10 Best Tech Careers if You Want to Remote Work

Remote work shifted the employment landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite some companies calling employees back into the office, remote job opportunities have not fallen to their pre-pandemic levels.

Remote work has become an established part of company hiring strategies. Demand and supply of remote jobs worldwide have increased sharply, according to labor market analytics firm Lightcast.

In the U.S., employer demand for remote employees has increased by almost 400% since 2016, with more than 3.5 million remote job postings in 2022. Between January 2020 and January 2023, the number of workers living in the U.S. and working for firms based elsewhere climbed 36%, Lightcast’s research shows.

The technology industry, in particular, has embraced this shift, and the trend for the future is toward remote work.

Data on technology sector employment compiled by US-based trade association CompTIA shows tens of thousands of remote tech job listings in the U.S. alone.

	Remote Tech Job Postings: October 2023
Software Developers	8,823
IT Project Management	6,114
Data Scientists	2,378
Systems Analysts	2,323
IT Support Specialists	2,239
Cybersecurity Analysts and Engineers	1,621
Database Administrators	1,418
Web Developers	1,385
Network Architects	1,082
Network / System Administrators	977

Comptia analysis of U.S. job postings on Lightcast

10 Best Remote Work Tech Careers

1. Software Developer

Software development is a broad field that allows professionals to create software programs, applications, and websites. With the right skills, developers can work with teams worldwide using video conferencing and other collaborative tools without needing a physical office presence.

Successful software developers can:

Write, modify, and debug software for customers
Develop specific applications for computers or devices
Develop the underlying systems that run devices or control networks

As businesses and individuals adopt more sophisticated technology stacks, demand for skilled developers remains high.

2. I.T. Project Manager

IT project managers coordinate and supervise the implementation of technology projects to keep the participants on track and within the assigned budget.

Required skills include:

Coordinating project phases and schedules
Selecting and allocating resources, including workers, to the project
Preparing reports to inform stakeholders of the budget, time, projected outcomes, and progress of the project

Communication tools and project management software increasingly allow them to effectively lead teams and deliver successful projects from any location.

3. Data Scientists

Data science is an analytical vocation that requires strong math and technical skills, as it involves extracting insights from vast data sets to help companies make informed decisions.

Data scientists create algorithms and models to clean up and organize data to ensure it is accurate and uniform. They then interpret the data to identify patterns and trends and communicate the results of their analysis to relevant teams in their organization.

Data science is particularly well suited to remote work, as data scientists can manage and analyze data from anywhere in the world.

4. Systems Analyst

Systems analysts are responsible for ensuring that I.T. systems meet the needs of an organization.

The role often includes examining the current hardware and software systems and regularly reviewing them to ensure they support the company’s operations as intended.

Members of the team communicate with users to establish their needs, design, test, and implement new systems, and liaise with other I.T. staff, such as programmers, to ensure they are updated as needed.

Systems analysts manage I.T. projects to ensure that any changes do not disrupt the organization and liaise with stakeholders to inform them of project progress. Much of this work can be done remotely.

5. I.T. Support Specialists

Tech support specialists provide technical customer support, help troubleshoot technology issues, and ensure that I.T. systems run smoothly. Responsibilities include guiding customers on using specific systems or programs and working with other technicians to resolve problems.

Most I.T. support tasks can be done remotely. And with the rise of remote work, the need for tech support specialists to help employees with their remote setups has only grown.

6. Cybersecurity Analysts and Engineers

As the threat of cyber attacks is growing, the demand for cybersecurity professionals to ensure the security of sensitive information. Cybersecurity analysts can monitor and protect digital systems remotely using the following skills:

Configuring and managing tools to monitor network activity
Identifying network vulnerabilities through testing and assessments
Planning and recommending changes to increase network security and applying security patches

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7. Database Administrators

A database administrator uses software to organize and store a company’s data. This ensures that users can easily access the information they need and that the data is protected from unauthorized access.

Managing databases involves:

Configuring and maintaining database management systems
Updating the coding as new database technologies become available
Creating company-wide policies for database use, maintenance, and security

The rise of big data analytics is increasing demand for database administration, and the tasks involving coding and administration lend themselves to remote work.

8. Web Developer

Like software development, web development involves coding and communicating with colleagues in ways that work well in a remote setting. As digitalization increases demand from businesses and individuals to establish an online presence, the need for skilled web developers remains high. They are responsible for designing a website’s front end and optimizing the back end’s technical aspects, such as performance and capacity.

9. Network Architect

A network architect designs and implements computer network infrastructure to ensure an organization has the communication and data-sharing systems to operate efficiently.

Responsibilities include:

Installing and configuring network equipment such as routers, switches, and firewalls
Creating network documentation to ensure users have the information they need
Monitoring networks to ensure they remain reliable, secure, and scalable
Designing and implementing disaster recovery plans
Working closely with I.T. professionals and other teams

Different types of network architects manage enterprise networks, cloud networks, wireless networks, data center networks, and network security. Many of these roles can be completed via remote systems access and collaborative tools.

10. Network and Systems Administrators

There are some skill overlaps between network or system architects and administrators. But while architects primarily focus on designing and configuring I.T. systems and networks, administrators typically focus more on maintaining them once they are in place. Architects and engineers tend to take on more managerial responsibilities and command higher salaries.

Companies that use multiple software platforms and have complex I.T. systems will typically employ network administrators and engineers. Demand for these roles is rising as the adoption of cloud computing, automation, and virtualization increases, and companies’ I.T. requirements become more complex with more employees working remotely.

The Bottom Line

As technology advances, the opportunities for remote work in the industry are expanding.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the tech world, these ten roles offer the potential for career satisfaction from working at the forefront of technological innovation while providing the freedom to work virtually anywhere.