Why Top Earners Are Choosing Remote Work Over Company Cars

Dive Brief:

• Among the country’s top earners, those making $250,000 or more have the greatest chance to work remotely, according to a Feb. 5 report by Ladders. Opportunities for remote and hybrid work for this pay range are increasing.
• Remote jobs represented 12.1% of positions for high earners in Q4 2024, up from 10.44% in Q3, while hybrid roles saw a slight rise to 3.29%.
• John Mullinix from Ladders stated, "Remote work is the new company car. Employees prefer not to drive to work at all."

Dive Insight:

• The report indicates a shift in working arrangements for top earners, contrasting with wider return-to-work trends.
• A previous May 2024 report highlighted a 60% drop in remote job listings for high earners compared to the previous year.
• Mullinix attributes the increase in flexible roles to technological advancements in fields like telehealth, making high-paying medical jobs more accessible.
• Healthcare, science, and engineering roles offer less competition for high-paying remote jobs, while business development, sales, and marketing present tougher challenges.
• Companies are still using signing bonuses to attract talent, with a significant increase in their prevalence in job postings compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Vehicles crowd a five-lane highway in Los Angeles during the morning commute.
Photo by Mario Tama via Getty Images