Employees debate whether they'd take a $120K remote job over a $240K in office job: 'For $240k a year, I'd come in on the weekend too'

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

Dec 12, 2025 8:00 AM EST

$120K extra per year could change the trajectory of your life forever.

Five years ago, it seemed like remote work was the future and we wouldn't be going back to the office anytime soon. Flash forward to today, and the future of remote work seems as uncertain as ever. Many companies are requiring employees to come into the office five days a week, with no exceptions, and people with fully remote jobs are trying to hold onto them as long as possible, because there aren't many new ones out there.

Remote work is one of those benefits that makes job seekers consider taking a lower salary. If you could make $90K working in an office that's an hour drive away from you, or you could make $80K working remotely, it might not be the worst choice to take less money to get more of your time back, especially if you have children that you have to pick up and drop off from school.

Still, some in-office offers are so good, you'd be a fool not to take them. If you choose not to double your salary as a single young person just starting your career because you want the luxury of working from home, you might need to rethink your priorities. Working from home is not worth leaving more than $100K on the table.

Or maybe remote work is worth leaving $100K+ on the table. It all depends on who you ask. There is a non-negligible subset of the population who would take a $120K remote job over a $240K in-office job, and they have a reason for it.
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via Daria Pimkina

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via @WC_LFC_Torres
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via @sosatistics
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via Ahmed (Unsplash+)

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via @soulnaigus
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via @besttrousers
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via @cattsusando
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via @perfectly_kyla
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via @Ayo_TTime9
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via @xannekix
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via @filos
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Employees debate whether they'd take a $120K remote job over a $240K in office job: 'For $240k a year, I'd come in on the weekend too'

$120K extra per year could change the trajectory of your life forever.

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