If you’d tell most people that accepting a salary that’s less than what they’d hoped for would be beneficial, they would probably look at you in disbelief. Most of us work, in part, to get paid, and the bigger the paycheck, the better.
But there may be circumstances where the salary offer is not what you expected – it’s lower. Before you nix the idea of accepting a lower-paying job, take these payoffs into account. While your bank account may not grow as quickly as you’d like it to, you can still be rewarded in other ways.
1. More Respected Job Title
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There will hopefully come a time when your manager feels the time is right to promote you to a higher and more meaningful role within the company. But not every company has the budget to up your salary as well.
Accept the offer and gain more respect amongst your co-workers and clients. Show that you’re in it to win it, and you have long-term aspirations within the company or in that particular field in general.
Salary.com notes, “It also allows you to negotiate a higher wage after a performance review, and to ask for more money when you start looking for a new job.”
Update yourLinkedIn profile and the new job title alone can open up new doors with exciting possibilities. So even though you didn’t see an instant salary hike, with time, things will fall into place and quite likely into your bank account.
2. Better Benefits
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A significant payment isn’t always in the form of a direct salary. Benefits provided by an employer can be real money-savers that balance out a lower-than-desired monthly paycheck.
As per The Balance, “A company’s benefits could easily outweigh the difference in weekly paychecks. Possibly the company has better health insurance, or offers on-site childcare for free.” Salary adds, “Your salary might allow you to wind up breaking even—or even earning more than if you had to pay out-of-pocket for those items yourself.”
Heck, they don’t call them “benefits” for nothing!
3. Depends Where You Live
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A paycheck in a remote town in Nebraska will go a heck of a lot further than it will in Manhattan. Location is a key component as to how much you should be willing to accept and still have a stable and satisfactory quality of life.
Perhaps a company will pay to relocate you to someplace where the cost of living is low. Not only will you gain new experiences and head out on new adventures, but you won’t require as much money to have the things you desire. As Salary notes, “Making $80,000 in New York City but paying an exorbitant mortgage or rent could leave you poorer than if you took the same job somewhere else with much more affordable housing costs.”
Additionally, if you already live in an area where the cost of living is lower than a major metropolis, don’t compare average salaries across the country. As long as you can afford the way of life you’re comfortable with, there’s no need to squabble over a few extra bucks. Getting more for your money is a payoff in itself.
4. Work Remotely
![]()
When it comes to working from home part or all of the time, a reduction in salary will pay off in the forms of less stress and increased productivity. The lower salary will make up for itself in the now gone travel expenses, lack of need for an expensive work wardrobe, more time for sleep, and less interruption.
According to Salary, “Those who have a remote job can potentially save upwards of $11,000 annually on everything from commuting costs, office attire, and even lunches. So factor in those unseen but significant savings when you consider the salary on the table.”
Working remotely can help one attain a more balanced way of being. As per The Balance, “Many people are willing to work for less payer if the trade-off is a better work-life balance, lower stress levels, a better schedule, or even a shorter (or no) commute.”
Working from home is a dream come true for some and well worth a lower paycheck thanks to the many perks.
Don’t give up your dream job, or at least a good one, based on salary alone. Keep these factors in mind when you’re going through the hiring process and realize what makes “cents” for the time being.
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If you'd tell most people that accepting a salary that's less than what they'd hoped for would be beneficial, they would probably look at you in disbelief. Most of us work, in part, to get paid, and the bigger the paycheck, the better.
But there may be circumstances where the salary offer is not what you expected – it's lower. Before you nix the idea of accepting a lower-paying job, take these payoffs into account. While your bank account may not grow as quickly as you'd like it to, you can still be rewarded in other ways.
1. More Respected Job Title
![]()
There will hopefully come a time when your manager feels the time is right to promote you to a higher and more meaningful role within the company. But not every company has the budget to up your salary as well.
Accept the offer and gain more respect amongst your co-workers and clients. Show that you're in it to win it, and you have long-term aspirations within the company or in that particular field in general.
Salary.com notes, "It also allows you to negotiate a higher wage after a performance review, and to ask for more money when you start looking for a new job."
Update yourLinkedIn profile and the new job title alone can open up new doors with exciting possibilities. So even though you didn't see an instant salary hike, with time, things will fall into place and quite likely into your bank account.
2. Better Benefits
![]()
A significant payment isn't always in the form of a direct salary. Benefits provided by an employer can be real money-savers that balance out a lower-than-desired monthly paycheck.
As per The Balance, "A company's benefits could easily outweigh the difference in weekly paychecks. Possibly the company has better health insurance, or offers on-site childcare for free." Salary adds, "Your salary might allow you to wind up breaking even—or even earning more than if you had to pay out-of-pocket for those items yourself."
Heck, they don't call them "benefits" for nothing!
3. Depends Where You Live
![]()
A paycheck in a remote town in Nebraska will go a heck of a lot further than it will in Manhattan. Location is a key component as to how much you should be willing to accept and still have a stable and satisfactory quality of life.
Perhaps a company will pay to relocate you to someplace where the cost of living is low. Not only will you gain new experiences and head out on new adventures, but you won't require as much money to have the things you desire. As Salary notes, "Making $80,000 in New York City but paying an exorbitant mortgage or rent could leave you poorer than if you took the same job somewhere else with much more affordable housing costs."
Additionally, if you already live in an area where the cost of living is lower than a major metropolis, don't compare average salaries across the country. As long as you can afford the way of life you're comfortable with, there's no need to squabble over a few extra bucks. Getting more for your money is a payoff in itself.
4. Work Remotely
![]()
When it comes to working from home part or all of the time, a reduction in salary will pay off in the forms of less stress and increased productivity. The lower salary will make up for itself in the now gone travel expenses, lack of need for an expensive work wardrobe, more time for sleep, and less interruption.
According to Salary, "Those who have a remote job can potentially save upwards of $11,000 annually on everything from commuting costs, office attire, and even lunches. So factor in those unseen but significant savings when you consider the salary on the table."
Working remotely can help one attain a more balanced way of being. As per The Balance, "Many people are willing to work for less payer if the trade-off is a better work-life balance, lower stress levels, a better schedule, or even a shorter (or no) commute."
Working from home is a dream come true for some and well worth a lower paycheck thanks to the many perks.
Don't give up your dream job, or at least a good one, based on salary alone. Keep these factors in mind when you're going through the hiring process and realize what makes "cents" for the time being.
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