6 High-Paying Remote Jobs You Can Land With No Remote Experience
Remote Job Hunting
Want to work remotely and make more money? If you've got the skills and take our advice, you can land one of the best high-paying remote jobs with no experience.
Is it really possible to land a high-paying remote job with no experience?
Most people are skeptical when they hear a resounding “yes!” in response. But it’s not that surprising when you think about the future of remote work, especially in the post-COVID age.
Fully-remote positions continue to rise, and companies need qualified candidates with very specific skills to fill them. However, remote work experience isn’t always a mandatory requirement, as you’ll learn in today’s guide.
We’ll explain why your lack of virtual work shouldn’t prevent you from swapping your daily corporate grind for a remote role, why you may even bank more, and how to find the best positions.
With so much on the docket, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page first:
What We Mean By “No Remote Experience,” No Problem
To be clear, we’re not suggesting that you can land a high-paying remote job with no experience at all. Rather, we’re referring to making the switch from an office job to a remote position for the first time.
There’s a big difference here.
Depending on your work history, you may have years of education, certifications, and real-world career experience under your belt. This type of resume and skill set will set you apart from other candidates and prove your value to hiring managers.
On the flip side, anyone can learn how to work remotely, as we witnessed firsthand during coronavirus lockdowns.
Teams can train new employees on the specific remote tools they use and the policies they follow, or send them off to watch tutorials and explainer videos about how these work.
But teams don’t have the time or expertise to teach job-specific skills like coding, web design, persuasive ad copy, etc. That’s why many hiring teams place less value on remote work experience and more weight on accomplishments.
So don’t get discouraged by your lack of virtual work when applying for remote positions. Instead, think about how you can help each potential employer, and convey this in your application.
How to Land a Remote Job with No Experience
We wrote a complete guide on How to Land a Remote Job with No Experience, so we can’t cover all those tips here.
But in a nutshell, conquering this task requires you to:
- Identify and show off your skills relative to each position
- Make the connection between your current experience and what the job ad calls for
- Try to get familiar with the most popular remote tools
- Work on the skills you lack/need while you apply for remote roles
- Present your case well
Your resume and application should cover most of these bases, whether you’re applying for an in-house position or remote job.
So as long as you hit on what the job description mentions, you can certainly make a case for why you can also do so from afar (even if you’ve only worked on-premise your whole career).
But now you may be thinking, Do remote jobs even pay well?
Keep In Mind, Your Annual Salary is Only Part of the Equation
With companies like Facebook saying they may adjust salaries for remote employees living outside the pricey San Francisco area, you may be wondering whether you’ll need to take a pay cut just to work remotely.
And there’s no concrete answer here.
Yes, you will find high-paying, fully remote jobs. But you may also see jobs that pay less than what you’re currently making.
If you run into a situation like this, you must consider more than just your base salary.
When you start working remotely, you actually save money on:
- Costly commutes. Gas money, Ubers, and public transportation expenses pile up quickly during the workweek and can all be stashed or invested when you’re remote.
- Professional work attire. While you may need the occasional nice shirt for a Zoom meeting, your work wardrobe budget will decrease significantly.
- Caregiver expenses. You may be able to work remotely and take care of your kids, elders, or pets when you’re home.
- Office lunches. Making your own food at home isn’t only healthier than takeout Monday through Friday, it’s much more economical.
A lower starting salary shouldn’t deter you from applying for a remote position. In reality, these savings and the other benefits of working remotely may all even out.
So now, let’s see what you can expect to earn if you’re considering leaving your in-house role or upping your skills for a remote career change.
6 High-Paying Remote Jobs You Can Land With No Remote Experience
We scoured the latest data to find out how the top remote jobs pay, on average, across the United States. We learned that employees in these roles typically earn the cream of the crop:
1. Remote Developer
If you have the necessary skills as a remote developer, you can easily land a remote job that pays between $75,000 and $125,000, on average. Even better news: Senior employees in this realm earn closer to $160,000, making it all the more appealing to level up your career development.
2. Remote Web Designer
Remote web designers are also in-demand and pay really well. On average, you’ll see annual salaries ranging from $40,000 for entry-level positions all the way up to $125,000 for more experienced roles.
3. Remote Project Manager
Annual salaries for entry-level positions in virtual project management start around $45,000.
But as you climb the ladder and take on more responsibilities, manage larger teams, complete bigger projects, and oversee higher budgets, you can earn as much as $150,000/year.
4. Remote Content Writer and SEO Marketing Manager
If you have marketing experience, you can also benefit from turning remote.
A remote content writer averages anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 each year. Some prolific writers may even climb over the $100,000-mark.
Entry-level SEO specialists can earn a decent living with an average salary of $50,000. And SEO managers do quite well, earning an average of $60,000 to $85,000 annually.
5. Remote Virtual Assistant and Remote Office Manager
Virtual assistants and remote office managers are thriving in the post-COVID era.
With the right experience and company, virtual assistants can expect to earn between $60,000 and $125,000+ each year.
And while the average remote office manager may take home $50,000/year, employees in this role could earn as much as $100,000 depending on the office size.
6. Remote Customer Support Specialists
The average salary for an entry-level virtual customer support role may only start around $23,000, but this may be perfect if you can only work part-time or you’re a stay-at-home parent. You’ll definitely reap more of the non-financial rewards of working remotely here.
On the other hand, if you make customer support your full-time career, you could earn upwards of $60,000 in the right role.
So How Do You Find these High-Paying Remote Jobs with No Virtual Experience?
Now that you know remote jobs can pay well, you’re probably wondering where to find them. We’ll give you a hint: they’re not on traditional job boards.
Here are the two best places to find remote jobs:
#1. Our ever-updating list of The Top Remote Companies Hiring. These 100% remote and fully-remote companies are always seeking virtual candidates.
#2. Our real-time remote job board. With hundreds of new jobs added each month (that also happen to pay well), make sure you’re stopping by to see the latest jobs posted in your realm of expertise.
We highly recommend signing up for job alerts. You’ll receive a notification anytime a relevant position pops up (and then you can be one of the first candidates to apply!).
Use these two routes, and you’ll easily land a job with a top remote company and earn a fantastic salary while doing so.
Final Thoughts on Landing a High-Paying Remote Job
Similar to in-house roles, the amount you earn will be based on your experience, skills, and level of expertise. The more you have in each category, the higher your salary is likely to be.
Our goal with this guide was to dispel the myth that you need to take a pay cut to work remotely. Now you know it’s 100% possible to earn a great living while doing what you love from home.
So don’t settle for an in-house position when these virtual roles pay just as much, if not more (considering all the extra perks). It’s time to see what’s out there on the remote work horizon and kick your resume into high gear.
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