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Best time zones for remote tech workers

Time zone selection trade-offs for remote engineering work.

Time zone choice for remote engineers is more constrained than candidates often realize. ## US-anchored companies Most US-headquartered remote-first companies require at least four hours of overlap with US Pacific or US Eastern. That maps to working hours from roughly UTC-8 to UTC+3 maximum. ## EU-anchored companies EU-headquartered companies typically expect overlap with CET. UTC-4 to UTC+5 is the working range. ## Asia-anchored companies Smaller pool. Singapore-based companies often accept candidates from UTC+5 to UTC+11. ## Choosing a base If targeting US employers: stay west of UTC+3. If targeting EU: anywhere UTC-4 to UTC+5 works. Truly global hires (anywhere in the world) remain a minority of remote postings.

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