Entry-Level Remote Jobs in the USA (2025 & Beyond)

You can find entry-level remote jobs despite the competitive job market in the USA. Remote work isn’t a pandemic experiment anymore. It’s just how a lot of people work now, including people starting their careers. If you’re looking for your first real job or trying to break into a new field, remote positions offer opportunities that didn’t exist a decade ago — but they also come with challenges nobody warned you about.

Here’s what you actually need to know about entry-level remote jobs in the USA: what’s available, what employers want, where to find legitimate opportunities, and the realities of starting your career from your kitchen table instead of a traditional office.

The Remote Work Landscape in 2025: What’s Actually Changed

Remote work exploded during COVID, then everyone predicted it would disappear once the pandemic ended. That didn’t happen. What did happen is more complicated.

About 14% of U.S. workers are fully remote as of 2025, and another significant chunk work hybrid schedules. That’s down from the peak during lockdowns, but it’s still massively higher than pre-2020 levels when remote work was rare outside of specific industries.

For entry-level positions specifically, the picture is mixed. Some companies enthusiastically hire entry-level workers remotely. Others have pulled back, arguing that junior employees need in-person mentorship and training. You’ll find both perspectives depending on the company and industry.

Hybrid roles are actually more common than fully remote positions for entry-level work. Companies want new employees in the office at least some of the time for training, team building, and supervision. If you’re seeing “hybrid” on job postings, that usually means 2-3 days in office, 2-3 days remote. It’s not full location independence, but it’s more flexible than traditional five-day-a-week office schedules.

The industries most open to remote entry-level hiring are: customer service and support, sales and business development, administrative and operations roles, tech support and IT, and some finance and accounting positions. These fields have figured out how to onboard and train junior people remotely, and they’ve accepted it as normal practice.

Traditional industries like manufacturing, healthcare (except telehealth), hospitality, and retail obviously can’t go remote for most positions. If you’re looking at those fields, you’re probably working in person regardless of your experience level.

One thing that’s definitely changed: competition for remote positions is intense. A fully remote entry-level job might get 500+ applications within days of being posted. You’re competing nationally or even internationally instead of just with people in your city. That’s the trade-off for not being geographically limited yourself.

Companies are also getting pickier about remote work policies. Some that went fully remote during the pandemic are now requiring people to come back to the office, at least partially. If you get hired for a remote position, there’s no guarantee it’ll stay remote forever. Policies change, and you need to be prepared for that possibility.

What Entry-Level Remote Jobs Actually Exist (And What They Pay)

Let’s talk specifics about what kinds of entry-level remote jobs you can actually find, what the jobs involve, and what you’ll earn.

Customer Service and Support Roles

This is probably the biggest category of entry-level remote work. Companies need people answering customer questions via phone, email, chat, or social media. The work is straightforward enough that they can train you remotely, and the pay is modest but livable.

You might be helping customers troubleshoot tech issues, answering billing questions, processing returns, booking appointments, or providing general support. The work is repetitive and can be frustrating when you’re dealing with angry customers all day, but it requires minimal prior experience.

Pay typically ranges from $15 to $22 per hour for entry-level customer service positions. Some companies pay more for specialized support (tech support usually pays better than general customer service). Full-time positions often include benefits; contract positions usually don’t.

What the job actually feels like: You’re answering back-to-back tickets or calls for your entire shift. You have scripts and guidelines for common issues, but you also need to think on your feet when customers have unusual problems. You’re measured on metrics like response time, customer satisfaction scores, and how many tickets you close per hour.

Some people find this work manageable and even satisfying when they help someone solve a real problem. Others find it soul-crushing after a few months of dealing with complaints and angry people. It’s a legitimate entry point into remote work, but it’s not easy money.

Administrative and Virtual Assistant Work

Remote administrative roles involve typical office tasks done from home: managing calendars, scheduling meetings, responding to emails, organizing documents, data entry, making travel arrangements, and handling correspondence.

These jobs require strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and professional communication. You’re often supporting executives or teams, which means you need to be responsive and reliable even though nobody’s physically watching you work.

Pay ranges from $16 to $25 per hour, depending on the complexity of the role and the company. Executive assistants supporting C-level executives earn at the higher end; general administrative assistants doing basic data entry earn at the lower end.

The work can be boring if you’re doing repetitive data entry for hours. It can also be interesting if you’re working closely with executives on varied projects. It depends entirely on the specific role and company.

Virtual assistant positions are sometimes contract or freelance rather than traditional employment, which means you’re handling your own taxes and you don’t get benefits. Always clarify the employment structure before accepting a position.

Sales and Business Development Roles

A lot of entry-level sales positions have gone remote, especially for companies selling software, services, or B2B products. You’re making outbound calls, sending cold emails, qualifying leads, setting up demos, and sometimes closing deals depending on the role.

Sales roles often require minimal prior experience because companies provide training, but you need to be comfortable with rejection and comfortable selling. If you hate sales or you’re not naturally persuasive, you’ll struggle even with training.

Pay structures vary wildly. You might have a base salary of $35,000 to $50,000 plus commission, or you might be mostly commission-based with a smaller base. Top performers in sales can make significantly more than base salary; poor performers might barely scrape by.

The flexibility of remote sales is real — you often control your own schedule to some extent. But the pressure is also real. You have quotas, and if you’re not hitting them, you’re either getting coached heavily or getting fired. Sales is a results-driven field.

Some people thrive in sales and build lucrative careers. Others burn out quickly from the rejection and pressure. It’s high-risk, high-reward as far as entry-level remote work goes.

Finance, Accounting, and Back-Office Roles

Junior positions in accounting, bookkeeping, financial analysis, and back-office operations are increasingly remote, especially at companies that have embraced distributed teams.

You might be processing invoices, reconciling accounts, preparing basic financial reports, assisting with payroll, or handling accounts payable/receivable. These roles require some knowledge of accounting principles and usually comfort with Excel or accounting software.

Pay typically starts around $40,000 to $55,000 annually for entry-level positions, which is better than customer service or admin work. The trade-off is you usually need at least some relevant education or coursework — a degree in accounting, finance, or business, or at a minimum, some accounting classes or certifications.

The work is detail-oriented and can be tedious, but it’s stable, and there’s a clear career progression path. Junior accountant → staff accountant → senior accountant → accounting manager, etc. If you stick with it and get your CPA or advance your skills, your earnings increase significantly.

This field attracts people who like structure, clear rules, and working with numbers. If you need creativity and variety, accounting probably isn’t your path.

Project Coordination and Operations Support

Entry-level project coordinators and operations support staff help teams stay organized, track deliverables, schedule meetings, update project management software, and generally keep things running smoothly.

You’re not leading projects yourself at entry level, but you’re supporting project managers and team leads. You need strong organizational skills, ability to juggle multiple tasks, and comfort with tools like Asana, Monday.com, Trello, or similar project management platforms.

Pay ranges from $40,000 to $55,000 for entry-level coordinator positions. The work can be interesting because you’re involved in various projects and you get exposure to how different parts of a business operate. It can also be stressful when you’re tracking dozens of moving pieces and people are depending on your organization.

This is a good entry point if you’re interested in eventually moving into project management, operations, or general business management roles.

Education, Tutoring, and Online Instruction

If you have teaching skills or expertise in specific subjects, online tutoring and instruction can be done remotely. This includes ESL (English as a Second Language) tutoring for international students, academic tutoring for K-12 or college students, test prep, or teaching specialized skills.

Requirements vary widely. ESL teaching often requires a bachelor’s degree and sometimes TEFL certification. Academic tutoring might just require expertise in the subject. Some platforms have minimal requirements if you’re tutoring informally.

Pay ranges from $15 to $35+ per hour depending on what you’re teaching and the platform. ESL tutoring for Chinese students used to be lucrative but that market has mostly collapsed due to regulatory changes in China. Academic tutoring through platforms like Wyzant or Tutor.com is more stable.

The work is rewarding if you enjoy teaching and seeing students improve. It’s frustrating if you get students who don’t care or parents who have unrealistic expectations. The schedule can be irregular since you’re working around students’ availability.

Entry-Level Tech, IT Support, and Technical Roles

Some tech companies hire junior developers, IT support specialists, help desk technicians, or QA testers remotely. These roles usually require some technical skills — coding fundamentals, familiarity with specific technologies, or IT troubleshooting knowledge — but not necessarily years of professional experience.

Pay for entry-level tech support might start around $40,000 to $50,000, while junior developer roles can start at $60,000 to $80,000, depending on location and company. Tech roles generally pay better than customer service or admin work because they require specialized skills.

The path into these roles often involves self-teaching, coding bootcamps, or relevant degree programs. You can’t just apply with zero background and get hired, but you also don’t necessarily need a computer science degree if you can demonstrate skills through projects or certifications.

Tech support can be repetitive (helping people reset passwords and troubleshoot basic issues), but it’s a foot in the door to the tech industry. Junior developer roles offer more interesting work and better long-term earning potential if you continue developing your skills.

What Employers Actually Want (Beyond the Job Description)

Entry-level remote jobs descriptions often list minimal requirements: “high school diploma,” “strong communication skills,” “computer literacy.” But what do employers actually care about when hiring for remote positions?

Communication skills matter more remotely than in person.

You can’t just walk over to someone’s desk to ask a question. Everything happens via email, Slack, Zoom, or other digital tools. If you can’t communicate clearly in writing, if you’re slow to respond to messages, or if you struggle to articulate problems, you’ll have a hard time.

Employers want to see that you can write professional emails, participate in video meetings without being awkward, and explain issues clearly without needing extensive back-and-forth. Even for non-writing-heavy jobs like customer service, clear communication is critical.

Self-motivation and discipline are non-negotiable.

Nobody’s physically watching you work from home. You need to show up (virtually) on time, stay focused during work hours, complete tasks without constant supervision, and manage your time effectively.

In interviews for remote positions, employers are trying to assess whether you’ll actually work when nobody’s watching. They ask questions like “How do you stay productive working from home?” or “Tell me about a time you had to complete a project with minimal supervision.” They’re evaluating whether you have the discipline to work independently.

Technical competence with basic tools

This is assumed. You should be comfortable with email, video conferencing, basic office software (Word, Excel, Google Docs/Sheets), and able to learn new platforms quickly. If you struggle with technology or get frustrated easily when software doesn’t work perfectly, remote work will be rough.

Home office setup matters.

Employers want to know you have reliable internet, a quiet workspace, and basic equipment. You don’t need an elaborate home office, but you can’t be working from a coffee shop with spotty WiFi or trying to take customer service calls with kids screaming in the background.

Some companies provide equipment (a laptop, a monitor, a headset). Others expect you to provide your own or offer a stipend. Always clarify this during the hiring process.

Reliability and consistency

These flashy skills trump for most entry-level remote roles. Employers would rather hire someone with average skills who shows up every day and completes work consistently than someone brilliant who’s flaky about deadlines or communication.

If you have a track record of finishing what you start, meeting deadlines, and being responsive, emphasize that in your application and interviews. For entry-level positions, reliability is often more valuable than exceptional talent.

Where to Actually Find Legitimate Entry-Level Remote Jobs (And Avoid the Garbage)

We Work Remotely

This is one of the largest remote job boards with listings across many industries. It’s not entry-level specific, but if you filter by experience level, you’ll find junior positions. The quality of listings tends to be higher than some general job boards because companies pay to post there.

FlexJobs

This is a subscription service ($15-$25/month depending on plan) that screens jobs for legitimacy and focuses on remote, part-time, and flexible positions. The subscription fee keeps out some scammers and low-quality listings. For serious job seekers, it can be worth the cost to save time sorting through garbage.

Remote.co, Working Nomads, and Remotive

These are other solid remote-specific job boards worth checking regularly. Set up email alerts for entry-level positions in your target fields.

This is still valuable despite being cluttered with noise. Set your job preferences to “remote” and “entry level,” and use the advanced search to filter by specific titles or companies. The “Easy Apply” feature on LinkedIn makes applying quick, though the convenience also means more competition since everyone’s mass-applying.

Indeed and Glassdoor

These sites have remote filters. The quality of listings varies wildly — you’ll find legitimate opportunities mixed with scams, outdated postings, and “ghost jobs” (listings posted with no real intent to hire). Use these platforms, but be more selective and skeptical.

Company career pages directly

These are often better than job boards. If there’s a specific remote-first company you want to work for (GitLab, Zapier, Automattic, Buffer, etc.), go straight to their careers page and check regularly. You’re competing with fewer applicants than when jobs hit major job boards.

Avoid these red flags:

Jobs requiring you to pay money upfront for “training materials” or “certification”
Positions promising unrealistic pay for minimal work (“Earn $5,000/month working 10 hours/week!”)
Job descriptions with poor grammar or vague responsibilities
Companies you can’t verify exist through basic Google searching
Interviews conducted only via text message with no video or phone component
Requests for personal financial information early in the process
“Jobs” that are actually MLM schemes disguised as customer service or sales positions

If something feels off, trust your gut. Legitimate companies have clear hiring processes, professional communications, and verifiable online presence.

The Harsh Realities Nobody Mentions About Entry-Level Remote Jobs

The isolation is real, and it hits harder than you expect.

You’re spending 8-10 hours per day at home, talking to your computer screen. You don’t have coworkers to chat with at lunch, no spontaneous conversations, no office culture or camaraderie. Some people love this independence. Others get lonely and depressed surprisingly quickly.

If you’re extroverted or you derive energy from being around people, fully remote work can be mentally draining in ways you don’t anticipate. You need to be intentional about maintaining social connections outside of work or you’ll feel isolated.

Learning and professional development are harder remotely.

In a physical office, you can overhear conversations, observe how senior people handle situations, ask quick questions, and learn through proximity. Remotely, you’re mostly on your own unless your company is very intentional about training and mentorship.

Some companies provide excellent remote onboarding and training. Many don’t. You might be thrown into the job with minimal guidance and expected to figure things out yourself. If you’re not a self-directed learner, this is rough.

Career advancement can be slower.

Out of sight, out of mind is real. When promotion opportunities come up, managers often think of the people they interact with most, and that’s often the people in the office. Remote workers, especially at entry level, can be overlooked.

You have to be more proactive about visibility, networking within the company, and advocating for yourself. Also, you can’t just do good work and assume people will notice. You need to make sure your contributions are visible and recognized.

Technology problems become your problems.

The Internet goes down? That’s your emergency to solve, not IT’s. Computer crashes? You need to figure it out. In an office, you call IT, and they help you immediately. At home, you’re troubleshooting while your work piles up and your supervisor wonders why you’re not responsive.

You need reliable internet with a backup plan (maybe your phone’s hotspot), functioning equipment, and enough tech savvy to solve common problems yourself.

Work-life boundaries get blurry fast.

When your bedroom is also your office, it’s hard to mentally clock out. You might find yourself checking emails at 10 PM or working on weekends because the laptop is right there and you want to stay on top of things.

Setting boundaries requires discipline that’s harder to maintain remotely. You need to establish clear work hours, create physical separation if possible (dedicated workspace, even if it’s just a corner of a room), and actively disconnect at the end of the day.

Contract and gig work are common for entry-level remote jobs.

A lot of “entry-level remote jobs” are actually contract or freelance positions, not traditional employment. That means:

You’re paying both employee and employer portions of payroll taxes (about 15.3% self-employment tax)
You’re getting no benefits (health insurance, paid time off, retirement matching)
You have no job security or stability
You’re responsible for tracking income and expenses for tax purposes

A job listing might say “$20/hour,” which sounds decent until you realize it’s contract work and you’re really netting about $14-15/hour after taxes and lack of benefits. Always clarify whether a position is W2 employment or 1099 contract work.

The pay often isn’t as good as you think.

Entry-level remote positions might advertise $18-22/hour, which seems reasonable. But if you’re in a high-cost-of-living area, that’s barely enough to live on. If you’re contract work with no benefits, the effective value is even lower.

The advantage of remote work is you can live in a low-cost area while earning wages that would normally require living in an expensive city. But if you’re already in an expensive area, the pay might not be enough to justify the work.

Some companies exploit remote workers.

They know there’s high demand for remote positions, so they underpay, overwork people, provide minimal support, and churn through employees quickly. They rely on desperate job seekers accepting poor conditions just to work remotely.

Watch for companies with terrible Glassdoor reviews mentioning high turnover, poor management, unrealistic expectations, or bad work-life balance. Sometimes, a job being available is a red flag — there’s a reason they’re constantly hiring.

Common Mistakes People Make in Entry-Level Remote Jobs (And Why They Fail Fast)

Mistake #1: Applying to hundreds of entry-level remote jobs without tailoring applications

You use the same generic resume and cover letter for every application, maybe changing the company name. Your application is one of 500 similar generic applications, and it gets ignored.

Even for entry-level positions, take time to customize your resume to highlight relevant skills for each specific job. Write a brief cover letter (even if it’s not required) explaining why you want that specific role. Mention something specific about the company. Stand out from the mass of applicants.

Mistake #2: Accepting the first offer without evaluating it carefully

You’re desperate for remote work, so you accept the first offer you get without researching the company, understanding the compensation structure, or clarifying expectations. Then you discover it’s a terrible company, the pay is worse than you thought, or the job isn’t what was advertised.

Always research the company on Glassdoor, ask detailed questions during interviews, clarify whether it’s W2 or contract work, understand the full compensation picture, and don’t be afraid to negotiate or walk away from bad offers.

Mistake #3: Not taking the job seriously because it’s remote

You think working from home means you can be casual about attendance, response times, or work quality. You treat it like a side gig instead of a real job. Then you get fired during your probationary period for performance issues or unreliability.

Remote work requires more professionalism in some ways, not less. You need to over-communicate since people can’t see you working, respond promptly to messages, meet deadlines consistently, and prove you’re productive without supervision.

Mistake #4: Having a terrible home workspace setup

You try to work from your couch or bed, in a busy household with constant distractions, with unreliable internet. Your work quality suffers, you’re stressed, and the job that was supposed to be flexible becomes miserable.

Before starting a remote job, set up a dedicated workspace (doesn’t need to be a whole room, but needs to be a consistent spot), ensure your internet is adequate, minimize distractions, and create an environment where you can actually focus.

Mistake #5: Not asking for help or clarification when you need it

You’re afraid of looking incompetent, so you don’t ask questions when you’re confused. You struggle silently, make mistakes, and fall behind. In an office, someone might notice and offer help. Remotely, your struggle is invisible until it becomes a performance problem.

Over-communicate when you’re starting. Ask questions. Clarify expectations. It’s better to ask and seem eager to learn than to guess wrong and mess up repeatedly.

Mistake #6: Expecting remote work to solve all your career problems

You’re unhappy in your current job or unemployed, and you think remote work will magically be better. Then you discover remote work has its own challenges and frustrations, and you’re still unhappy, just in a different way.

Remote work is a work arrangement, not a career salvation. If you hate the type of work you’re doing, doing it remotely won’t fix that. Be realistic about what remote work offers (flexibility, location independence) and what it doesn’t (automatic job satisfaction, easy money, or escape from workplace challenges).

How to Actually Succeed in Entry-Level Remote Jobs

Over-communicate, especially at first.

Let people know what you’re working on, when you’ve completed tasks, if you’re stuck on something. In an office, people can see you’re at your desk working. Remotely, you need to make your work visible through communication.

Establish a routine and stick to it.

Same wake-up time, same start time, same workspace. Treating remote work like a real job with structure helps you stay productive and maintain boundaries.

Show up reliably.

Be on time for meetings, respond to messages promptly during work hours, and meet deadlines consistently. Reliability is your biggest asset as an entry-level remote worker.

Build relationships with coworkers even though you’re remote.

Engage in team chats, participate in virtual social events if your company has them, and schedule occasional video calls with colleagues beyond just work topics. Being known and liked by your team helps with advancement and makes the work less isolating.

Keep learning and documenting your accomplishments.

Track what you’ve achieved, skills you’ve developed, and problems you’ve solved. This helps with performance reviews, internal promotions, and building your resume for future opportunities.

Set boundaries and take care of yourself.

Don’t let work bleed into all hours of your day just because you’re working from home. Take breaks, maintain hobbies and social connections, exercise, and get outside. Burnout happens in remote work too, sometimes faster because the boundaries are blurry.

Use entry-level remote jobs as a stepping stone.

Entry-level remote jobs can help gain experience, build skills, prove you can work independently, and then pursue better opportunities. Very few people stay in entry-level customer service or admin work forever. Use it to get your foot in the door, then keep growing.

Entry-level remote jobs are real opportunities that can launch legitimate careers, especially for people who couldn’t access traditional office jobs due to location, disability, caregiving responsibilities, or other constraints. But they’re not easy money, they’re not for everyone, and they come with unique challenges that in-person jobs don’t have.

Go into entry-level remote jobs with realistic expectations, choose opportunities carefully, work hard to prove yourself, and use the experience to build toward better positions. Remote work can democratize opportunity, but success still requires discipline, skill development, and smart decision-making about which opportunities to pursue.