Remote Salary Expectations: What to Expect by Role and Level

Understanding remote salary expectations is crucial for both job seekers and employers navigating the distributed work landscape. Unlike traditional office-based positions where compensation is typically standardized by geographic market, remote work has introduced new complexities around how companies determine fair pay. This guide will help you understand current salary ranges across different roles and levels, how location impacts compensation, and how to effectively research and negotiate your remote salary.

Understanding Remote Salary Structures

The shift to remote work has fundamentally changed how companies approach compensation. Rather than basing salaries solely on where an office is located, organizations now must consider a broader range of factors when determining pay scales.

The Evolution of Remote Compensation

Historically, salaries were tied to physical office locations. A software engineer working in San Francisco could expect significantly higher compensation than the same role in Austin or Denver, reflecting the higher cost of living and competitive local market rates. Remote work disrupted this model, forcing companies to reconsider their compensation philosophies.

Today, companies generally fall into three categories regarding remote compensation:

Location-agnostic pay treats all employees equally regardless of where they live. These companies typically pay at the top of the market range, often benchmarking against high-cost tech hubs like San Francisco or New York. Companies like GitLab and Basecamp have pioneered this approach, arguing that the value an employee brings to the company doesn’t change based on their zip code.

Location-based pay adjusts salaries according to an employee’s geographic location, typically using cost of living indices or local market rates. Companies like Facebook (Meta) and Twitter adopted this approach early in the remote work transition, applying geographic pay differentials that could result in 10-30% salary differences for the same role.

Hybrid models combine elements of both approaches, often setting salary bands with regional tiers or applying smaller adjustments than traditional location-based models. Many companies have moved toward this middle ground, recognizing both the need for market competitiveness and internal pay equity.

Salary Ranges by Role and Experience Level

Remote salary ranges vary significantly based on role, industry, company size, and experience level. Understanding these benchmarks helps you set realistic expectations and identify whether an offer is competitive.

Software Engineering and Development

Software engineering remains one of the most sought-after and well-compensated remote roles. Salary ranges have become increasingly stratified as the market has matured.

Junior Software Engineers (0-2 years experience) typically earn between $70,000 and $110,000 for fully remote positions. Early-career developers in high-demand languages like Python, JavaScript, or Go tend toward the higher end of this range. Companies hiring internationally may offer lower ranges ($50,000-$80,000) for developers in lower-cost countries, though this practice is becoming less common as salary transparency increases.

Mid-Level Engineers (3-5 years experience) see a significant jump, with typical remote salaries ranging from $110,000 to $160,000. Engineers with specialized skills in areas like machine learning, blockchain, or cloud architecture command premium salaries, often reaching $180,000 or more. Total compensation including equity can push these figures 20-40% higher at well-funded startups or public tech companies.

Senior Engineers (6-9 years experience) earn between $150,000 and $220,000 in base salary for remote roles. At this level, equity compensation becomes a substantial component, potentially adding $50,000-$150,000 annually in value. Companies competing for top talent often structure packages with significant equity components to remain competitive while managing base salary costs.

Staff Engineers and Above (10+ years experience) command salaries from $200,000 to $350,000+ in base compensation. At organizations like Amazon, Google, or well-funded startups, total compensation packages for these roles regularly exceed $400,000-$600,000 when including equity, bonuses, and other benefits. Remote opportunities at this level are increasingly common, though some companies still prefer hybrid arrangements for senior leadership roles.

Product Management

Product managers have seen explosive growth in remote opportunities, with compensation reflecting the strategic nature of the role.

Associate Product Managers earn between $80,000 and $120,000, with top tech companies offering rotational programs that may start higher. These entry-level roles are highly competitive, and candidates with technical backgrounds or previous startup experience command premium salaries.

Product Managers (3-5 years experience) typically earn $120,000 to $170,000, with significant variation based on the product’s revenue impact and company size. PMs at B2B SaaS companies often earn more than consumer product PMs at similar experience levels due to the direct revenue connection.

Senior Product Managers earn between $160,000 and $230,000. At this level, bonuses and equity become substantial, often adding 30-50% to base compensation. Remote senior PM roles at FAANG companies or unicorn startups frequently offer total compensation packages exceeding $300,000.

Product Directors and VPs command $200,000 to $350,000+ in base salary, with total compensation packages often reaching $400,000-$700,000 when including bonuses and equity. Remote opportunities at this executive level are less common but increasingly available, particularly at fully remote-first companies.

Design and User Experience

Design roles have fully embraced remote work, with compensation increasingly competitive as companies recognize the value of great design.

Junior UX/UI Designers (0-2 years experience) earn $60,000 to $90,000 for remote positions. Portfolio quality matters more than credentials at this level, and designers with strong visual design skills combined with UX thinking command higher salaries.

Mid-Level Designers (3-5 years experience) see salaries between $90,000 and $140,000. Designers specializing in product design, systems design, or user research tend toward the higher end of this range. Experience with design systems and cross-functional collaboration significantly impacts earning potential.

Senior Designers earn between $130,000 and $190,000, with lead designers at tech companies often exceeding $200,000 when including equity and bonuses. At this level, the ability to drive design strategy and mentor junior designers becomes as important as craft skills.

Design Directors and Heads of Design earn $180,000 to $300,000+, with total compensation packages at larger companies often reaching $350,000-$500,000. These roles require both exceptional design leadership and business acumen, with the ability to tie design decisions to business outcomes.

Marketing and Growth

Remote marketing roles span a wide range of specializations, each with distinct compensation patterns.

Marketing Coordinators and Associates earn $50,000 to $75,000. Entry-level remote marketing roles are highly competitive, with candidates demonstrating measurable results from previous campaigns or side projects commanding higher starting salaries.

Marketing Managers (3-5 years experience) earn between $80,000 and $130,000, varying significantly by specialization. Growth marketing, performance marketing, and marketing analytics roles tend toward the higher end, while content marketing and brand marketing roles typically fall in the lower to middle range.

Senior Marketing Managers and Directors earn $130,000 to $200,000, with performance bonuses often tied to specific growth metrics or revenue targets. At high-growth SaaS companies, total compensation including bonuses and equity can exceed $250,000 for directors who consistently drive measurable business impact.

CMOs and VP Marketing roles at remote-first companies range from $180,000 to $350,000+ in base salary, with total compensation packages at Series B+ startups or public companies often exceeding $400,000-$600,000 through equity and performance bonuses.

Sales and Business Development

Sales compensation for remote roles typically includes significant variable components tied to performance.

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) earn $50,000 to $70,000 in base salary, with on-target earnings (OTE) reaching $80,000-$110,000 when including commissions. Top performers can exceed OTE by 30-50%, making these entry-level roles attractive for ambitious early-career professionals.

Account Executives (Mid-Market) earn $80,000 to $120,000 base salary, with OTE of $160,000-$240,000. The split between base and variable typically runs 50/50 to 60/40, depending on sales cycle length and deal complexity.

Enterprise Account Executives command $120,000 to $180,000 base salaries, with OTE ranging from $250,000 to $450,000+. Top enterprise sellers at SaaS companies regularly earn $500,000-$800,000 annually when crushing quota, making these among the highest-paid individual contributor roles in tech.

Sales Directors and VPs earn $150,000 to $250,000+ base salary, with total compensation including bonuses and equity often reaching $350,000-$650,000. At this level, compensation increasingly includes equity packages that vest over multiple years.

Customer Success and Support

Customer-facing roles have proven highly effective in remote settings, with compensation reflecting their impact on retention and expansion revenue.

Customer Support Representatives earn $40,000 to $60,000 for fully remote positions. Technical support roles, particularly for developer tools or complex B2B software, command higher salaries ($55,000-$75,000) due to required technical knowledge.

Customer Success Managers earn $65,000 to $95,000 in base salary, with bonuses tied to net revenue retention or expansion revenue adding $10,000-$25,000 annually. Enterprise CSMs managing high-value accounts can earn $90,000-$130,000 base salary.

Senior CSMs and Team Leads earn $95,000 to $140,000, with total compensation including bonuses often reaching $150,000+. At this level, responsibilities expand to include strategic account planning and cross-functional coordination.

Directors of Customer Success command $130,000 to $200,000+, with total compensation packages including equity and bonuses often exceeding $250,000 at high-growth SaaS companies where retention metrics directly impact valuation.

Location-Based vs. Location-Agnostic Pay

The debate between location-based and location-agnostic compensation remains one of the most contentious issues in remote work culture.

The Case for Location-Based Pay

Companies favoring location-based pay typically argue from several perspectives. First, they cite fairness in purchasing power—an employee earning $150,000 in rural Montana has significantly more buying power than someone earning the same amount in Manhattan. Second, they point to local market competitiveness, arguing that paying San Francisco rates for someone in Nashville creates pay compression issues and makes it harder to retain local talent.

Third, companies argue this approach maintains pay equity within geographic cohorts, reducing the risk of resentment when team members in the same location discover significant pay disparities. Finally, it provides cost savings that can be reinvested in growth, product development, or additional hiring.

How Location-Based Adjustments Work in Practice

Companies using location-based pay typically segment locations into tiers or use cost-of-living indices. A common approach creates 3-5 geographic tiers:

• Tier 1: Major tech hubs (San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles) - 100% of benchmark
• Tier 2: Secondary tech markets (Austin, Denver, Boston, Chicago) - 85-90% of benchmark
• Tier 3: Mid-size metros (Portland, Atlanta, Phoenix, Philadelphia) - 75-85% of benchmark
• Tier 4: Small metros and rural areas - 65-75% of benchmark
• International: Varies widely by country, often 50-90% of US benchmark

Some companies use more granular approaches, applying specific multipliers based on precise geographic data. Airbnb, for example, allows employees to work from anywhere but adjusts compensation based on the location of the company hub employees occasionally visit, rather than where they live day-to-day.

The Case for Location-Agnostic Pay

Advocates for location-agnostic compensation present equally compelling arguments. They argue that value delivered to the company doesn’t change based on an employee’s address—a senior engineer’s code is equally valuable whether written from Brooklyn or Boise. This approach also simplifies compensation strategy, eliminating complex geographic calculations and reducing administrative overhead.

Location-agnostic pay expands the talent pool without artificial constraints, allowing companies to hire the best person for the role regardless of location. It also eliminates perverse incentives where employees might claim one address while living elsewhere to maximize compensation, reducing compliance issues and building trust.

Companies Leading Location-Agnostic Compensation

GitLab pioneered fully transparent, location-agnostic compensation, publishing their entire compensation calculator publicly. They pay market rates based on competitive San Francisco benchmarks, regardless of where employees live. Basecamp similarly pays top-of-market rates consistently, arguing that the administrative simplicity and cultural benefits outweigh any cost savings from geographic adjustments.

Zapier, Automattic (WordPress), and Buffer have also adopted location-agnostic approaches, though with variations in how they set the baseline salary level. Some benchmark against 75th percentile of San Francisco rates, while others use 90th percentile to remain highly competitive for top talent.

Hybrid Approaches and Middle Ground

Many companies have adopted hybrid models that balance these competing concerns. Common approaches include:

Regional bands create broader geographic categories than traditional location-based pay but avoid the extremes. For example, a company might have “US Remote” and “International Remote” categories, or “High-Cost Metro,” “Mid-Cost Metro,” and “Low-Cost Metro” bands with less dramatic differences (perhaps 10-15% variance rather than 30-40%).

Time-based transitions allow employees to keep their current salary if they relocate to a lower-cost area, but future raises are based on the new location’s market rates. This avoids the awkward situation of pay cuts while gradually aligning compensation with local markets.

Role-based flexibility applies location-agnostic pay for hard-to-fill specialized roles while using location-based pay for roles with robust local talent markets. This pragmatic approach focuses geographic adjustments where they have the most financial impact.

Cost of Living Adjustments and Geographic Differentials

Understanding how companies calculate and apply cost of living adjustments is essential for evaluating remote offers.

Common Cost of Living Indices

Companies typically reference one of several established indices when making geographic adjustments:

The Economic Research Institute (ERI) provides detailed cost of living data used by many HR departments. Their database includes over 10,000 locations worldwide and considers housing, transportation, food, healthcare, and other essential expenses.

Numbeo offers crowd-sourced cost of living comparisons that many smaller companies and individuals use for quick benchmarking. While less rigorous than ERI, it provides reasonable approximations for most locations.

The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) publishes quarterly cost of living indices for US metros, widely used by relocation companies and HR departments.

Custom company indices are developed by larger organizations, often combining multiple data sources and weighting factors based on their employee demographics and typical expenses.

What’s Included in Cost of Living Calculations

Understanding what factors influence cost of living adjustments helps you contextualize salary differences:

Housing costs typically account for 30-40% of cost of living indices, including both rental and home purchase prices. This category sees the most dramatic geographic variation, with housing in San Francisco or New York costing 3-5x more than similar housing in many mid-size cities.

Transportation expenses include vehicle ownership, insurance, gas, parking, and public transit costs. Cities with robust public transit may score lower on transportation costs, while rural areas requiring vehicle ownership score higher.

Food and groceries vary less dramatically than housing but still impact overall calculations, typically accounting for 10-15% of indices.

Healthcare costs including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses vary significantly by state and region, particularly for families.

Taxes create substantial effective income differences, though companies rarely adjust base salary for tax differences. States like Texas, Florida, and Washington with no state income tax provide significantly more take-home pay than high-tax states like California or New York.

The Hidden Costs and Savings of Remote Work

Remote work introduces costs and savings that traditional cost of living calculations may not capture:

Home office expenses including ergonomic furniture, upgraded internet, additional electricity, and dedicated workspace costs can add $2,000-$5,000 annually, though many companies now provide home office stipends.

Commute savings can be substantial—the average American spent $5,000-$8,000 annually on commuting in 2023, including vehicle depreciation, gas, parking, and public transit costs.

Meal costs shift from expensive downtown lunches to home-prepared meals, typically saving $2,000-$4,000 annually.

Professional wardrobe expenses decrease significantly for fully remote workers, saving $500-$2,000 annually.

Relocation flexibility allows remote workers to optimize for their priorities—lower cost of living, proximity to family, preferred climate, or lifestyle amenities—creating value that pure salary numbers don’t capture.

How to Research Market Rates for Remote Positions

Effective market rate research empowers you to negotiate confidently and evaluate offers accurately.

Compensation Data Platforms

Several platforms aggregate compensation data specifically for remote and tech roles:

Levels.fyi has become the gold standard for tech compensation research, offering detailed breakdowns of base salary, equity, and bonuses by company, level, and location. The platform includes hundreds of thousands of verified data points, with particular strength in engineering and product management roles.

Glassdoor provides self-reported salary data across industries and roles. While less precise than Levels.fyi for tech roles, it offers broader coverage across industries and includes company reviews and interview experiences.

Payscale offers detailed compensation reports based on role, experience, skills, and location. Their salary calculator provides personalized estimates based on your specific profile.

Blind (TeamBlind) hosts anonymous discussions where tech workers share compensation details, offer negotiations, and career advice. The community-driven nature provides real-time insights into market trends and specific company compensation practices.

AngelList (Wellfound) shows salary ranges for startup jobs, often including equity details. This platform is particularly useful for researching early-stage company compensation and understanding equity packages.

Researching Specific Companies

When researching particular companies, use multiple approaches:

LinkedIn research helps identify people in similar roles at your target company. Reviewing their backgrounds provides context for level expectations and career progression. You can also reach out for informational interviews to learn about compensation and culture.

Company transparency pages published by companies like GitLab, Buffer, and Basecamp detail their exact compensation formulas, level definitions, and salary ranges. Even companies not offering full transparency often publish compensation philosophies or level frameworks.

Recruiter conversations provide valuable market intelligence. Even if not actively job seeking, maintaining relationships with specialized recruiters in your field provides ongoing market rate awareness and emerging trend insights.

Offer discussions on Blind allow you to search for recent offers at specific companies, seeing total compensation, level, and negotiation outcomes. This crowdsourced intelligence is particularly valuable during active job searches.

Adjusting National Data for Remote Context

When research returns location-based salary data, adjust your expectations for remote context:

Identify the company’s compensation philosophy by asking directly or researching their remote work policies. Understand whether they use location-based, location-agnostic, or hybrid approaches before making assumptions.

Consider total compensation, not just base salary. Remote roles increasingly include meaningful equity, even at earlier-stage companies. Understand vesting schedules, strike prices, and company valuation trends when evaluating equity components.

Account for benefits differences. Companies with strong remote cultures often offer additional benefits like home office stipends ($500-$2,000 annually), coworking memberships ($200-$500 monthly), or enhanced healthcare plans that add significant value beyond base salary.

Evaluate growth trajectory, not just current salary. A slightly lower initial salary at a fast-growing company with clear advancement paths may provide better long-term earnings than a higher salary at a stagnant organization.

Salary Transparency Laws and Their Impact

Recent salary transparency legislation is fundamentally changing compensation discussions and practices.

Current Salary Transparency Landscape

As of 2026, numerous jurisdictions have implemented salary transparency requirements:

Colorado pioneered statewide salary transparency in 2021, requiring all job postings to include compensation ranges. The law applies to remote positions available to Colorado residents, forcing many national companies to publish ranges broadly.

California implemented comprehensive salary transparency in 2023, requiring companies with 15+ employees to include pay scales in all job postings. Given California’s massive workforce, this law has had nationwide impact.

New York City and State enacted strong transparency requirements in 2022-2023, requiring specific salary ranges rather than broad bands. New York’s laws apply to remote positions that could be performed from New York, extending their reach nationally.

Washington requires salary disclosure in job postings upon request and at various stages of the interview process, with some localities requiring upfront disclosure.

Additional states and cities including Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, Rhode Island, Cincinnati, and others have implemented various salary transparency requirements, creating a complex patchwork of regulations.

International movements are also emerging, with the EU Pay Transparency Directive requiring salary disclosure and pay equity reporting, influencing global companies’ practices worldwide.

How Transparency Laws Change Negotiations

Salary transparency fundamentally alters the negotiation dynamic in several ways:

Information asymmetry reduction means candidates enter conversations knowing the company’s budgeted range, eliminating the previous dynamic where companies held all compensation information. This shifts negotiation from “what will you accept?” to “where in our stated range should you fall?”

Anchoring strategy changes require companies to carefully consider published ranges. Setting too narrow a range limits negotiation flexibility, while too broad a range signals internal pay inconsistency or invites questions about fairness.

Internal equity pressures increase as existing employees see market rates for their roles. Companies face more frequent requests for market adjustments when job postings reveal significant gaps between current pay and new hire ranges.

Negotiation focus shifts from base salary to total compensation, with equity, bonuses, and benefits gaining prominence in discussions. Smart candidates leverage transparency to negotiate beyond the stated salary range through these other components.

Using Transparency Laws to Your Advantage

Job seekers can strategically leverage salary transparency:

Research companies posting in transparent jurisdictions even if you’re not located there. If a company lists a role as “Remote - US” with Colorado or California postings, those ranges likely apply nationally.

Compare ranges across postings for similar roles at the same company. Inconsistencies reveal potential negotiation leverage or internal compensation misalignment.

Reference posted ranges in negotiations, even for companies not legally required to share them. Citing “I noticed your similar posting in Colorado shows a range of $X-$Y” provides objective anchoring for your request.

Identify companies compressing ranges defensively by posting very narrow bands ($120K-$125K rather than $100K-$140K). This often indicates limited negotiation flexibility but also reveals the practical ceiling for the role.

Watch for adjusted postings where companies revise ranges after initial posting. Upward adjustments signal difficulty filling the role and increased negotiation leverage for qualified candidates.

Practical Steps for Setting Your Salary Expectations

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways for Setting Remote Salary Expectations

Understanding remote salary expectations requires research, self-awareness, and strategic thinking. The remote work landscape continues to evolve, with compensation practices maturing as more companies embrace distributed teams.

Start by thoroughly researching market rates for your specific role, experience level, and target companies using multiple data sources. Recognize that compensation philosophy varies widely—understand whether companies use location-based, location-agnostic, or hybrid approaches before forming expectations.

Consider total compensation holistically, including base salary, equity, bonuses, benefits, and intangible factors like flexibility, growth opportunities, and company culture. A slightly lower salary with strong equity at a fast-growing company or exceptional work-life balance may provide better long-term value than maximizing base salary alone.

Leverage salary transparency laws strategically by researching postings in transparent jurisdictions even if you’re not located there. These publicly posted ranges provide powerful anchoring points for negotiations and reveal market rates that companies previously kept private.

Calculate your personal financial equation considering remote work savings (commute, meals, wardrobe) against new costs (home office setup, utilities). This analysis helps determine what salary level truly meets your needs rather than focusing solely on headline numbers.

Remember that negotiation remains important even with increased transparency. Companies typically have 15-30% flexibility within posted ranges, and skilled negotiators can push beyond stated maximums through signing bonuses, equity, or other compensation components.

Finally, recognize that remote work is still maturing. Compensation practices that seem standardized today may shift as the market evolves. Stay informed about trends, maintain your network, and periodically research market rates even when not actively job searching to ensure your compensation remains competitive.