The percentage of people working primarily from home has nearly tripled globally, from 10% in 2019 to 28% in 2023. Online freelance work is also the most popular holiday side hustle, with 66% of Americans indicating they plan to pursue it this season.
What exactly are employers looking for from remote hires? A new study from SEO agency Search Logistics used data from LinkedIn, Upwork and Glassdoor to find the most in-demand skills among employers.
For each popular skill, the researchers calculated a demand percentage using LinkedIn. The measure reflects how many remote jobs required the skill out of all the remote jobs available on LinkedIn.
The researchers then used Upwork data to fill in the general job category that each skill fell under. Finally, they turned to Glassdoor data to find the average annual salary for those who possess each skill.
The resulting list of the most in-demand skills for remote work includes interpersonal skills like teamwork and technical skills like Java.
“It’s unsurprising that teamwork, problem-solving, leadership skills and customer service are in the top 10,” Search Logistics lead director Matthew Woodward says. “These skills are useful in basically every industry or position you could think of, so if you’re stuck on how to improve your job performance, building your proficiency in any of these skills is a great place to start.”
Here are the 10 most in-demand skills to have on your resume when applying for remote roles.
1. Teamwork
Category (according to Upwork): Admin Support
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 49.98%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $116,000
2. Analytical thinking
Category (according to Upwork): Engineering and Architecture
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 37.24%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $62,000
3. Software development
Category (according to Upwork): IT & Network Admin
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 31.47%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $131,000
4. Problem-solving skills
Category (according to Upwork): Sales and Marketing
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 29.04%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $59,000
5. Java, Java Script
Category (according to Upwork): IT & Network Admin
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 21.73%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $122,000
6. SQL, Python
Category (according to Upwork): IT & Network Admin
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 19.05%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $116,000
7. Data analysis
Category (according to Upwork): Data Science and Analysis
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 18.57%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $109,000
8. Leadership skills
Category (according to Upwork): Admin Support
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 15.16%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $117,000
9. Sales
Category (according to Upwork): Sales and Marketing
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 13.52%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $149,000
10. Customer service
Category (according to Upwork): Customer Service
Demand percentage (using LinkedIn): 13.24%
Average annual salary (from Glassdoor): $44,000