Employers are seemingly rewarding workers who return to the office with salary hikes, according to data from online job site ZipRecruiter. The shift back to in-person work is leading to bigger paychecks for those who make the move, with in-office workers seeing a significant increase in their average salaries compared to remote and hybrid workers.
Before the pandemic, only 7% of American workers were working from home full-time. Now, 35% of workers who have the option to work remotely are doing so permanently. However, the allure of higher pay is drawing some workers back to the office.
According to ZipRecruiter’s internal data, workers who are fully in-office saw their average salaries increase by over 38% from a year ago, reaching $82,037 in March. In comparison, remote workers earned $75,327, with a modest 9% increase in pay.
While some remote jobs may offer higher salaries, particularly in knowledge-based roles, the data suggests that in-office workers are receiving more significant pay bumps when switching jobs. New hires at in-office positions received larger pay increases compared to those transitioning to fully-remote roles.
The findings indicate that employers are willing to pay more to attract workers back to the office, as the benefits of remote work, such as increased productivity and reduced stress, may not be enough to compete with the allure of a bigger paycheck. As the debate over remote versus in-person work continues, the financial incentives for returning to the office are becoming increasingly apparent.
