I think it is reasonable that companies wouldn't pay silicon valley prices for someone living in middle of nowhere Idaho. With that being said I think part of t

I think it is reasonable that companies wouldn't pay silicon valley prices for someone living in middle of nowhere Idaho. With that being said I think part of the issue is that most people are not being paid enough in general, and with the increase in student loan debt, stagnation in wages, and overall less buying power that people have today, the idea of having wages cut feels very bad. That compounded with the fact that companies already look for ways to pay you less, this is just adding another reason. It's also important to bring up that the company will save money by not having as large of an office (or even having one), saving on any commuter pass subsidies, etc so just cutting wages for remote workers, puts more money in their pocket. And what are they doing with all this extra money? Are they hiring a few more employees in those teams that have been begging for extra hands for years? Are they reinvesting in the company, giving more employee benefits, setting up funds for employee hardship, helping employees set up a remote work space, helping employees relocate? Or are they just using the money and doing stock buy backs, pocketing the extra change, and expecting people to continue working in the same environment as before, just from their bedroom?