• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Successremote work

Remote workers are earning almost $8,600 more on average than their in-office peers—but it’s coming at a cost

By
Jane Thier
Jane Thier
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jane Thier
Jane Thier
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 22, 2023, 8:00 AM ET
Woman working at home
Remote workers have a lot to smile about.Filadendron/Getty Images

Alongside pricey commutes, sad desk lunches, and uncomfortable business clothes, add another reason to the list of why working from home holds greater appeal than the office for so many remote American workers: They’re earning an average $8,553, or 9.7% more, a year than their in-office counterparts. 

Recommended Video

That’s according to an analysis of 30 “remote-capable” jobs by Ringover, a cloud-based telecom provider. It found that hybrid workers also earned more than in-office workers, at 9.6%. The numbers come after combing through and comparing over 35,000 LinkedIn job postings for full-time, “remote-capable” roles.

The findings back up other research that reveals those working from home are higher earners. Remote workers are twice as likely to earn above the local median pay for non-remote workers in the same industry: 17% to 58% more, a study from payroll and benefits firm Gusto found last fall. And, per a global 2022 report by job site Hired, remote workers in tech outearn in-person workers in 15 of 17 global markets. The pay gap is due to a variety of reasons, from the ability to work for a more lucrative company even if it’s in another state to companies simply passing along the money they saved from reducing their real estate footprint. But the higher pay comes at the cost of intangible assets—like making connections and gathering critical feedback, which give in-office workers the upper hand.

Office managers stood to earn 31.7% more working remotely than they do in the office—the most out of any job Ringover analyzed. Public relations managers followed closely behind at 30.1%, along with customer service managers and data analysts. Ringover found only six in-office positions earning higher salaries than their remote counterparts: junior web developers (who earn 12.52% more in-office), supply-chain managers, UX designers, insurance underwriters, financial advisors, and sales assistants. 

A reason for the disparity, Ringover’s researchers posited, could be that employers decided to pass along their savings from reducing office space to their workers. Indeed, companies can cut their real estate costs in half by moving to a hybrid arrangement, Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of commercial real estate company IWG, told Fortune last year. 

Plus, companies can save up to $11,000 per employee working two or three days remotely per week, a study by research firm Global Workplace Analytics found. That $11,000 comes from many sources, primarily reduced rent, upped productivity, and lessened absenteeism and turnover—all commonly attributed to flexible work arrangements.

Another explanation for higher pay: Remote employees can work for companies anywhere in the country that best align with their skills, Gusto’s report pointed out. Also possible, per Gusto: Remote-capable jobs by definition often pay better, or workers with high-paying jobs moved to lower-income areas where their peers aren’t paid the same.

But for all the perks and pay remote work offers, it has some pretty sizable drawbacks.

Mentorship and collaboration get lost in the remote work shuffle

For one thing, most bosses—intentionally or not—fall victim to proximity bias, which describes preferential treatment for the workers who show up to their cubicles. That could mean bigger payouts and faster promotions over time, which add up quickly. 

The majority of workers in remote-capable jobs themselves said in a recent Pew Research report they felt that not being in the office limited their opportunities for mentoring and connection. Remote workers also get significantly less feedback than in-office workers, a September 2022 working paper by economists from Harvard, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the University of Iowa found. Lack of crucial redirection is another setback that could stymie career advancement. 

That’s especially true for newer or younger workers who need to learn the ropes. “We know empirically that [new Salesforce employees] do better if they’re in the office, meeting people, being onboarded, being trained,” vocally pro-office Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said in March. “If they are at home and not going through that process, we don’t think they’re as successful.” 

Even extremely online Gen Zers can admit as much, indicating the strongest overall preference for working in an office in a Slack Future Forum report from earlier this year. Just under 90% of Gen Z workers who prefer the office say it’s because they’re most productive there.

But many remote workers would hang on to their flexibility even if it meant missing out on such benefits—or taking a pay cut. In numerous surveys over the past year, many workers indicated that they’d accept a nearly 20% drop in pay for a fully remote role. “Flexibility and choice are clearly nonnegotiables for many professionals, and employers will lose good staff if they limit remote options without a valid reason,” Robert Half senior executive director Paul McDonald said last year. 

These kinds of tradeoffs could gradually narrow the disparity between salaries for in-office roles and for remote roles, especially if employers begin consistently using remote capability as a means of negotiating lower salaries. Remote workers would likely hope otherwise; higher salaries and flexibility, after all, are a much better way of attracting top talent than fancy office spaces are. 

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
By Jane Thier
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Women run a record 11.2% of Fortune 500 companies in 2026—but the gain came in a year of high-profile exits
MPWFortune 500
Women run a record 11.2% of Fortune 500 companies in 2026—but the gain came in a year of high-profile exits
By Sydney LakeJune 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Dan Peyovich
Future of WorkCOO Summit
Data center CEO is hoping for a skilled-trades revival in his lifetime—he’s recruiting couch-dwelling Gen Z with two weeks of vacation on day one
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
14 hours ago
Jason Kidd
ConferencesCOO Summit
Chipotle COO calls hiring one of the ‘most painful processes’—so his AI bot ‘Ava Cado’ cut it from 12 days to 4
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
17 hours ago
Mark Cuban put $500K into a stranger’s rocket company over email. It’s now a SpaceX competitor worth $4 billion
Startups & VentureMark Cuban
Mark Cuban put $500K into a stranger’s rocket company over email. It’s now a SpaceX competitor worth $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJune 2, 2026
18 hours ago
Teenager working in ice cream shop
SuccessJobs
Teens are up against the worst summer job market in nearly 80 years—they’re fighting against hundreds to work at ice cream shops and swimming pools
By Emma BurleighJune 2, 2026
21 hours ago
Meet America’s ‘Disillusioned’: the 32% feeling betrayed and rejecting the establishment—and they’re not who you think
EconomyRetirement
Meet America’s ‘Disillusioned’: the 32% feeling betrayed and rejecting the establishment—and they’re not who you think
By Nick Lichtenberg and Catherina GioinoJune 2, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
2 days ago
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
North America
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
By Katie Savin, Callie Freitag, Matthew Borus and The ConversationJune 2, 2026
22 hours ago
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Banking
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
2 days ago
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
Conferences
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
By Preston ForeJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Trump tells Netanyahu, 'You're f—ing crazy' and Wall Street sees it as a sign he’s losing patience with the war and wants it done
Investing
Trump tells Netanyahu, 'You're f—ing crazy' and Wall Street sees it as a sign he’s losing patience with the war and wants it done
By Jim EdwardsJune 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.