Which Job Would You Take? More Money vs. Working Remotely

[Skywalker]

Hello, so if you had the choice between two jobs which would you take? The job roles/duties are very similar.

Job A: $18/hr fully remote
Job B: $ 36/hr with a one-hour commute each way (about half country driving and half highway)

So yeah Job B literally pays twice what Job A pays. Is the convenience of working from home worth the trade off?

Just wondering what others would do?

Potential employee is 55 years old, about 10 years to retirement.

 

[Christine]

Hmmm...this is tough. I tend to look at the long-game. Sometimes the jobs where you have to go in may offer even more potential and money later on. I'd also have to look at the work in each job and which I might enjoy.

Does Job B offer *any* ability to work from home or is it every day in office.

That said, if you don't care about either and money is not an issue, I'd elect to work at home.

 

[petrola]

Depends on a few things also. I have kids in school so working from home has allowed me to be able to drive my kids and pick them up from school and sports. And to be there when they get home from school. My husband also works, so it's not a big deal if I work from home for less $$ or don't work at all. But honestly I don't think I'd commute for double my salary. Or even triple. Working from home has too many advantages from my perspective.

 

[sam_gordon]

Hello, so if you had the choice between two jobs which would you take? The job roles/duties are very similar.

Job A: $18/hr fully remote
Job B: $ 36/hr with a one-hour commute each way (about half country driving and half highway)

So yeah Job B literally pays twice what Job A pays. Is the convenience of working from home worth the trade off?

Just wondering what others would do?

Potential employee is 55 years old, about 10 years to retirement.

That one's tough. I mean the difference in money is really negligible. Two hours/day at the difference of $18 is $9/hour of your "time", plus added wear and tear on your car.

I personally like being in an office around others, but I don't know with the information provided if it would be worth it. Is there any chance of advancement in those 10 years at either job (meaning more money)? Anyone to find out what bosses/coworkers would be like?

Based just on cost and commute, I think I'd take job A, but there are other factors that could sway me to B. More vacation time? Better benefits? Better environment?

 

[mom2rtk]

Do you need the money to be able to afford your bills? It's a different calculus when it's "need" money versus "want" money.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Which job do you like better?
From a math standpoint, 2024 reimbursement is $0.67/mile (to calculate the value of gas plus wear and tear on your car). Assuming 90 miles/day, that works out to about $13,000/year. Difference in the salary is about $37,500. So, just using math, take the higher paying job.

But...
If you really hate the work environment, then you are not going to like the job. I personally really value working in an office, but really need the flexibility to deal with kids' activities etc. Does the higher paying job allow for this?

I voted higher paying job with commute, but YMMV (pun intended).

 

[tvguy]

I wouldn't take any job remote or not that paid less than $25 an hour. And these days in California, $25 an hour is fast food wages.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I'd rather work from home for various reasons.

 

[NYCgrrl]

So yeah Job B literally pays twice what Job A pays. Is the convenience of working from home worth the trade off?

Just wondering what others would do?

Potential employee is 55 years old, about 10 years to retirement.

Given the above info it’s a no brainer for me: Job B.
I could put up with much for 10 years assuming I thought collecting SS was a good idea at age 65 (I don’t but you do you).

 

[sam_gordon]

Which job do you like better?
From a math standpoint, 2024 reimbursement is $0.67/mile (to calculate the value of gas plus wear and tear on your car). Assuming 90 miles/day, that works out to about $13,000/year. Difference in the salary is about $37,500. So, just using math, take the higher paying job.

But...
If you really hate the work environment, then you are not going to like the job. I personally really value working in an office, but really need the flexibility to deal with kids' activities etc. Does the higher paying job allow for this?

I voted higher paying job with commute, but YMMV (pun intended).

But, how much is 10 hours/week worth? Thats how much you lose in commuting. Thats the 'x' factor which will be different for everyone.

 

[wannabee]

Neither sounds great to me. The pay is not enough for me to drive 10 hours a week, I would probably take the WFH job if I didn't have a job and continue to look for a better fit.

 

[pens4821]

I personally would never want to work from home. To me it would just seem like you’re always at work. That and I prefer to get out and see people.

The hour commute doesn’t sound great either though. But I’d much rather the commute than working from home.

 

[Magical2017]

It would depend on a number of things. Top four, off the top of my head:

1. My financial situation. Am I on track for retirement and any financial goals I set?
2. Do I lean more toward being an introvert or an extrovert?
3. What is the traffic like in my area?
4. How long is the commute? (eta that one hour would be a hard no for me).

 

[Genie+]

The 10 hour commuting per week is time and travel/auto money spent. It may also increase other costs, like food. Working from home might make a big difference health-wise and money-wise, not only for you but for your family. That 10 hours might mean takeout for family dinner an extra time per week for example. The time/energy saved not commuting might mean making your own lunch and maybe for others in the family, cheaper and healthier for more than just yourself.

Not tacking on that 10 hour commute might make the difference in paying for services, like landscaping or housecleaning, etc. Many people have to decide if they want to give up their Sat or Sunday doing that stuff themselves, but with that 2 extra hours free each weekday, you can do it yourself, save the money of paying someone else, AND still keep your weekends free.

I’d think about that kind of stuff too. Also if no commute improves your ability to participate in family stuff, like kids/grandkids sports in the evening, or checking in with Aunt Betty on Tues’, etc.

 

[tvguy]

I personally would never want to work from home. To me it would just seem like you’re always at work. That and I prefer to get out and see people.

The hour commute doesn’t sound great either though. But I’d much rather the commute than working from home.

I was really caught off guard during the pandemic by some of my co-workers who had serious psychological issues with working from home. They didn't live alone, so they were around others, but they really needed to be around their co-workers. The company did arrange for counseling for them. They did not, however, allow them to return to working in the office.
I worked from home for 15 months, with a 3 week period I had to come into the office in the middle. Getting back in the office really underscored how much I liked working from home. So much so I pushed back my retirement a year, when I went back into the office for a few weeks before retiring. It was the most productive time of my 42 year career. However, like I said, it did open my eyes to how some really needed the in person work environment.

 

[starry_solo]

10 hours a week x 52 weeks a year = 520 hours commute time.

Figuring that one takes two weeks vacation per year = 480 hours commute time

480 + 2000 hours work (50 weeks x 40 hours, cuz taking two weeks of vacation) = 2480 hours / year

2000 x $36 = 72,000/yr

72,000/yr divided by 2480 hours = $29/hr.

So, would you drive an extra 500 hours per year for an extra $11/hr?
That’s not even taking into account the gas, wear and tear on vehicle, time to get ready for work, etc.

I’d pick the remote job.

 

[sam_gordon]

10 hours a week x 52 weeks a year = 520 hours commute time.

Figuring that one takes two weeks vacation per year = 480 hours commute time

480 + 2000 hours work (50 weeks x 40 hours, cuz taking two weeks of vacation) = 2480 hours / year

2000 x $36 = 72,000/yr

72,000/yr divided by 2480 hours = $29/hr.

So, would you drive an extra 500 hours per year for an extra $11/hr?
That’s not even taking into account the gas, wear and tear on vehicle, time to get ready for work, etc.

I’d pick the remote job.

Not that it makes much of a difference, but 520 - 20 (two weeks of 10hr commute/week) = 500, not 480.

Plus, assume the vacation is paid, you take the hourly rate * 2080. 36 * 2080 = $74880

Is driving 500 hours in a year worth $37,440 (the difference between the two jobs)? Then subtract gas and wear and tear.

Assuming 90 miles round trip * 5 days/wk * 50 weeks, you're putting 22k+ miles on the car each year. If its a lease, there will be financial penalties.

As mentioned, if you're an introvert vs extrovert, and difference in benefits factor in.

 

[brockash]

Hello, so if you had the choice between two jobs which would you take? The job roles/duties are very similar.

Job A: $18/hr fully remote
Job B: $ 36/hr with a one-hour commute each way (about half country driving and half highway)

So yeah Job B literally pays twice what Job A pays. Is the convenience of working from home worth the trade off?

Just wondering what others would do?

Potential employee is 55 years old, about 10 years to retirement.

Hmmm...that's a hard one. Double the pay is a lot. I guess I'd really crunch the numbers taking account the cost to "go" to work (gas, wear tear on car, work clothes, different eating habits etc.) and then figure out what the real yrly difference is and make my decision. If it was $18 compared to like $25 I'd work from home no question, but double the pay makes it a lot harder to justify...although an hr. commute each day - ouch.

 

[disykat]

As someone else mentioned benefits, especially retirement benefits, if any. The amount you make and pay into social security matters too. I voted B for in general because of all the what ifs. If I didn't have a partner, it would be smarter to take higher paying job.

However, in my specific case I would take A because of family caregiving duties with a parent and the fact that I have a spouse that made significantly more than me over time so my income isn't as important for our long term. I took a job with way less hours and WAAY less money. Half of his social security will be a reasonable option for me since mine will now be lower than anticipated because it's not that much of a difference due to my lower income.

If you are able to downsize work I'm pretty much always all for it, but being able to do that realistically is something most of us really need to weigh out carefully so we don't end up regretting it. We worked the numbers over really well first.

 

[barkley]

i would have to run the numbers-cost of commute (gas/wear on car/tolls/increased insurance-cuz I get a discount now for low mileage), cost (In some regions) of losing ability to do chores that use larger amounts of electricity (laundry/dishwasher...) during lower cost non peak pricing hours. would it put me in a higher tax bracket? would I have to take on any additional expenses as a result (my former employer had a vto program and I made more/saved more due to tax differences and no longer having before and after school care for my kids when I availed myself of it). I know a number of people who had much shorter commutes who were shocked at how much they saved by virtue of remote work during the pandemic.

with 10 years left I would have my cpa run it short term and long term (esp. if there was a pension involved or a higher retirement match with the higher hourly wage). I would look to see how it would impact my social security.

financial aside-i commuted for years. yeah it was a pain but it did give me a chance to decompress so that I could leave all the work stuff behind me when I got home so I do see the value in that.