In 2004, Brian decided he didn't want his family to rely solely on a single income source. He had heard many stories of people losing their jobs unexpectedly and wanted to prevent that from happening to him, as he shared with Business Insider. To mitigate this risk, he started looking for part-time remote jobs alongside his full-time remote position in the IT industry. "We reduced our dependency on one employer by working for multiple companies," Brian said, whose identity is known to Business Insider but kept confidential due to professional concerns. "If something went wrong, we would only miss one paycheck temporarily."
Over the next 15 years, these side jobs provided Brian with the additional income and job security he sought. It was in 2020, during a one-month overlap while transitioning between full-time positions, that he realized he could potentially juggle two full-time jobs simultaneously. He decided to try it out.
Last year, Brian earned over $150,000 from various remote jobs, as verified by documents reviewed by Business Insider. The extra income allowed him to reduce credit card debt and take extended trips, working remotely for up to six weeks at a time. He currently holds two full-time and four part-time jobs and resides in the U.S. part-time due to frequent international travel.
While managing these jobs can sometimes be stressful, with many "100-plus hour weeks," Brian believes the effort pays off. After all, when he was laid off from one job last year, he was well-prepared. "The biggest impact has been the confidence that our family's future is not tied to the success of any one job or company," he said.
Brian is one of the many "overemployed" Americans who secretly hold multiple remote positions to boost their income and job security, a strategy Business Insider found in interviews with over two dozen individuals. Some have made as much as $1 million annually through this approach, using the extra earnings to pay off student debt, save for retirement, and afford luxury vacations.
Although some companies might allow employees to take on additional work, doing so without approval could have repercussions. Moreover, competition for remote roles, return-to-office mandates, and burnout are causing some to question the sustainability of overemployment.
Brian shared his "secret sauce" for avoiding burnout along with tips for those overemployed. He focuses on juggling two full-time roles only part of the year to stay motivated. "When it affects family or fun time, we reassess and I keep the role that best supports our lifestyle until another opportunity arises," he said.
Despite the challenges in finding new positions, Brian remains confident, regularly receiving interest from recruiters and recently interviewing for three jobs within a week. This process helps him stay informed about hiring trends and roles he can return to later.
To keep his overemployment from being noticed by employers, Brian suggests finding jobs that don’t require frequent video meetings and staggering work hours if companies are in different time zones. Furthermore, enhancing time management skills is crucial. "Set a 24-hour calendar to prioritize the most important parts of your day," he advised.
Looking ahead, Brian plans to continue juggling jobs and is considering a third full-time role for additional income and security. The prospect of one high-paying, remote position might change his mind, but he'd need a salary of at least $250,000 to consider it. "There's an inherent risk in most roles today, from job elimination to major staffing changes," he stated.