Work anywhere: High-paying remote jobs are on the rise

That’s according to an analysis by Ladders, an American career website that serves professionals looking for six-figure jobs.

The researchers analyzed five million job openings from January 2020 to February 2022, and they found that high-paying remote jobs increased by as much as 452%. The total number of remote jobs grew from 64,061 to 354,083.

Canadian Cities with the Fastest Growing Professional Opportunities

In addition to the spike in remote opportunities, Ladders found that smaller job markets have seen the fastest increase in high-paying jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the 10 North American cities with the fastest growing number of professional jobs, three Canadian cities made the top four. From 2020 to 2021, Saint John, NB; Quebec City; and Calgary saw high-paying jobs grow at about 185%, 180%, and 167%, respectively. (They were only behind Rochester, MN, which saw growth of more than 189%.) Below is the full chart ranking the cities by job growth.

Cities with the fastest growing number of professional jobs

Location20202021% Change Remote64,061354,083452,73%Rochester, MN8522,461188,85%Saint John, NB4061,158185,22%Quebec City, Que.7472,095180.46% Calgary, Alta.2,1645,778167.01%Tri-Cities4671 ,239165.3.Peoria, Ill 1,9135,035163.20%Lafayette, La.6001,494149.00%Austin, Tex.28,94971,265146.17%Minot, ND4721,137140.89%Eugene, Ore.1, 0622.556140.68%Source: Ladders

What do these numbers mean for Canadian professionals?

This data means that professional workers will have more opportunities to work for companies outside their own city, without necessarily moving to larger urban centers. Meanwhile, companies in smaller towns can hire workers from anywhere, if moving is no longer a job requirement. Teleworking with colleagues across borders may also become more common.

Only time will tell whether well-paid remote work will continue to grow at this rate, but one thing remains certain: the past two years have changed, and will continue to change, how and where we work.