10 Trusted Companies That Hire Remote Employees WFH
Disclaimer: Our mission is to help readers strengthen their financial well-being, and we often partner with organizations that share this same purpose. If you choose to sign up or make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may earn a referral commission. Learn more here
Working remotely is no longer niche — it’s mainstream. If you want steady remote pay, reliable HR processes, and real benefits (or contractor transparency), applying to trusted, remote-friendly companies is the fastest path. This guide highlights 10 trusted companies known to hire remote employees, why they’re reliable, typical role types they hire, real application tips, what pay & benefits to expect, red flags, and a practical plan to target and win remote roles. Links go directly to each company’s careers page so you can apply immediately. 🇺🇸
How to use this guide
Scan the company list and open the career links. Each company section includes:
- A short trust summary — why the company is remote-friendly
- Common remote roles they hire
- How to apply (practical tips you can use right now)
- Sample pay / benefits expectations (U.S. audience perspective)
After the company profiles you’ll find comparison tables, a 30/60/90 day plan to get hired remotely, sample outreach templates, FAQs, and safety tips so you avoid scams. Let’s go. 🚀
Quick company snapshot (click to open careers)
| Company | Remote model | Common remote roles |
|---|---|---|
| Automattic | Remote-first (distributed) | Engineering, Product, Support, Design |
| GitLab | All-remote, wide hiring | Engineering, Security, DevOps, Marketing |
| Zapier | Remote-first | Customer Success, Engineering, Support |
| Toptal | Remote network of freelancers/contractors | Software, Design, Finance, Project Management |
| Upwork (hires remote staff) | Remote-friendly (also marketplace) | Product, Trust & Safety, Sales, Ops |
| Shopify | Distributed / hybrid options | Engineering, Merchant Support, Product |
| Amazon (remote roles) | Remote roles across teams (many global openings) | Customer Service (virtual), AWS, HR, Sales |
| Dell Technologies | Flexible & remote positions | Sales, IT, Support, Engineering |
| Appen / Lionbridge-style gigs | Contract & remote crowd work | Data annotation, Linguistics, AI testing |
| Buffer | Fully remote, small & distributed | Marketing, Operations, Customer Success |
Company deep dives — what to expect and how to apply
1. Automattic — fully distributed, generous remote culture
Careers: automattic.com/work-with-us
Why trust them: Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack) is remote-first and has operated distributed teams for years. They publish transparent hiring practices and emphasize asynchronous work, which makes onboarding predictable and documentation-driven. They also offer competitive benefits for full-time roles.
Common remote roles: Software engineers, product managers, designers, happiness engineers (support), data scientists.
How to apply — practical tips:
- Read the role’s long-form description; Automattic likes candidates who match culture and async habits.
- Prepare real examples of remote work and link to public work (GitHub, portfolios, posts).
- Be ready for written trials — many roles include take-home tasks and public Slack-like interactions.
Pay & benefits (U.S. baseline): Competitive salaries (varies by role), remote-friendly stipends, generous leave policies, and often health/retirement options depending on contract type.
2. GitLab — remote, transparent, and documentation-first
Careers: about.gitlab.com/jobs
Why trust them: GitLab is an all-remote company and publicly documents its handbook and remote practices. They hire across engineering, compliance, sales, and marketing with strong documentation of expectations.
Common remote roles: Software engineers, security engineers, technical writers, product managers, marketing specialists.
How to apply: Demonstrate familiarity with GitLab processes, include relevant project links, and prepare for several interviews that test both technical ability and remote communication practices.
Pay & benefits: Competitive salary bands, stock/equity in many roles, remote equipment stipend, and clear promotion frameworks.
3. Zapier — remote-first, strong focus on async collaboration
Careers: zapier.com/jobs
Why trust them: Zapier has been remote for a long time and emphasizes thoughtful hiring and cultural fit. They hire workers globally and have a reputation for good onboarding for remote employees.
Common remote roles: Customer Success, Engineering, Product, Marketing, Data.
How to apply: Be explicit about async experience, provide case studies of remote work outcomes, and show initiative with real side projects where possible.
4. Toptal — high-quality freelance network and remote talent marketplace
Careers: toptal.com/careers
Why trust them: Toptal operates a vetted network of freelancers and also hires staff for platform operations. If you’re a specialist (senior dev, designer, finance expert) Toptal provides access to well-paid remote contracts.
Common roles: Senior engineers, designers, finance consultants, project managers (both platform staff and talent network).
How to apply: For Toptal talent, pass their rigorous screening. For staff roles, prepare traditional applications and show experience working with high-caliber clients.
5. Upwork — remote-first company (and the world’s largest freelance marketplace)
Careers: upwork.com/i/jobs
Why trust them: Upwork runs the world’s largest freelance marketplace and hires remote roles for product, trust & safety, and operations. Their hiring processes typically mirror other tech companies and they have established payment policies for contractors.
Common remote roles: Product managers, sales reps, operations, trust & safety, marketing.
How to apply: Focus on product-market fit experience for marketplace roles and emphasize experience with platform-driven businesses.
6. Shopify — distributed & merchant-centric
Careers: shopify.com/careers
Why trust them: Shopify shifted to distributed work (“digital by default”) and hires remote employees for engineering, merchant support, and product roles. They publish guidance around remote collaboration and often have programmatic hiring for remote roles.
Common roles: Engineering, Merchant support, Product, Design.
How to apply: Tailor applications to e-commerce exposure (merchant-focused outcomes), and show examples of customer-centric problem solving.
7. Amazon — remote roles across many teams
Careers: amazon.jobs (remote search)
Why trust them: Amazon hires remote workers for virtual customer service, AWS remote engineering roles, HR, and corporate jobs. Large, established payroll and processes make Amazon reliable for those who want benefits and structured career ladders.
Common remote roles: Virtual Customer Service, AWS-related roles, HR, program management, sales.
How to apply: Use Amazon’s job filters with “remote” and prepare for competency-based interviews (STAR method). Show metrics and process improvements where possible.
8. Dell Technologies — flexible & remote-friendly
Careers: jobs.dell.com
Why trust them: Dell has a long history of flexible-work policies and hires remote employees across sales, IT, engineering, and customer support. Large enterprise benefits and professional development programs are commonly available.
Common remote roles: Sales, IT, Technical Support, Engineering.
How to apply: Highlight enterprise experience, certifications (where relevant), and remote collaboration examples. Be ready for multi-stage interviews including technical and behavioral rounds.
9. Appen (and similar crowd-work firms) — contract remote gigs
Careers: appen.com/careers
Why trust them: Appen (and Lionbridge-style companies) offers crowdsourced work: data labeling, linguistic annotation, and AI training tasks. These are contract-based roles rather than salaried roles, but they’re legitimate and often global.
Common roles: Data annotation, linguistic projects, search relevance evaluators, short-term QA.
How to apply: Sign up on their platform, complete qualification tests, and apply to projects that match your language and skillset. Expect variable pay and project-based schedules.
10. Buffer — small, fully remote company with strong transparency
Careers: buffer.com/journey
Why trust them: Buffer is a small, transparent, fully remote company focused on social tools. They often publish salary ranges and remote work policies and are known for good remote support culture and generous time-off policies.
Common roles: Marketing, Customer Support, Product, Operations.
How to apply: Prepare examples of customer-focused outcomes, async writing samples (many companies ask for written exercises), and evidence of working independently.
Comparison: which company fits which job seeker?
| Company | Best for | Benefits / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Automattic | Remote-first engineers & support pros | Strong async culture, generous remote stipends |
| GitLab | Engineers, security, remote-documentation lovers | Public handbook, transparent practices |
| Zapier | Product & support roles | Emphasis on async & strong onboarding |
| Toptal | Senior freelancers & contractors | High-paying contract work for vetted specialists |
| Upwork | Marketplace operators & platform-focused roles | Good for those who want to understand gig economies |
| Shopify | E-commerce product & support | Distributed model, merchant focus |
| Amazon | People seeking enterprise benefits | Large org, many remote roles across functions |
| Dell | Enterprise IT & sales | Professional development & benefits |
| Appen | Contract crowd workers | Flexible micro-projects but variable pay |
| Buffer | Marketing & ops in small remote teams | Transparent salaries & strong employee-first culture |
How to target and win remote roles — focused 30/60/90 day plan
Days 1–30 — Prepare & apply
- Update LinkedIn and resume for remote work — include “Remote” in headline and location if open to remote.
- Create two role-specific samples (a short portfolio item or a written async update sample).
- Set up job alerts for each company careers page (open the links above and follow the role types you want).
- Apply to 10 targeted roles this month — tailor each application with one sentence that maps your experience to a company need.
Days 31–60 — Optimize interviews & conversions
- Practice remote interview questions and the STAR method; prepare examples emphasizing remote collaboration, async communication, and cross-time-zone projects.
- When asked for take-home tasks, deliver early and include a brief write-up on assumptions and next steps (shows initiative).
- Follow-up respectfully 5–7 days after applications if you haven’t heard back — include a one-line value-add in your message.
Days 61–90 — Negotiate & onboard
- When you receive offers, compare total comp (salary + stipends + equity + benefits). Ask for equipment stipends or remote work allowances if not offered.
- Onboard like a remote professional: document your first-30-day plan and share it with your manager; request an async communication cadence and clear goals.
- If you didn’t land a role yet, iterate on feedback and scale application volume focusing on top 3 companies from the list.
Application templates — copy, paste, customize
Subject: [Role Title] — remote [your job title] with experience in [skill]
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
I’m [Your Name] — I specialize in [X] and have [# years] experience delivering [outcome]. I’m excited about the [Role Title] at [Company] because I’ve worked on similar problems (example: built a support automation that reduced tickets by 18%).
Quick proof:
* [One-line result with metric or link to sample]
* [Link to portfolio / GitHub / sample doc]
I’m available for a short paid test or live conversation. If helpful, I can share a 1-page plan for what I would do in the first 30 days.
Thanks for your time,
[Name] • [LinkedIn] • [Email]
Pay, benefits, and negotiation — realistic expectations
- Large tech firms (Amazon, Dell, Shopify): Typical salary ranges vary widely by role and seniority — expect structured bands, benefits, and formal interview loops. Negotiate using role market rates and highlight unique contributions.
- Remote-native companies (Automattic, GitLab, Zapier, Buffer): Often publish remote policies and sometimes salary ranges. Be ready to request a remote equipment stipend and asynchronous onboarding expectations.
- Contract platforms (Toptal, Appen): Pay is often project-based or hourly; Toptal’s vetted network tends to return higher hourly rates for experienced talent, while Appen is intended for flexible micro-projects and has variable pay.
Red flags & how to avoid fake remote job offers
- Pay-to-play: Legitimate companies never ask you to pay to get a job or to buy equipment as a precondition — equipment stipends are offered after hire, not before.
- Unclear company domain / generic email addresses: Be cautious of hiring contacts who only communicate via Gmail/Hotmail and avoid hiring pages without a company domain.
- Requests to launder or forward money: Do not accept jobs that involve receiving and sending money through your personal accounts — that’s a major red flag.
- Pressure to accept immediately: Scammy recruiters pressure you to accept without paperwork. Legit roles have formal offers, written terms, and background/identity verifications when necessary.
Quick FAQ
Q: Are these companies hiring now?
A: Many of these companies continually list remote roles; openings change frequently. Use the direct career links above, set job alerts, and apply to roles that match your skills. The links point to their official career pages so you can confirm current openings.
Q: Do remote roles pay less?
A: It depends. Some remote-native companies pay market-competitive salaries; large enterprises typically offer structured compensation and benefits. Location-based pay can vary — negotiate using salary data for similar roles in your target market.
Q: How soon can I get a remote job?
A: With focused applications, a well-tailored resume, and evidence of remote experience, many candidates land roles within 6–12 weeks. If you’re targeting contract or freelance work, you may start earning in days to weeks.
Final checklist & next steps (copyable)
- Open 3 company career links above and set job alerts for role keywords you want.
- Polish your resume + LinkedIn for remote work: add “remote” to headline and include remote collaboration bullet points.
- Create one role-specific sample and apply to 10 targeted roles this month using the template above.
- Prepare two short stories (STAR format) about remote collaboration and async communication for interviews.
Closing encouragement
Applying to trusted, remote-friendly companies gives you structure, legitimate pay, and career growth opportunities. Start with one company from this list, tailor your application, and treat the job search like a project: daily tasks, measurable outputs (applications sent), and iteration based on feedback. Remote work is achievable — with preparation, clear examples of remote experience, and consistent outreach you’ll be in a good position to win a solid remote role. Good luck — you’ve got this! 💼🌍
