While many companies are busy sounding the return to office klaxon in 2024, there are still plenty offering fully remote jobs. However, not only do you need to know where to look, you need a resume that speaks for itself.
This isn’t great news if you’re just starting out and have no experience, especially if you want a salary that’s actually livable on in the age of permanent inflation. The odds might seem stacked against you, though, with Glassdoor estimating that the average US entry-level salary is just $42,000 in 2024.
Fortunately, there are a handful of jobs that not only pay great but are open to entry-level applicants and support remote working to boot. In this guide, we highlight six of the best paid remote jobs you can apply for this year. We’ll tell you the average starting salary, as well as some of the skills and personal qualities you’ll need to be a successful applicant.
With this in hand, 2024 can be the year you fast-track your career ambitions, pay the rent, and maybe even still have enough to splurge on the occasional coffee.
Best Paying Remote Jobs Requiring No Experience
- Web Developer
- Social Media Manager
- Data Analyst
- Content Marketing Manager
- Project Manager
- Digital/Web Editor
1. Web Developer
Developer jobs are among the most in-demand on the market right now. Best of all, if you’ve got the right skills and know your Ruby on Rails from your Python, you can expect to be paid handsomely from the word “go.”
Almost as enticingly, many developer jobs can be done entirely remotely. Those that can’t should still offer you a considerable amount of flexibility when it comes to working from home, with in-office attendance likely limited to select team days or companywide events.
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Even though many coders start out being self-taught, you’ll probably need to have some qualifications in the form of a computer science or engineering degree to land yourself the salary you want. Either that, or a portfolio of projects to illustrate your abilities.
Avg Starting Salary: $70k (Glassdoor)
2. Social Media Manager
Next up is the Wild West of social media, where you could potentially land yourself a starting salary of nearly $50k with absolutely no qualifications. As well as Social Media Manager, some of the other main job titles to look out for in this arena are:
- Social Media Executive
- Social Media Editor
- Social Media Coordinator
If you’ve got a sizeable following of your own on social media or a popular personal blog, chances are you’re in with as good of a shout as anyone to land a job managing the social media channels of a startup or small business. This is especially true if you’re younger (read: Gen Z) and fluent in platform du jour TikTok.
That said, social media is now widely taught on media and communications courses, and degrees in these may be preferred by some employers, especially larger companies. Whatever the case, you can expect many positions to be open to remote working, given the job itself is digital in nature.
3. Data Analyst
If spreadsheets and numbers are your thing, you could land an entry-level salary of over $60k as a data analyst. Remote working is also likely to be possible in such roles, as all necessary work can be performed in isolation.
In short, data analysts turn the vast swathes of data logged every time someone goes online into specific insights that can be actioned by businesses. In the world of ecommerce, this might be that people aged 18-35 are more likely to buy a certain color T-shirt, or that they prefer to vacation in June not July.
As well as generally making sense of stuff, data analysts are also responsible for packaging their findings in a user-friendly way, so you’ll probably need enough graphic design skills to make an infographic.
Avg Starting Salary: $63k (Glassdoor)
4. Content Marketing Manager
Start a career in content marketing and you can expect above average compensation from your very first job. As well as Content Marketing Manager, look out for positions billed as Content Marketing Assistant, Executive or Associate. These may not be quite as well paid, but they’re still that crucial first line on your resume.
Even better, promoting a brand through content doesn’t require you to be in an office regularly, if there’s any location requirement at all. Another variant of this role might see a company looking for a Digital Marketing Manager or similar.
Content marketers should be creatively minded, digitally fluent, and have strong writing skills. Knowledge of things like WordPress, HTML, and newsletters is also a major plus if you’re looking to get your foot in the door.
Avg Starting Salary: $63k (Glassdoor)
5. Project Manager
If you excel at organization, coordination, and communication, then the world of project management could be the perfect first job for you.
Project managers (typically digital or web project managers in 2024) are the high visibility folks who jump from call to call and meeting to meeting letting different teams know what’s required of them and what everyone else is doing as an organization works towards a specific goal.
If you don’t like sitting on Zoom calls, writing up minutes, and spending lots of time in software like monday.com this might not be the right role for you. But if you’re a great communicator, motivator and ideally presenter, then you’re definitely on to a winner.
This is probably the least fully remote friendly job on our list, as some project manager roles might require you to go in for physical meetings to attend walk rounds. That’s why it’s important you look for listings that specify digital and web project manager vacancies, as these are more likely to be open to home working.
Still, for $85k straight out of college (the highest entry-level salary in our guide), we’d be tempted to rejoin the commuter rat race.
Avg Starting Salary: $85k (Glassdoor)
6. Digital/Web Editor
Take it from us, running a website isn’t always easy, but it can be extremely rewarding. If you’re just starting out, it could also be the foothold you need to get your career off the ground.
Digital and web editors mainly need to have perfect English, as much of what you’ll be doing is writing and proofreading copy for publication. Some light HTML and WordPress skills are a massive help, as are image and video editing chops. SEO knowledge is the cherry on top and could be the key to fast-tracking you through the ranks.
Many websites will be happy for you to run the show remotely, with reduced (or even non-existent) office space common in the digital publishing realm. You should, however, be realistic in who you apply to with no experience: the Washington Post probably isn’t going to hand you the keys to the kingdom, but a startup or small business might.
