Are there any remote companies that pays SF rates worldwide remote?

I may have a very controversial take on this but I would share it regardless. The moment you compete with remote developers all around the world, you have to be really really good to command great salaries. The reason is that the employers have a very wide pool to select from instead of location specific. So as an employer, I don't have an incentive to just pay "SF Salary" unless I find that really exceptional candidate.

So focus on becoming that really really good candidate who can command SF level salary while living in say Thailand or whatever your choice of stay is. Otherwise, you are competing with hundreds and thousands of people and if you are just about as good as them, someone is willing to work for less than SF salary. Supply/demand ?

Also, a company may be ok with a good enough dev. who costs much less than a great dev. who costs a lot more.

I'd focus more on providing enough value to justify a SF like salary. Just trying to find a company that will throw money at you while you sit in a LOC area will be tough. Companies are not stupid, and you are competing with the whole world. There will always be someone who can do the job for a cheaper price. So figure out what value you provide, that justifies inflated rates. Another approach is not to be an employee, but a business. But that's not as comfortable.

What is the logic that says over inflated salaries that are required to make hiring possible in a ridiculously expensive place to live are the only measure of “pays well”?

You could have a salary substantially less in equivalent dollars and still end up better off if a huge chunk of that income isn’t being spent on putting a roof over your head.

Or do you just want the bragging rights “I make 300k” but are sick of spending half of it on rent?

I doubt there are many, why would they pay the SF rates if they don't have to?

In my experience is hard. All the remote offers I had always take into consideration that I live in México.

While the salary is like 5x what the average SE in México is paid, it is never close to what my peers in California are earning.

Actually - many do... A lot of small companies/startups aren't setup deal with varying costs of living and what a 'comparable' salary would be, so they just pay what they would pay in the local market (SF).

edit: my bad, I missed the 'worldwide' part...I only have experience with remote work in the U.S.

If you want a well paying remote job, you need to avoid companies that advertise remote work. 99% of the time they are trying to capture great talent for less money. Instead just apply to well paying places, and prove you are a worthwhile asset. Even companies that swear they are non-remote will usually make an exception

Caveats: This usually only works if you're in the same country as the company (legal/tax complications). Also, while you might get SF salary you will almost never get SF stock comp, which is almost always worth as much as the salary

Pretty sure Basecamp pegs their salaries on Chicago rates...

Basecamp does.