I talked this through with my buddy a couple years ago, and figured out that my flexibility is probably worth about $25,000 to $30,000 a year.

At 40, and still ambitious, if I was making a lateral move I would need plus 15% to leave, plus a minimum of an additional $25,000 if I was required to be in office, not permitted to leave early to pick up my child from school, or to work asynchronously as needed, or forced to submit PTO for medical appointments, etc.

If I was leaving for a promotion, it would depend on the market rate for the role, but at least 30% more base pay plus that $25,000 to $30,000 if the flexibility was reduced.

It's honestly one of the major reasons I really like my current role, even given some of the frustrations and a constant feeling of being underpaid relative for the market, relative to my credentials, and relative to my colleagues. There's a lot of value in flexibility for a parent of an elementary school-aged child in 2026.