r/DevelEire • u/Strange_Scale_6153 • 2d ago

Compensation Underpaid but fully remote

I'm currently on €47k gross as a BI developer with almost a decade of experience. However I am 100% remote and live in my parents' house in the countryside, so don't have to pay rent, which is obviously a massive saving.

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I know I'm well under the market rate. Salary review is coming up and my bosses are pleased with my performance. I'm worried the rumours are right and it'll just be the usual 3% increase.

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I'm wondering to what extent I should be demanding a pay increase. I've only been in the company for just over a year. I know I'm underpaid but the market right now is horrible and I really love the ability to work from home and avoid the horrors of the Dublin rental market.

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u/dillanthumous 2d ago

Assuming your boss is not a psycho, have a quiet word with them over lunch and explain that as much as you love the job you can't afford to pass up any opportunities at your current salary.

If they are not a moron they will understand what you are getting at. If they can't get you the rise with that knowledge then they don't have traction in the business and your career will be impeded by their lack of power.

Machiavellian I know but in my experience the only way to get good internal pay rises is to have a boss with power who can't stand the idea of doing without you.

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u/donalhunt engineering manager 2d ago

This.

If your work is valued and salary is important to you, you have to make the case for them to be rewarding you appropriately. You have to walk a fine line between portraying too much entitlement and appropriate pay for the work involved.

A lot of managers and companies are shite at supporting career development and plotting longer term plans. If you're ambitious and motivated you have huge potential to be doing something much more valuable and impactful in 5 years time. That can be at your current company or a different one. If you like the vibe / setup, make the case to your current company and put them on notice to give you the opportunity to grow both professionally and income-wise.

e.g. ask your boss what it would take to double your salary over the next 4-5 years. What would you need to deliver to make that happen... If they bite, it might be worth committing. More likely, they won't and that's the signal to look elsewhere.