- Some people earn up to $500,000 a year secretly working multiple remote jobs.
- But splitting time between roles can make it difficult for some workers to advance in their careers.
- However, some professional jugglers say that additional professional experience helps develop valuable skills.
Even though Robert, a Gen
“There’s a certain level you can’t reach to perform well in multiple jobs,” Robert said. “It’s definitely harder to really move forward.”
However, Robert was willing to pursue this profession and worked three jobs simultaneously for half the year, which he said only required about 50 hours of work per week. He said the extra income helped him pay off debt and take several expensive vacations, including a cruise costing about $20,000.
Over the past year, Business Insider spoke with several people who made up to $500,000 a year working on two or three remote tasks simultaneously. They used the extra income to pay off their mortgage, plan for early retirement, and take luxurious vacations.
But life is full of compromises, and that’s truer than ever for people who secretly work multiple remote jobs.
Business Insider asked four current and former overemployed workers if their career trajectory stopped when they started working multiple jobs and, if so, if it bothered them. They spoke on the condition of using pseudonyms for fear of professional repercussions, but BI verified their identities and income.
A lack of career advancement might be worth it because of the extra income
Overemployed people deploy a different career strategy than traditionally employed workers – one that could make it difficult for them to thrive and advance in a given job.
Career advancement is one of the main things Robert has had to give up in his quest for overemployment, he said. He added that it can also be difficult to align vacation periods – they must be approved by multiple employers.
But in the end, Robert said the extra income juggling professionally gave him was worth it. Even if he could earn a comparable income in a higher position, he said he might prefer an overemployed lifestyle.
“I could be a senior manager making $25,000 to $30,000 a month and very stressed, or I could work two or three jobs and get by,” he said.
Sharing time between jobs is sometimes untenable
Juggling work can have its pros and cons. Although working multiple jobs can be stressful and require long hours, most people told Business Insider that it’s worth it for college. income.
Along the same lines, intense competition for remote positions and return-to-office mandates could make overemployment a difficult strategy to sustain over the long term – and having multiple jobs could be a punishable offense. dismissal if such a situation is ever discovered. But for many workers, the added job security that comes from having multiple jobs outweighs these concerns.
Career advancement – and the value placed on it – is another factor that many professional jugglers are forced to consider.
William, a Texas-based techie in his 30s who earned more than $500,000 in 2022 by secretly working multiple remote jobs, also assessed his career progress.
Working up to 14 hours a day in all of his roles meant he didn’t have much time to relax, William said. He also struggled to devote enough time to each of his tasks.
“It was definitely a trade-off between short-term financial gains,” he said of overemployment. “This has made it more difficult to commit 100% to either role, which is necessary to advance in your career.
In February 2023, just eight months after his debut, William decided to resign from his two company positions and focus on his consulting business.
Overemployment can provide workers with valuable experience
Not all overemployed workers agree that having multiple jobs is bad for career advancement.
John, a millennial IT professional in California, was on track to earn more than $300,000 last year from two remote jobs.
He said the skills he learned in one job sometimes helped him become more productive in his other job. He believes it has made him a more valuable worker and could ultimately help him advance in his career.
“If anything, it makes me more creative in my work because I can approach problems in different ways,” he said.
If job juggling helps John land higher positions – and those roles come with greater job responsibilities – it may be difficult for him to continue juggling work tasks. But that may not necessarily be the case, based on the experiences of other overemployed workers.
Justin, a software engineer in his 50s, earned over $300,000 in 2022 by secretly working three full-time, remote software engineering jobs. By the time he started juggling work, he said he had already progressed significantly in his career and was not concerned about his professional growth.
“I wasn’t getting any advancement that I was expecting,” he said. “But I have the means to travel now. So I’m not really giving up relaxation time. So really, what have I given up? Nothing.”
Do you work multiple remote jobs at the same time and want to provide details about your salary and schedule? If so, contact this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
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