Benefits are a critical part of any tech professional’s compensation package. As shown by this year’s Dice Tech Salary Report, this focus has become more critical than ever in a year where tech satisfaction is at an all-time low and nearly half of tech professionals are seeking to leave their current organizations. A solid benefits package can entice a tech professional to leap to a new position... or stick with their old role.
But which benefits do tech professionals value most? How are leading organizations building their benefits strategies to attract and retain top talent? We will examine which benefits drive the highest satisfaction rates, where the most significant gaps exist between employee expectations and current offerings, and how different demographic groups respond to different benefits packages.
For tech professionals, you can use this data to help shape your benefits package; for example, if you are interested in flexible scheduling or mental health programs, you can tell your manager that these benefits are increasingly standard (even if they have declined year-over-year).
The Benefits Disconnect
Among full-time employees, traditional benefits, such as health insurance, PTO offerings, dental coverage, and retirement benefits, saw slight declines across the board in 2024, reversing a long-standing trend of stable or expanding offerings. More significant declines were seen across less common benefits.
For example, tech professionals who received training and education coverage from their organization in 2024 dropped 6 percentage points. Financial advising, paid volunteer opportunities, flexible scheduling, mental health programs, and college tuition reimbursement all lost ground as well, at a four percentage point year-over-year decline.
Perhaps the most telling is the current state of professional development opportunities in an environment where upskilling is key to career growth for tech professionals. While 71 percent of tech professionals consider training and education opportunities an important benefit, only 41 percent report having access to these opportunities through their employer. This 30-point gap represents one of the largest disconnects between desired and offered benefits in our study.
If you are a tech pro interested in training, bring it up with your manager, because you might be quite pleased with their reaction; every company wants employees with the latest and greatest skills.
The Remote Work Evolution
Remote work is a critical factor in job satisfaction in 2024, yet our data shows companies are moving in the opposite direction when it comes to employee preferences. Remote scheduling options decreased by 3 percentage points in 2024, while flexible scheduling arrangements fell by 4 points.
This pullback comes despite clear evidence that flexible work arrangements remain highly valued, particularly among specific demographic groups. Our data shows that tech professionals with children in their household are more likely to have and utilize remote and flexible scheduling options. The reduction in these offerings may disproportionately impact working parents and could influence retention rates among this demographic.
If working remotely for at least part of the week allows you to juggle professional and family obligations, and your employer suddenly wants you back in the office full-time, would you stick around in your current role?
Bonus and Merit Raise Landscape
Bonuses took a hit as well in 2024, though the full story is more nuanced than the numbers first suggest. At first glance, the drop in professionals receiving bonuses, from 39 percent in 2023 to 31 percent in 2024, looks alarming. However, this year's study included a larger proportion of consultants (15 percent versus 9 percent in 2023) and fewer full-time employees. When we focus solely on full-time tech professionals with more than one year in their current role, the bonus rate holds steady at 39 percent, matching last year's levels.
However, even accounting for this demographic shift, bonus amounts tell a concerning story. Among those who received bonuses, the average amount decreased by $817 compared to the previous year. That’s disconcerting for tech professionals who view bonuses as a critical component of their overall compensation package.
Merit raises also showed a troubling trend. While these increases historically served as a reliable path to compensation growth, only 36 percent of tech professionals received a merit raise in 2024—down from 41 percent in 2023. This signals a potential shift in how companies approach performance-based compensation, even when controlling for employment type.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2025, tech professionals should continue to insist on robust benefits packages. The argument here is simple: better benefits lead to a happier workforce, which boosts retention and productivity. With companies desperate to attract and hold onto top talent, especially in cutting-edge arenas such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing, good managers will likely be receptive to tech pros’ benefits requests and be willing to at least meet them halfway. Check out Dice’s Tech Salary Report for additional data on salaries, benefits, and much more!
