6 Types of Remote Work in 2022 (Updated 2023-2024)

In 2023, everyone from data scientists, graphic designers, project managers and social media managers can do their jobs from anywhere.

The same goes for software engineers, data entry specialists, virtual assistants and digital marketing pros. 

In the wake of a global pandemic, millions of people have found themselves wondering if their current career path and mode of working is really their best option.

That’s because formerly stable industries and large companies had to lay off literally millions of workers in 2020, destroying the idea of job security.

A huge percentage of the global workforce began working remotely, realizing you don’t have to be chained to a desk 40+ hours a week in order to do meaningful work.

Add the fact that billions of hours are wasted every year commuting back and forth from the office and it’s pretty easy to see why remote jobs have become so appealing for so many people.

Maybe you find yourself asking the same questions:

• Do I have to be tied to one company for decades?
• Is working in the office really necessary anymore?
• How many hours am I willing to waste on a daily commute?

If these questions have a familiar ring to them, working remotely is an opportunity you should explore. 

The good news is it's nearly 2024 and remote work isn’t going anywhere.

To help, today we’ll explain a few of the most common forms of remote work in today’s work landscape along with the pros and cons for each option.

Remote Work vs Freelancing

Before we explain the many remote work options, it’s important to clarify one thing. Often when reading about remote styles of working, you’ll read about freelancing.

That’s because, much like telework, freelancing has experienced massive growth in the wake of Covid-19. 

But working remotely does NOT necessarily mean you are working as a freelancer. In reality, freelancing is a career job choice in itself.

As a freelancer, you run your own business. As a remote worker, you may choose to run your own business, be an independent contractor, or simply work for a stable company full-time in a remote location.

We’ll explore the range of freelancing and remote work opportunities below.

6 Types of Remote Work

If you are ready to go remote, here are a few different ways you can do it:

1) Freelancing

First, if you want to work remotely, you could become a freelancer. 

Keep in mind, that freelancing means not only doing the work you excel at (developing, designing, writing, for example) but also running your own business. 

It will be your job to find clients on a regular basis, collect payments, manage deadlines, pay taxes, and run your entire freelance business.

2) Joining the Gig Economy

Another option for working remotely is to join the gig economy. 

Made popular by sites like Upwork or Fiverr, the gig economy is built around the idea that companies and clients have small-to-medium-sized tasks (or gigs) that need doing on an irregular basis.

In that instance, they find a freelancer, usually through a marketplace, and hire them for a project. 

While many freelancers have built their businesses with gig marketplaces, it takes a real effort to find enough jobs to keep you in business.

3) Work from Home (WFH)

Another option for joining the remote workforce is to work from home (WFH). 

While technically many of these options include you working from home, the abbreviation 'WFH' has come to primarily mean working for your employer while staying at home.

4) Hybrid (WFH + In-office)

As the pandemic begins to ease in some parts of the world, many people and companies are opting for a hybrid opportunity. 

Typically, this means an arrangement between employers and workers where they agree on set in office days and other WFH days.

This can help boost productivity and accountability since one of the biggest challenges of working from home can be staying productive.

5) Remote Friendly

Another remote working option is to work for a company that is remote-friendly. 

This means your company is open to occasional remote work, but expects you to be in the office the majority of the time.

If you have days where your partner is ill, or you have to travel for a wedding, remoting in on those days is an option. Long-term remote work that leaves you absent from the office for days or weeks at a time is discouraged or not allowed.

6) Fully Remote

Finally, there’s fully remote work. 

When you get a 100% remote job, you’re not expected to come to the office.

In fact, you may never even meet the people you work with face-to-face. Many remote workers don’t even live in the same country as their employers.

Totally remote companies do sometimes have annual meetups, or holidays together to get some face-time in.

But many high-profile, well-paying companies (like these ones) are constantly hiring talented remote workers for full-time, 100% remote jobs. 

With a fully remote position, you enjoy the stability of a traditional job with the flexibility to live and work where (and often when) you want.

It's a work model we can get behind (and do!).

At Crossover, we match top-tier companies with the best 1% of remote workers around the globe. 

Learn more here.

What’s Right for You?

Not all forms of remote work are for everyone. 

As you read through the list, there may be some options that seem more appealing than others. 

The good news is: you don’t have to stick with just one option for the rest of your career. Start with the forms of remote work that seem most interesting and achievable for you and then adjust as you go.

Regardless of which path you choose, remote work in all its forms can be life-changing, liberating and give you the work-life balance you’ve been after. 

And there’s never been a better time to get onboard.

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