Main image of article Tech Pros Can Save a Lot of Cash Working Remotely: Study
Nobody wants to go into an office, and a new study shows that, in addition to avoiding the stench of microwaved fish, working from a remote location (like home) can save tech pros a ton of time (and money). SimpleTexting examined data from a variety of sources (such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs boards, and Census data) to discover how much time and money we can all save by working from home. The results may not be crowdsourced, but that might be better; who would bother to track how much they’re saving? Though variable by location, we see a lot of time saved across the United States for remote employees. In San Francisco, workers can save about 270 hours by not going into the office, while New York pros save a whopping 343 hours not commuting.
Remote Work by the Numbers
For drivers, it gets better. Pros in San Francisco can save $478 per year, says SimpleTexting. Atlanta, Georgia residents save the most ($555 per year). As you might have guessed, New York’s heavy public transportation culture keeps it toward the bottom of the heap for gas savings, though we’d imagine that’s offset by Metro cards. Communication is always critical, more so when working remotely. A recent study showed it’s a top concern for remote employees and their bosses, so it’s no surprise Skype and Slack are the most-used apps for remote employees. Digital task management software Trello is third, followed by Hangouts and Google Drive. All told, communication tools dominate SimpleTexting’s list. Income is where things get a touch wonky. According to SimpleTexting, a “Back End Developer” working remotely earns more than their in-office counterpart, but a “Developer” earns more when they have a cubicle. There are several reasons this could be true – such as smaller firms paying less to hire remote employees, or remote workers residing outside large cities where income is higher. We don’t see remote jobs paying less as a rule, and companies such as Basecamp are paying each employee on the same scale regardless of where they live. Our Dice Salary Survey shows salary satisfaction remains steady, so it’s doubtful working remotely actually earns you less as a rule. Download Dice's Salary Report Now! Unfortunately, people still seem diffident in seeking out remote employment. SimpleTexting data shows just under 0.005 percent of job searches are specifically for remote jobs, even though our own data shows over 60 percent of tech pros want to work from home half the time or more. But as salaries plateau, we suggest asking for perks such as the ability to work remotely to get more from your job.