Top High-Paying Remote Jobs on the Market Right Now

As remote work becomes increasingly popular, it's easier than ever to get a high-paying job that you can do from home. Working remotely has many benefits, like living anywhere you want and setting your own schedule, which makes telecommuting a top requirement for many when job hunting. If you dream of earning a competitive income while working from home, here's what you need to know about the top high-paying remote jobs on the market right now:

• 5 benefits of working remotely
• Top 10 high-paying remote jobs
• Other popular remote jobs

5 benefits of working remotely

Working from home means saying goodbye to commuting, packing lunches, and getting ready (unless you have an on-camera meeting). You can choose where you do your work, whether from your couch, a coffee shop, or traveling to an exotic location.  

Many organizations continued to offer hybrid or remote working options after COVID-19 shutdowns ended. Companies reevaluated their in-office policies after seeing increased efficiency, broader talent options, and lower costs from downsizing office space. One-third of hiring managers found that productivity increased when their companies shifted to a fully remote workforce during the pandemic.

1. Manage your own time

The old days of measuring productivity by time spent physically at the desk are over. Remote working often prioritizes output and deliverables as more valuable metrics. Employees and independent professionals can create the best work schedule for their lifestyles.

As long as you meet your deadlines and attend necessary meetings, you typically have the freedom to manage your time. Everyone has different workstyles and responsibilities. You may be more productive if you take a midday break to run errands or exercise and then work a little later than another teammate. Parents can pick their kids up from school and finish work after they've gone to bed.

2. Work from anywhere in the world

Working remotely allows people to live wherever they want instead of having to be within reasonable commuting distance from the office. You can choose where to call home, whether it's the suburbs or everywhere and anywhere as a digital nomad.

Many workers decided to leave big cities once they could work from home and instead moved to more affordable places to save money. This transformation is a win-win; companies also have access to more talent (and recruiting is less competitive) when they don't have to search only within their city or offer relocation.

Remote working is becoming a new way of life globally. Many employees don't want to return to the office–creating the Great Resignation–and companies enjoy having access to a wider variety of talent.

The Netherlands is considering the "Work Where You Want Act," which is an upgrade from the current "Flexible Working Act" that lets employees request to work from home from their employers but is easy to deny. Under the new act, employers would need to approve requests to work remotely “unless the employer has an interest that outweighs the employee's wish, according to the standards of reasonableness and fairness.”

3. Expand your job search area

Before remote working became mainstream, the top 15 US cities had only 19% of the country's population, yet the highest concentration of companies. Cities like San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles were hubs for businesses of all kinds, from tech to finance. If you wanted to land a job working for a well-known company or innovative startup, you needed to live within commuting distance of the city and its headquarters.

Robert Half found that 27% of US job postings in February 2024 were remote. Working from home lets you expand your job search area to anywhere in the world (although you may need to consider time zones for meetings). You have more options than you would if you only looked for jobs nearby or in places where you were willing to relocate.

4. Feel more productive and motivated

When you find the right schedule and workflow, you often feel more productive and motivated to work. You can figure out what type of environment works best for you, structuring your day around your flow states when you can get the most done. Remote working is output oriented, so you can focus on your deliverables instead of watching the clock and pretending to look busy while sitting at a desk during slow times.

Remote workers can do their work from anywhere, balancing their work responsibilities with their own well-being–which can help with increasing productivity and avoiding burnout. Happy employees are 20% more productive. Instead of working in the same place every day, you can switch it up by trying coworking spaces or exploring your area's local coffee shop scene.

5. Have more autonomy

Management styles are also changing and evolving as more companies adopt remote and hybrid working environments. Busy work and micromanaging are replaced with more accurate ways for managers to track performance. When working from home, you have more autonomy over your work, so time management and self-motivation are essential.

Working remotely, especially as an independent professional, is helpful for caretakers and people who need to work alternative schedules. The standard 9-5 doesn't fit everyone's lifestyle. If you’re good at your job and work well independently, many companies and managers let you have the autonomy to work the hours that are best for you.

Top 10 high-paying remote jobs

We've compiled a list of the top 10 high-paying remote jobs for those looking to build a successful career while working from home. The factors we considered were average pay, demand, and the amount of training and schooling required to start out. We used data from our marketplace to research average freelancer hourly rates, Glassdoor for average employee salaries, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for job outlook projections.

The average pay can also depend on the amount of experience you have and related skills. Some of these jobs require a bachelor’s degree, but for others, you can focus on taking courses to earn certifications, gaining experience, and building a portfolio to impress employers and clients. Freelancers can earn more by upskilling and becoming experts in a niche. Employees may have a specialty within their field, which can pay more.

1. Account manager

If you are a people person who enjoys building relationships and customer or client-facing roles, businesses across different industries need remote account managers. Account managers are the communicators that bridge the gap between a company and its customers after the sale. Your primary goal as an account manager is ensuring the customer (your account) is happy and has everything they need for success.

As an account manager, you are the point of contact for the customer or client account, answering questions, handling any complaints, and managing the ongoing relationship. Account managers may have several small accounts or just one or two large accounts requiring their attention. This role is part salesperson, tech support, customer service, and advocate. You’re responsible for maintaining the relationship and solving your customer's needs so that it benefits your company (and maybe sell future services or products).

How much do remote account managers make in 2024?

• Freelance account manager average hourly rate on Upwork: $15-$30
• Remote account manager average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $122,211
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 5%
• Find account manager jobs on Upwork

2. Digital marketers

Digital marketers connect brands with their target audiences through online channels like social media, business websites, email, and video. A digital marketer's job is to plan, execute, and measure marketing campaigns, figuring out the best way to reach current and prospective customers. The goal of a campaign may be to generate leads (potential customers) or to spread brand awareness.

While you can study digital marketing in college, you don't necessarily need a marketing degree to land a high-paying remote job. Learning the right skills with online courses and certifications, along with experience, can often replace education.

As a digital marketer, you could have a variety of different focuses and specialties:

• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Content
• Ads
• Lead generation
• Website traffic
• Social media
• Influencers
• Brand partnerships
• Email
• Public relations
• Search engine marketing
• Analytics
• UX and UI (user experience, user interface)

How much do remote digital marketers make in 2024?

• Freelance digital marketer average hourly rate on Upwork: $15-$45 per hour
• Remote marketing manager average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $72,056
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 10%
• Find freelance digital marketer jobs on Upwork

3. Financial analyst

If you want to work in finance, companies hire financial analysts or planners to set budgets, identify the best investments, and find ways to reduce operating costs. By creating financial plans, you help departments track and analyze their spending and cash flow. You may need to audit the business's current finances to see what processes you can mainstream and what areas could be made more efficient.

Financial analysts (also called financial advisors) help businesses understand potential financial risks to help make decisions. They could research the market to understand the risks of certain investments or create financial models for budget and performance forecasting. Running reports, analyzing past data, making recommendations, and presenting findings are other focuses for financial advisors.

Working as a financial analyst, advisor, or planner often requires a bachelor’s or MBA degree or taking specific courses and earning certifications in different business and finance areas.

Industries with a high demand for financial analysts.

• Investment banking
• Retail banking
• Private equity
• Business (corporate development and finance)
• Insurance
• Government

How much do remote financial analysts make in 2024?

• Freelance financial advisor average hourly rate on Upwork: $20-$60 per hour
• Remote financial advisor average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $75,000-$85,000
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 9%
• Find financial planner jobs on Upwork

4. Medical writer

Medical writing is a technical writing niche focusing on healthcare and medical content. As a medical writer, you could consult a subject matter expert (e.g., a doctor or clinical researcher) to communicate findings to other researchers in a scientific journal or break down important concepts for a patient health education handout.

Medical writers must have strong knowledge of the medical and healthcare field and often work with highly technical information. They may need to very accurately communicate very technical information for medical professionals or rewrite it so the general public can understand. When working on proposals, scientific journal articles, and reporting clinical data, medical writers need to know how to properly format and write research material.

The American Medical Writers Association is an excellent resource for those interested in becoming a medical writer.

Types of projects medical writers work on:

• Healthcare policy documents
• Articles for online health sites
• Grant proposals
• Health education material
• White papers
• Presentations for conferences
• Articles for medical and scientific journals
• Advertisements
• Marketing material
• Patient communications
• Clinical study reports
• Editing of medical materials
• Instructional booklets
• Sales training for medical equipment and pharmaceuticals
• Research proposals

How much do remote medical writers make in 2024?

• Freelance medical writer's average hourly rate on Upwork: $23-$50 per hour
• Remote medical writer average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $87,455
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 6%
• Find medical writer jobs on Upwork

5. Operations manager

An operations manager at a company oversees the business's day-to-day functions across all departments, from human resources to finance. The goal is to ensure the business is running as efficiently as possible. One day you may be troubleshooting a supply chain issue, and the next, forecasting budgets. Operations management is a job that you can often do remotely.

The exact role of an operations manager depends on the size and type of business and the industry. If you're the operations manager for an e-commerce business, a primary focus could be inventory, logistics, and mainstreaming order fulfillment processes. An operations manager in manufacturing would likely focus on production stages and quality control.

An operations manager for a large corporation is often called the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and is the second in command, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The COO is responsible for making sure plans, processes, and goals are carried out successfully, communicating progress with department leaders and supervisors.

While many operations managers have degrees in business and business administration, you can build a career in operations management with the right skills-based courses, certificates, and on-the-job experience.

Common areas of focus for an operations manager:

• Budget management
• Quality control
• Compliance
• Purchasing
• Communication with stakeholders or the board of directors
• Human resources
• Company policies and procedures
• Supply chain management

How much do remote operations managers make in 2024?

• Freelance operations manager average hourly rate on Upwork: $24-$35 per hour
• Remote operations manager average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $65,838
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 6%
• Find operations manager jobs on Upwork

6. Project managers

Project management is an in-demand role that businesses across all industries need. As workforces go remote and hybrid, it's becoming a profitable job you can do from home. Working as a project manager, you must be organized and have strong leadership skills. Project management is a highly communicative role that requires liaising between different teams and roles.

While you don’t need a degree in project management, employers and clients look for talent with the right skills. You can build your skillset by taking project management courses to earn certificates, then start gaining experience through freelancing.

As a project manager, you lead a project from start to finish. In the planning stage, you define the scope and what resources the team needs. Project managers guide their teams to success, being the point of contact for both stakeholders and team members, communicating progress, and making sure that everyone is on schedule.

What your day-to-day work looks like depends on the project and industry. Being the project manager for a social media campaign will be different than migrating to a new healthcare intake system.

Industries with the highest demand for project managers:

• Marketing
• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Finance
• Information technology
• Healthcare
• Construction
• Legal

How much do remote project managers make in 2024?

• Freelance project manager average hourly rate on Upwork: $19-$45 per hour
• Remote project manager average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $87,276
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 7%
• Find freelance project manager jobs on Upwork

7. Software developer

Software development falls under the umbrella of computer science and is one of the highest paying jobs on our list. It also has a high growth outlook, which means the demand for software developers should continue to increase. Working as a software developer requires expert-level coding skills in languages like JavaScript and HTML.

Companies need software developers to create, test, optimize, and maintain their software. While a bachelor’s degree is generally identified as preferred, workers in this high-paying remote job are often self-taught. Instead of going to a university, many software developers learn to program and code with e-learning platforms like Udemy or Coursera (many of these courses are free).

Working as a software developer, you could focus on different development stages, depending on what you enjoy doing most. If design is your passion, you could be involved with coding an making the software. Those who prefer problem-solving may want to work in testing or optimization phases.

Top in-demand programming languages for software developers:

• JavaScript
• Python
• HTML
• CSS
• Java
• SQL
• C#

How much do remote software developers make in 2024?

• Freelance software developer average hourly rate on Upwork: $15-$30 per hour
• Remote software developer average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $93,349
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 25%
• Find software developer jobs on Upwork

8. Talent analyst

Companies hire talent analysts to focus on their longer-term talent acquisition strategies. Compared to recruitment, which addresses immediate hiring needs and filling open positions, a talent analyst strategizes how they will find candidates and what future roles (especially higher-up ones) the company will need. They use data to improve the employee experience from recruitment to hiring and retention.

A talent analyst may also be heavily involved with sourcing talent for specialized or leadership roles. They can be the one who writes up the job description and interview questions. Depending on the role, a talent analyst may act as a headhunter and network to find potential candidates for a high-level position or post an opening on a job board and screen applicants.

Working as a talent analyst requires strong data skills, which you can build through online courses. A background in recruiting or human resources can also be helpful.

How much do remote talent analysts make in 2024?

• Freelance talent analyst average hourly rate on Upwork: $30-$45 per hour
• Remote talent analyst average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $67,969
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 8%
• Find talent management jobs on Upwork

9. Translators

If you're fluent in multiple languages, translation can be a profitable job you can do from home. Translators take text from one language and rewrite it in another, making sure it maintains the original meaning and has the same cultural relevance. To be a successful translator, you need to be able to read and write in two or more languages at a native level.

Global businesses need translators to take original documents, ranging from technical manuals to creative advertisements, and rewrite them in the native language of their target market. As a remote translator, you could provide real-time translation during a Zoom call and help two parties communicate or rewrite a book into another language.

If you prefer to work with video or audio, you could explore a similar career path of transcribing or offer translation as another skill as a freelancer.

Popular industries for translators:

• Medical health
• Literary
• Legal
• Education
• Business
• Localization

How much do remote translators make in 2024?

• Freelance translator average hourly rate on Upwork: $15-$25 per hour
• Remote translator average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $48,041
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 20%
• Find translator jobs on Upwork

10. Writers

If you have a way with words, writing offers many different career paths that you can pursue from the comfort of your home. Writers are able to tell stories, engaging, persuading, and selling through their copy. Being a writer requires being able to write error-free copy and content that breaks through the noise and stands out to a brand’s audience.

The demand for written content is high right now, from social media captions to SEO (search engine optimization) blogs. Businesses across all industries work with writers, often remotely, to create the content they need. You could write long-from content like an ebook or whitepaper or short-form copy like a product description or ad.

Many freelance writers find success working in a specific niche and building their reputation and credibility as experts. Freelance writers pitch their services to clients, submitting proposals for projects instead of working with one company as an employer. One of the main benefits of working as a freelance writer is that you get to negotiate your rates, and as the demand for your services grows, you can begin to charge more.

Examples of different types of remote writing careers:

• Copywriter
• Technical writer
• Content writer
• Ghostwriter
• SEO content writer

How much do remote writers make in 2024?

• Freelance writer average hourly rate on Upwork: $15-$40 per hour
• Remote writer average salary: Glassdoor Estimate $71,039
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics growth outlook: 4%
• Find freelance writing jobs on Upwork

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Other popular remote jobs

When you pick the right field, you can build a successful career working from home. Working remotely is easier for some jobs than others. Full-time remote work may not always be possible if you need to use on-site tools or interact in person with customers or co-workers. As you think about the next phase in your career, if working from home is important to you, consider a remote-friendly field and industry.

These are the top five professional fields for remote work:

1. Graphic design

Whether you want to work as an employee for a company, an agency, or freelance for clients, graphic design is an in-demand field for remote work. As a graphic designer, you could work in various industries creating content. Some graphic designers find success working in a specific niche, building expertise in logos or social media content. Others provide many different services, from presentations to web content, for their clients and companies.

Graphic design is a skills-based career that doesn't always require a degree. Many companies and clients are more interested in your portfolio and experience than education. Depending on the industry and services you want to offer, you may need to learn design software like Adobe Creative Cloud and be familiar with UX and UI principles.

Explore graphic design jobs on Upwork.

2. Accounting

If you enjoy working with numbers, accounting often has some of the top-paying telecommuting jobs. Businesses in every industry need their finances managed and will often hire remote accountants. Accounting can be a full-time job, or you can work as a freelancer and become an expert in an accounting niche, perhaps offering specialized services to multiple clients.

Depending on what you're interested in, you may need to take online courses and get specific certifications to work in different jobs within accounting. You can start with an entry-level accounting job like a bookkeeper or accounts payable specialist to gain experience and then build your skills and add more certifications along the way.

Examples of different jobs within accounting:

• Auditor
• Certified public accounting (CPA)
• Forensic accountant
• Controller or comptroller  
• Budget analyst
• Payroll accountant
• Financial advisor
• Tax accountant
• Compliance officer
• Financial analyst

Explore accounting jobs on Upwork.

3. Software design

Once a company or client establishes a need for a new software or software feature, software designers start working on concepts and eventually create the wireframes and prototypes. Software designers are planners, mapping out what the software needs and the best way to arrange the content (information architecture). They take their research and ideas and create a design that a developer can use to bring the software to life.

As a designer, you need to consider what problem the software is solving and determine how to create the best user experience. You may need to do user testing and modify your design based on the feedback. Software designers do a lot of problem-solving and testing, experimenting with different ideas before handing off the blueprints to the software developer.

The most common degrees for software designers are computer science or software engineering. Depending on the type of design work you do, it may be helpful to know at least the most common programming languages like Python and C++. Software design is a high-paying field that often has many remote opportunities.

Software designers tend to work heavily in prototyping tools like

• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign)
• Sketch
• Lunacy
• Wondershare Mockitt
• Axure RP
• InVision
• Figma

Explore software design jobs on Upwork.

4. Psychology

The field of psychology is becoming increasingly remote-friendly as patients find video chatting with their therapist easier (cutting out the trip to the office). Therapy apps like BetterHelp and Talkspace help people find the right therapist for their needs, regardless of location. Patients can chat with a therapist and video call, all within these apps. Psychology can be a rewarding (and high-paying) career that lets you work from home.

Studying psychology opens the door to a variety of careers within this field. You could work as a licensed counselor to meet with clients one-on-one to work through their problems or get into the business side with industrial-organizational psychology and executive coaching. Clinical psychologists typically need graduate degrees and licenses in specific states or countries to be able to work with patients legally

Because psychology is a broad field, you can find many options and paths; it's not all therapy-based. The research side of psychology collects, analyzes, and reports the findings–which can be used in a business setting for user testing or focus groups. Having a background in psychology can be helpful in managing human resources, evaluating company culture, improving employee well-being, cultivating employee belonging groups, and implementing diversity and inclusion efforts.

Popular jobs in remote psychology

• Mental health counselor
• Clinical psychologist
• Sports psychologist
• Consumer psychologist
• Industrial-organizational psychologist
• Virtual guidance counselor
• Community counselor
• Educational psychologist
• Executive coach
• Behavioral analyst

Find psychology jobs on Upwork.

5. Web design

Nearly every business needs a website, but all websites are not created equal. A good website is user-friendly and quickly gives users the information they want. Websites that load slowly and are challenging to navigate tend to have a higher bounce rate (users leaving the site). A web designer creates visually appealing websites and landing pages for a company or client, all while keeping user experience in mind.

Web designers focus on the layout and content rather than the coding. Many web designers find coding skills helpful, at least understanding how to code, which can make working with a developer easier. As a web designer, you would create the design of a website as a wireframe or prototype in a design tool and then hand it over to the developer, who would then code it. Depending on the website or client, you may be able to create the website yourself in a drag-and-drop builder like Squarespace or Wix, or other design software.

Web designers focus on the front end of the website, what the user sees, while a developer works on the back end, which is the behind-the-scenes framework and code. A web designer will decide the layout, font, colors, features, functionalities, and navigation. Designers focus on user experience and user interface.

Web designer languages

• JavaScript
• Java
• HTML
• CSS

No-code website design tools

• Webflow
• Figma
• WordPress
• Google Web Designer
• Adobe Dreamweaver

Explore web designer jobs on Upwork.

Work remotely. Earn good money.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that remote work is possible and even preferred by many employees and businesses. It opened up a new world of possibilities, from digital nomads wanting to work and travel to companies exploring global talent pools.

When companies offer remote working, it's a win-win for everyone. Employees can work where they feel most comfortable, whether in a home office or coffee shop and save time by not commuting. Businesses can reduce office space and hire the best talent from anywhere, not just the best talent near the office.

Companies turn to Upwork to find the best remote talent. On Upwork, you can find freelance and contract-to-hire jobs (if you eventually want to be a full-time employee). See what talents clients are looking for, just like you, right now and explore the freedom and flexibility of working from home.