SEEK Signature Insights: Money Matters

When Australian workers would sacrifice work-life balance for more money

The below outlines the key findings in SEEK's Money Matters Report. The full report can be viewed here.

• Despite only 36% of Australian workers feeling financially secure, 65% of Aussies would opt for a good work-life balance over a higher salary when asked to choose.

• However, for a pay rise of up to 20%, workers would be willing to take on more responsibilities (29%), followed by working extra hours (27%).

• Almost 1 in 4 (24%) of those who can work from home wouldn’t return to the office full-time - even if more money was offered. This figure climbs higher for Gen X (31%) and Baby Boomer (55%) workers.

As living costs rise and Australian workers continue to prioritise work-life balance, a fundamental shift is reshaping the workforce. To better understand how the tension between financial security and workplace flexibility is influencing career decisions in 2025, SEEK has released its inaugural Money Matters Report.

Surveying more than 3,000 workers across a broad range of generations, locations and industries*, SEEK reveals that, when asked to choose, 65% of Australian workers would prioritise a good work-life balance over a higher salary.

However, with only a third of Australian workers (36%) currently feeling financially secure, the research shows that financial pressures are forcing workers to weigh up the cost of work-life balance. In fact, 65% of workers wouldn’t take a pay cut for more work-life balance, but would be willing to give up some flexibility for a pay rise, including taking on a greater workload (29%).

Kylie Pascoe, APAC Senior Marketing Manager of SEEK’s Customer Insights & Research team, comments:

What Australians are most willing to compromise on

With 4 in 10 Aussies believing they need to earn over $100,000 to live comfortably, SEEK’s Money Matters Report reveals how workers are increasingly needing to be pragmatic in the face of financial pressures.

Despite the clear preference for work-life balance, when considering a hypothetical pay rise of up to 20%, Australian workers would be most open to, in order of priority:

• Taking on more responsibilities/workload - 29%

• Working extra hours - 27%

• Working on-site full-time - 24%

• Receiving less additional perks/benefits - 15%

Digging deeper into how the different demographics consider these compromises, Gen Z outpace any other generation in their willingness to accept longer commutes (23% vs 14% national response), in exchange for more money. They also rank higher than their Gen Y and Gen X counterparts in their openness to work extra hours (31% vs 23% and 26% respectively) and take on more responsibilities (30% vs 29% and 28%) for a pay rise.

Australians will return to office…for a price

The aspiration of long-term work-from-home arrangements has been spotlighted in recent years. Many Australian workers significantly value their ability to work-from-home, where they now would want to be financially compensated to return to the office. In fact, 76% would be looking to be financially compensated to return to the workplace full-time.

Half (56%) who have the ability to work from home are willing to give it up for a pay rise of up to 20%, while 19% would want a pay rise of more than 20%.

This willingness to sacrifice remote work for money is more evident among younger workers, with an overwhelming 86% of Gen Z willing to return to the office full-time for a salary increase - well above the national response (76%). By contrast, older workers show more resistance, with only 45% of Baby Boomers willing to make this trade-off.

For those who can work from home, 1 in 4 (24%) say no sum of money would get them back in the office full-time. Of them, 6 in 10 are women (62%) and more than half are parents (56%).

Top perks beyond pay rise

When asked to consider alternatives to a pay rise, Australian workers show a clear preference for time-based benefits.

The top five perks for Australian workers, beyond a pay rise, are:

• Increased annual leave - 41%

• Reduced working hours - 30%

• Monthly rostered days off - 27%

• More flexible working arrangements - 26%

• A promotion - 24%

What may be seen as more traditional workplace benefits like company cars (22%), birthday leave (19%), and transportation subsidies (18%), rank lower in worker preferences.

Breaking this down further, Queensland, in comparison to any other state, are the most receptive to reduced working hours as an alternative to a pay rise (36% vs 30% nationally). The youngest generation of workers are most open to a promotion (in the absence of pay rise) to advance their careers - with 32% of Gen Z workers showing willingness in comparison to 24% nationally.

Navigating this tension

SEEK’s Career Coach, Leah Lambart, acknowledges the complex balancing act that workers currently find themselves in:

"We're seeing workers caught between two competing forces - the desire for genuine work-life balance, and the financial pressures that are intensifying in the current economic climate”, Lambart says. “We can expect Australian workers to be increasingly considering the whole package of their work experience, not just simply their pay packet. This could look like negotiating a pay increase in exchange for more time working onsite, or getting a regular RDO in return for longer working hours across the month”

Pascoe agrees: “Thinking more holistically about workers’ needs and what you’re offering them not only means that individuals’ satisfaction and wellbeing at work is enhanced, it can also help ensure your workforce is motivated, engaged and productive.”

For more information on ways to navigate evolving priorities in the workplace and career decision-making, head to SEEK Career Advice.

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For more information about the findings and methodology, read the full report here.