12 US Companies That Will Actually Pay You to Work From Anywhere in the World Right Now

Remote work is still opening doors for Americans who want to live abroad without giving up a steady paycheck. A small but notable group of US companies continue to hire for roles that can be done from almost anywhere, though tax, payroll and time-zone rules still apply.

The list below focuses on US-based employers with well-known remote cultures, recent hiring activity, or formal location-flexible policies that make international living more realistic. In most cases, workers still need approval to relocate, and the exact country options depend on legal compliance, data security and labor rules.

Airbnb

Airbnb remains one of the clearest examples of a US company embracing location flexibility. In 2022, the company announced that many employees could live and work in more than 170 countries for up to 90 days in each destination during a given year, while staying on payroll.

That policy made headlines because it moved beyond standard work-from-home arrangements and directly addressed the rise of digital nomad lifestyles. Chief Executive Brian Chesky said at the time that employees should be able to work “from home or an office” and move around if their role allowed it.

Airbnb has continued to post remote and distributed jobs in areas including product, engineering, design and operations. For workers eyeing Europe, Latin America or parts of Asia, Airbnb is often cited by recruiters as one of the most realistic large US employers for temporary international remote work.

The catch is that not every position qualifies, and long-term relocation can trigger legal and tax limits. Even so, the company’s formal policy remains one of the strongest signals that global mobility is no longer just a perk for executives.

GitLab

GitLab has built much of its brand around being fully remote. The software company has operated without a traditional headquarters model for years, and its public handbook has often been used as a reference point by other employers trying to manage distributed teams.

Because GitLab hires across many countries, it is one of the few US-founded companies where international remote work is not treated as an exception. Roles regularly appear in engineering, sales, security, customer success and marketing, depending on business needs.

That matters for workers who want more than a short overseas stint. Instead of asking for a temporary travel exception, some GitLab employees are hired directly within a global employment structure, which can make longer stays abroad easier than at more conventional firms.

Still, candidates need to read location notes carefully. Some jobs are open only in specific regions because of labor law, export controls, compensation bands or customer-facing schedule requirements.

Automattic

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Tumblr and WooCommerce, has long been known for a distributed workforce. It has described itself for years as a company designed around remote work, with employees spread across dozens of countries and no central office requirement for many teams.

For Americans who want to base themselves overseas, that makes Automattic especially relevant. The company has recruited for roles in engineering, product, design, customer support, content and business operations, many of them structured around asynchronous communication rather than fixed office hours.

That setup can be a major advantage for workers moving between time zones. Instead of forcing everyone into a 9-to-5 schedule tied to one city, Automattic has emphasized written communication and flexible collaboration, a model that fits international living better than most hybrid systems.

As with other global employers, country-by-country restrictions still exist. But among US tech companies, Automattic remains one of the most established examples of a business that can genuinely support work from abroad.

Zapier

Zapier has spent years operating as a remote-first company, and that reputation has held up even as some rivals pushed employees back to offices. The workflow automation company has hired across the US and internationally, especially in engineering, support, product and go-to-market functions.

For would-be digital nomads, Zapier’s appeal is practical rather than flashy. The company has talked publicly about asynchronous work, documentation and reduced meeting culture, all of which make it easier for employees to keep working while changing locations.

Recent job listings have varied by team and region, but the company continues to show up on recruiter lists of remote-friendly employers. Compensation can still depend on role, seniority and approved work location, so workers should not assume one salary applies in every country.

Even so, Zapier stands out because its remote setup is deeply built into how the company runs. That lowers the odds that an overseas move will be treated as an odd exception by management.

Coinbase

Coinbase declared itself a “remote-first” company in 2020, a major move from one of the biggest names in US crypto and financial technology. The company said at the time that employees could choose to work from an office or remain remote, depending on role and preference.

That policy mattered because finance-related businesses tend to be more cautious about compliance, data handling and regulatory oversight. A large public company taking a remote-first stance signaled that location flexibility was reaching sectors once seen as office-bound.

Coinbase continues to list remote roles in engineering, legal, compliance, operations and customer-facing teams, though eligibility often depends on jurisdiction. Workers hoping to live abroad need to pay especially close attention here because financial regulations can sharply limit where certain tasks are performed.

Even with those constraints, Coinbase remains notable because it still offers a path for highly paid US-based professionals to work outside a traditional office and, in some cases, outside the country with approval.

Deel

Deel is not just a remote company. Its business is built around helping other companies hire and pay workers across borders. That makes it one of the most obvious employers for people who want a salary while living internationally.

The company, founded in the US and now operating globally, has recruited for jobs in software engineering, sales, account management, operations, legal and payroll-related specialties. Because cross-border employment is core to its business, Deel often understands relocation logistics better than a standard US employer.

That does not mean every worker can log in from any beach town without paperwork. But it does mean Deel has internal expertise on employer-of-record structures, local compliance and international payroll systems that can make global mobility more realistic.

For many applicants, that infrastructure is the deciding factor. Plenty of firms say they support remote work, but far fewer have the systems to pay people lawfully across multiple jurisdictions.

Toptal

Toptal is best known as a talent marketplace for freelance and contract professionals, but it also hires internal staff remotely. The company has marketed itself around a borderless workforce, making it a strong fit for people who want location freedom.

Its internal openings have included positions in operations, recruiting, product, engineering, marketing and finance. Because the company works with global freelance talent, it is structurally more comfortable than many employers with teams spread across continents.

For workers based abroad, Toptal can offer an unusual mix of stability and flexibility. Some roles are full-time employment, while others may involve contract structures that give workers more freedom over where they live, though benefits and legal protections can vary.

That distinction matters. A company may truly allow international mobility, but the terms of pay, tax withholding and benefits can look very different depending on whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor.

Oyster

Oyster has become one of the better-known names in global hiring, helping businesses employ staff in countries where they lack a local entity. Like Deel, it operates in the exact corner of the economy where remote work meets labor law.

That makes Oyster a natural candidate for workers who want to live outside the US. Its jobs have spanned engineering, customer experience, partnerships, operations and people teams, often with a globally distributed structure already in place.

The bigger story is why companies like Oyster matter now. As employers grow more careful about permanent remote policies, firms that specialize in international compliance are becoming more valuable because they can handle visas, payroll, tax rules and local contracts.

For job seekers, that means Oyster is more than another remote employer. It represents a slice of the labor market where cross-border work is not a side perk but part of the business model itself.

Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation, the US-based nonprofit that supports Wikipedia and related projects, has maintained a distributed workforce and often hires remote employees. Its mission-driven model has helped it attract workers who value flexibility alongside public-interest work.

Openings have included software engineering, trust and safety, fundraising, legal, communications and research roles. Because it serves a global user base, the organization is used to managing teams and collaborators across time zones and countries.

That global footprint can make overseas living more feasible for staff whose roles are approved for remote work. At the same time, nonprofit budgets and compensation may not match big tech at the top end, which matters for workers comparing salary against international cost of living.

Even so, Wikimedia stands out for stability and purpose. For many professionals, being able to live abroad while working on a globally recognized public resource is a compelling tradeoff.

Canonical

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has long run as a globally distributed business with employees in many countries. Although it is often associated with open-source software rather than mainstream consumer tech, it has remained a consistent remote employer.

The company frequently hires for engineering, cloud infrastructure, support, security, sales and technical account roles. For US workers with skills in Linux, enterprise software or developer tools, Canonical can be one of the more realistic ways to work internationally.

Its hiring model typically assumes distributed teams from the start, which reduces the friction around location changes. Instead of adapting an office job to remote work, Canonical is generally filling roles already designed for online collaboration across regions.

Applicants should still expect rigorous hiring and role-specific location limits. But for technical workers, Canonical remains one of the clearer examples of a company that truly operates beyond office geography.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search company headquartered in the US, has also built a reputation for remote hiring. The firm has recruited for roles in engineering, product, design, public policy and communications, often with flexible location arrangements.

That matters because smaller tech firms can sometimes pivot faster than large corporations. A leaner structure often means less office real estate, fewer location-based expectations and a greater willingness to organize work around distributed teams.

For employees considering life abroad, DuckDuckGo offers another example of a company where remote work is not merely tolerated. It is closely tied to the company’s operating culture and hiring identity, which gives workers more confidence that flexibility will last.

As always, approved countries and payroll structures matter. But among established US internet companies, DuckDuckGo remains one of the names most often mentioned in conversations about genuine remote-first work.

Elastic

Elastic, the company behind Elasticsearch, has maintained a distributed workforce across many regions and continues to hire remote talent. Its business serves enterprise customers worldwide, and its staffing model has reflected that international reach.

Roles have included software engineering, sales, consulting, security, product and customer success. Because many of its teams already support clients across borders, workers based abroad may find the company more accustomed than average to time-zone spread and cross-country collaboration.

Elastic is also a reminder that “work from anywhere” does not always mean complete freedom without conditions. Companies may permit international living, but only in countries where they can legally employ staff, protect data and manage tax exposure.

Even with those limits, Elastic belongs on this list because it combines a recognizable US tech brand, recurring remote hiring and a mature distributed structure. For professionals seeking a paycheck and a passport-friendly lifestyle, that combination is still relatively rare.