4 Key Signs You Should Only Work Remote Jobs in 2025

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Are you looking for remote work? Remote jobs started to become more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of remote jobs available peaking in 2022.

While more than 10% of the jobs posted on Indeed in May 2022 were either remote or hybrid positions, that percentage had dropped to 7.6% by July 2024. Some companies that previously offered remote positions, like Amazon, have asked their employees to return to the office.

However, employees have shown that they still want remote work — three-quarters of employers are struggling to fill positions while remote job offers get the most applicants. Here are a few reasons why remote work might be a better fit for you than going into the office.

1. You Would Have a Long Commute

If you live in the suburbs or outside of a larger city, then you would likely have a long commute to an office job. Studies have found that the longer the commute, the lower the employee’s job satisfaction. Longer commutes may also have measurable negative effects on your health since they’re additional periods of inactivity.

There’s also the fact that if you can get paid the same amount of money for a remote position, then your commuting time is essentially wasted. If you have a 45-minute commute every workday, then that’s one-and-a-half hours of your day that you can’t get back and aren’t being paid for. In fact, you’re likely paying extra in gas and vehicle wear-and-tear or public transportation costs.

2. You Live in a Low-Cost-of-Living Area

If you live in an area with a below-average cost of living and can get a remote position in another state or city where the pay is higher, that can have a big impact on your earnings and career. This may be harder to achieve, since many companies want to either hire hybrid employees who can commute to the office for a few days each week or adjust the salary to match the cost of living in your state. 

Still, even if your employer is local or adjusts wages to the average in your state, you can still keep more of that money by working remotely and living in a rural area with lower housing costs. This probably wouldn’t be feasible if you had to commute to work.

3. You’re a Top Candidate in Your Industry

Remote positions can get a lot of applicants, which means you might be competing for the position with other job seekers from across the country. If a job requires you to live and work in the city the company is based in, there are naturally fewer eligible candidates.

This means getting an offer for a remote job can be harder. If you’re a top candidate for the position you’re looking for, though, you may have a much higher chance of securing a remote position. Make sure recruiters and hiring managers see your unique qualifications. Include your achievements at past jobs on your resume — if you contributed to the success of a project or were a top performer, make sure that’s clear.

4. You’re More Productive When You’re Alone

The office environment isn’t always the most conducive to focused work. Distractions, like the noise in an open-floorplan office or social drama, can stop you from getting your actual work done. 

Research suggests that the average worker is actually productive for only three out of the eight hours in their workday. You may find that you’re more productive when you work from home. In your own space, you can likely control the noise level, set up your workspace exactly how you like it and work without interruptions. If that’s true, it’s a win-win — your employer gets more value out of your work, and you don’t have to sit in an office with nothing to do when there are no more tasks on your plate.

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