It is, but you have to approach it from a different angle, IMO.

Be an expert in what you do and be the one dealing the cards. If you’re constantly chasing and applying for whatever jobs are posted out there, you have to play by their rules and deal with whatever they decide to throw you.

Either approach people as a service provider, saying you can do this, this and this and this is your price - or, at the very least, just make sure you’re able to stand your ground and say “Cool, I can easily do this and I can even throw that into the package you’ll be getting, but here’s the caveat: I work remotely”.

Also, as some others have already said: it’s easier to be remote on a contract vs. to be a FT/Perm employee with a salary and some sort of perks attached, which means you have to spend time on growing your network and maintaining it: industry people, but also key fixers like Talent Managers, HRs etc. who will reach out to you if they have a leak to fix that you might do.

I generally don’t take a payout on my rates vs London - at least not a massive one, I might take £10, £20 off on an hour but only if it helps with securing the contract because the client just doesn’t have the budget I would normally ask for. Why would I? I’m still providing the same skills, making the same things happen regardless of where I am. I charge for my knowledge and value I bring in, time saved to the other side, etc.

At minimum, I would quadruple my salary if I just moved back to the States and got a regular gig in my industry. Likely much more.

But instead of that, I recently absorbed a huge salary cut. Because my company knows Im not going to do that. And my company knows how hard it is for me to replace this gig as a remote worker. Capitalism 101.

High paying jobs with an extraordinary work/life balance are unicorns, no matter how you cut it.

I’m not in US, and not a US citizen, I receive remote job offers with numbers over 100k quite often. Creative field.

Look into Colombia.

I have a US-based remote job making $150k+ and they’re OK with me traveling as long as I’m credibly not a resident of one foreign country

It’s easier as an independent than as an employee.

The definition of employee is they own you and your freedom.

It also makes more sense as an American abroad to be independent. Depending where you live you can get health insurance for less than 2000 a year.

Why pay for US healthcare when you can get way cheaper private health care elsewhere.

I pay 1200 in Spain, dentist included, 0 co-payment.

If you’re not someone who can get six figures at a job in a non-remote capacity, chances are you’re not going to get six figures at a job in a remote capacity either. DNs with actual in-demand skills (+that are doable remotely) don’t need to take pay cuts or have money saved up.

The question is meaningless unless you specify what are you work in. You can make a million dollars a month remotely…

I make six figure salary working fully remotely as a web developer, I can work in any timezone as long as I can make one meeting per day.

These jobs are not easy to get however…

Many people here shy away from it but most dev jobs in crypto fully remote and distributed

Where you live and what you make are two independent variables - at least for an individual.

It’s possible, it’s hard, but it’s also easier now.

i sort of do. I have to travel to certain locations but in between I can be wherever I want. I am on about USD200k p.a. TC.

I have a very high paying job that is remote. As long as I am in Europe, they don’t care. And I have the feeling I could go somewhere else and they would agree to that as long as I am available. My company is in the US and I relocated from on country in the EU to another and they didn’t change my contract. They were fine with it.

It is possible, in very specific circumstances. It helps to be an expert in your field, especially more so if it’s in a highly technical international field.

I have a friend (dual US/French citizen) who earns around $200k USD in Paris working for a private American company in aerospace. He has a very specific skill set and was able to negotiate a “low” American salary in exchange for living in France. The company wants more connections with ESA, he gets to live in France with an insanely high salary (by French standards), they get to pay him less than they would an American (their base pay is around $300k)…everybody wins.

You can also consult - but have to be driven.

You can also work for a company that is remote and just not tell them you’re abroad, or work for an international company. My company (international conservation) allows for remote work as we have offices all over the world, so if you want to go anywhere for 3 months of the year and travel we are able to. More than three months though you need to be a “resident” in that country and claim it. I have a colleague I suspect is working illegally in France, but should be in Germany. Who knows how many others are doing it in my company…

They are possible. I make about 300k USD and work fully remote. The trick is to be very good at your job or have a niche skill set. Use your network and get referrals, it’s much easier this way.