Field Report: Salary Trends for Remote Roles Across Regions (2025-2026)

Salary expectations for remote work have continued to evolve. Employers face a delicate balance between offering competitive compensation and managing budgets across global teams. We analyzed 1,200 job postings and offer data from the last 12 months to identify patterns and actionable ranges for common roles.

Key findings

• Engineering and product roles remain highest-paid; senior engineers saw median offers increase by 6% year-over-year.
• Design and growth roles saw modest increases (2-4%).
• Remote operations and customer success roles varied widely by region and experience.
• Transparent salary ranges in job postings increased offer acceptance rates.

Regional adjustments

Employers adopting market-based pay tended to attract broader applicant pools. Location-adjusted pay remains common: companies sometimes offer regional bands to maintain budget discipline. However, fully location-independent pay is on the rise among well-funded startups and companies aiming to attract top talent regardless of location.

Compensation bands (median ranges)

• Mid-level Backend Engineer: $55k - $90k (region-adjusted)
• Senior Backend Engineer: $90k - $150k
• UI/UX Designer: $40k - $90k
• Growth Marketer: $45k - $95k
• Customer Success Manager: $30k - $70k

Bonuses, equity, and benefits

Bonuses and equity remain differentiators. Equity packages were more common in early-stage startups, while mature companies relied on bonuses and benefits. Learning stipends, equipment budgets, and wellness allowances had a measurable positive effect on offer acceptance.

Employer takeaways

1. Publish salary ranges when possible — it increases application quality.
2. Consider role-based pay for core engineering and product hires if market parity is a priority.
3. For cost-sensitive roles, use location bands but couple them with transparent communication about total compensation.

'Salary transparency is not just ethical — it’s strategic. Candidates reward clarity with attention and time.'

Methodology

We aggregated public job postings and anonymized offer data from employers using OnlineJobs.biz over the past year. Data was normalized across currencies and adjusted for purchasing power where required.

Limitations

Markets change; use this as a directional guide. For senior or highly specialized roles, expect variation above or below the ranges depending on candidate scarcity.

Conclusion

Compensation strategies are nuanced. Do you want to attract top talent regardless of geography, or balance budgets with regional differentiation? Either approach can work — the key is clarity and consistent communication about total rewards.