Analyzing Remote Work Opportunities in Today’s North America Job Market

Introduction

In recent years, the landscape of employment has undergone a profound transformation, with remote work emerging as a viable and increasingly popular option for professionals across various industries. The advent of advanced technologies and shifting attitudes towards work-life balance have paved the way for remote work to become a mainstream phenomenon. In this blog, we will delve into the realm of remote work opportunities in North America job market, drawing insights from data up until today to understand the prevalence, characteristics, and nuances of remote job positions.

Limitations

It’s important to acknowledge a limitation in our analysis, namely that salary information was available for only 58% of the positions in the dataset. As for only approximately 24,000 positions have posted salary in a total of more than 41,000 jobs. This incomplete dataset may introduce some bias or inaccuracies in our findings regarding salary trends and distributions. Consequently, our conclusions drawn may not fully represent the entire job-seeking landscape. Despite this limitation, we believe that the analysis still offers valuable insights into remote work opportunities, job satisfaction, experience requirements, and other relevant factors shaping today’s job market.

Table 1. Salary Distribution in Onsite and Remote Jobs

Jobs Released Each Week

To kick things off, let’s examine the trends in job postings over time, specifically focusing on the distribution of remote and onsite job opportunities. The graph below illustrates the relationship between publication dates and the number of remote and onsite jobs released each week. As observed, the overall trend of all job postings are similar, with more jobs available in the end of last year (July – December 2023) compared to early this year. The overall number of onsite jobs significantly outweighs remote positions. This underscores the prevalence of traditional in-person roles in the job market.

Figure 1. Publication Date vs. Number of Remote and Onsite Jobs Released Each Week

Job Satisfaction

Next, let’s explore the correlation between job satisfaction and the nature of work—whether onsite or remote. Contrary to popular belief, our data reveals that job satisfaction levels remain relatively similar between onsite and remote job positions. This suggests that while remote work offers flexibility and autonomy, traditional onsite roles also provide fulfilling work experiences for many professionals. On average, remote jobs have a higher rating since there are less low-satisfaction ratings. It may be also due to the larger amount of data collected in onsite jobs than remote jobs.   

Figure 2. Job Satisfaction vs. Onsite or Remote Job

Average Years of Minimum Experience Required

One key consideration for job seekers is the level of experience required. We observe variations in the minimum experience requirements across different geographic regions in Country level and State/Province level. Remote job positions typically mandate a greater level of experience compared to both US and Canadian-based onsite roles. Remote job opportunities often demand a higher-than-average level of experience compared to onsite roles (average years of experience required = 2.002 years). This trend underscores the expectation of honing one’s skills and expertise before transitioning to remote work environments, and the competitive nature of remote job markets.

Figure 3. Average Years of Minimum Experience Required for Jobs in US or Canada

Figure 4. Average Years of Minimum Experience Required for Jobs in States of US or Provinces of Canada

Maximum Salary Distribution

Turning our attention to compensation, we explore the distribution of maximum salaries for remote and onsite job positions. Notably, onsite roles tend to offer higher maximum salaries compared to remote positions, reflecting the perceived value of physical presence and direct collaboration in traditional work settings.

Figure 5. Maximum Salary Distribution in Remote and Onsite Jobs

Minimum Education Required

The comparison between minimum education requirements and corresponding salaries in both remote and onsite job positions unveils intriguing insights into the relationship between educational attainment and earning potential. Across various education levels, remote positions consistently offer higher average salaries compared to onsite roles. Notably, individuals with Ph.D. qualifications command the highest average salaries in both remote and onsite positions, underscoring the value placed on advanced degrees in the job market. This correlation highlights the importance of educational credentials in shaping salary expectations and career advancement opportunities in today’s workforce landscape.

Figure 6. Minimum Education Required in Remote and Onsite Jobs

Job Titles

Overall, remote job positions tend to offer higher average salaries compared to onsite roles, except data engineer positions. Notably, machine learning engineers emerge as the top earners across both remote and onsite positions, followed by data scientists, data engineers, and data analysts, reflecting the specialized expertise and high education requirements for machine learning roles. The discrepancy in salaries between remote and onsite positions underscores the evolving dynamics of work arrangements and the competitive compensation packages offered in response to shifting workforce preferences and skill demands.

Figure 7: Average Salary Among Job Titles

Conclusion

While our exploration into the job market landscape has been insightful, it’s imperative to recognize and address the inherent limitations within our analysis. With salary information available for only a portion of the positions in our dataset, we acknowledge the potential for biases or inaccuracies in our findings regarding salary trends and distributions. Nonetheless, our examination has provided valuable insights into our analysis of remote work opportunities in today’s job market of remote job positions in North America. While remote work offers flexibility and autonomy, it also comes with its own set of challenges and expectations. By leveraging data-driven insights, job seekers can make informed decisions and navigate the evolving landscape of remote work with confidence.

Author: Cheng Peng