10 High-Paying Ghost Jobs Over $100K and Where to Find Them

Job hunting can often feel like an endless cycle: you apply, wait, and sometimes never hear back—even for roles that seemed like a great fit. Part of the reason is that many job listings aren’t active hires. Research from Greenhouse indicates roughly 18% to 22% of postings fall into that category. At the same time, many well-paid roles don’t appear clearly on public job boards. The best opportunities frequently circulate through networks, referrals, and recruiters before they ever become visible to the wider market.

Agile Coach – $139,137

Agile coaches are brought in when teams stall, processes break down, or organizations need to accelerate delivery. Because hiring managers often prefer trusted candidates, these roles rarely appear prominently on public job boards. Job titles vary widely across companies—sometimes labeled under transformation, delivery, or change management—so they can be easy to miss. Frequently, positions are circulated internally or passed directly to candidates through leaders and existing teams. To uncover openings early, follow product and engineering leaders, track transformation initiatives, and monitor internal mobility at companies you’re targeting.

Enterprise Sales Executive – $139,074

Enterprise sales executives close high-value deals and guide strategic accounts, so hiring tends to move through trusted channels: recruiters, referrals, and incumbent client relationships. Companies entering new markets, scaling quickly, or expanding product lines are the most likely to add senior sales roles. By the time a position appears on a job board, hiring teams often already have a specific candidate profile in mind. Watching company growth signals and nurturing connections with industry recruiters helps you spot these roles earlier.

Storage Engineer – $135,376

Storage engineers maintain a company’s data infrastructure, ensuring safety, availability, and performance. These positions are often hidden beneath broader cloud, infrastructure, or platform roles, so they don’t always surface in straightforward searches. Searching for terms such as backup systems, disaster recovery, data architecture, or storage specialist will reveal more of these opportunities. Companies with heavy data needs or strict uptime requirements are particularly likely to hire for specialized storage roles.

Clinical Research Associate – $118,848

Clinical research associates oversee clinical trials, ensure protocol compliance, and manage study documentation from initiation to closeout. Openings often move through industry networks—biotech companies, CROs (contract research organizations), and specialized recruiters—so listings may disappear quickly or never reach public boards. Building relationships with hiring managers, attending industry conferences, and connecting with niche recruiters increases your chances of hearing about roles early.

Solutions Architect – $130,340

Solutions architects design technical systems and bridge product, engineering, and customer needs. The role varies significantly between organizations—sometimes focused on cloud platforms or enterprise software, other times leaning toward pre-sales or consulting. Because titles and responsibilities differ so much, these roles can be easy to overlook. Look for openings under cloud architect, enterprise architect, or technical consultant to capture a wider range of opportunities.

Data Manager – $128,309

Data managers organize, govern, and protect company data across teams. Titles such as data governance lead, data operations manager, or information manager are common variations that can hide the true role in search results. Organizations with strict compliance or regulatory requirements—such as finance, healthcare, and regulated industries—frequently hire for these positions, though openings often circulate internally or through sector-specific channels.

Contract Attorney – $117,823

Contract attorneys are brought in for urgent matters—M&A support, contract reviews, compliance projects, or high-volume legal work. These roles are often filled rapidly through legal recruiters or existing firm networks and may not be advertised widely. Remaining active in professional legal associations, cultivating relationships with legal recruiters, and staying visible to in-house counsel can open doors to short-term and contract opportunities.

UX Researcher – $107,597

UX researchers study user behavior, test assumptions, and provide evidence to guide product decisions. Their responsibilities are frequently bundled with design or product research, causing roles to be misclassified. Searching for customer insights, user research, or product research and following product teams will surface more opportunities. Companies that prioritize research-driven product development tend to pay well for experienced researchers.

Actuary – $104,039

Actuaries focus on risk assessment, financial modeling, and long-term forecasting, and their hiring is often driven by professional credentials and industry networks. Insurance carriers, consulting firms, and financial services organizations commonly recruit through internal referrals and specialized firms, which limits the visibility of openings. Networking within actuarial communities and maintaining professional certifications can help you access higher-paying roles in this field.

Public Relations Account Executive – $101,049

PR account executives manage client relationships, media outreach, and communications strategy. Senior-level positions at agencies or in-house teams can exceed six figures, but agencies frequently fill roles through internal promotions and referrals. Job titles may not always reflect seniority or scope of responsibility, so monitor agency career pages, participate in communications networks, and cultivate industry contacts to discover opportunities that might not be advertised widely.

In short, many well-paid positions remain under the radar because they move through trusted networks, recruiter channels, or internal pipelines. To find them, broaden your search terms, follow relevant leaders and companies, build relationships with specialized recruiters, and stay active in the professional communities tied to your target roles.