Remote Tech Jobs in 2025: Complete Guide to Landing $200K+ Remote Roles

The remote work revolution isn't dead—but it has evolved.

While companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple enforce RTO (return-to-office) mandates, thousands of companies still hire fully remote engineers. In fact, 40% of tech jobs on Leethub offer remote or hybrid options.

This guide covers:

Which top companies still hire remote (including FAANG)
How to find high-paying remote roles ($150K-$400K+ TC)
How to negotiate remote work (even at RTO-heavy companies)
Best job boards for remote tech jobs

Let's dive in.

The State of Remote Work in Tech (2025)

Remote Work by the Numbers:

2020: 70% of tech jobs went fully remote (COVID peak)
2023: 25% of tech jobs are fully remote (post-RTO mandates)
2025: ~30% of tech jobs offer remote options (stabilizing)

Key trend: Companies are splitting into two camps:

Fully remote forever (GitLab, Zapier, Automattic)
RTO enforced (Amazon, Apple, Meta—3+ days/week)

The middle ground (hybrid) is disappearing.

Top Companies Hiring Remote in 2025

Fully Remote FAANG-Tier Companies:

Netflix - Fully remote for most roles (E5+)
Stripe - Remote-first, 40+ countries
GitLab - 100% remote since founding
Coinbase - Remote-first (U.S. only)
Shopify - "Digital by default"

FAANG Companies with Remote Options:

Google: Hybrid (3 days in office), rare full-remote roles for L5+
Meta: Hybrid, but more flexible than Google (E5+ can negotiate remote)
Amazon: RTO 5 days/week enforced (AWS has some remote roles)
Apple: Hybrid (3 days/week), very few remote exceptions

Browse 50,000+ remote tech jobs →

Remote Salaries: Do You Take a Pay Cut?

Common Misconception:

"Remote jobs pay less than onsite."

Reality: Top companies pay the same TC regardless of location—but some adjust for cost of living.

Salary Adjustment Policies:

No Adjustment (Best for Remote Workers):

Netflix: Pay SF rates everywhere ($400K+ for senior)
GitLab: Use local market rates (transparent formula)
Stripe: Pay top-of-market globally
Coinbase: U.S. rates only (no geo-adjustment)

Geo-Adjusted Salaries:

Google: Adjusts TC by -5% to -20% for remote (based on zip code)
Meta: Adjusts TC by -10% to -15% for remote
Amazon: No longer offers remote (RTO mandated)

Example:

L5 Google (SF office): $450K TC
L5 Google (remote in Austin): $400K TC (-11% adjustment)
Senior Netflix (remote anywhere): $500K TC (no adjustment)

Pro tip: Negotiate your offer before mentioning remote work. Lock in SF/NYC rates, then ask for remote later.

How to Find Remote Tech Jobs

Best Job Boards for Remote Tech Jobs:

Leethub - 50,000+ remote tech jobs (curated)
We Work Remotely - Largest remote job board
Remote.co - Vetted remote companies
AngelList - Startup remote jobs
FlexJobs - Paid, but scam-free

Search Strategies:

Filter by "Remote" on company career pages
Search LinkedIn with "Remote" + "Software Engineer"
Join remote-first Slack communities (Remote First Capital, RemoteHub)

Red Flags to Avoid:

❌ "Remote for now" (RTO coming soon)
❌ "Remote within [specific state]" (not truly remote)
❌ "Remote with quarterly travel" (expensive)
❌ "Remote during COVID" (outdated listings)

Top Remote-First Companies (By Pay)

Company	Remote Policy	Avg TC (Senior)	Tech Stack
Netflix	Fully remote	$500K+	Java, Python, Node.js
Stripe	Remote-first	$350K-$450K	Ruby, Go, React
GitLab	100% remote	$200K-$300K	Ruby, Go, Vue.js
Coinbase	Remote-first	$300K-$400K	Go, Rust, React
Shopify	Digital by default	$250K-$350K	Ruby, React, GraphQL
Automattic	100% remote	$150K-$250K	PHP, JS, React
Zapier	100% remote	$180K-$280K	Python, Django, React

Remote Job Titles with Highest Demand

Most In-Demand Remote Roles:

Senior Software Engineer - $150K-$300K
DevOps Engineer - $130K-$250K
Data Engineer - $140K-$280K
Security Engineer - $150K-$300K
ML Engineer - $160K-$350K
Product Manager (non-technical) - $140K-$300K

Hardest Remote Roles to Find:

Frontend Engineer (companies want onsite for design collaboration)
Junior/Entry-level (most companies want juniors onsite)
Hardware Engineer (obvious reasons)

Pro tip: Backend, DevOps, and ML roles have the most remote openings.

How to Negotiate Remote Work at RTO Companies

Even at companies with RTO mandates (Google, Meta, Amazon), you can sometimes negotiate remote work. Here's how:

Negotiation Tactics:

1. Wait Until After the Offer

Don't mention remote in initial interviews
Get the offer first, then negotiate location

2. Leverage Competing Offers

"I have an offer from [remote-first company] that's fully remote"
Forces them to match or lose you

3. Propose a Trial Period

"Can I start remote for 6 months and prove myself?"
Easier to say yes to temporary arrangements

4. Target Remote-Friendly Teams

Cloud/Infrastructure teams are more remote-friendly
Consumer-facing teams (Search, Ads) require onsite

5. Senior+ Levels Get More Flexibility

L5/E5+ at Google/Meta can negotiate remote easier
Managers and Staff+ have most leverage

Success rate: ~30-40% for senior engineers with competing offers.

Remote Work by Country: Where Can You Work?

U.S. Remote Jobs:

Most companies hire U.S. remote (all 50 states)
Some require specific states (e.g., CA, TX, NY for tax reasons)

International Remote Jobs:

GitLab: Hires in 65+ countries
Stripe: Hires in 40+ countries
Coinbase: U.S. only
Netflix: U.S. + Europe + select countries

Visa Sponsorship for Remote:

Most companies do not sponsor visas for remote roles
Exception: GitLab, Automattic (sponsor in some countries)

Remote Work Perks & Challenges

Pros of Remote Work:

✅ No commute (save 10+ hours/week)
✅ Live anywhere (move to LCOL area, keep HCOL salary)
✅ Better WLB (flexible hours, less office politics)
✅ Save money ($10K+/year on commute, food, clothes)

Cons of Remote Work:

❌ Harder to get promoted (out of sight, out of mind)
❌ Less mentorship (especially for junior engineers)
❌ Zoom fatigue (8 hours of video calls)
❌ Timezone challenges (async work can slow you down)

Pro tip: Remote works best for senior+ engineers (L5/E5+) who don't need daily mentorship.

Remote Work Tools & Setup

Essential Tools:

Communication: Slack, Zoom, Loom (async video)
Collaboration: Notion, Miro, Figma
Dev: GitHub, VSCode (Live Share), Tuple (pair programming)

Home Office Setup ($2K budget):

Desk: Standing desk ($400)
Chair: Herman Miller Aeron ($1,200)
Monitor: 4K 32" ($400)
Mic: Blue Yeti ($100)
Webcam: Logitech Brio ($200)

Tax tip: Home office expenses are tax-deductible in most countries (consult CPA).

How to Stay Productive Remote

Top Tips from Remote Engineers:

Set boundaries (work 9-5, then shut laptop)
Dedicated workspace (don't work from bed)
Over-communicate (async updates, Slack status)
Social interaction (coworking spaces, virtual coffee chats)
Health routine (exercise, sunlight, meal prep)

Biggest mistake: Working too much (remote burnout is real).

Future of Remote Work in Tech

Predictions for 2025-2030:

More companies go fully remote (to cut office costs)
AI tools enable better async work (less meetings)
Geo-arbitrage becomes mainstream (earn SF salary, live in Portugal)
RTO mandates will soften (as talent shortage worsens)

Bottom line: Remote work is here to stay for senior engineers with in-demand skills.

Remote Job Search Checklist

Before Applying:

Update LinkedIn with "Open to remote roles"
Add "Remote" to your resume/profile
Join remote-first communities (Slack, Discord)
Build portfolio/GitHub (proves you can work async)

During Interviews:

Ask about remote policy (permanent or temporary?)
Ask about timezone requirements (must overlap with team?)
Ask about travel expectations (quarterly? annually?)
Clarify equipment budget (will they provide laptop/monitor?)

After Offer:

Negotiate remote work if not initially offered
Confirm in writing (email, offer letter)
Ask about remote onboarding process

Top Remote Job Openings Right Now

Browse remote roles at top companies:

View all 50,000+ remote tech jobs →

Final Thoughts

Remote work in tech is not dead, but it's more competitive than 2020-2021. Companies are pickier, and you need to prove you can work async effectively.

Best strategy: Target remote-first companies (GitLab, Stripe, Zapier) instead of negotiating remote at RTO-heavy companies (Google, Amazon).

Last updated: January 2025
Data: Leethub job board, Levels.fyi, FlexJobs, We Work Remotely