27 Feb

If you want to make $200,000 or more a year, prepare to dust off your work clothes

Remote work opportunities for high-wage earners have fallen since the third quarter of 2022, according to a report by Ladders, a career site for professionals in North America. Such listings for jobs that pay at least $200,000 declined to about 1 in 10 by December from 3 in 10 at the end of 2022.

And hybrid work listings have also dropped dramatically, to about 3% from 16% at the beginning of 2023. The trend was similar in both technology and non-technology sectors.

“The research showed applicants increasingly have to choose between going with the biggest pay check or getting to stay home,” said John Mullinix, marketing director who led the analysis at Ladders, which has more than 7 million members seeking six-figure jobs.

A separate analysis by Indeed Hiring Lab from its listings found that postings in sectors with a high share of remote-eligible roles have declined, while demand for in-person jobs remains at levels higher than the period before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ladders also determined that the competition for jobs that pay $200,000 was fiercest in the marketing, media and design fields. Meanwhile, high-paying jobs with the least competition were in the health-care sector, given the skills needed and lack of qualified applicants.

“Considering America’s aging population and increasing need for medical professionals, I expect health care will remain a top high-paying job for decades to come,” Mullinix said.