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The fastest-growing roles aren’t always the ones you’d expect, and spotting them early gives you an edge before competition heats up.
We analyzed over 35,000 remote work contracts across 143 countries to pinpoint exactly which roles are exploding in demand, and put together practical hiring tips for each one.
The top 5 fastest-growing remote roles in 2025
Each of these roles tells a story about the future of work. Here's what the data shows, and what it means for your hiring strategy.
1. Data Analyst (+458%)
Look online and you’ll find data analysts lamenting an over saturated job market. Our data tells a different story.
Those people aren't entirely wrong, they're just not looking at the whole picture. Entry-level "dashboard analyst" roles are dying off. AI can now handle a lot of the routine work. What it can't do is make big business decisions.
When an A/B test comes back inconclusive, there’s no model that can weigh trade-offs, manage stakeholder disagreement, or decide what matters most to the business. You still need humans for that.
As a result, demand is shifting toward experienced analysts who understand both data and business context. These are analysts who can work autonomously and help drive decisions, not just report on them.
What this means for hiring Data Analysts:
- Plan for this role earlier than you think. Data analysis is moving from "nice-to-have" to core business function. If you're scaling, add this to your hiring roadmap.
- Build in time for a competitive search. Experienced analysts have options. Expect longer time-to-fill and be ready to move quickly when you find someone good.
- Think globally from day one. The experienced analysts you need are available in São Paulo, Warsaw, and Cairo at rates that would only get you entry-level talent in New York.
2. Sales Development Rep (+451%)
Go on LinkedIn and you'll find posts complaining about robotic AI cold emails right alongside tutorials on how to automate hundreds of outreach messages per day.
Given all this automation, SDR hiring should be declining. But on our platform, SDR hiring grew 451%.
Here's the disconnect: companies are cutting volume-based SDR teams and hiring sophisticated SDRs who deliver better results. Cold email automation sounds efficient until you realize 95% fail to generate replies.
Multi-channel SDRs who combine calls, LinkedIn and email get 287% better response rates. That kind of strategic selling can't be automated.
What this means for hiring SDRs:
- Hire for sophistication, not volume. One experienced SDR who can navigate buying committees and use AI strategically delivers more pipeline value than multiple junior reps automating spray-and-pray outreach.
- Emphasize multi-channel skills in your job posts. Make it clear you need someone who can work calls, email and LinkedIn, not just blast sequences.
- Screen for AI fluency and adaptability. Ask candidates how they'd use tools like Perplexity for research or Claude for message refinement. The best SDRs treat AI as a research assistant, not a replacement for relationship building.
3. Tech Lead (+404%)
Tech Lead is one of the more surprising entries on this list. It's not a role that gets much attention, but it's a direct reflection of how organizational structure in tech teams is changing.
Entry-level hiring rates have dropped 73%. Companies are skipping juniors, and shifting to senior-heavy teams.
Tech Leads are the efficient answer to this shift. Instead of hiring multiple juniors who need oversight, companies hire 1 to 2 Tech Leads who can deliver code while mentoring, own technical architecture, and work directly with product or founders.
What this means for hiring Tech Leads:
- Hire a Tech Lead before a Product Manager or Engineering Manager. Under 20 people, a product-minded Tech Lead who can work directly with founders delivers more value than adding either role. You can specialize later.
- Be explicit about scope in your job posts. If you need someone to mentor, make architecture calls, and shape product decisions, don't hide that under "Senior Engineer" requirements.
- Screen for product thinking, not just technical depth. Tech Leads need to challenge assumptions and propose simpler solutions, not just execute specs.
4. DevOps Engineer (+399%)
DevOps Engineer makes an expected appearance on this list. The reason is simple: infrastructure got exponentially more complex.
Ten years ago, companies ran software on servers they could physically touch. Today, they're running on cloud platforms where costs can spiral into six figures monthly if not managed properly.
DevOps engineers are the people who make sure your infrastructure actually works, keeping your site running, deploying updates without breaking things, and keeping cloud bills under control.
This isn't work you can hand to a junior. Bad infrastructure decisions cost months of downtime or rack up unnecessary spending.
The AI boom is amplifying this. AI requires significantly more computing power, and most companies need experienced engineers who've already scaled systems.
What this means for hiring DevOps:
- Budget like you're hiring a senior engineer, because you are. DevOps isn't a role where you can hire cheap and train up. Bad infrastructure decisions are too expensive to fix.
- Hire before your first major outage forces your hand. If you're running production without dedicated DevOps, you're either overpaying in cloud costs or accumulating problems that will eventually blow up.
- Prioritize cloud platform experience. If a candidate's background is primarily managing physical servers, they'll need significant reskilling for modern cloud infrastructure.
5. Support Specialist (+332%)
Support specialists are growing because every company is running more software than ever before. More cloud platforms, more SaaS tools, more integrations. All of it needs support when things go wrong.
Issues rarely stay contained to one system, so the role requires more technical breadth than it used to. When something breaks, modern support specialists need to understand cloud platforms, SaaS integrations, and often basic scripting to debug custom tools.
Distributed teams are also amplifying the demand. When your team spans multiple timezones, you need support coverage that matches. Companies are hiring support specialists globally to provide 24/7 coverage without burning anyone out.
What this means for hiring Support Specialists:
- Plan for geographic distribution, not just local hires. If you're running distributed teams, hiring across regions gives you timezone coverage.
- Look for versatile problem-solvers, not specialists in one tool. In initial screenings, ask about times they've troubleshot issues spanning multiple tools or had to learn something new under pressure.
- Budget for slightly more technical skills. Modern support specialists need to understand cloud platforms and SaaS integrations. This isn't senior DevOps-level compensation, but it's more than traditional helpdesk work.
Hire senior, hire strategically, hire early
Across these five roles, a clear pattern emerges: smart teams are skipping entry-level hires and prioritizing experienced talent.
The challenge? Finding the right senior talent takes time, and competition is fierce. Delays can slow product launches, revenue, or scaling efforts.
RemotePass makes it easier. Whether you need senior Data Analysts, SDRs, Tech Leads, DevOps Engineers, or Support Specialists, we handle compliant employment, payroll, and spend across 150+ countries.
That means you can hire top talent quickly, without setting up local entities or becoming an expert in international labor law. Ready to hire strategically? Book a 15-minute demo to see how simple global hiring can be.
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