Dollar value of commute time

I'm looking at taking a new job that is almost identical to the role I have at my current employer. The reason I'm considering it is because of advancement opportunity, there is next to no advancement opportunity where I'm at. Main difference is the commute time. My current total daily commute time is 40 minutes. That will increase to 120 minutes on average days with new employer. Fuel and maintenance costs were fairly straight forward, the extra time is tough to put a value on.

For hypothetical purposes assume your current employer relocated and your commute increased 1 hour 30 minutes per day. What yearly value do you place on this increased travel time? In other words how much of a raise would you request on only the time (not gas etc). Interested to hear the value entry level through senior level individuals place on the extra time spent commuting.

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Comments

Danielm7

For me it's more than just what I'd be paid broken out hourly as there is a lot of opportunity cost of what you could be doing like exercising, being with family, studying, etc. For a rough idea though just break your annual salary down to the hour level, then add the extra commute time back. Other than that I don't know that there is a real formula for figure out how much something is worth to you personally.

krjay

I think it would be worth more than my standard hourly rate for the reasons you mentioned. The way I see it working 40 hours per week is just part of my life for many more years. That extra 7.4 hours per week wasted in commute is worth a lot more per hour than my current wage though. Not sure you can put a dollar value on it, but I must try

antielvis

I've been on both sides where I worked out of my house & where I commuted 2 hours from doorstep to doorstep. There is an associated cost to commuting beyond gas/oil for a car. The time factor is really up to you. Some days I drove those 2 hours which I found was good "me" time as it was open highway. Other days I used rail which could be used as time to study or read. When I took the job that required me to commute, I did so because I felt there was a good upside. It ended up being the right decision in the long run. In the short run, I had less time at home (a problem if you have a family) and there was days when I was just zonked.

ptilsen

I tend to evaluate commute hours identically as work hours, then add in fuel and wear costs as well. However, that depends on you. If you don't mind long drives, commute time isn't the same as work time. If you'd rather be at work than in the car, like me, you might even evaluate commute time as being worth more than work time.

Personally, I would probably never take a job that increased my commute, at this point. Life's too short to be wasted driving to work and I make enough money. For argument's sake, I would evaluate a 90 minute commute increase at somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000. For real. My time is worth a lot to me, and that's a lot of gas and miles to put on my car. Again, that's me. For you, it might be worth it for many reasons. If it's a big career opportunity you're not likely to get elsewhere without moving, that might be worth it (as long as you plan on quitting/relocating within two years).

N2IT

PT me either. I agree wholeheartedly, I would need at least a 30% bump maybe more to take a job that is farther way. My commute now is 8 minutes and I like it that way.

antielvis

It will likely also add to your waist line too as it did to mine. Getting home at 7 PM everyday made me less likely to visit the treadmill.

Akaricloud

It's really not that simple to put a dollar amount on. I'm currently commuting about 120mins per day but there are hidden benefits. Now I spend about 30 minutes less at home in the morning and get to listen to the radio, drink some caffeine and drive while finishing waking up completely. I get to formulate a plan of attack for my morning and often get through some of my email when stopped. Also because I'm spending this much time in a car I could more easily justify buying a newer vehicle that gets better MPG and is much more enjoyable to drive(For more than just my work commute).

Losing that much time is a bit painful but seeing as I'm a car enthusiast and love driving, it's often time enjoyed, not wasted.

krjay

antielvis wrote: »

It will likely also add to your waist line too as it did to mine. Getting home at 7 PM everyday made me less likely to visit the treadmill.

Every morning for the past 2 years I have gone to the gym before work, and that won't change. So lucky for me I won't have that problem heh.

N2IT wrote: »

PT me either. I agree wholeheartedly, I would need at least a 30% bump maybe more to take a job that is farther way. My commute now is 8 minutes and I like it that way.

I'm probably close to 8 minutes from my nearest neighbor, nevermind trying to find a job within 8 minutes. That is a very nice commute time. I like living in the sticks, so I'm going to have to forfeit the 20 minute 1-way commute time to move forward with the career unfortunately.

N2IT

I don't think 20 is that bad either especially if you have light traffic. Stop and go for me is a killer. I also have anxiety issues driving with a lot of cars around me. I've had to pull over before and wait it out for an hour or so. I guess that would be an example where the value would go up for someone.

ptilsen

The stress of traffic itself is another factor. Another hour because it's 60 or 70 miles on the highway is very different than adding an hour to go 10 or 15 through a metropolitan area with moderate-to-heavy traffic.

krjay

I don't mind the 20 minute drive at all. But I think I'll have to take this position even if I only get enough to cover the extra cost to travel and a small raise. The company in question is in the top 7 of almost every 'top 100 places to work in IT' list I can find. That's not my main reason for wanting to work at this company, but I will admit it does make me want to go there even more.

krjay

ptilsen wrote: »

The stress of traffic itself is another factor. Another hour because it's 60 or 70 miles on the highway is very different than adding an hour to go 10 or 15 through a metropolitan area with moderate-to-heavy traffic.

Going from the following according to google:

12 miles - 20 minutes
32 miles - 60 minutes

I really don't like the commute increase, but I think I'll have to put a reasonable dollar amount on it and deal with it until later in my career.

jabney

krjay wrote: »

I don't mind the 20 minute drive at all. But I think I'll have to take this position even if I only get enough to cover the extra cost to travel and a small raise. The company in question is in the top 7 of almost every 'top 100 places to work in IT' list I can find. That's not my main reason for wanting to work at this company, but I will admit it does make me want to go there even more.

Ok so what company is this in the top 7. I'm interested in this as ideally I'm targeting companies on this list as well.

i totally understand if you would not want to share the company

eansdad

An amazing opportunity vs an extra 1.5hr drive time daily....No brainer...Take the new job, you have to look at the long term big picture. Being closer in great and all but if their isn't any advancement do you really want to stay?

googol

I am in this boat right now, moved to an opportunity with a top firm in downtown LA, but commuting via train takes 2 hours one way, but get to sleep, read, relax, watch TV shows, do what I would normally be doing at home provided I prepared my stuff. The time goes by pretty quick and before you know it, you are home, but that is due to train. If I drive, it would be about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min, worse day 1.5-2 hours. Sure its faster, but ability to relax, not having to stress driving, though I love driving, LA traffic isn't always the greatest

With regards to waist line, walking around from train to subway to work helps, but definitely is one thing to incorporate gym/workout into such schedule. However, I am testing the waters and have the flexibility to move closer into the big LA area where it would be 1 hour or less tops round trip..basically reducing my commute time to a quarter, freeing up 3 hours, which goes a long way I think. It is also the flexibility with appointments, doctors, etc too. I have been pondering this lately too, but I can do this for a while, but down the road, I have to move closer to regain that flexibility in my life. Flexibility is a cost you have to evaluate; as you could be doing 1000 other things, or you commute. Granted driving gives you the most limited options. I am doing the long commute to ensure I am a good fit with the company and the company is a good fit for me, introductory period and get settled in before doing something in the long haul. I feel pretty good and confident in that decision.

FloOz

I took a job last month that would require me to drive sometimes over an hour one way. That's only to go 20 miles too. I was really worried about this commute before I started but honestly you get used to it quick. Load up your phone with podcasts/audio books/training videos and your commute time will fly by.

petedude

googol wrote: »

I am in this boat right now, moved to an opportunity with a top firm in downtown LA, but commuting via train takes 2 hours one way, but get to sleep, read, relax, watch TV shows, do what I would normally be doing at home provided I prepared my stuff. The time goes by pretty quick and before you know it, you are home, but that is due to train. If I drive, it would be about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min, worse day 1.5-2 hours. Sure its faster, but ability to relax, not having to stress driving, though I love driving, LA traffic isn't always the greatest

Just never ceases to amaze me. . . as hard as the transit agencies try to push public transportation in SoCal, they haven't been able to really make it as efficient as it is cheap. If you can schedule your day around it though, it does give you extra time to read, etc. Long driving commutes in LA can be stressful, so you might be better off with trains.

I knew a guy who claimed he had a two hour commute from PA to NJ for a job. Just looked that run up on Google Maps and it doesn't look more than 45 minutes to me in good weather. I used to think he was crazy for doing that commute, but he didn't have any formal education past high school and spent most of his career in logistics before moving into IT management. For him, the long drive is probably worth it as he would probably have a hard time finding a better gig without even certifications. As to the two hour claim, the guy was known for saying some interesting things on occasion, so I would almost want to say he deserved a long commute.

I'd drive at most probably an hour for a gig like senior IT management. Aside from that, I can probably stand about 45 minutes tops.

N2IT

At the end of the day it's not a no brainer that is ridiculous to be honest. Each of us have different situations and some might not be able to afford to commute that far. 2 hours each day 10 hours a week is a lot not to mention how much that drives down your hourly. If you are salary making 80,000 but you routinely have to stay 1 - 2 hours extra which happens if you work in IT. Then add an hour commute one way and another. That's 12 hour days. You need 5 - 6 hours of sleep that leaves you with 6 hours for the rest of the day. Figure in lunch which is usually sandwich in the day that's another hour off plus prep time to get ready for work potentially another hour you have 4 hours in the day for yourself. To call it a no brainer is crazy IMO. Also look at how fast your hourly drops.