Even if you’re not familiar with the term “Big Five” as it relates to tech companies, you know the five companies themselves: Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta (née Facebook), and Microsoft.
And if you’re looking for a job from one of these companies, boy are there a ton of them available if you’re willing to make the trek into one of their many physical locations—most of which are located in satellite offices in large cities and at their respective headquarters near San Francisco or Seattle.
There are also a small but not insignificant number of U.S.-based remote roles available as well. Here’s where to find them.
Amazon: 43 openings
For a company of Amazon’s size, remote roles can be hard to come by. The ones that are available, though, run the gamut from cyber security to engineering to marketing and beyond.
The majority of Amazon’s listings are for truly remote positions—as in anywhere in the U.S.—although a handful are remote yet tied to a specific population center. So make sure to read the descriptions carefully.
Apple: 20 openings
Apple has made its feelings about full-time remote work pretty clear, so it’s not hugely surprising to see a paltry 17 positions available. About half are for sales positions and half involve software work.
The fact that listings are tied to specific cities doesn’t mean you need to live nearby: This one based out of San Diego, for instance, says, “This position can be remote from any city across the U.S. You do not need to live in the city this is posted in to be considered.” But many descriptions either don’t make it clear how close you’d have to live to a particular location—or are just flat out unclear.
Google: 133 openings
Yes, Google (the biggest, best-known arm of Alphabet) has a larger selection of remote roles than Amazon and Apple. However, I couldn’t figure out how to filter the list down to just the U.S.-based ones (which is bizarre for a company that’s mission is to help people find stuff). As such, about a third of the listings are outside the U.S.
What’s more, Google’s got a big enough physical footprint that most positions are tied to certain office locations and are positioned as “remote eligible” instead of fully remote. In other words, you’ll have to state your preference to work outside of an office and might need to make a case for yourself.
Meta: 249 openings
Credit to Meta: Of the Big Five, it seems to be the most receptive to remote work by far, with a full page extolling the virtues of remote work and reasonably clear U.S.-based remote positions, complete with salary ranges.
At the moment, it’s second only to Microsoft in the quantity of remote-friendly job listings. While many of the openings are tied to optional physical locations, there are a handful of purely remote positions as well. So if you’re intent on staying put, this might be a good place to start.
Microsoft: 323 openings
I can’t tell if this feels a little ominous or if it’s actually helpful, but Microsoft’s remote jobs are a subsection carved out of three options: on-site, “up to 50% work from home,” and “up to 100% work from home.”
I’m leaning toward helpful, to be honest. Of the “up to 100%” jobs, most come with salary-range information that includes a typical base-pay range along with a separate, higher range for those in and around San Francisco or New York City, where the cost of living is notoriously steep.
The listings are also clear about how much travel could be involved and whether you’ll be an individual contributor or manage people.
(2)
