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Want to Make Six Figures Without Going to an Office? Move to These Cities

You may be surprised by where you can make the big bucks as it's not just on the coasts.

It doesn't matter that 16% of companies around the world are already remote and, by 2025, that number is expected to rise to one in four American workers. The stereotype is still that remote work is for people looking to earn some money on the side while those lusting after serious salaries and career advancement have no way of escaping the office.

The reality is that the number of jobs paying above $100,000 has also risen from 9% at the end of 2020 to more than 15% in August 2022. The numbers for hybrid -- where one comes in a few days a week and works remotely the rest -- are even higher as more and more people specifically seek out jobs to work with their family and lifestyle.

According to a recent report from text messaging platform SimpleTexting, San Francisco and Seattle have the highest number of hybrid jobs paying above $100,000 while Atlanta has the best listing-to-income ratio. 

The largest city in Georgia had 710 hybrid job openings per 100,000 people on LinkedIn in November, while 67 of those hybrid job openings in Atlanta paid above $100,000.

You Don't Have To Move To The Bay Area For That Six-Figure Job

While their status as tech hubs mean San Francisco and Seattle have the highest numbers of high-paying hybrid jobs (a respective 27% and 26% of listings were offering above six figures), they did not have as many listings.

"With a lower cost of living than west coast cities (and a lower cost of doing business), Atlanta makes sense for both employees and employers alike," reads the report. "Companies like Intel  (INTC) - Get Free Report are expanding their workforces in Atlanta, using the hybrid work model as one of their key incentives to attract top talent."

Boston had 547 hybrid job openings per 100,000 people while Washington, D.C. came third at 349. When it comes to the percentage of those jobs paying above $100,000, Boston came at 10% while Washington, D.C., was in the single-digits.

Cities with high numbers of high-paying hybrid jobs include Los Angeles (14% above $100,000), Austin (13%) and New York City (12%).

I Just Want To Get Paid A Lot And Escape The Commute

These cities do not always coincide with high numbers of hybrid jobs available (it's only a high-paying job if you can score it) but the study singled out a number of cities where the ratio looks good on both ends. 

In terms of industries, Atlanta currently has a high number of hybrid jobs in both technology and sales. St. Petersburg, Fla., topped the list for finance while Chicago has a high number of hybrid healthcare jobs. While such a model will clearly not work for most doctors and nurses, those working in telehealth or insurance can find a job where they can come in a few times a week all while earning a very comfortable salary.

"Cities we didn’t expect to land on this list are Tucson, Arizona and Detroit, Michigan, where the median household income ranges from $32,000 to $45,000," SimpleTexting wrote. "We saw 11% of hybrid job openings in Tucson and 10% of openings in Detroit pay upwards of $100,000 per year -- those percentages are substantial compared to 2.3% in Cleveland, Ohio or 1.3% in San Jose, California."

SEE THE FULL LIST OF CITIES WITH THE MOST AND BEST-PAYING HYBRID JOBS HERE.