10 High Paying Remote Work Jobs for Those Looking to Leave the Office
Years ago, remote work positions didn't always have the best reputation when it came to producing high salaries. Many times, remote work or work at home jobs were only marketed as part-time gigs you could do to supplement the income of your primary job. Today, things are thankfully different.
More and more companies realize the benefits of remote work. They are offering it as a perk and are even making their companies entirely distributed. As a result, more positions are becoming remote, including jobs that offer a higher salary.
From software engineers to psychiatry, higher-paying roles are becoming more common.
In fact, according to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a remote worker is $67,787. That is over $20,000 higher than the national average salary in the United States as of the first quarter of 2019. The structure of remote work is changing, and it is impacting the nature of the jobs and the corresponding wages.
I'd always associated remote work with menial "telecommuting" jobs until I read an article about digital nomadism featuring people with careers I genuinely admired. I hadn't realized that I could travel without taking a career break or a de facto demotion. It all clicked for me. That's what I wanted! – Taylor, Marketing Manager
So, these are no longer the days of only being able to grab lower-salaried call center or teaching positions. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to make a high salary as a remote work professional.
How to Find a Higher-Paying Remote Work Position
Before we begin to discuss some of the most highest paying remote work positions, we want to highlight some ways to prepare to acquire these jobs. So, take a look at the tips you can use to put yourself in a position to find a remote work position that meets your wage expectations.
-
Utilize alumni connections, especially those who are working at distributed companies - You never know where previous classmates are currently working. So, take a look at your alumni network, and inquire about where your former classmates are now working. Many may have secured a high-earning position at a distributed company you want to work for.
-
Attend networking events in your area – Approximately 70 percent of jobs are never posted on a job search site. The data alludes to the fact that failing to network can hinder your chances of finding the best remote work position. So, be sure to attend networking as well as affinity-group events (related to your hobbies or interest).
-
Highlight remote work and management experience – Regardless of the position, your potential employer wants to know if you can handle the unique demands of working from home. So, put this on full display in your resume and cover letter. If you have not worked from home, discuss a time when you had to work independently or collaborate with team members or vendors that may not have been in the office.
-
Reach out to family and friends for their connections – You never know who in your immediate network knows someone that can help in your job search. So, be sure to let all family and friends know you are looking. They may be able to connect you with someone they know who can help.
-
Be on the lookout for virtual job fairs – In combination with the rise in remote work, virtual job fairs have also become popular. So, do a Google search for virtual job fairs and see which ones are happening in your industry. Take note of who will be there and do further research on employers that pique your interest.
-
Engage with recruiters on LinkedIn – Many corporate recruiters have taken to LinkedIn to look for high-caliber talent. So, always keep your profile up-to-date, include accomplishments, ask for recommendations from former employers and clients, and keep an eye on your messages.
-
Know the right keywords to use - While some positions may be listed under remote work, also use "work from home," "work at home," and "telecommuting," during your job search.
-
Don't shy away from freelancing - Most of the positions below do also allow you to freelance. Freelancing enables you to establish price points, so you can end up making just as much money as a full-time position. You may not want to freelance permanently, but it could give you the connections you need to find a full-time job.
-
Don't just stick to the United States - Many countries across the world have high-paying remote jobs for job seekers. So, be sure to adjust your location for places like Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and even parts of Asia. More and more countries are embracing remote work culture and are encouraging companies to do the same.
Gino, an entrepreneur, discusses his company's success hiring from other parts of the world.
In 2015, we decided that we would start hiring remote team members based throughout the Americas and not just Lima. That's what got us started in remote hiring. We started hiring great people in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and all of a sudden; we had a company with half remote team members and half in-office team members.
It helps to have a game plan when you are preparing for the job search. So, the tips above can help you get ready to put together a strategy to find a high-paying remote work job.
Ten Highest Paying Jobs for Remote Workers
So, what jobs should be on your radar? Fortunately, high-speed internet and relaxed attitudes toward remote work have made it much easier to find a well-paying job in a variety of industries.
So, let's discuss specific high paying remote work jobs. Below are their average salaries, the skills you need, and remote job boards to begin your search. The positions below span a wide range of industries, so there should be something here for you to pursue. So, let's get going! It is also worth nothing that the skills and experience listed with each position below may not include all skill-based requirements individual companies need for that position. So, be sure to do additional research for specific postings.
Software Engineer
Software engineers have almost become the mascots for remote work. In many ways, technical and computer-based work has become the in-road for many individuals to join the remote work community. These professionals are responsible for handling software development cycles, programming, and building high-quality software platforms that adhere to technical and company standards.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Proficiency with Java, Ruby on Rails, C++, or other relevant software programming languages
- Project management
- Software testing
- Problem-solving
- Inter and intra-departmental collaboration
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Customer Success Support Engineer
Whenever a new product or piece of technology is released, customers must know how to use it. Customer support engineers handle technical customer complaints, troubleshoot technical issues, help train customers on software tools, and find ways to optimize the support experience.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Experience working with technical customer support systems
- Problem-solving
- Superb communication skills
- Patience
- Experience in troubleshooting or debugging as well as creating technical manuals.
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
UX Architect
When you access a website, the ability at which you can navigate the site to get to what you need depends on how well the developer took the user experience into account. UX Architects are tasked with improving the customer experience on websites. They will likely work with developers to create user-friendly sites, create interactive designs, and test the site to ensure it meets the needs of the customer base.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Computer programming
- Creative problem-solving techniques
- The ability to view websites from the point-of-the-view of the customer
- Experience with wireframing, and prototyping.
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Senior Business Analyst
The goal of a senior business analyst is to help a company achieve optimal patterns of growth. So, to help facilitate this, senior business analysts wear many hats. They create efforts that help to align business and customer needs, monitor project scopes, manage customer relationships, analyze and improve processes, and facilitate communications between operations and IT.
Average salary is $57,000 to $90,000
Potentially required skills and experience:
- High-level communication skills
- Experience with troubleshooting technical issues
- Leadership
- Client management
- Having an expertise in business operations
- An understanding of the ways technology and business intertwine with one another in their respective industry.
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Project Manager
Project managers handle the ins and outs of getting a project from concept to completion. Project managers help to handle communications between vendors, ensure projects stay within scope, and manage the project budget. Project managers are typically the go-to person for discussions regarding project updates and deadlines.
Average Salary is $65,000 to $105,000
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Internal and vendor-facing communication skills
- Project management
- An understanding of the nuances of the industry they are seeking to work in
- Budgeting
- Collaboration
- Negotiation
- Problem-solving
- Organization
- Scheduling
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Product Designer
Product designers are tasked with understanding how business needs intertwine with consumer expectations and preferences. They are looking for new opportunities to bring products to market that are on-brand and set to expand business growth for the company. They will facilitate the product design and development process by developing concepts and building prototypes as well as ensuring the product's final design is ready for manufacturing.
Average salary is $50,000 to $70,000
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Creativity
- Experience creating digital prototypes and mock-ups
- Proficiency in using product design software
- Collaboration, teamwork, and communication
- Adaptability
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Digital Marketing Analyst
These individuals are all about combining the world of analysis and metrics with sound digital marketing principles. They are adept at using digital tools like pay-per-click ads, social media, and website analytics to bring about favorable outcomes that help to facilitate business growth. They also develop digital marketing campaigns to meet goals and increase sales while keeping a close eye on metrics and analytics.
Average salary is $60,000 to $80,000
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Data analysis
- Experience developing and implementing digital marketing campaigns
- Maintenance of client relationships
- Digital tool management
- Experience in the creation of marketing reports.
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Data Scientist
Numbers are critical to business processes, and metrics are necessary for improvement, which makes data monitoring and analytics crucial. This situation is where data scientists come in. They are all about progression and optimization. These professionals deal with data collection, analysis, data visualization, and the reporting of metrics.
Hanling, a data scientist, describes his day-to-day routine as well as the common programs and tools he uses:
I specialize in data science. Most projects I'm currently working on are about machine learning, data mining, and computer vision. They all require programming using Python, R, or MATLAB.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Strong communication skills
- An understanding of knowing how to present data in a way that internal and external stakeholders understand
- Experience with data mining and high-level mathematics
- Analytical thinking
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Attorney
The profession of attorney is broad and encompasses a wide range of disciplines. From real estate to business and everything in between, in their most expansive form, attorneys offer legal advice and guidance. Today, the advent of the internet has made it possible to provide legal advice from anywhere in the world. So, there are a variety of remote and virtual attorney positions now available.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Ability to share information concisely and clearly
- Exceptional communication skills (especially with clients)
- Problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Excellent skills in legal research
- Any necessary licenses and certifications
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist helps to treat a variety of mental illnesses and disorders with the use of treatment plans, monitoring, and the prescription of appropriate medicines. While this profession has typically been an in-person service, psychiatry is changing. Today, many psychiatrists offer telepsychiatry, the delivery of psychiatric assessment and treatment through telecommunications.
Potentially required skills and experience:
- Any required credentials and licenses
- Perception and empathy
- High tolerance for stress
- Reasoning skills
- Humility
- Excellent listening and communication skills
Three remote job boards to get you started in your search:
Note: While we do our best to research and post legitimate jobs, postings, resources, and necessary skills, we always advise you to do your own additional research to ensure jobs, websites, and resources are above board as well as to confirm required skills.
Final Tips
So, the good news is that there are a lot of high-paying remote jobs out there. The bad news is that remote work jobs—even more so for those that pay a high-salary—are competitive. Therefore, we have listed a few additional ways to stay ahead of the pack and make yourself stand out from the competition to win this job search race.
-
Point to your remote work experience - Revamp your cover letter to point at your remote work experience or address qualities that remote companies are looking for. Companies want to know you have the skills to work outside of the office, so make this case in your cover letter.
-
Be flexible – Again, remote work can be competitive, so consider accepting a position that may not be the exact work type you currently want. A part-time job can eventually grow into a full-time project (especially with start-ups and smaller companies)
Igor, a software engineer, took a part-time opportunity and turned it into a full-time job.
About two years ago while still working in an office, I got in contact with a remote company through a friend. I started working for them a few hours a week remotely and then after about 6 months later I got an offer to come work for them full-time on a new project. I accepted and started working remotely full-time.
-
Create alerts on job listing websites - Use RSS feeds to create alerts on job listing sites and the career pages of companies. This action will enable you to be alerted to new job postings as soon as they hit the page.
-
Enhance your technology skills - Most remote jobs will require you to have a sense for remote work tech, so become familiar with Slack, Salesforce, social media platforms, WordPress, and project management systems
-
Be open to other opportunities – You never know where job opportunities might come from, so be flexible in what you are seeking. For example, you may find a new job as a digital marketing manager instead of an analyst. You likely have the skills for both, so be open.
Final Thoughts
As remote work continues to rise, more positions will likely become location independent, so you will have an opportunity to find higher-paid jobs in a variety of categories.
So, be sure to up your networking game, revamp your cover letter and resume, and let everyone you know you are looking.
Also, we have created RemoteHabits to be a helpful resource throughout your remote work journey. So, as you prepare for the job search, be sure to check out our other RemoteHabits interviews. They can provide some helpful guidance on finding remote positions and preparing for a life of working remote.
Also, be sure to check the RemoteHabits Job board for the positions listed above as well as other high-paying remote work jobs.
We wish you the best in your search!
in Uncategorized