Seven out of ten Elixir employers won't tell you what they pay. We know because we checked.
Between December 2025 and February 2026, HexHire listed 216 remote Elixir jobs. We went through every one that included salary data, cleaned out the noise, and then went back through the same listings to see what companies said (or didn't say) about benefits. This is what the Elixir job market actually looks like right now, based on real numbers from real postings.
The full breakdowns are published on HexHire: salary data here and benefits data here. This article pulls together the key findings from both.
What the Data Covers
Out of 216 remote Elixir listings, 62 included salary information. That's a transparency rate of 29%. After removing non-developer roles (recruiters, sales), correcting data entry errors where monthly rates were tagged as yearly, and deduplicating reposts, we had 44 clean data points.
Not a huge sample. But enough to see clear patterns.
US Salaries by Seniority
All figures are annual USD for remote roles targeting US-based candidates.
| Seniority | Full Range | Typical Band | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior / Entry | $48,000 - $140,000 | $80,000 - $140,000 | 2 |
| Mid-Level | $100,000 - $140,000 | $100,000 - $125,000 | 3 |
| Senior | $107,000 - $250,000 | $150,000 - $175,000 | 17 |
| Staff / Lead | $135,000 - $323,000 | $150,000 - $250,000 | 5 |
| Director / Manager | $140,000 - $250,000 | $155,000 - $225,000 | 2 |
The median midpoint for US senior Elixir roles is about $163,000 per year, based on 17 job listings from HexHire. The most common band is $150,000 to $175,000.
The $323,000 ceiling comes from GoodRx's Lead Software Engineer posting. That's the single highest figure in the dataset.
The Junior Problem
Two junior-level listings in two months of data. That's it. MojoTech posted a Software Engineer role at $80,000 to $140,000, and JobRack listed a Full Stack Developer position at $48,000 to $84,000.
If you're early in your Elixir career, the opportunities exist but they're rare. The market is hiring senior, not junior.
The Geographic Pay Gap
European Elixir salaries run lower than US figures in absolute terms, though cost-of-living differences close some of the gap.
| Country | Range (USD) | Example Company |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | $94,000 - $132,000 | Gigs |
| UK | $88,000 - $113,000 | Driftrock |
| Malta | $66,000 - $110,000 | BlueLabs |
| Netherlands | $73,000 - $92,000 | Seamly |
| Poland | $60,000 - $120,000 | Fresha, Javelo |
| Spain (Senior) | $55,000 - $77,000 | FCM Digital |
| Spain (Junior) | $28,000 - $39,000 | Bizneo HR |
| Italy | $44,000 - $55,000 | AndromedAI |
Germany leads the European pack. Southern Europe sits at the bottom.
The global gap is striking. Bramble listed a Senior Full-stack Elixir Developer for the Philippines at $80,000 to $120,000. That same seniority level commands $150,000 to $220,000 at River in the US. Same language, same remote work, very different pay.
Contract vs. Full-Time
DockYard offered $80 to $120 per hour for senior Elixir contract work. Array offered $80 to $100 per hour. Annualized at 2,080 hours, those translate to $166,400 to $249,600 and $166,400 to $208,000.
Contract rates land at or above the top of salaried senior roles. That makes sense: contractors cover their own benefits, taxes, and gaps between engagements. If you're comparing a contract offer to a full-time salary, factor in those costs before drawing conclusions.
Benefits: What Companies Actually Offer
Salary is only part of the picture. Two offers at $160k can look very different once you add up PTO, health coverage, equity, and retirement matching.
We went back to the same 62 job descriptions and pulled out every benefit we could find. The full benefits breakdown is on HexHire.
The short version: 47% of listings said nothing about benefits at all.
Among the 33 that did disclose perks, here's how often each one appeared:
| Perk | % of Disclosing Listings |
|---|---|
| Medical / Health Insurance | 76% |
| Dental Insurance | 67% |
| Vision Insurance | 64% |
| 401(k) / Pension | 58% |
| PTO (Defined Days) | 39% |
| Unlimited PTO | 33% |
| Parental Leave | 39% |
| Equity / Stock Options | 36% |
| Learning / Conference Budget | 27% |
| Home Office Stipend | 21% |
| Mental Health Support | 15% |
Health insurance is the baseline. If a company listed any benefits, it almost always included medical, dental, and vision. After that, 401(k) and some form of PTO were next.
The Unlimited PTO Reality Check
Eleven companies said "unlimited PTO." Only two of those, GoodRx and Array, also listed concrete holidays and sick days alongside it. That distinction matters. An "unlimited" policy with no specifics often means people take less time off, not more.
Driftrock in the UK had a different approach: 24 days off, increasing by one day each year you stay, capped at 28. That's a retention incentive built into the PTO structure.
Companies With the Best Packages
GoodRx listed 14 distinct perks in their posting. Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, ESPP, unlimited vacation, 13 holidays, 72 hours sick leave, mental wellness, fertility benefits, parental leave, pet insurance, life insurance, disability coverage. The most detailed package in the dataset.
Array covered 100% of employee health premiums (70% for dependents) and offered a 100% 401(k) match up to 4%, plus a $1,000 desk setup subsidy and $100/month for wifi and phone.
Remote (the company, remote.com) listed flexible PTO, 16 weeks paid parental leave, mental health support, stock options, learning budget, home office budget, IT equipment, and a co-working space budget. Identical package across 5 listings.
The Equity Black Box
Twelve companies mentioned equity. Most were vague: "stock options" or "significant equity." Only one company in the entire dataset, Truetax, published the actual range: 0.25% to 0.75% alongside a $150k to $220k salary. Without details on vesting, strike prices, or dilution, comparing equity packages is mostly guesswork.
Remote Work Perks (or Lack of Them)
Every listing in this dataset is for a remote position. You'd expect companies to mention remote-specific perks. Seven did. The rest, including companies hiring for fully remote roles at $150k+, said nothing about home office support, equipment, or stipends.
For a remote-first company, not listing a home office budget is a missed signal.
What This Means for Developers
The senior Elixir market is strong but opaque. Pay is good ($150k to $175k is the center of gravity for US remote roles), but getting clear information out of job listings is harder than it should be.
A few things to keep in mind:
- If you're earning below $150k as a senior Elixir developer in the US, the data suggests room to negotiate. The median is $163k and several companies post well above that.
- Don't compare offers on salary alone. A $150k offer with 100% health coverage, 401(k) match, and 4 weeks PTO is worth more than a $165k offer that says nothing about benefits. When a company doesn't list perks, ask.
- Junior and entry-level roles are scarce. Two listings in two months. If you're early in your career and targeting Elixir, be prepared for a thin market.
- Contract work pays a premium ($80 to $120/hr), but you absorb benefits costs, taxes, and downtime between engagements.
What This Means for Hiring Managers
The bar for Elixir job listings is low, and that's an opportunity.
- 71% of employers hide salary. If you post salary ranges, you stand out by default.
- 47% say nothing about benefits. GoodRx lists 14 perks in their posting. It costs them nothing extra and tells candidates what they'll get. A detailed benefits section is a free differentiator.
- The market skews senior. If you're one of the few companies hiring junior Elixir developers, say so loudly. That's a niche with almost no competition for attention.
FAQ
What is the average salary for a remote Elixir developer?
For remote senior Elixir developers in the US, the median salary is about $163,000 per year, based on 17 job listings from HexHire. The full range spans from $107,000 to $250,000 depending on company and role.
Are there many junior Elixir jobs available?
Not many. In two months of data (December 2025 through February 2026), only 2 out of 44 salary-disclosing remote Elixir listings targeted junior or entry-level developers. The market leans heavily toward senior hires.
How do Elixir salaries in Europe compare to the US?
European salaries are lower in absolute terms. Senior Elixir roles in Germany offer roughly $94,000 to $132,000 USD. The UK ranges from $88,000 to $113,000 USD. Spain and Italy range from $44,000 to $77,000 USD. Cost-of-living differences partially close this gap.
Do most Elixir job listings include salary and benefits information?
No. Only 29% of 216 remote Elixir listings included salary data. Of the 62 that did, 47% listed no benefits information at all. Transparency is the exception, not the norm.
This article is based on data from HexHire.io, a remote Elixir job board. For the full analysis, read the salary breakdown and benefits breakdown. Data covers December 6, 2025 through February 6, 2026. Currency conversions use early-2026 exchange rates.
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