Your supervisor's message pops up: "Sarah, line 3 is holding—angry customer." Your stomach drops. You've been dreading this all morning. The yelling. The interrupting. That moment when you can hear them seething through the phone and your voice starts to shake.
What if you never had to answer another phone call?
Chat support jobs exist specifically for people who'd rather type than talk. Real customer service roles—at companies like Shopify, American Express, and Zapier—where your entire job happens through a keyboard. No phone calls. No voice. Just you, solving problems one message at a time.
Here are 20 companies actively hiring for remote chat support, what they pay, and exactly how to land a position where "please hold" isn't in your vocabulary.
What Are Remote Chat Support Jobs?
Remote chat support jobs involve helping customers solve problems through text-based communication—live chat widgets, email, social media messaging, or in-app support. You're doing the same problem-solving work as phone-based customer service, just with a keyboard instead of a headset.
The core difference is communication style. Chat agents typically handle 2-4 conversations simultaneously, using saved responses (called "macros" or "canned responses") for common questions. Phone agents handle one call at a time but must think and respond in real-time.
Chat support roles go by many names in job listings: live chat agent, chat specialist, online support representative, text-based customer service, messaging support, or digital customer experience associate. They all mean essentially the same thing—helping customers without picking up a phone.
These positions are ideal for parents who need to work during nap times, anyone uncomfortable with phone conversations, people with hearing difficulties, or professionals who simply communicate better in writing.
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How Much Do Chat Support Jobs Pay?
Chat support salaries depend on the company, industry, and your experience level. Here's what to expect:
| Experience Level | Hourly Rate | Annual Salary | What You're Doing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $14 - $18/hr | $29,000 - $37,000 | Basic inquiries, order status, simple troubleshooting |
| Experienced | $18 - $24/hr | $37,000 - $50,000 | Complex issues, billing disputes, product expertise |
| Senior/Lead | $24 - $32/hr | $50,000 - $66,000 | Escalations, training, quality assurance |
| Technical Chat | $22 - $35/hr | $46,000 - $73,000 | Software troubleshooting, technical products |
Beyond Base Pay: Many chat support roles include performance bonuses tied to customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, resolution rates, or chat volume metrics. Health insurance, equipment stipends ($500-$1,500 for home office setup), and internet reimbursement ($50-$100/month) are common at established companies.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, customer service representatives earn a median wage of $20.59 per hour. Chat-specific roles often pay slightly higher than phone-based positions because they require strong writing skills and the ability to multitask across several conversations.
Tech companies and financial services tend to pay at the higher end of these ranges. E-commerce and retail companies typically start lower but offer advancement opportunities into customer success management or operations roles.
20 Companies Hiring Remote Chat Support (No Phone)
These companies actively hire for text-based, remote customer support positions. Some are chat-only; others are primarily chat with occasional email.
Tech & SaaS Companies
1. Shopify — $19-$26/hour
Help merchants build and run their online stores. Shopify's support is primarily chat and email-based. You'll troubleshoot themes, payment processing, and app integrations. Strong technical aptitude required, but no coding. Excellent for people interested in e-commerce.
2. Automattic (WordPress.com) — $50,000-$85,000/year
Fully distributed company with text-based support for WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack. Asynchronous communication culture means flexible hours. Known for exceptional work-life balance and remote-first DNA.
3. Zapier — $60,000-$85,000/year
Help users connect apps and automate workflows. Chat and email support only—no phones. Async-first culture, extremely flexible scheduling. Premium pay for a premium company culture.
4. BigCommerce — $18-$24/hour
Technical support for e-commerce platform users. Chat and email channels handling merchant inquiries about store setup, themes, and integrations. Based in Austin but fully remote positions available.
Shopify and BigCommerce offer paid training programs that teach you their platforms from scratch. You don't need e-commerce experience—just strong communication skills and willingness to learn.
Financial Services
5. American Express — $20-$28/hour
Chat support for cardmembers handling account inquiries, disputes, and travel services. Excellent benefits package including tuition reimbursement. Amex frequently appears on "best places to work" lists.
6. Discover Financial — $18-$24/hour
Credit card and banking support via chat and email. Strong training program with clear advancement paths. Full benefits for full-time employees.
7. CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) — $18-$25/hour CAD
Chat specialists for banking customers. Bilingual (English/French) positions available at premium rates. Remote positions throughout Canada.
8. Salem Five Bank — $17-$22/hour
Regional bank offering chat-based customer experience roles. Smaller company culture with remote flexibility. Based in Massachusetts but hires remotely.
Financial services chat roles often require background checks and may have stricter scheduling requirements during market hours. However, they typically offer better benefits and more stability than startup environments.
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E-Commerce & Retail
9. Amazon — $16-$22/hour
Customer service via chat and email for the world's largest online retailer. High volume, structured metrics, but major brand stability. Both seasonal and permanent positions available.
10. Williams-Sonoma (including Pottery Barn, West Elm) — $15-$20/hour
Support customers shopping for home goods across multiple brands. Chat and email support with some flexible scheduling options. Employee discounts are a nice perk.
11. Wayfair — $16-$21/hour
Help customers with furniture and home goods orders. Chat-focused support handling shipping, returns, and product questions. Fast-paced environment during sales events.
12. ModSquad — $15-$25/hour
Outsourced customer support agency serving multiple brands. Chat moderation, customer service, and social media support. Project-based work with varying clients.
Healthcare & Insurance
13. UnitedHealth Group — $17-$24/hour
Chat support for health insurance members navigating coverage, claims, and provider networks. Requires comfort with healthcare terminology. Full benefits and advancement opportunities.
14. Clipboard Health — $18-$25/hour
Support healthcare facilities and nurses using their staffing platform. Chat-based customer experience specialist roles. Fast-growing healthcare tech company.
Healthcare customer support is essentially recession-proof. People always need help understanding their insurance, finding providers, and navigating the healthcare system. These roles also teach valuable healthcare knowledge that transfers to other medical support positions.
Customer Support Agencies (Work for Multiple Clients)
15. Omni Interactions — $14-$22/hour
Gig-economy style customer support serving Fortune 500 companies. Choose your own hours and clients. Chat, email, and some phone options—you can select chat-only projects.
16. Working Solutions — $14-$20/hour
Remote customer service agency with chat support opportunities. Flexible scheduling for independent contractors. Background in retail or customer service helpful.
17. LiveWorld — $15-$22/hour
Social media and chat moderation for major brands. Manage online communities, respond to customer messages, and monitor social conversations. Good for people with social media savvy.
18. Veriforce — $16-$21/hour
Customer support for supply chain management solutions. Chat and email support for B2B clients. More specialized knowledge but often less volume than consumer support.
Other Notable Employers
19. Samsara — $20-$28/hour
IoT and fleet management technology support. Help businesses implement and troubleshoot connected operations. Technical chat support with growth potential.
20. Entrata — $17-$24/hour
Property management software support via chat. Help property managers and residents navigate the platform. Real estate technology experience is a plus but not required.
Legitimate chat support jobs never ask you to pay for training, equipment, or "certification." If a company wants money upfront, it's a scam. Stick to established companies or use verified job boards like RemoteJobAssistant that filter out fraudulent listings.
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Skills You Need for Chat Support Jobs
Chat support requires a specific skill set that differs from phone-based customer service. Here's what employers look for:
Writing Skills — Clear, concise, grammatically correct writing is non-negotiable. You'll write hundreds of messages per day. Customers judge companies by how well their support team communicates.
Typing Speed — Most companies require 40+ WPM with high accuracy. 60+ WPM makes you more competitive. Test yourself at typing.com or keybr.com before applying.
Multitasking — Chat agents typically handle 2-4 conversations simultaneously. You need to context-switch without losing track of each customer's issue.
Problem-Solving — You'll troubleshoot issues without hearing tone of voice or seeing body language. Reading between the lines of text-based communication is essential.
Empathy in Writing — Conveying warmth and understanding through text is harder than it sounds. Phrases like "I understand how frustrating this must be" need to feel genuine, not robotic.
Technical Requirements
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed | 25 Mbps download | 50+ Mbps download |
| Computer | Company-provided or personal | Dual monitors helpful |
| Workspace | Quiet, private area | Dedicated home office |
| Backup Internet | Recommended | Mobile hotspot ready |
No college degree is required for most chat support positions—they're among the best remote jobs that don't require a degree. No previous customer service experience (most companies train from scratch). No special certifications. If you can type, write clearly, and genuinely want to help people, you're qualified.
How to Stand Out When Applying
Chat support receives hundreds of applications per opening. Here's how to move your resume to the top of the pile:
1. Prove Your Writing Skills in the Application
Your cover letter IS your writing sample. If it's generic, full of errors, or rambling, you've just shown them exactly how you'd communicate with customers. Keep it concise, error-free, and personable.
2. Include Typing Speed
Add "65 WPM with 98% accuracy" to your resume. It's a small detail that signals you've done your homework about the role requirements.
3. Translate Any Customer-Facing Experience
Retail, food service, tutoring, volunteering—any experience helping people counts. Frame it in terms of results: "Assisted 50+ customers daily with product questions" sounds better than "Worked at Target."
4. Demonstrate Remote Readiness
Mention your dedicated workspace, reliable internet, and any previous remote experience. Companies worry about candidates who've never worked from home. Address that concern proactively.
5. Show Product Interest
Applying to Shopify? Mention you've browsed their app store. Applying to Wayfair? Reference a recent purchase experience. Companies hire people who care about what they sell.
Use our AI Job Decoder to analyze any chat support job posting and get personalized advice on exactly what that specific employer is looking for.
Tools You'll Use
Chat support jobs involve various software platforms. Familiarity with these tools makes you more competitive:
Chat Platforms
- Zendesk
- Intercom
- Freshdesk
- LiveChat
- Drift
- Salesforce Service Cloud
Communication Tools
- Slack (internal team chat)
- Microsoft Teams
- Google Workspace
CRM Systems
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zendesk Sell
You don't need expertise in all of these—most companies train you on their specific tech stack. But mentioning familiarity with Zendesk or Intercom on your resume signals you won't need hand-holding during onboarding.
Many of these platforms offer free trials or sandboxes. Create a Zendesk trial account and explore the interface. Watch YouTube tutorials. This hands-on familiarity separates you from candidates who've only read about the tools.
Career Growth from Chat Support
Chat support isn't a dead-end job. It's a launchpad.
Year 1-2: Chat Support Agent → Senior Agent/Team Lead
Master the product, hit your metrics, and you'll be promoted to handle escalations and help train new hires. Pay bump: 15-25%.
Year 2-3: Team Lead → Customer Success Manager
The natural progression from reactive support (fixing problems) to proactive success (preventing problems). Customer success manager roles typically pay $55,000-$85,000.
Alternative Paths:
- Quality Assurance — Review chat transcripts, coach agents, improve processes
- Knowledge Base/Documentation — Write help articles and FAQs
- Product Support Specialist — Deeper technical expertise, higher pay
- Operations — Move into ops and project management roles
The skills you build—clear communication, problem-solving, product knowledge, empathy—transfer to virtually any business role. You're learning the company from the customer's perspective, which is the most valuable perspective there is.
Best Chat Support Jobs for Specific Situations
For Parents
Chat support is ideal for parents working from home because you can control your audio environment. Kids in the background? Nobody hears them. Need to step away for two minutes? Your queue holds. Companies like Omni Interactions and Working Solutions offer flexible scheduling that works around school pickup.
For Night Owls
If you prefer working while everyone else sleeps, overnight and night shift positions are available at companies supporting global customers. E-commerce companies especially need coverage during off-hours.
For Career Changers
No customer service experience? Entry-level positions at Shopify, Amazon, and ModSquad offer paid training programs. You'll learn everything you need on the job. Your transferable skills—writing, problem-solving, patience—matter more than industry-specific experience.
For Schedule Flexibility
Flexible remote jobs are the norm in chat support. Many companies offer shift-bidding systems where you select your hours weekly. Omni Interactions operates entirely on a gig model—work when you want.
Start Your Chat Support Career
Remote chat support offers something rare: a legitimate work-from-home career with low barriers to entry, no phone requirements, and real advancement potential.
The 20 companies listed above are actively hiring. The skills required—writing, typing, empathy, problem-solving—are learnable. The pay ranges from $15/hour entry-level to $35/hour for senior technical roles.
Your Next Steps:
- Test your typing speed (aim for 50+ WPM)
- Browse open customer support positions on RemoteJobAssistant
- Use the AI Job Decoder to analyze job postings
- Apply to 5-10 positions that match your schedule and interests
- Practice writing concise, helpful responses
Whether you're a parent needing quiet work, someone who prefers writing to talking, or a career changer looking for a stable remote job, chat support could be your path forward.
Your next job might be just a few keystrokes away.
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