You don't need admin rights.

What you do need is a reasonable set of tools to be installed and a quick (under an hour) way to get items installed or updated.

What about a VM ?

Approach it from the tools use, do people use pads and pens or do they use Word?

The bigger the company the more difficult this is. Where I worked our workstations were locked down and required a package request to install software. In addition, they would not bother packaging a new tool if it served the same purpose of other tools; i.e. text editors. Doesn't matter if you prefer Vim/emacs/Sublime Text 2/Notepad++, we already have a license for a text editor you've never heard of before.

Depending on the company's hardware VM performance could be a real issue. You'd be surprised how many developer jobs are done on old Windows XP boxes. Big companies typically do upgrades in multiyear cycles.

You only need a writable folder in your local PC to install portable versions of almost everything you need.

Assuming the portables are downloadable from a whitelisted website. Or that your USB ports aren't configured to encrypt anything you insert. McAfee, I'm looking right at your ugly endpoint encryption...

If the bios is not locked, you can boot from USB, copy any installer you need...

It's really easy to do if you need it.

I'm assuming you haven't had the joy of working with McAfee Ednpoint Protection. When you insert a USB device, it automatically encrypts it. Our BIOS are locked down to prevent anyone from monkeying with the desktops. Same with notebooks. Hell, we even encrypt CDR/DVD disks that are writeable...

Now that sounds nightmarish.

I would quit or require a very high payment.

You can't have outstanding performance with those tools, so I'm not sure whether you have your chances. It's a dilbertesque situation where employees can't perform well and the management self-reproduces with the least innovative people.