Every week someone asks us some version of the same question: “Are there any real online jobs in Sacramento, or is it all scams?”
The honest answer is both. There are real remote and hybrid jobs available to people in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, and Sutter Counties, more than there were five years ago and fewer than there were two years ago. The remote job market also draws more fake listings than any other part of the job search, because the scammers know you will never see the office.
This post covers where the real listings are, how to search them without wasting your evenings, which local employers hire remote, what to expect on pay, and how to tell a real posting from a trap. If you only do one thing after reading it, bookmark our Online Job Resources page. It is the list we send Sacramento candidates to every week, and it is free.
First, what “online job” actually means
People use “online job” to mean three different things, and the search is different for each.
Fully remote. You work from home, the employer may be anywhere in the country, and you might never meet your coworkers in person. Customer support, sales, tech, design, writing, and some healthcare administration live here.
Hybrid. You go into an office two or three days a week and work from home the rest. This is now the most common arrangement for office jobs in the Sacramento region, and it is where a lot of the “remote” jobs quietly moved.
Local jobs you apply for online. This is most jobs. Kaiser, Sutter, the County, SMUD. You apply on their websites, but you work on site. If you mean “how do I find and apply for jobs on the internet,” that is a different post, and our resources page covers it too.
Know which one you want before you start searching. Someone who needs a fully remote job because of childcare has a much narrower search than someone who would happily do hybrid.
Where the real remote jobs are
Local employers that hire remote and hybrid
The biggest surprise for most people: some of the best remote jobs available to Sacramento residents are with Sacramento employers.
- Healthcare systems. Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, UC Davis Health, and Dignity Health all run scheduling, billing, coding, member services, and call-center operations, and many of those roles are remote or hybrid. They are posted on each system’s own careers site, not on the national remote boards. Our resources page links straight to them.
- The State of California. For years, state telework was the best-kept remote secret in the region. That has changed. The state has pulled most of its workforce back into the office for the majority of the week, and fully remote state positions are now uncommon. Hybrid still exists in some departments. Read the telework language on each CalCareers posting rather than assuming. (And remember, state jobs require an exam before you can apply. That is covered on the resources page and in our workshops.)
- County and city agencies. Similar story. Some hybrid, little fully remote. Check the posting.
- Local companies with remote support teams. Golden 1, SAFE Credit Union, insurance carriers, and a growing number of Sacramento-based companies hire remote customer-service and back-office staff who live in the region. These show up on the SacJobs job board because the employer is local, even if the desk is your kitchen table.
National remote boards worth your time
These are the boards we point people to, all linked on the resources page.
- We Work Remotely. One of the largest remote-only boards. Strong for tech, design, marketing, and customer support.
- Remote OK. High volume, and most posts show salary ranges, which makes it useful just for learning what remote work pays.
- Working Nomads. Hand-picked listings with a free email digest.
- Remote.co. Curated listings plus guides on working from home, useful if this would be your first remote role.
- FlexJobs. Every listing is screened for scams, and it covers part-time and flexible schedules the free boards miss. It is a paid subscription, so check the free boards first.
One thing to check on every national listing: is it open to California hires? Many remote employers only hire in certain states because of tax and employment law. The posting will usually say. If it does not, ask before you apply. It is a legitimate question and it saves you a wasted application.
How to search without losing your evenings
Most people search remote jobs the same way they search everything else. Scroll, apply, scroll, apply. That is the slowest possible method. Do this instead.
Set up alerts once, on every site. Every board on our list lets you save a search and get emailed when something new matches. Do that once per site and your list works while you sleep.
Use the right words. Search “remote,” “telework,” “work from home,” and “hybrid,” separately. Employers use different terms, and a search for one misses the others.
Apply on the employer’s own site. Aggregators carry stale and duplicated posts. When you find something, go to the company’s careers page and apply there.
Match the posting’s language in your resume. Almost every employer on this list screens resumes with software before a person reads them. If the posting says “customer success” and your resume says “client relations,” the software may not connect them. Use their words, honestly. Our Resume Alignment service does exactly this for a specific posting if you would rather have someone do it with you.
Show you can work remote. Employers hiring for remote roles worry about one thing. Can this person manage themselves without a supervisor in the room? Your resume and cover letter should answer that before they ask. Mention any experience working independently, managing your own schedule, communicating in writing, or using tools like Zoom, Slack, or a CRM.
What remote jobs pay in the Sacramento area
Two things are true. Remote jobs with national companies often pay a little less than the same job in the Bay Area, because they are not paying Bay Area rent. And they often pay a little more than the same job on site in Sacramento, because the employer is competing nationally for you.
Where that lands depends heavily on the role. Remote customer service and scheduling jobs commonly run in the same range as their local in-person equivalents. Remote tech, design, and analyst roles often pay above the local market. Remote OK’s salary ranges are a quick way to check what a specific role is going for.
One honest caution. Entry-level fully remote jobs are the most competitive listings in the country, because everyone everywhere is applying to them. If you are new to the workforce, a hybrid job with a local employer is usually faster to get and a better first step than a fully remote job with a national company.
How to spot a scam
Remote listings draw more fakes than any other category. These rules cover almost every one of them.
- A real employer never asks you for money. Not for equipment, training, a background check, or a “starter kit.” If money leaves your hands, it is a scam.
- Never deposit a check and send part of it on. This is the most common job scam. The check bounces days later and the bank holds you responsible for every dollar.
- No Social Security number or bank details before a signed written offer. Payroll happens after you are hired, not during the interview.
- Real interviews involve a real person. A video call or an in-person meeting. Not a text chat, not Telegram, not a “hiring manager” who only communicates through a messaging app.
- Check the email address. A recruiter for a major company writing from a Gmail account is a red flag. Verify by finding the company’s real website and contacting them through it.
- Pay far above market for no experience is bait. Forty-five dollars an hour, no experience, start tomorrow. That is not a job.
If something feels off, walk away. There will be another listing.
Questions Sacramento job seekers ask about online work
Do I need experience to get a remote job? For most fully remote roles, yes, at least a year or two of related work, because the employer cannot train you over your shoulder. The exception is remote customer service and call-center work, which some employers hire into at entry level with paid training. Hybrid local jobs are more open to people starting out.
What equipment do I need? A reliable computer, a stable internet connection, a headset, and a quiet space. Many employers provide the computer. If a listing asks you to buy equipment from them and promises reimbursement, that is a scam, not a requirement.
Can I work remotely for a company in another state while living in California? Yes, if the company is set up to employ California residents. Many are. Some are not, because California’s employment and tax rules are more demanding than most states’. The posting usually lists eligible states. If it does not, ask.
Are there remote state jobs? Far fewer than there were. Most state departments have brought employees back to the office for the majority of the week. Some hybrid arrangements remain, and they vary by department and classification. Check the telework section of each posting, and do not apply expecting fully remote unless it says so.
Do remote jobs pay less? Sometimes less than the Bay Area, often about the same or more than local in-person work. It depends on the role. See the pay section above.
Is FlexJobs worth paying for? If you have worked the free boards for a few weeks and keep hitting scams or stale listings, yes. The screening is real. Start free first.
How long does it take to land a remote job? Longer than a local one, usually. You are competing with candidates nationwide, and many remote employers run more interview rounds. Two to four months is a realistic window for a fully remote role with a national company. Hybrid local roles move faster.
How do I stand out when hundreds of people apply? Three things, in order. A resume that matches the posting’s language. A cover letter that says specifically why you want this remote role at this company, not remote work in general. And any evidence you have worked independently before. Most applicants skip all three.
Where SacJobs fits in
Everything above works without buying anything from us. Here is what we offer, free things first.
Online Job Resources. The full list of local employer job sites, public-sector portals, and remote boards, with notes on how to use each one. Bookmark it.
Free SacJobs account. Job alerts from local employers the moment they post, resume upload so employers can find you, and the free 8-phase Career Road Map. No card, no catch.
Free career assessments. Twelve short quizzes on where you are in your search, what is holding you back, and what kind of work fits you. Each one ends with a next step. No account needed.
Candidate Services. When you want help with a specific piece: resume alignment to a posting, a full rewrite, a cover letter, or a recorded mock interview. SacJobs Plus is $29 a month for AI tools that read your actual resume, and SacJobs Pro is $79 a month if you would rather have the writing done for you.
Career Coaching Workshop, Wednesday, September 16. 6 to 8 PM at the Scottish Rite Center, $45. September’s session is “AI in the Workplace and Beyond.” The topic changes every month, so check the page for what is running next.
Fall Career Fair, Thursday, November 5. 11 AM to 3 PM at the Scottish Rite Center. Dozens of Sacramento employers across healthcare, government, logistics, and trades, all hiring, all in one afternoon. Free. And here is the thing about career fairs and remote work. Many of the employers in that room have hybrid and remote roles they do not advertise on the national boards. Ask.
The Sacramento Jobs Facebook Group. Thousands of local members. Employers post openings straight to the group, and it is the fastest place to ask “is this listing legit?” and get an answer from someone who has dealt with that company.
Online applications get you into the pile. A conversation with a real person gets you out of it. Use both.
SacJobs has connected Sacramento employers and job seekers since 2000. Questions about anything in this post? Email support@sacjobs.com or call (916) 455-6677.