10 Best High-Paying Remote Jobs in 2025
Ronald O'Connor
Remember when "working from home" meant taking a sick day or waiting for the cable guy? Those days are extinct. Remote work has evolved from rare perk to legitimate career path—one that can significantly boost your earning potential while eliminating the daily commute.
The landscape has fundamentally shifted. Companies competing for top talent now understand that exceptional work happens anywhere, and they're willing to pay accordingly. These ten career paths regularly offer six-figure salaries to qualified professionals, complete with benefits, job security, and room for advancement.
Salary data below is based on actual remote job listings from Remote100K as of September 2025.
1. Software Engineer
Salary Range: $100,000 - $300,000+
What you'll actually make: Junior developers start around $80k-$100k, while senior engineers command $150k-$220k, and staff engineers reach $220k-$300k+
Software engineers build the digital infrastructure powering everything from mobile apps to enterprise systems. The shift to remote development teams isn't just accepted—it's often preferred, with companies like GitLab, Automattic, and Zapier operating entirely distributed teams.
Essential Skills
Proficiency in high-demand languages (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Rust)
System design and architecture for scalable applications
CI/CD pipeline management and automated testing
Cloud platform expertise (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Version control and collaborative development practices
Breaking In
Career switchers: Complete a structured bootcamp (App Academy, Recurse Center) or earn a CS degree, then build a portfolio of 3-5 substantial projects showcasing real problem-solving
Portfolio essentials: Deploy live applications with clean code on GitHub, demonstrating testing, documentation, and best practices
First role strategy: Target junior positions at mid-size companies (50-500 employees) more willing to mentor, or contribute to open-source projects to build credibility
Red flags to avoid: Job postings requiring 10+ technologies for entry-level roles, or companies with no remote work track record suddenly "going remote"
2. Account Executive
Salary Range: $120,000 - $360,000+
Experience Level Impact: SDRs earn $50k-$80k, mid-market AEs make $115k-$180k, enterprise AEs command $180k-$360k+
Account executives drive revenue by building relationships with prospects and closing deals. In the remote era, top sales professionals leverage video calls, digital presentations, and strategic relationship-building to hit quota from anywhere. With compensation heavily weighted toward commission, high performers can dramatically out-earn their base salary.
Essential Skills
Consultative selling and needs analysis
CRM proficiency (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Pipeline management and forecasting
Value-based presentation skills
Negotiation and objection handling
Breaking In
Career switchers: Start as an SDR (Sales Development Rep) to learn the fundamentals, or leverage domain expertise from a previous career to target similar industries
Portfolio essentials: Track record of hitting targets in any customer-facing role, even outside traditional sales—retail, customer success, account management
First role strategy: Join fast-growing Series A/B startups where sales teams are small and learning opportunities are abundant
Salary negotiation tip: Research typical OTE (On-Target Earnings) splits—most tech companies offer 50/50 or 60/40 base-to-commission ratios. Ask about accelerators for exceeding quota.
3. Product Manager
Salary Range: $110,000 - $300,000+
Experience Level Impact: Associate PMs start at $90k-$130k, senior PMs earn $150k-$230k, principal PMs and directors reach $250k-$350k+
Product managers are the strategic orchestrators who define what gets built and why. They bridge engineering, design, sales, and marketing to deliver products that solve real problems and drive business growth. Remote work has proven that great product management depends on clear communication and data-driven decisions, not physical proximity.
Essential Skills
Product roadmap development and prioritization
User research and data analysis
Technical fluency to collaborate with engineers
Stakeholder management across functions
A/B testing and experimentation methodology
Breaking In
Career switchers: Transition from adjacent roles like project management, engineering, or customer success where you've shown product sense
Portfolio essentials: Case studies showing products you influenced or shipped, even if informally—internal tools, side projects, or process improvements with measurable impact
First role strategy: Look for Associate PM or "rotational" PM programs at larger companies, or target startups where product management responsibilities are distributed
Interview prep: Master the product case interview. Practice frameworks like CIRCLES (Comprehend, Identify, Report, Cut, List, Evaluate, Summarize) for product design questions.
4. Product Designer
Salary Range: $100,000 - $280,000+
Experience Level Impact: Junior designers earn $70k-$100k, mid-level designers make $100k-$150k, senior and staff designers command $150k-$280k+
Product designers create the interfaces and experiences users interact with daily. They conduct research, create wireframes and prototypes, and collaborate with engineers to build intuitive, beautiful products. Design tools like Figma have made remote collaboration seamless, opening global opportunities.
Essential Skills
User research and usability testing
Information architecture and interaction design
Proficiency in Figma, Sketch, or similar tools
Design systems and component libraries
Visual design and prototyping
Breaking In
Career switchers: Take online courses (Interaction Design Foundation, Coursera) and complete 2-3 substantial redesign projects showing your process
Portfolio essentials: Case studies that show your thinking, not just pretty screens—research insights, wireframes, iterations, and final designs with metrics if possible
First role strategy: Start with contract or freelance projects to build experience, or look for smaller companies where designers wear multiple hats
Portfolio mistake to avoid: Don't just show visual redesigns. Demonstrate research, problem-solving, and how your designs impacted users or business metrics.
5. Engineering Manager
Salary Range: $140,000 - $344,000+
Experience Level Impact: New managers earn $140k-$180k, senior engineering managers make $180k-$250k, directors reach $250k-$344k+
Engineering managers lead technical teams, balancing people leadership with strategic technical decisions. They hire and mentor engineers, plan sprints, remove blockers, and ensure products ship on time. As distributed teams become the norm, strong engineering managers who excel at async communication are in high demand.
Essential Skills
Technical background with hands-on engineering experience
Team leadership and performance management
Project planning and execution
Strategic thinking and technical roadmapping
Hiring and talent development
Breaking In
Career switchers: This role requires engineering experience first—you cannot skip being an engineer
Promotion path: Spend 3-5+ years as an engineer, mentor junior teammates, lead projects, and express interest in management to your manager
First management role: Many companies offer "tech lead" positions as a stepping stone, or you might manage 2-3 engineers initially
Key decision: Management is a different career track than individual contributor. Talk to managers at your company about the tradeoffs before switching.
6. Product Marketing Manager
Salary Range: $115,000 - $280,000+
Experience Level Impact: PMMs start at $90k-$130k, senior PMMs earn $140k-$190k, directors command $190k-$280k+
Product marketers bridge the gap between product development and go-to-market strategy. They position products, create messaging, enable sales teams, and launch new features to market. This role requires understanding both the product deeply and the customer intimately.
Essential Skills
Positioning and messaging development
Go-to-market strategy and launch planning
Competitive analysis and market research
Sales enablement and content creation
Customer insights and persona development
Breaking In
Career switchers: Transition from product management, content marketing, or sales roles where you've shown strategic thinking about customer needs
Portfolio essentials: Examples of positioning work, launch plans, sales decks, or competitive analysis—even if from side projects or B2C products
First role strategy: Target fast-growing B2B SaaS companies where PMM is recognized as strategic, or start in content marketing and shift toward product
Underrated skill: The best PMMs spend significant time with customers and sales teams, not just creating decks in isolation.
7. Data Scientist
Salary Range: $110,000 - $280,000+
Experience Level Impact: Junior data scientists earn $90k-$120k, senior data scientists make $140k-$190k, staff/principal data scientists command $200k-$280k+
Data scientists extract insights from complex datasets to drive business decisions. They build predictive models, run experiments, and translate findings into actionable recommendations. The analytical nature of the work makes it ideal for remote arrangements—you need data access and computing power, not physical presence.
Essential Skills
Python or R programming for statistical analysis
Machine learning fundamentals and model development
SQL and database querying
Data visualization and storytelling
A/B testing and experimental design
Breaking In
Career switchers: Strong quantitative background helps (statistics, economics, physics, engineering)—take online courses and build projects
Portfolio essentials: 3-5 projects on GitHub showing end-to-end work: data cleaning, analysis, modeling, and interpretation with business context
First role strategy: Target "analyst" roles first if you lack experience, or look for startups where data science is emerging and standards are flexible
Reality check: Many "data scientist" postings are actually analyst roles. Read the job description carefully and assess whether it matches your skills.
8. Machine Learning Engineer
Salary Range: $132,000 - $405,000+
Experience Level Impact: Mid-level ML engineers earn $130k-$180k, senior ML engineers make $180k-$260k, staff ML engineers command $260k-$405k+
Machine learning engineers build and deploy AI systems that learn from data. They work on everything from recommendation engines to computer vision to large language models. With AI transforming every industry, demand for ML talent far outstrips supply, driving exceptional compensation.
Essential Skills
Deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
MLOps and model deployment pipelines
Strong software engineering fundamentals
Advanced mathematics (linear algebra, calculus, statistics)
Cloud ML platforms (SageMaker, Vertex AI)
Breaking In
Career switchers: Strong programming background required—take Andrew Ng's ML course, then build increasingly complex projects
Portfolio essentials: Deployed models with clear business applications, contributions to ML open source, or Kaggle competitions
First role strategy: Software engineers can transition by taking on ML projects at their current company, or target "ML engineer" roles at companies building ML products
Hot areas in 2025: LLM applications, computer vision, and recommendation systems continue to dominate hiring.
9. Growth Marketing Manager
Salary Range: $115,000 - $270,000+
Experience Level Impact: Growth marketers start at $80k-$120k, senior growth marketers earn $140k-$200k, heads of growth command $200k-$270k+
Growth marketers focus on acquisition, activation, retention, and revenue metrics. Unlike traditional marketing, growth is highly experimental and data-driven—running tests, analyzing funnels, and optimizing every step of the customer journey. Performance matters more than location.
Essential Skills
Paid acquisition (Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn)
Analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude)
A/B testing and conversion rate optimization
Marketing automation and email marketing
SQL for data analysis and funnel analysis
Breaking In
Career switchers: Start by running paid ads for small businesses or your own projects, documenting everything you learn
Portfolio essentials: Case studies with specific metrics—CAC reduction, conversion rate improvements, revenue generated
First role strategy: Target "performance marketer" or "demand generation" roles at B2B SaaS companies scaling aggressively
Underrated truth: Growth marketing is 70% analysis and experimentation, 30% creative campaigns. If you love data, this role fits better than traditional marketing.
10. Customer Success Manager
Salary Range: $100,000 - $230,000+
Experience Level Impact: CSMs start at $60k-$90k, senior CSMs earn $100k-$140k, enterprise CSMs and directors command $150k-$230k+
Customer success managers ensure clients achieve their desired outcomes using the product, driving retention and expansion revenue. As companies shift from acquisition-focused to retention-focused, CSMs have become strategic partners in revenue growth, especially in enterprise SaaS.
Essential Skills
Relationship management and communication
Product expertise and training delivery
Data analysis to identify at-risk accounts
Upsell and expansion strategy
Project management and stakeholder alignment
Breaking In
Career switchers: Transition from account management, support, sales, or any customer-facing role where you've driven outcomes
Portfolio essentials: Examples of improving customer outcomes, reducing churn, or driving expansion in previous roles
First role strategy: Start at high-growth B2B SaaS companies where CS is valued and well-compensated, avoiding companies that treat CS as glorified support
Compensation note: Enterprise CSMs often have variable compensation tied to renewals and expansions—total comp can significantly exceed base salary.
Finding Your High-Paying Remote Job
The remote job market has matured. Employers now compete globally for talent, and they're willing to pay premium salaries for proven skills regardless of location. The ten careers outlined above represent roles where:
Remote work is standard, not experimental
Compensation is competitive with or exceeds in-office equivalents
Career growth paths are clear and well-established
Demand consistently outpaces supply
Your Next Steps
Assess your transferable skills: Most career switchers have more relevant experience than they realize. Map your current skills to your target role.
Build targeted proof of work: Whether it's a GitHub portfolio, case studies, or side projects, show what you can do.
Network strategically: Join communities in your target field (Discord, Slack groups, LinkedIn). Many remote roles are filled through referrals.
Optimize your application materials: Remote employers prioritize clear communication. Your resume and cover letter should demonstrate this immediately.
Prepare for remote-specific interviews: Expect questions about async communication, self-management, and time zone flexibility.
The shift to remote work has created unprecedented opportunities for professionals willing to develop in-demand skills. Choose a path aligned with your strengths, commit to building expertise, and position yourself where growing companies are actively hiring.
Ready to find your next high-paying remote role? Browse hundreds of vetted remote positions paying $100K+ at Remote100K - updated daily with opportunities from top companies worldwide.