LinkedIn is useful — but it’s also crowded, noisy, and often optimized for senior hires or local-network referrals. If you want high-paying remote work paid in USD, diversify where you look. Below are 10 remote-job sites I use and recommend, with deeper notes on when to use each, example roles you’ll find, and practical tips to increase your success.
10 Remote-job sites that pay in USD (what they are, example roles, how to use them)
| SITE | WHAT IT IS & WHEN TO USE IT | EXAMPLE ROLES YOU’LL FIND | QUICK TIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickresume | Resume and cover-letter builder with AI features and ATS-friendly templates. Use it when you want a polished, hiring-manager-ready application fast — especially if you’re applying broadly across the US. | Product manager, data analyst, UX designer, frontend dev | Use the ATS checker and export both PDF and plain-text versions for automated systems. |
| Job Hunt | AI-powered job-application assistant that helps tailor applications, extract keywords, and suggest outreach messages. Use it to scale high-quality, tailored applications. | Mid-level software engineers, marketing managers, operations roles | Run your job description through Job Hunt to generate a 3-bullet customization list for each resume. |
| Wellfound (AngelList) | Heavy on startups and early-stage companies. Best when you want equity upside, fast hiring cycles, or roles that blend product and engineering. | Backend dev, growth marketer, startup CTO/PM roles | Message founders directly — a concise value-based message often beats boilerplate. |
| Remotive | Curated remote tech jobs with active communities and a newsletter. Great for fully remote positions at vetted companies. | Remote devs, devops, customer success for SaaS | Subscribe to the newsletter and set alerts for companies you admire. |
| Pyjama Jobs (Kickresume) | AI job-matching that surfaces roles where your profile is already a strong fit, reducing time wasted on low-probability listings. | Mid-senior software dev, data science roles, QA | Let the AI suggest keywords you’re missing and add them to your resume where truthful. |
| Toptal | High-barrier freelance marketplace for elite contractors. If you can pass their screening, you’ll access top-tier clients and USD projects with premium rates. | Senior engineers, product designers, fractional CFOs | Prepare a portfolio and practice the live coding/design screens — the vetting is rigorous but worth it. |
| FlexJobs | Vetted remote and flexible jobs across industries — good if you want reliability and employer screening (less scam risk). | Remote customer support, project managers, HR, writing | Pay for a short subscription if you value curated, scam-filtered listings. |
| JS Remotely | Niche board focused on JavaScript ecosystem roles. Use when you want highly relevant, role-specific listings. | React engineer, Node.js backend, frontend lead | Filter by tech stack and timezone overlap if you prefer synchronous collaboration. |
| Remote OK | Broad, high-volume remote board across functions and pay levels; often shows freelance and full-time USD listings. | Devops, growth, design, crypto roles | Use the salary and tag filters; verify company legitimacy via LinkedIn/company site before applying. |
| Working Nomads | Curated feed ideal for digital nomads and location-independent jobs, with email digests for quick scanning. | Remote product roles, content, marketing, developer positions | Use the digest as your weekly sweep to catch new, high-quality postings. |
How I’d apply if I were you (a step-by-step, 2-week playbook)
- Day 1–2: Build a base resume and two role-specific versions (tech and non-tech). Use Kickresume to create an ATS-clean base, then tailor bullets for each role family.
- Day 3–4: Populate Job Hunt and Pyjama Jobs with your resume. Let them suggest job matches and keyword edits. Implement the top 6-8 keyword adjustments across your role-specific resumes.
- Day 5–7: Identify 10 target roles (mix of Wellfound, Remotive, Remote OK and Working Nomads). For each: 30–45 minutes to tailor the resume, write a 3-line outreach + 3-bullet cover note, and apply. Track in a simple Google Sheet with columns: role, company, date applied, follow-up date, response.
- Week 2: Spend two mornings applying to freelance/high-pay roles on Toptal and FlexJobs. For Toptal, allocate time for the screening prep (portfolio polish, coding practice). Use JS Remotely for focused JavaScript roles if that’s your stack.
- Ongoing: Subscribe to Remotive and Remote OK alerts, and do 1–2 follow-ups per week on applications that went quiet (short, value-first messages).
Messaging templates (concise, high-response formats)
- Initial outreach to hiring manager: Hi [Name] — I’m a [title] with [X yrs] building [outcome]. I’d love to help [company goal from JD]. Can I share a 1-page synopsis of results I’d bring? — [Your name], [link to portfolio/LinkedIn]
- Follow-up after 7 days: Hi [Name] — looping back on my note about [role]. I improved [metric/result] by [X%] at [company], and I think I can help with [specific challenge]. Happy to jump on a quick call.
How to vet remote roles (avoid time-wasters & scams)
- Check company domain emails and official LinkedIn company page.
- Search for multiple employee profiles on LinkedIn — real companies show >5 current employees.
- Be wary of requests for payment, bank details up front, or vague hiring processes.
- If pay isn’t listed, ask for a salary band early in the process — if they dodge, treat it as a red flag.
Bonus: Free course library + Google courses to level-up in 2025
- 7000+ free courses: imp.i384100.net/BnyzQq (big learning vault)
High-impact Google courses (each directly boosts remote employability): - Introduction to Generative AI — useful for product and marketing roles.
- Prompting Engineering & AI Essentials — practical if you’ll work with AI tools or manage AI-enabled products.
- Crash Course on Python & Get Started with Python — essential for data and automation roles.
- Machine Learning Specialization — if you want data science/ML roles.
- Cloud Fundamentals & Google Cloud certifications — vital for devops, backend, and scalable-product roles.
- Data Analytics & UX Design certs — fast track into analytics or product/UX teams.
- Cybersecurity, IT Support, Project Management — alternatives if you prefer operational tech roles.
Links (quick access)
- Kickresume — https://lnkd.in/g_arz9Uj
- Job Hunt — https://www.job-hunt.org/
- Wellfound — https://wellfound.com/
- Remotive — https://remotive.com/
- Pyjama Jobs — https://lnkd.in/gFf8t-5S
- Toptal — https://www.toptal.com/
- FlexJobs — https://www.flexjobs.com/
- JS Remotely — https://jsremotely.com/
- Remote OK — https://remoteok.com/
- Working Nomads — https://lnkd.in/gCdMuJVi
Google course links (quick pick)
- Generative AI — https://lnkd.in/dp2NMFq4
- Prompting Engineering — https://lnkd.in/gvSMfkHp
- AI Essentials — https://lnkd.in/g9ca_K4H
- Python crash course — https://lnkd.in/dzReegSZ
(see original list for full set)
In summary:
Top 10 sites to try: Kickresume, Job Hunt, Wellfound, Remotive, Pyjama Jobs, Toptal, FlexJobs, JS Remotely, Remote OK, Working Nomads (use each for resumes, AI matching, startups, vetted remote roles, niche JS listings, elite freelance gigs, and nomad-friendly listings).
Quick playbook: build one ATS-friendly resume (Kickresume), create two role-specific versions, let AI tools (Job Hunt, Pyjama/Pyjama Jobs) add keywords, target 10 high-fit roles, track applications, and follow up weekly. Vet companies via LinkedIn profiles, company email domains, and avoid requests for payment or bank details.
Boost your chances with these Google courses: Generative AI, Prompting Engineering, AI Essentials, Python, Machine Learning, Cloud Fundamentals, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Project Management, IT Support, UX Design, and IT Automation.
Action: pick two platforms, update your resume, and apply to 5 tailored roles this week. Yes it’s work, but ping me if you need help or checkout gemstatetechnology for additional tools to guide you.
Take care…..Dave
Gem State Technology 
Leave a comment