FlexJobs Survey Finds Half Of US Workers Would Take Pay Cut To Work From Anywhere

Survey finds 75% would “definitely use” a work-from-anywhere policy if provided by their employer

According to FlexJobs 2024 Work-From-Anywhere Survey, half (50%) of respondents said they’re willing to accept a pay cut to be able to work from anywhere. Specifically, 26% of people surveyed would accept a five percent pay cut, and 24% stated they would accept a salary decrease of either 10% or 15%.

FlexJobs developed the survey to better understand the high demand for work-from-anywhere roles and wide interest in digital nomadism within the current workforce. The survey was conducted between February 6-19, 2024, and polled over 4,000 U.S.-based professionals on how working from anywhere impacts their career decisions and perspectives on the job marketplace.

Workers Willing to Pay a Steep Price for Location Independence

In addition to the majority of respondents stating that they’re willing to take a pay cut of five percent or more, 20% said they’d accept an increase in working hours in exchange for a remote job that allows them to work from anywhere. They were also willing to give up:

• Chances for professional development (23%)
• Vacation days (15%)
• Company-sponsored health insurance (13%)
• Retirement-focused company contributions (10%)

Among generations, millennials showed the highest willingness to exchange key job factors, such as salary, chances for professional development, and increased working hours, for a remote job without location restrictions. Less than one-third (31%) of millennials said they wouldn’t give up anything for a work-from-anywhere job, compared to 41% of Gen X and half (50%) of boomers.

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Answer Choices:
Accept a 5% pay cut

• Millennials – 35%
• Gen X – 25%
• Boomers – 18%

Nothing

• Millennials – 31%
• Gen X – 41%
• Boomers – 50%

Forego chances for professional development

• Millennials – 27%
• Gen X – 24%
• Boomers – 20%

Accept an increase in working hours

• Millennials – 26%
• Gen X – 19%
• Boomers – 16%

Accept a 10% pay cut

• Millennials – 22%
• Gen X – 16%
• Boomers – 8%

Accept a decrease in vacation days

• Millennials – 21%
• Gen X – 15%
• Boomers – 10%

Forego retirement-focused company contributions

• Millennials – 14%
• Gen X – 8%
• Boomers – 9%

Forego company-sponsored health insurance

• Millennials – 14%
• Gen X – 10%
• Boomers – 15%

Accept a 15% pay cut

• Millennials – 13%
• Gen X – 9%
• Boomers – 5%

Fully Remote Jobs Key Factor in Relocation

Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said they’d “definitely use” a work-from-anywhere policy if provided by their employer. Given the chance to work remotely full time and without any location requirements, the majority also said they’d consider relocating to a different city (40%) or state (41%). Although 39% said they would not relocate anywhere, 28% of respondents said they’d consider relocating to a different country entirely.

Additionally, 16% said they’d become a digital nomad if they had a work-from-anywhere job. But the majority of those interested in working from anywhere today prefer to perform their job from fewer locations––a shift away from [digital nomads of the past who traveled frequently and worked from various locations around the world.

In FlexJobs’ Work-From-Anywhere Survey, 40% of respondents said they’d “rarely or never” change their remote work location if they were a digital nomad. The full breakdown:

• Rarely or never (40%)
• Quarterly (26%)
• Annually (21%)
• Monthly (9%)
• Weekly (3%)

Cost of living (80%) was the leading factor influencing respondents’ decisions to relocate to their dream destination if they were able to work from anywhere. Other top reasons cited:

• Climate (66%)
• Region’s or country’s culture (53%)
• High internet speed (51%)
• Favorable taxation rates (51%)
• Nature (50%)
• Social life, attractions, entertainment possibilities (47%)
• Reputation of the people (40%)
• Region’s or country’s history (25%)
• Public school systems for my children (18%)

Workers Want to Work from Anywhere

Work-from-anywhere openings are coveted and highly competitive, because historically, they’ve accounted for a small segment of the overall remote job marketplace. However, with more employers embracing remote work arrangements over the past few years, there are companies providing a steady flow of work-from-anywhere opportunities.

“Return-to-office mandates are largely responsible for the growing divide between employers and their workforces,” said Toni Frana, Lead Career Expert at FlexJobs. “But as we’ve seen on FlexJobs, many companies are adopting work-from-anywhere arrangements and creating more opportunities than ever before for workers to find a career that has the location flexibility they want.”

Top Companies and Industries for Work-from-Anywhere Jobs

Given job seekers are facing greater restrictions around remote work and location flexibility, FlexJobs recently compiled a list of the Top 30 Companies for Work-From-Anywhere Jobs in 2024, which covers the leading employers, careers, and job titles hiring for roles without any geographic restrictions. FlexJobs’ report notes that work-from-anywhere careers have expanded in key industries like Computer & IT, Marketing, Writing and Editing, Accounting and Finance, and Bilingual, among others.

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