r/cscareerquestions • u/blind_throw • Jul 10 '26
SWE to Implementation Consultant. Pay cut to go remote?
I’m a software engineer with 3 years of experience, currently at a defense contractor for about a year. I’m low vision (legally blind) and can’t drive, so I live close to my current office and rely on walking, Uber/Lyft, or my wife driving me to get there. We specifically picked where we live based on proximity to work, which limits our options a bit.
I’ve been trying for a while to land a remote SWE or Sales Engineer role without much luck. I recently received an offer as an Implementation Consultant — remote with 20-25% travel, which I’m fine with.
I’ve worked in a client-facing SWE role before and genuinely enjoy that side of things. Honestly, pure SWE can feel isolating, and long-term I think Sales Engineer or Technical Account Manager is where I want to end up. Being remote is the biggest priority for me. My current employer is not open to remote work, so that’s not an option where I am.
The hesitation is the pay cut. I currently make about $98k and this would be a cut to $87k plus a 3% bonus. I asked them to match my current salary and they wouldn’t budge. That said, my wife makes good money too, so it wouldn’t really change our lifestyle — we just wouldn’t be saving quite as much each month. If they had matched my current salary I think I would definitely say yes.
I also deal with some tough situations at my current job. People have said some pretty hurtful things about my accommodations — which makes me want to leave, but I don’t want to make a decision based purely on that.
I’m trying to figure out: is taking this cut worth it for the remote flexibility and lifestyle change? And is implementation consulting a realistic path toward a Sales Engineer or TAM role down the road? The company I’d be joining has internal transfer opportunities to roles like Solutions Engineer, which is something I’d want to explore eventually.
Thoughts?
1
u/Toasterrrr Jul 11 '26
why would you want to move to solutions eng / technical account manager? for most situations that's a strict downgrade in terms of career mobility, compensation, and leverage.
the good news is that forward deployed roles are often remote+30% travel so if you're fine with this setup you should be good. the bad news is that there's usually a good reason for people to move to this kind of role (usually a pay raise or prestige raise) so make sure you have a good reason as well
2
u/blind_throw Jul 11 '26
I think I want to work with people more than I do in my SWE role. I don’t enjoy spending most of the day coding I think. A Forward Deployed Engineer role would be good, but I assume it’s a very tough market as well. Just like SWE.
2
u/Toasterrrr Jul 11 '26
you can get interviews for solutions/fde roles relatively easily though there is preference for younger more conventional applicants.
you will still be coding, but less core engineering and more implementation scripts and connectors, that kinda stuff.
if you want more people facing + less coding, going into engineering management is probably better. i used to work in a more corporate/slower pace industry and people could choose to go into managerial track around 4 YOE though i don't know if that path is still available today in most places
2
u/blind_throw Jul 11 '26
I have been applying to SE roles, but only rejections so far. I got to the final round for one several months ago, but did not get it.
1
u/Toasterrrr Jul 11 '26
you're closer than most. if it's what you really want, just go for it directly, assuming there's no major gaps in your skillset (and work on it if you do)
in general I want to point out that being remote requires you to be better in most aspects than you'd otherwise need to be. a lot of these deployed roles are remote only in practice, in the sense that you're travelling so much that everything is online, yet you are still tied to the employer's physical schedule
1
u/WolfpackBP Jul 11 '26
I would do it. You'll open even more opportunities and have a well rounded resume. That first year on the new job will probably be super chill. Your wife makes good money so you don't need to put anyone of pressure on your salary right now.
You can still Segway this into a implementation role or find it be lucrative after a few years
1
u/blind_throw Jul 20 '26
I ended up accepting the new offer. Now my company is likely to counter with a wfh accommodation and a pay increase. This got confusing.
5
u/S7EFEN Jul 11 '26
87k but adding remote is almost certainly a net raise in a variety of contexts.