Remote jobs sometimes get a bad reputation: low pay, repetitive work, micromanagement... the list goes on. Three years after the onset of the pandemic, working from home has reshaped the modern workforce. Remote work has evolved, and it is becoming commonplace in many industries. One Upwork study suggests that 22% of the American workforce will be remote by 2025. According to the Pew Research Center, around 22 million employed adults (aged 18 and over) in the U.S. work from home all the time in 2023, equal to roughly 14% of all employed adults.
So, remote jobs are growing and changing. There are more full-time remote opportunities than ever before that offer you the freedom to manage your own time, the security of consistent monthly income, the support of a team, and the promise of growth. In fact, we've got a few thousand on PowerToFly’s job board!
So, if you're looking for a remote opportunity in 2024 that will push you to develop professionally, look no further than our list of the 10 best remote jobs. And by best, we mean fun, challenging roles that will help you grow while making a respectable income.
All the jobs listed have average salaries between 55k and 125k, and have average or higher-than-average growth potential (based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' predictions for growth from 2022 to 2032 and LinkedIn’s 2024 Jobs on the Rise List).
10 Best Remote / Work-From-Home Jobs for 2024
Jobs are sorted from highest to lowest average salary. (Salary data taken from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and/or the U.S. BLS depending on availability.)
1. Designer (Web, Graphic, Product, or UI/UX)
Who It's Good For: Designers who do their best work independently or from the comfort of their own homes.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Design Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: No doubt there's value in brainstorming with your team, but once you know the needs of a project, most design work can be done independently and then shared. With tools like Zoom, Jira, and Slack, it's easier to share your work, get feedback, and hit deadlines. (And, like programmers/developers, designers are more likely to benefit from a maker's schedule!)
Growth for 2018-2028: The BLS predicts only 3% growth for Graphic designers, but around 16% for web, UX/UI designers.
Average Annual Salary for UX Design: $124,101
Average Annual Salary for Graphic Design: $60,409
2. Data Scientist
Who It's Good For: Detail-oriented stats masters skilled at identifying and understanding trends.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Data Science Roles. Plus, watch this Chat & Learn with a data insights engineer to learn more about data-driven careers.
Why You Can Do It Remotely: With more data than ever before at our fingertips, companies know the value of hiring folks who know "big data" as more than just a buzzword. True stats buffs are hard to come by, so expertise often outweighs location.
Growth 2022-2032: 35%
Average Annual Salary: $123,182
3. Software Developer/Engineer
Who It's Good For: Self-directed (and disciplined) coding enthusiasts who love problem-solving and having the freedom to work whenever they feel most focused.
Sound Like You? Check Out: 5,500+ remote Software Developer/Engineer jobs on PowerToFly and be sure to check out this Q&A with Software Engineer Kasey Champion to learn about her experience working at a fully remote company and get her tips for aceing technical interviews! If you are interested in starting a career in tech, check out the courses on SkillCrush.
Why It Can Be Done Remotely: Arguably, not only can programming be done remotely — it should be! Why? Writing code requires undisturbed blocks of time rarely found in traditional workplaces.
As computer scientist and entrepreneur Paul Graham observed in his essay on makers' vs. managers' schedules:
"Most powerful people are on the manager's schedule...But there's another way of using time that's common among people who make things, like programmers and writers. They generally prefer to use time in units of half a day at least. You can't write or program well in units of an hour. That's barely enough time to get started."
Office culture was designed with managers' schedules in mind, and thus makes adhering to a maker's schedule extremely difficult. Remote work, alternatively, is much more conducive to this. After all, it's a lot easier to snooze your Slack notifications than it is to ignore your boss literally hovering over your shoulder.
Growth for 2021-2031: 25%
Average Annual Salary: $120,969
4. Project Manager
Who It's Good For: Project managers prioritize the nitty-gritty task oversight. They are responsible for a project (or projects) from start to finish, bringing to fruition the vision and strategy established by the product manager. They manage the team of people required to complete the project and deal with things like task delegation and budget.
(If you enjoy big-picture strategy and building products that users will love, consider product management instead — both roles can be done remotely! You can learn more about the differences between the two PM roles here.)
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Project Manager Jobs
Why You Can Do It Remotely: Most project management tasks can be accomplished from anywhere with an internet connection. Technology has made remote work more feasible, enabling efficient communication and collaboration among project teams. If you're a virtual communication wiz comfortable communicating online and using tools like Zoom, GitHub, Jyra, Slack, and Asana (the list goes on...), then you're all set!
Growth for 2018-2028: The BLS predicts 6% growth, significantly higher than average.
Average Annual Salary: $88,586
Average Median Salary: $98,580 in 2023, according to the U.S. BLS
5. Sales Development Representative
Who It's Good For: A self-starter with previous experience or an interest in Sales, or anyone who's just starting out and eager to prove themselves!
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote SDR Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: You don't need to be in a particular location to make sales calls, deliver pitches, send follow-up emails, or manage your sales team. And if you have to fly from an office to meet a client, you can just as easily fly from your hometown.
Growth for 2021-2031: 4%
Median Annual Salary for SDRs: $76,595
6. Marketing Manager
Who It's Good For: Folks who are equal parts creative and analytical.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Marketing Manager Jobs on PowerToFly
Why You Can Do It Remotely: Analyzing industry trends and crafting strategy can be done from anywhere. And with teams becoming more and more spread out, you can coordinate cross-functionally with sales people, engineers, and more using Zoom, Slack, and other online tools.
Growth for 2022-2032: 6%
Average Annual Salary: $75,627
Average Median Salary: $156,580 in 2023, according to the U.S. BLS
7.Virtual Assistant
Who It's Good For: If you have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and proficiency in communication tools such as email, chat, and video conferencing, then this might be the choice for you.
Tools and Technologies:
Sound Like You? Check Out: Virtual Assistant Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: As businesses embrace remote jobs, the demand for virtual assistants continues to grow, offering opportunities for individuals to provide administrative support from anywhere in the world. Virtual assistants use a range of tools to manage tasks and communicate with clients, including email clients like Gmail or Outlook, project management platforms like Asana or Trello, and communication tools like Slack or Zoom.
Average Annual Salary: $75,293
8. Technical Writer
Who It's Good For: Top-notch communicators (writers) who can explain complex topics succinctly and clearly. (It's helpful if you have expertise in at least one technical subject.)
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Technical Writer Jobs
Why It Can Be Done Remotely: Like programmers, technical writers are makers — they need large, undisturbed blocks of time to create content. Technology and the nature of remote work can help writers communicate efficiently with their teams and organize meetings when they'll be constructive, not distracting. For many writers, working remotely is key to their success.
Growth for 2021-20231: 7%
Average Annual Salary: $64,606
Average Median Salary: $80,050 in 2023, according to the U.S. BLS
9.Training and Development Specialist
Who It's Good For: If you have experience in education and know e-learning tools, this is a perfect fit for you. Training and development specialists work in nearly every industry. They plan and administer programs that improve the skills and knowledge of their employees. Considering we are transitioning to a skill-based economy, this role is becoming a must-have for companies interested in upskilling or reskilling their employees. You can add to the list roles like Instructional Designer, Curriculum Manager, Instructional System Specialist, among others.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Training and Development Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: Training and Development Specialists spend much of their time working with people, giving presentations, and leading training activities. Nowadays, we have so many tools available to make learning experiences and human interactions happen digitally, like Zoom, Slack, LMS platforms, etc. So both Training and Development Specialists and instructional designers can get their work done remotely.
Growth for 2021-2032: 6%
Average Annual Salary: $60,998 for Training and Development Specialists, $71,316 for Instructional Designers
Average Median Salary: $64,340 in 2023, according to the U.S. BLS
10. Recruiter
Who It's Good For: A people-person skilled in market research, project/time management, and negotiation.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Recruiting Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: Recruiters source, evaluate, and help hire qualified candidates for open roles within organizations. As remote work takes off and fully remote teams become more common, it makes sense that recruiters at these companies also work remotely. Although recruiting saw a dip at the start of the pandemic, the search for recruiters is still solid, especially for those specializing in sales, legal, and healthcare, according to LinkedIn News data. We have almost 1,000 open remote recruiter roles on PowerToFly!
Growth for 2021-2032: 6%
Average Annual Salary: $55,761
Average Median Salary: $67,650 in 2023, according to the U.S. BLS
-----
Interested in one of the above career paths? Check out open roles today!
