in a stable position as you are typically responsible for all of your own benefits (health care, IRA, etc.). However, it can also be stressful as you are always on the hunt for your next gig. I recently made the move back into academia after a few years juggling being a government contractor (@ NOAA) and an independent consultant.
Most of the gigs I got were by word of month, though for some I applied and some businesses found me through my LinkedIn and website. I found myself doing things that weren't really science (e.g. Data Cleaning for a medical company) to bridge the gaps.
A lot of folks that 'work for industry' also are adjacent to the energy industry: working as Protected Species Observers (PSO) and Passive Acoustic Monitors (PAM) on vessels and oil platforms. This career path that has the most jobs on the market, but it is absolutely a hustle with low wages and frequently unsafe working conditions. We NEED PSO and PAM folks, and honestly, it is a good place to get your feet wet with field work. But it is also a profession that chargers you to start (you have to pay for a certification out of your own pocket) and that is not taken as seriously as it should be.
I think if you can find a good, stable job in industry, it can be a great position. However, as Kerri mentions, company policies vary, so it is important to know what you are getting into. In a lot of ways I liked managing my own time as a consultant. It allowed me to do out-of-the-box things, like working on a podcast with my local NPR station. But now that I'm back in academia, and I know what's coming months out, there's a level of stress that I just don't deal with anymore that I'm thankful for.
Final note is that a lot of university departments are starting to run more like businesses anyway. Where researchers are responsible for their own salary, but the university takes a ridiculous overhead. Where higher-ups are concerned about how much money a department makes for the university over a fiscal year. Major institutions are making this change, and it isn't friendly towards researchers. So whether you enter industry or academia, it is important to read the fine print.
