In recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of at-home professions and more people are doing their jobs remotely than ever before. Not only individuals but employers acknowledge the benefits of allowing their employees to work offsite, signaling that telecommuting is here to remain for millions of people across the world.
While there’s a seemingly endless list of at-home available for all the career fields you can imagine, some titles are more favored and common work-from-home jobs than others, requiring a variety of expertise and experience levels. To give you more idea, let’s take a look at the most popular at-home professions, proving that remote work, which was once a pipe dream is now available on a broad scale.
1. Medical Transcriptionist
One of the most renowned at-home professions is being a medical transcriptionist. The main job is to listen to voice recordings from different healthcare practitioners and convert them into documents or written reports. Audio files can vary doctors’ medical dictations or lectures. A common requirement is knowledge or some understanding of medical terminologies and practices. For an entry-level gig, newbies usually earn about $13 per hour. Experienced medical transcriptionists usually make up to $20-$25 per hour.
2. Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers are in-demand everywhere. As such, it’s no surprise that the demand for this profession is high and on the rise. What’s great is that an individual doesn’t need to be a Certified Public Accountant to be hired for the job. Completing a bookkeeping course online or at a community college is usually enough.
Common duties include creating journal entries, collecting transactions, preparing invoices, and handling accounts receivable and payable. The median annual wage for this wage is reported to be between $34,000-$41,000.
3. Teacher/Instructor/Tutor
Thanks to the advances in technology and internet connection, opportunities for remote teaching and learning have been widely available for teachers and students. Some educational institutions are now even shifting to virtual classrooms, seeing the various perks of this new environment.
With that, at-home teachers, instructors, and tutors are becoming more common, who guide students in various subject areas using different online platforms. It can be in a one-to-one teaching curriculum or a group setting, from kindergarten to high school, middle school, and university level.
4. Writer/Editor
Most writers and editors have been working from home even before the surge in popularity of at-home professions. What made the difference is the arrival of wireless internet and laptops, which allows writing and editing to be done virtually anywhere: at a local park, a café, on the beach, or even overseas.
Forms of content range from fiction, and technical writing to journalism, such as short stories, novels, manuals, ad copy, and news. Writing and editing for websites, blogs, magazines and other companies that require content are also popular. The average annual salary for the writers and editors ranges from $51,000 to $63,000.
5. Consultant
Companies and organizations have numerous projects to accomplish, areas that need improvement, or issues that need ample resolutions. With that, consultants have also been one of the most favored at-home professions in the past few years.
Banking on their many years of experience and knowledge, consultants offer expertise and advice to their clients to help them fix problems or boost business performance. Various sectors like education, IT, operations, marketing, HR, healthcare, finance, strategy, and supply chain management commonly hire consultants, paying them an annual wage of around $90,000.
6. Customer Service Representative
Another popular at-home job is being a customer service representative, who takes on the task of assisting clients through email, chat, phone, or social media. Agents help their customers in placing orders, tracking shipments, billing services, or answering their queries or complaints about a product or service that the company offers.
Employers who hire workers for this job usually come from retail, utilities, and financial industries, though it can also be found in an array of other businesses. Customer service representatives often earn an annual wage of $35,000 to $41,000.
7. Website Tester
Businesses want to ensure that their businesses are running smoothly and intuitively. With that, they hire website testers to check out their sites. It entails assessing the website and its applications for usability, clarity, and quality on various platforms, such as mobile devices, laptops, and desktops. Testers are asked to follow given a set of instructions, accomplish a few tasks, and provide honest feedback and details on their experience. The average hourly rate for this job is $25. Others pay per completed test for $10 to $15.
8. Medical Coder
Earning an average annual salary of about $45,300 a year, a medical coder’s job is to read the medical chart of a patient, analyze and interpret it, determine the diagnoses, treatments, and procedures, and accurately assign codes to categorize them on the national classification system. It makes a patient’s information more data-friendly for the healthcare industry and makes it useful in processing claims and reimbursements, monitoring diseases, and in research and funding.
9. Virtual Assistant
With businesses more comfortable with outsourcing, we are also seeing more and more workers securing a job in virtual assistant services. Virtual assistants do nearly everything, from administrative, technical, and creative tasks for a broad range of industries, be it in finance, legal, retail business, or healthcare. It involves various duties, such as calendar management, social media management, scheduling invoices, replying to emails, data entry, copywriting, and conducting research. The position can pay $10 to $15 per hour, but can go up to $20 per hour for more skilled candidates who can cover other types of tasks.
10. Translator/Interpreter
Today’s technology also provides a popular way for bilingual and multilingual people to earn a living off their skills. Knowing at least one other language allows them to one to be an at-home translator or interpreter for corporations, hospitals, schools, courts, and other public and private institutions. The common requirement includes a few years of experience and/or ample training from an academic program in linguistics of translation. Annual salary varies widely.
11. Social Media Specialist
Businesses’ solid presence on social media is vital in building awareness, growing an audience, promoting their products and services, and boosting sales. With that, social media specialists’ role has also become increasingly important nowadays. This job centers on creating and publishing content on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to improve customer engagement.
The average base wage for the job is $37,600. Common requirements usually include a bachelor’s degree in communication, marketing, journalism, or other related fields, as well as three or more years of related experience including producing and managing content in an agency or corporate setting.
12. Data Entry Specialist
Another booming profession in the work-at-home industry is being a data entry specialist. Also known as a data entry clerk or operator, the main job is to digitize information from handwritten or physical records. Input data are usually reports, bills, canceled checks, and other documents that need to be stored. Other duties include handling the organized filing system, collecting information, and reviewing data for accuracy and completeness. No previous experience is usually required for the job, which starts at a rate of $10 per hour.
13. Software Developer
As its name suggests, a software developer is responsible for brainstorming and creating systems, programs, or applications that run on computers and other devices. With more tech companies also allowing their workforce to work remotely, these masterminds are also becoming more in demand. Most firms that hire software developers include those in manufacturing, computer system and designs, and software publishing. This occupation is among the most lucrative at-home professions, earning an average of $107,510 annually.
14. Web Developer
Web developers build functional websites using their expertise in HTML, JavaScript, CSS, APIs, and jQuery. While web development is different from web design as the former only deals with technical front-end and back-end codes to create the site, modern jobs usually see overlap with the two fields, adding the responsibility to make the site attractive and appealing. Web developers often receive an average wage of $60,400 annually.
15. Graphic Designer
Graphic designers who have office jobs are also now widely transitioning to telecommuting jobs. They are professionals who design t-shirts, logos, and visual ads, as well as book covers, brochures, magazines, and reports, with the goal of inspiring, communicating, educating, or enticing consumers. It’s a career that’s easy to do at home but requires experience and a degree or certification. Earnings vary depending on the project and experience level, though the average annual salary is reported to be $45,000 and above.
16. Registered Nurse
Registered nurses are no longer restrained in hospitals. They now also have the opportunity to work from home, thanks to the rise of telehealth platforms, which are healthcare services provided remotely through telephone, computers, and other platforms. Registered nurses use phone, messaging, email, and video conferencing to answer queries, provide advice, and inform patients about their treatment procedures. It’s an innovation that has been adopted by most insurance companies, allowing them to meet the needs of their patients, without having to visit the doctor’s office. The annual salary wage for the position ranges between $67,000 to $73,300.
17. Program Manager
Another at-home profession that’s making waves is being a program manager. It’s a role that oversees the projects and tasks of a company, and manages the program, providing keen attention to the strategy, coordination, delegation, and implementation to meet the organizational goals and business objectives. Being a program manager is a challenging position, but a well-paid at-home career option, earning $54,000 to $75,600 yearly.
18. Insurance Sales Agents
Insurance companies are also now heavily outsourcing their positions, especially on the phone calls they receive from potential customers who need help selecting the right policy. Call the number of an insurance company, and chances are you’re communicating with a licensed insurance representative who is working at home. The annual salary for this role is projected to be $51,000.
19. Blogger/Vlogger
Perhaps among the most visible at-home professions is being a blogger/vlogger. It’s an inexpensive and easy-to-do job, which allows one to start generating from his site or videos. Topics to cover are random, ranging from music, food, and fashion to travel, while earnings can also come in from many sources, such as ads, coaching, affiliate marketing, and other paid offerings. The catch is that it requires patience, and may take time to revenue.
20. Online Therapist
Like specific healthcare services, therapy as a part of mental health services is now also offered in real-time through various digital platforms over the phone or the internet. Online therapists utilized phone calls, text messaging, chat, email, and video conferencing to offer services. While online therapy has its limitations, it’s becoming a popular and important alternative for people. A master’s degree in psychology, social work, and other related fields, as well as an unrestricted license, is required to start practicing online. Earning is usually $18 to $40 per hour.
21. Event Planner
Whether it’s planning a company party, a fundraiser, a convention, trade shows, and other special events that need to be organized, event planners now have a lot of work-at-home opportunities, which they can fulfill via phone or computer. Some of the tasks include reaching out to vendors, coming up with a budget, coordinating with on-site personnel, making registration systems, and collecting feedback after the event. The average annual wage of a virtual event planner is $58,491.
22. Paralegal Assistant
Paralegal assistants now also work remotely, earning an average annual wage of $51,800. They offer services to an attorney, lawyer, or a client on a contractual basis. Some of their responsibilities include preparing and proofreading documents, carrying out subpoenas, conducting research, talking to witnesses, responding to complaints, and drafting wills, contracts, agreements, and discovery motions. They communicate through phone calls, email, and video conferencing, and work freelance for a corporation, firm, or government agency.
23. Sales Representative
Multiple industries also hire at-home sales representatives, leading to the boom in the demand for the position. The core duty is to sell products and services, be it software, medical devices, or insurance. Primary duties involve contacting various clients, following up on leads, learning about the market, assessing current sales, and building strategies. It also requires delivering demos and presentations, attending sales meetings and conferences, and keeping up-to-date knowledge of what you’re selling. Qualifications vary per industry, but excellent interpersonal skills are a definite plus for this profession.
24. Managers
Online at-home managerial roles are also now popular. Various companies hire business development managers who help boost revenue by looking for sales leads and making proposals and sales pitches, account managers who oversee and manage client relationships and communications while also generating sales through cross-selling and upselling, and territory sales managers who are responsible for developing sales prospects and strategies and meeting sales objectives. The annual salary for these roles ranges from $56,500 to $75,100.
25. Recruiter
Capping this list is another profession that has become more widespread in recent years – a remote recruiter. Also called headhunters, common duties include creating and posting job descriptions, scheduling interviews, screening applicants, onboarding successful candidates, and helping with other recruitment pursuits. Minimum qualifications are having a bachelor’s degree in psychology, business, or similar, and years of experience, especially at a global level. Recruiters usually earn a salary of $53,000 on an annual basis.
Quick Tips on Landing a Popular At-Home Profession
As more and more people are now starting to consider at-home professions, the application process becomes even tougher, despite having a lot of popular at-home jobs available. Not to mention that there are also online scams that take advantage of candidates. To ensure you land a job among these in-demand remote professions, here are a few quick tips you need to know:
Apply Immediately.
Job ads for at-work home professions are so in-demand that up to 150 people may submit applications in an hour or two after it’s been up. With that, you need to apply immediately should you see any posting that matches your preference and qualifications. That way, you increase your chances of getting ahead and screened earlier than most other candidates.
Search for various job titles.
Despite having the same job description, remote jobs can appear in different titles. It is important to search different job titles to ensure you cover all postings possible. For instance, employers may use education, instructor, tutor, or teacher for teaching-related positions. The same goes with customer service representatives, which employers may call customer happiness specialists or customer support associates.
Maximize your network.
Take advantage of your connections. Reach out to your friends, family, alumni association, former colleagues, customers, and clients to see if they know of any work-at-home jobs or other hidden remote opportunities that fit you. Ask them to make referrals and seek their advice which can be very helpful in your job search.
Highlight your work-from-home skills.
With the intense competition, it’s vital that you showcase your qualities and other soft skills that put you above the rest. See things from the company’s perspective and highlight why you’re the best candidate that they should hire. Be sure to include concrete examples. For instance, if you’re applying for a web designer, you can say that “you’ve finished more than 100 websites and can complete projects quickly with minimal oversight.” Remember, one of the main reasons why companies outsource jobs is that they can’t find exceptional talent locally, so make sure to show that you’re the one who can fill that void.
Avoid scams.
Sadly, there are lots of frauds who will try to steal your money or identity by requiring personal information that employers normally ask from their new hires. These include your bank account number, Social Security number, address, phone number, or address.
Be extra vigilant and if you feel something isn’t right, trust your gut. Note that legitimate at-home jobs will never ask you to send cash or deposit checks. A legitimate employer will also use their company name in their ads and will never use a blind email address.
Moreover, they should have an HR personnel who you can contact for queries, as well as a list of company benefits, vacation policies, and list of job duties and expectations. If they don’t have one, you’re better off leaving and applying somewhere else.
Takeaway
Working remotely offers plenty of advantages. So, it’s little wonder that at-home professions’ popularity is skyrocketing in the past few years. Adding the technological advances and with companies becoming more open to the idea, we can only expect for its continuous growth in the succeeding generations, changing the landscape of the modern workforce.