Ask a Career Coach: “How Can I Find a High-Paying Remote Job?”

With the emergence of COVID-19, many people like yourself were forced to shift to a virtual working landscape by working from home. Now, as the U.S. begins to re-open, some companies and businesses are starting to make plans to return to the office. While some may feel eager to return to the office, others have fully embraced and come to enjoy the benefits of working remote. Luckily for remote working fans, there are several companies that have embraced a fully-remote work life as well. This means there may be more high-paying and salaried jobs available from home versus traditionally lower-paying remote jobs such as telemarketing or transcription.

In this article, we’ll offer ways to find a remote job that pays well, plus a list of high-paying remote jobs hiring now.

How to get a high-paying remote job

While there are different approaches to finding remote positions that pay well, here are some steps you can take to make the process easier:

1. Identify jobs that can easily be done from home

There are certain jobs—even before the impact of COVID-19—that are more commonly (and easily) performed remotely. These jobs typically require little to no in-person interaction or physical presence and most or all of its day-to-day tasks can be completed digitally. Many of these jobs exist in the fields of IT, marketing, web development, accounting/finance, business development, HR and freelance.

Some common remote jobs include:

  • Accountant

  • Account manager

  • Animator

  • Bookkeeper

  • Business analyst

  • Business intelligence specialist

  • Consultant

  • Copywriter

  • Customer service representative

  • Data scientist

  • Digital marketer

  • Executive assistant

  • Grant writer

  • Graphic designer

  • HR specialist

  • IT specialist

  • Legal advisor

  • Marketing technologist

  • Product manager

  • Project manager

  • Recruiter

  • Sales representative

  • Software developer

  • Travel agent

  • Tutor

  • Video editor

2. Research average salary

Once you have an understanding of what jobs are commonly done remotely, you can research national average salaries to find one that meets your salary requirements.

3. Stay current on companies offering remote work options

In addition to identifying commonly remote jobs, it’s valuable to research companies that have shifted to fully remote working environments, or offer employees a remote option. Since the pandemic, many companies have found that having a fully remote or remote-friendly work environment saves money and can increase employee productivity and happiness. At these companies, you may be able to find a remote position that has traditionally been held in an office environment.

Here is a list of companies that have made public announcements about going fully remote, or offering remote options:

  • Aetna

  • Atlassian

  • Autodesk

  • Concentrix

  • Dell Technologies

  • Dropbox

  • Indeed

  • Intuit

  • Microsoft

  • Nielsen

  • REI

  • Slack

  • Shopify

  • Slingshot

  • Square

  • VMWare

  • Zillow

4. Optimize your resume for remote positions

Before applying to open positions, update your resume to highlight your ability to work remote. To do this, include your remote work experience in your resume summary and work experience section. Emphasize work-related accomplishments you’ve achieved while working remote, or skills you’ve mastered such as leadership, time-management, flexibility and communication. In your contact information section, you can include (Seeking remote position) next to your current location to let employers know you’re interested in a fully remote role.

If you’re applying to multiple job titles, have different versions of your resume that highlight your distinct skills and accomplishments that align with that position.

5. Search for remote work on Cturtle

You can use cturtle.co to help you search for available remote jobs. Try using targeted keywords such as:

  • Remote

  • Work from home

  • Telecommute

  • Cyber commute

High-paying remote jobs available now

Here’s a list of remote jobs that earn around $40,000 on average per year and above that are hiring now:

1. Freelance translator

National average salary: $21.68 per hour

Primary duties: Translators can convert written text from one language into another. They often work as freelancers or contractors for businesses, individuals and government agencies, and they can complete their job remotely on a computer.

2. Tutor

National average salary: $25.29 per hour

Primary duties: Remote tutors can teach a variety of subjects to students of any age. They often use video chatting applications and teaching software to connect with students in one-on-one or group settings. While some tutors create their own lesson plans, others teach from a specific program.

3. Accountant

National average salary: $54,114 per year

Primary duties: Accountants are responsible for reviewing financial accounts and providing financial advice and guidance to individuals or businesses. Accountants can work remotely in entry-level and senior positions and have high growth potential.

Read more: Learn About Being an Accountant

4. Digital marketer

National average salary: $56,844 per year

Primary duties: Digital marketers may work with email, social media and web content to attract customers for their clients. They’re often responsible for managing a client's web presence, including their website, search engine rankings, blog and advertising strategy. This allows them to work remotely from any location as long as they have internet access.

5. Operations manager

National average salary: $67,193 per year

Primary duties: Operations managers are human resources professionals in upper management. They’re responsible for high-level human resources duties, such as hiring new staff and setting standards for the business’s policies and procedures.

6. Sales consultant

National average salary: $70,944 per year

Primary duties: Sales consultants analyze a company's sales techniques and make suggestions for improvement, ranging from creating training programs for sales representatives to developing a method for finding potential customers. Many companies hire remote sales consultants, especially if they work within a niche market that requires special expertise.

7. Medical writer

National average salary: $71,162 per year

Primary duties: Medical writers use their understanding of clinical research methods to create detailed medical materials for a range of audiences. Medical writing is a popular remote career for those who have the specialized knowledge to succeed in this field.

8. Project manager

National average salary: $77,877 per year

Primary duties: Project managers coordinate the individual tasks and processes involved with completing a goal. They often use web conferences and scheduling technology to delegate tasks, coach employees, document progress and assess the results of their team's work. They can work in any industry making it a versatile role.

9. Psychologist

National average salary: $102,845 per year

Primary duties: A psychologist is a clinical professional with expertise in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental health conditions. They meet with individuals to understand their needs and create and implement psychotherapeutic plans. They can work in schools, therapy clinics, general hospitals and government organizations or in their own private practice. Virtual psychologists are able to meet with their clients over the phone or through video conferencing tools.

10. Software engineer

National average salary: $108,981 per year

Primary duties: Software engineers, also known as software developers, build software ranging from video games to network systems based on client needs. Software engineers rely almost exclusively on technology to complete their job, making it an ideal high-paying remote job.