Telecommuting was once a career perk available to a lucky few, but the workforce is changing. FlexJobs partnered with Global Workplace Analytics to compile The 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce Report, an analysis of the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, which revealed some promising trends:
- The number of people telecommuting in the U.S. increased 115% between 2005 and 2015.
- Nine million employees (2.9% of the U.S. workforce) work at home at least part-time.
- The average telecommuter has a bachelor's degree and earns a higher median salary than an office-based employee.
- Full-time telecommuters save an average of $4,000 a year in commuting costs.
If you're craving a different lifestyle, check out these remote, full-time positions that pay more than $100,000 a year.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Vice president, sales
U.S. businesses raked in $1.3 trillion in sales revenue in the last year, according to the Census Bureau, so it's no surprise that executives are in high demand. As a vice president, you can earn more than $200,000 a year leading a team, designing growth strategies, hitting sales targets, and building relationships with clients and stakeholders. You also don't need decades of experience to qualify for every VP position. For example, a remote vice president at SAP only requires three years of experience at a senior or expert level.
2. Vice president, marketing analytics
Effective marketing is crucial for a business's success, and as a vice president, you understand how to secure a return on investment (ROI). Marketing analytics evaluates customer-facing initiatives like social media, blogging, partnerships, and advertising to learn which avenues are paying off -- and why. The salary range for this position starts around $81,000 and tops out around $198,000, providing you with plenty of room to grow your career. An analytics expert generally has a master's degree or higher in applied mathematics or consumer psychology, and you'll need years of experience to qualify for this role.
3. Enterprise solutions architect
U.S. businesses lose an estimated $83 billion in revenue a year due to poor customer service, according to a Genesys and NewVoice Media survey. Maintaining a happy client base is Priority No. 1 for an enterprise solutions architect: In this role, you'll strive to improve customer experiences, provide live and online support, resolve technology glitches, and implement feedback into future product releases. As a lead with 10 years of experience, you'll likely manage a team of support staff to help them better serve clients and communicate well. You'll also earn up to $165,000 a year for your expertise.
Image source: Getty Images.
4. Director, product marketing
Companies require product visibility to outshine the competition, and the director of product marketing is the person who coordinates it all. As a director, you'll oversee researchers and junior marketers to create outbound marketing campaigns, pricing strategies, and individual product branding. You'll also work with researchers to identify which market groups are most likely to respond to the product itself. Depending on your experience and the company budget, you can earn anywhere from $96,000 to $176,000 a year. A degree in communications is usually required, but a successful track record is likely to carry some weight as well.
5. Senior UX designer
A recent study from Forrester Research found that a positive user experience (UX) can raise website conversion rates by up to 400%. User perception drives online sales, and a senior designer is responsible for designing the skeleton of a website that makes it easy and fun to use, leading to trust, brand recognition, and profit. Your expertise in UX can earn you more than $135,000 a year.
6. Senior software engineer
Software development jobs are expected to increase 17% between 2014 and 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As a senior engineer, you can make upwards of $114,000 a year working from your home office, where your job duties include writing, editing, and testing programs. Whether you specialize in networks, databases, operating systems, or applications, this career path is wide open.
7. Project manager
You'll find a project management team in almost every company. While the specialities are broad, a project manager is generally responsible for overseeing creative teams to ensure deadlines are met, serving as the point of contact for clients, coordinating schedules across multiple departments, and delivering the finished product on time. The median salary for project managers in 2014 was just over $67,000 a year, according to the BLS, but FlexJobs reports compensation as high as $109,000 a year for remote professionals in 2017. If organization is your forte, home-based project management could be the perfect fit.
The American workplace is evolving, and the benefits of working from home usually outweigh the drawbacks. Explore new options as you're navigating the next step in your career. You might find telecommuting to be a lucrative option.