Remote Jobs That Pay Based on Experience Rather Than Location

These jobs matter for Nigerian professionals because most international employers do the opposite. They benchmark your pay to the local market, and that usually means a lower offer for someone living in Nigeria. This guide names the employers whose pay policies we could open and read, shows what their salaries look like in naira, and explains who can realistically apply from Nigeria. It also covers how to spot location-independent pay in other job ads and what to check before accepting any "international salary".

One honest warning up front: these roles are few, mostly senior, and very competitive.

Quick answer

Location-independent pay means a company sets salary by role and level, not by where you live. As of October 2026, RevenueCat, 37signals and Raycast say publicly that they pay this way. Buffer and Doist still adjust for location. Most of these roles are senior and limited by region or time zone, so check that each ad accepts Nigeria-based applicants. Also ask whether you would be hired as an employee or a contractor.

What "pay based on experience rather than location" means

When a remote company decides your salary, it answers one question first: are we paying for the job, or for the job in your city?

Under location-independent pay (also called role-based or location-agnostic pay), the job sets the number. Two people at the same level in the same role earn the same, whether one lives in Lagos and the other in London. Experience still matters, because it decides your level, and level decides pay.

Under location-based pay, the company starts from a market figure and then adjusts it for where you live. Nigeria usually lands in a low band, so the offer drops.

Three ways remote companies set pay

Our planned guide on how international companies set salaries for remote employees covers the mechanics of each model in detail. This page is about finding the third kind.

Companies with published location-independent pay (as of October 2026)

We only list a company here if we could open its own blog, handbook, careers page or job board and read the pay policy for ourselves. Policies change, so read the live page before you apply.

RevenueCat

RevenueCat makes subscription tools for app developers. Its post The case for location-independent salaries says the company decided "to pay the same salary everywhere". It targets the 80th percentile of San Francisco pay for companies of similar size and stage. The post also says offers are not negotiated and that job descriptions say so. The post was first published in July 2021 and last updated in April 2025.

The company's public job board data on Ashby, checked on 27 October 2026, matches the policy. Each role shows a single figure rather than a range. Examples:

• Senior SDK Engineer: $230,000 a year plus equity
• Senior Product Marketing Manager: $214,000 a year plus equity
• Sales & Operations Specialist, RC Capital: $167,000 a year plus equity
• Head of Sales: $363,000 on-target earnings (60/40 base to commission) plus equity

The catch for Nigerian applicants is the location field. Roles are tagged by region, for example "Americas" with "EMEA (United Kingdom)" or "APAC (Japan)" as secondary locations, and one role says "Americas (EST only)". None of the listings we read mentioned Nigeria or Africa. EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) includes Nigeria on paper, but "EMEA (United Kingdom)" suggests a specific country. Treat these roles as unconfirmed for Nigeria until the ad or a recruiter says otherwise. Our planned guide on what EMEA means in a remote job description explains this label.

37signals (Basecamp and HEY)

37signals has the longest-running example. In a December 2017 post, Basecamp announced it would pay everyone as though they lived in San Francisco from 2018. Before that, Chicago rates were its baseline.

The current 37signals employee handbook says pay targets the top 10% of your industry at San Francisco rates "regardless of where you live". It also says:

• Everyone in the same role at the same level earns the same.
• Market data is reviewed every November and raises take effect on 1 January.
• Pay is never cut when market rates fall.
• Roles without good benchmark data have a $73,500 salary floor.

Two limits: the 37signals job board would not open when we checked, so we can't say whether there are vacancies as of October 2026. The handbook pages we read also don't say how people outside the US are engaged. Ask whether you'd be an employee or a contractor if you get an interview.

Raycast

Raycast, a productivity app for Mac, wrote in March 2022 why it pays equal salaries wherever you work. Its benchmark is London, which it calls one of Europe's highest-paying tech markets. The same post said roles were fully remote within UTC±3 hours. Lagos is UTC+1, so that window includes Nigeria.

As of October 2026, the Raycast careers page still says "We pay you a location independent rate". It lists no open positions, though it invites applications by email. Bookmark it rather than waiting on it.

Near misses: Buffer and Doist

Buffer is often described as a location-independent employer, but it isn't quite one. Its public salaries page says the formula still applies "cost of living based on your location". Since February 2022 there have been two bands, Global at 90% and High at 100%. If Nigeria falls in the Global band, the cut is 10%, which is much smaller than most location-based models.

Example (hypothetical): if a role's benchmark were $100,000, the Global band would pay $90,000 and the High band $100,000. Buffer doesn't say which countries sit in each band, so check with them.

Doist, the company behind Todoist, is open about the opposite approach. Its careers page says it never restricts where you live. It also says salaries are calculated "based on industry-benchmarked skills and geographical location". Doist is open to Nigeria-based applicants but pays according to location, which shows that "hires anywhere" and "pays the same everywhere" are separate promises.

What these salaries look like in naira

The figures below convert RevenueCat's published salaries at ₦1,362 to $1 (CBN NFEM weighted average, 23 October 2026). They are gross figures before tax, fees or currency spread.

Three things shrink the real number:

• Employment type. If you're hired as a contractor, nobody runs payroll for you. You pay your own Nigerian tax and get no pension or health insurance unless the contract adds them. Our guide to contractor versus EOR employee arrangements explains the difference.
• Getting the money home. Platform fees and the exchange spread matter at this size. Compare options in our guide to receiving dollar payments in Nigeria.
• Tax. Income at this level falls in Nigeria's top personal income tax bands. Read how remote workers are taxed under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 before you budget.

Can Nigerians actually get these jobs?

Sometimes, but expect a narrower door than the salary headlines suggest. A company paying San Francisco rates to everyone gets applications from everywhere, and it can afford to be picky.

Region and time-zone limits

Location-independent pay doesn't mean worldwide hiring. RevenueCat hires by region. Raycast hired within UTC±3. Others need a legal way to pay you in Nigeria, through an employer of record (EOR, a company that employs you locally on the client's behalf) or a contractor agreement.

Time zones decide a lot. A role tagged "Americas (EST only)" means working US Eastern hours. From 1 November 2026, when New York is 6 hours behind Lagos, a 9am to 5pm day there runs 3pm to 11pm in Lagos. In US summer it runs 2pm to 10pm. A UTC±3 or EMEA role is far easier: London is one hour behind Lagos in winter and on the same time in summer.

Seniority

Nearly every location-independent ad we read was for a senior or head-of role. The policy pays well because the companies hire few people and expect each one to work without close supervision. If you're early in your career, apply to these as stretch roles, and build experience with employers who pay less in the meantime.

How to confirm eligibility

1. Read the location field and the body of the ad, not only the "Remote" tag.
2. Look for country lists, "EMEA" with a named country in brackets, or a UTC range.
3. If it's unclear, ask before you apply: "Can you hire someone living in Nigeria for this role, and if so as an employee through an EOR or as a contractor?"

Our planned guide on checking whether a remote job accepts Nigerian residents goes through this step by step.

How to find more employers that pay the same everywhere

Five companies is a short list, and policies change. You can find others yourself with a few searches and by reading ads closely.

1. Search for the policy, not the job. Try phrases such as "location-independent salary", "same pay regardless of location", "location-agnostic pay" and "we don't adjust salaries for location". Companies that pay this way tend to say so publicly, in a blog post, a handbook or the benefits section of their careers page.
2. Check their applicant tracking system. Many startups host jobs on Ashby, Greenhouse or Lever. If every role shows a single figure, or one range with no location note, that's a good sign.
3. Read the benefits section. Raycast's policy is one line in its benefits list. Others put it in the same place.
4. Compare two ads from the same company. If an EMEA role and a US role at the same level show the same salary, the pay is probably location-independent. If the ranges differ, it's location-based.
5. Save searches. Policies and vacancies change, so check company pages each month and set alerts on job boards.

What the wording in job ads usually means

Companies that publish salary bands are easier to assess either way. Our planned guide on finding remote jobs with published salary bands covers where to look.

How to ask a recruiter whether pay depends on location

If an ad isn't clear, ask early, politely and in writing. Recruiters at companies with flat pay are used to the question and answer it easily.

Example (hypothetical) message to a recruiter:

"Thanks for the call on Tuesday. Before we go further, could you confirm whether the salary in the ad applies to candidates in all locations, or whether it's adjusted for where I live? I'm based in Lagos, Nigeria (WAT, UTC+1). It would also help to know whether the role would be through an employer of record or as a contractor."

A clear "same everywhere" answer is good news. A vague one ("we're competitive for your market") usually means a location adjustment. That isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but you'll want to know before the final round. If pay does turn out to be negotiable, our planned guide on negotiating a dollar salary covers how.

One thing to remember: location-independent employers often don't negotiate. RevenueCat says so openly. Your experience shows up in the level you're hired at, so make the case for the right level, with evidence of scope and results, rather than for a bigger number.

International salaries from Nigeria: what to check before you accept

"International salary" is a loose phrase. To a Nigeria-based worker it usually means pay set in dollars, pounds or euros by a foreign employer, often well above local pay but not always at the employer's home-country rate. Location-independent pay is the strongest version: the full home-market rate, wherever you live.

Before accepting any international offer, check these points in writing:

• Currency and amount. Is it stated in USD, GBP or EUR, gross, a year or a month?
• Location adjustment. Is the figure the same one paid to colleagues at your level elsewhere?
• Employment type. Employee through an EOR, or independent contractor? This changes tax, leave and job security.
• Benefits. Paid leave, health cover, equipment and learning budgets. Contractors often get none unless the contract says so.
• Equity. RevenueCat's ads mention equity. Ask how options vest and how long you have to exercise them after leaving.
• Payment method. Direct to a domiciliary account, through Deel or Remote, or to Payoneer or Wise. Ask who pays the transfer fees.
• Notice and termination. What happens if the contract ends?

To weigh two offers side by side, use our planned guide on comparing international salary offers.

Practical setup for a high-paying remote role in Nigeria

Senior roles at these companies expect you to be reliable. Nobody will accept "NEPA took light" twice. Before you start interviewing, sort out:

• Power: an inverter with enough battery for a full working day, solar if you can afford it, or a generator as the last fallback.
• Internet: two providers, for example fibre or Starlink as the main line, plus a MiFi or phone hotspot on a different network. Check Starlink's current price before buying.
• Documents: NIN, BVN, international passport, and a domiciliary account for USD payments.
• Workspace: a quiet room with a decent headset and webcam for video calls in UK or US hours.

Mistakes and warning signs

• Assuming "remote" means "worldwide". Many high-paying remote ads are limited to particular countries or regions. Read the location field.
• Treating "hires anywhere" as "pays the same anywhere". Doist hires anywhere and adjusts pay. Ask.
• Ignoring time zones. A $230,000 role that needs US Eastern hours means working until 11pm in Lagos every weekday in winter. Decide if you can keep that up.
• Counting gross as take-home. Contractor pay arrives without tax deducted or benefits added.
• Falling for fake "US salary" ads. Scammers copy the language of flat pay ("earn the same as Americans, from home") without naming a real company, then ask for a "training" or "processing" fee. Real employers like the ones above publish their policies under their own name and never charge applicants. See our guide to spotting remote job scams in Nigeria and the planned guide on unrealistic salary promises in job ads.

Frequently asked questions

Do any remote companies pay Nigerians the same as Americans?

Yes, a few do, as long as they can hire you. As of October 2026, RevenueCat, 37signals and Raycast all say they pay the same rate for a role whatever your location. RevenueCat's current roles are tagged by region and don't mention Nigeria, so confirm eligibility with the recruiter before applying.

What does a location-independent salary mean?

The salary is set by your role and level, not by your country or city. Experience still affects pay because it decides your level, but two people at the same level earn the same wherever they live.

Is a location-independent salary negotiable?

Often not. RevenueCat says publicly that it doesn't negotiate offers, and 37signals pays everyone in the same role and level the same amount. What you can influence is the level you're hired at, so bring evidence of the scope and results of your past work.

What does "international salary" mean for someone working from Nigeria?

It usually means pay set in a foreign currency by a foreign employer, often higher than Nigerian local pay. It doesn't always mean the employer's home-country rate. Only location-independent employers promise that, so ask whether your figure is adjusted for location.

Will I be an employee or a contractor?

It depends on the company. Some use an employer of record to employ you in Nigeria, and others sign you as an independent contractor. Ask before the final interview, because tax, leave and benefits are very different under each. Our guide to contractor and EOR arrangements in Nigeria explains both.

Why do most companies adjust pay for location?

Mostly because it lowers their costs and lets them match each local market. Companies such as Doist also argue that location adjustment is fairer to staff in expensive cities. Location-independent employers accept higher costs in exchange for simpler, more transparent pay and a wider pool of candidates.

Are location-independent remote jobs only for software engineers?

No, but tech roles are the most common. RevenueCat's October 2026 roles included product marketing, sales and operations alongside engineering. 37signals has a salary floor of $73,500 for roles without good benchmark data, such as some non-technical roles.

How do I know if a job ad paying "US salaries" is a scam?

Check that it names a real company with its own website and careers page. Check that the pay policy appears on that company's own pages, and that nobody asks you for money. Any request for a fee to apply, train or "process" an offer means it's a scam.

Key takeaways

• Location-independent pay sets salary by role and level, so experience decides your level and level decides your pay.
• As of October 2026, RevenueCat, 37signals and Raycast publish this policy. Buffer uses two bands (90% and 100%), and Doist adjusts for location.
• RevenueCat's October 2026 ads show single USD figures from $167,000 to $230,000 a year, but they're limited by region and none mentions Nigeria.
• Most of these roles are senior, competitive and limited by time zone, so check eligibility and working hours before applying.
• Ask in writing whether pay is adjusted for location, and whether you'd be an employee or a contractor.

Next steps

Start with the careers pages of the companies above and confirm each one's current policy and openings yourself. Then search remote jobs open to applicants in Nigeria on WorkRemote. Each listing shows the company, its website and where applicants may live, so you can check eligibility before you write a cover letter. After a search, use "Get email updates" to receive a free daily digest of new matching jobs. To see what your role typically pays remotely, browse our remote salary guides by role.

Sources

• The case for location-independent salaries, RevenueCat blog
• RevenueCat job board (Ashby public posting API)
• Basecamp doesn't employ anyone in San Francisco, but now we pay everyone as though all did, Signal v. Noise
• Making a Career, 37signals employee handbook
• Why we pay equal salaries wherever you work, Raycast blog
• Careers, Raycast
• Salaries, Buffer
• Careers, Todoist (Doist)
• CBN exchange rates by currency