Elena Prokopets
It’s easy to see why working remotely is so appealing. You don’t need to commute, show up to the office at 9 am sharp, or relocate to another state. Further, reaction to the Covid-19 outbreak has shown that many more ‘traditional’ jobs can be worked remotely than previously thought. So for now it’s certain that remote work is here to stay for the long-term.
But despite the rising popularity of telecommuting, good remote jobs are still somewhat challenging to find, especially the high-paid ones. So if you got burned with micro-work schemes and seek meaningful, long-term remote projects, here are the top 6 best remote jobs to look into this year!
1. IT Sales Professional
The software sector is one of the few that benefited (rather than suffered) from the pandemic. This is directly reflected in the growing number of both remote entry-level IT jobs, as well as non-technical positions. IT sales, in particular, are booming. Since most tech corps do business all around the world, they are often looking for regional sales representatives to work with their customer bases on the ground. And you can be one of them!
What’s even better is that remote IT sales professionals can expect to earn around $50,000 per year, plus commission on top.
2. Remote Customer Service and Help Desk
Some of the largest companies in the world have begun the move towards remote workers for their customer support and help desk positions. In fact, this may be the largest employment category for remote workers. Here are a few, well-known examples.
Amazon
Not only does Amazon hire thousands of people to work in its warehouses, but the company also offers work from home positions as well. These are generally customer and seller support positions. However, they also offer tech positions on a work at home basis as well. Amazon hires globally, but some positions do require that you live near a distribution center. One very interesting option they offer is ‘Camperforce‘. This is the division of Amazon that hires retirees and nomads who travel and live in campers and RVs. Spaces in Camperforce are limited, but those who are hired earn an hourly wage plus funds towards RV space rental.
Williams Sonoma
Most people know Williams Sonoma as a company that sells high-end home goods and kitchen products. What they may not know is that the company is also a major employer of remote staff. They primarily hire at home, customer service workers to staff their virtual call centers. At-home agents assist customers in placing orders, finding products, and understanding the billing and payment process.
3. Talent Scout or Remote HR Specialist
Freelance recruiters are easy to come by these days on LinkedIn and beyond. They are the ‘guns for hire’ to a bunch of organizations, rather than a single employer and work on a per-project, per-assignment basis. Usually, to get hired for such remote positions you are already expected to have a solid professional network, plus access to a strong pull of talent. As a remote talent scout, you can expect to earn $20-$50 per hour, though you can also go for a fixed per-hire rate.
However, if you’re new to HR, fret not either. Many employers are also open to hiring remote employers for other HR jobs such as trending and development, employee policies and manuals development, evaluation procedures development, and more. The average salary for freelance HR consultants ranges from $65,000 – $70,000.
4. Online Transcribers
Online transcription is one of the popular work-from-home jobs anyone can get hired to do. All you need is good attention to detail and great typing skills to create transcriptions of video/audio content. Knowing a second language is also a major plus!
Transcription work is mostly project-based, though you can also score full-time opportunities. But many remote workers prefer this because it allows them to select small or large jobs depending on their schedule.
5. Language Tutoring
Language tutoring is another lucrative remote job that can be done both full-time and part-time. What’s even better — you don’t need to be bilingual to teach another language since native English speakers are always in high demand.
If you are good with kids, VIPKid has remote tutoring positions all the time. The company specializes in providing one-on-one English language learning to children living in China. Further, the job does require a bachelor’s degree. Fortunately, this degree can be in any field. Employees must also be authorized to work in the United States or Canada.
6. Digital Marketing Consultant
Remote digital marketing jobs are also growing steadily as companies recognize just how important digital sales channels can be. What’s even better is that since digital marketing is a rather lofty field, you have plenty of opportunities to niche down and provide a set of specialized services, based on your expertise.
For instance, you can choose to work as an e-commerce SEO consultant, or be a CRO specialist for SaaS startups or perhaps even specialize in email marketing for B2B companies. All of these skills are in high demand and you can earn up to six figures per year if you line up a good pool of regular clients.
